Beth Dempsey, Author at International Housewares Association

Navigating Decarbonization of Ocean Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "In a huge step toward our 2050 carbon neutrality goal, the company has declared war on the office thermostat" - Unknown The decarbonization of ocean shipping is a critical global effort of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the maritime industry's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by or…

November Trade and Tariff Updates

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — This edition reviews trade agreements from President Trump’s Asia trip; a new investigation into China’s compliance with previous agreements; adding more International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff exemptions; and recent Senate votes rejecting President Trump’s tariffs. President Trump’s Asia Trade Agreements President…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – November

October 30 – Hy-Vee Makes $125K Donation to Nourish Local Families Hy-Vee has donated $25,000 to DoorDash’s new initiative to waive delivery and service fees for customers who receive food assistance benefits, helping families stretch their budgets even further. From: Drug Store News October 30 – Why This Manufacturer isn’t Crumbling Under Tariff…

Navigating SCOTUS and POTUS Tariff Legality

by Dave Akers, IHSA A federal appeals court ruling that said the President does not have authority to impose broad tariffs, has introduced significant uncertainty into the U.S. tariff landscape. "Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation." – Milton Friedman Here's a breakdown of the current situation and its impact on the global…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – October

September 30 – Mastercard: Macroeconomic Factors Will Drive Holiday 2025 Spending Larger retailers that purchased and stocked holiday items in advance of tariff changes are likely to have a competitive advantage. From: HomePage News September 30 – Target, Netflix Partner on ‘Stranger Things’ Collection Spanning Halloween to New Year’s The product lineup includes…

The Government Shutdown and Federal Programs

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Sept. 18, House Republicans passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded at Fiscal Year 2025 levels from Sept. 30 – Nov. 21 in order to finish the 12 separate appropriations bills for FY26. On Sept. 19, the CR failed to get the votes needed in the Senate and a competing Democrat bill with some $1.5…

September Tariff Updates

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — Tariff updates since IHA’s August Government Affairs blog include a court decision on IEEPA tariffs, more steel and aluminum tariff categories, steeper tariffs for products from India, an extended China tariff deadline, and progress for the U.S.–European Union (EU) trade deal. Legal Challenge to IEEPA Tariffs As explained in the…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – September

August 29 – Ollie’s Cites Q2 Housewares Gains as Tariffs Presented Opportunity Buys Year over year, comparable store sales increased 5%, driven by a transactions increase. From: HomePage News August 29 – Burlington Turned in Solid Q2 but Tariffs Weighed on Home Michael O’Sullivan, Burlington CEO, said in a conference call that tariffs impacted the company in the…

The Changing Tide of U.S. Port Fees on Chinese Vessels

by Dave Akers, IHSA The U.S. government is implementing new port fees on Chinese-built, owned, and operated vessels, a policy aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on Chinese maritime assets and stimulating the domestic shipbuilding industry. These fees, which are scheduled to begin on October 14, 2025, are creating a significant challenge for the entire supply chain. As a result,…