Industry Resources

Learn about IHA’s cost-saving programs, including the International Housewares Shippers Association, designed to help members grow their business!

U.S. Retail Intelligence – June

June 30 – Ace Hardware Shuts Down The Grommet, Lays Off 44 The hardware retailer’s co-op structure made it difficult to expand the platform, according to founder Jules Pieri, who announced the closure on LinkedIn. From: Retail Dive June 30 – Qurate’s Rawlinson Unveils ‘Project Athens’ Turnaround Plan Qurate Retail President and CEO David Rawlinson II shared a three-year…

Two Important Trade Developments

On June 16, President Joe Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA22, S. 3580) into law. This followed the House’s June 13 passage of the Senate version 369-42 in response to White House pressure for House Democrats to accept the Senate bill and quickly get a much-needed victory to the President’s desk. This rare and meaningful bipartisan achievement will…

Container Volume is Starting to Soften

The global economy is slowing down. Consumer confidence is also starting to wane. As a result, the containership industry is starting to see a softening in global container volume. U.S. importers are watching closely to see how this global softening impacts rates and capacity in the Asia-to-U.S. market. The initial impact is clear. Spot rates from Asia to the U.S. are on the…

Congestion Switching to East Coast Ports

Shippers are watching how the contract talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) will play out during the month of June. Key players on both sides have indicated they expect a smooth negotiation process even if a contract is not concluded by the June 30, 2022 expiration date. Shippers are hoping negotiations…

Identify and Capitalize Growth Through Exports

By Thomas A. Cook, Managing Director, Blue Tiger International The United States exported $2.53 trillion in goods and services in 2021, an increase of 18.5% over 2020. Of that, $1.76 trillion were goods, according to the US Census Bureau of Economic Analysis. Expanded opportunity awaits the US housewares industry. This four-part blog series, provided by Blue Tiger…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – May

May 31 – Bed Bath & Beyond Rolls Out Everhome Brand In another expansion of its “owned-brand” range, Bed Bath & Beyond is officially launching Everhome, which it characterizes as a casually sophisticated collection of furniture and furnishings, bedding, bath linens and accessories, decor, outdoor decor and tabletop, and storage and organization now available in-stores,…

USTR China Tariff Review Process Underway

As required by law, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced May 3 that it has initiated a four-year “review of necessity” process for tariffs on Chinese imports under Sec. 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. In a May 10 speech, President Joe Biden said combating inflation is his top domestic priority citing the pandemic, supply chain issues and war in Ukraine as the primary…

West Coast Port Disruptions

Formal contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) begin on May 12, 2022. The ILWU represents port workers in California, Oregon and Washington. The PMA represents carriers and terminal operators at West Coast ports. The current ILWU contract is set to expire on June 30, 2022. Shippers have been…

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act goes to a House-Senate Conference

Key to untying the Gordian knot known as the supply-chain crisis is recognizing and addressing unreasonable business practices by ocean carriers. Some of these practices can likely be attributed to consolidation, and a recent report by Commissioner Carl Bentzel, Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), finds the shipping container (“containerization”) was a key factor in this…