Archives July 2025

Trump’s tariffs have unleashed chaos across global supply chains, forcing companies to make radical shifts in their production strategies almost overnight. Initially, tariffs were set at a staggering 145% on Chinese imports, these tariffs threatened to push iPhone prices to $3,000, add $5,000 to electric vehicle costs, and disrupt countless industries dependent on global manufacturing networks. The podcast explores how major players are responding with remarkable agility. Tesla is accelerati…

What guides your toughest decisions? Are you relying on gut instinct, careful analysis, or something in between? Decision making shapes everything from our breakfast choices to business strategies that impact millions. In this thought-provoking exploration, we examine the frameworks governing how we make choices that determine our paths. Beyond simple pros and cons lists, we dive into advanced techniques used by strategic thinkers: decision trees that map possibilities, Bayesian thinki…

The global economic landscape is transforming before our eyes as protectionist policies gain momentum worldwide. This episode of Chain Reaction examines how these shifts are creating both challenges and opportunities for supply chain leaders navigating increasingly complex waters. We dive deep into the impending August 1st tariffs from the Trump administration, which include a striking 50% tariff on copper aimed at boosting domestic production. The immediate market response reveals a fascina…

The global trade landscape is entering a period of unprecedented turbulence as President Trump announces massive new tariffs set to take effect August 1st. With tariff rates ranging from 25% to 50% hitting major US trading partners including the EU, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil, we’re witnessing what could be the largest series of US tariff hikes since 1930. The timing couldn’t be more critical. Despite the United States collecting more tariff revenue this year than in its entire h…

Global supply chains are under siege from all directions, and the consequences are far-reaching. The steel tariffs imposed by the Trump administration demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern industrial ecosystems function. When a Sheffield manufacturer can’t supply raw materials to their own American plant because of these tariffs, putting 70 US jobs at risk, we’re witnessing policy backfire in real-time. The power of input-output analysis becomes clear when examining these …

Digital twins represent a revolutionary approach to supply chain management, offering businesses a virtual mirror of their physical operations that transforms how they monitor, analyze, and optimize complex networks. This fascinating exploration reveals how these digital replicas harness real-time data from IoT sensors, AI algorithms, and cloud computing to simulate supply chain dynamics without disrupting actual operations. The power of digital twins lies in their versatility and practical …