Industry Resources

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

Supply Chain Variables Cloud the Future

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA22, S. 3580) signed on June 16 by President Joe Biden is a major step toward fixing supply chain problems that involve ocean carrier practices. An immediate benefit for trucking firms and shippers is that OSRA now requires 13 specific items of information on carriers’ invoices and failure to include such information relieves the need…

Are $20,000 Spot Rates a Thing of the Past?

The worsening state of the global economy is starting to negatively impact the record high ocean spot rates that have overwhelmed shippers the last two years. Everyone involved in international shipping, including the ocean carriers, knew that the record high spot rates were not sustainable over a long period of time. The softening demand by consumers has some carriers…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – July

July 30 – Shopify Reports $1.2B Net Loss, Lays Off 10% of its Workforce The company’s e-commerce gamble “didn’t pay off,” CEO Tobi Lütke said, and it expects operating losses through the rest of the year. From: Retail Dive July 29 – Amazon Posts Q2 Loss Against Earnings Expectations Amazon fell short of second-quarter expectations as it continued working to cut costs and…

The Four Big Challenges of Exporting Successfully: Explained and Answered

By Thomas A. Cook, Managing Director, Blue Tiger International Part 2 of a 4-Part Series While there are numerous challenges that companies in the housewares business vertical face, there are four that dominate the export process. Manage these successfully and you’ll reduce export headaches and maximize the profitability and long-term sustainability of your export…

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…