Bobby Holland

It’s safe to say supply chain podcasters won’t run out of things to talk about this year. With ever-evolving policies like the United States’ changing trade levies, experienced supply chain podcasts aren’t outlining podcasts, booking guests, or recording programs too far in advance. These days, material can be stale before it even airs! Trust Supply Chain Now to keep abreast of the very latest developments on the compliance and trade fronts to keep podcast listeners up to date. Tariffs: Keeping Up With Policy Shifts The United States’ trade relationships with many countries around the world have become rocky under the new Trump administration. At the time of writing, President Trump had imposed 25% tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico. Canada immediately responded March 4 with 25% tariffs on nearly $21 billion of U.S. goods, with levies on another $86 billion of American products promised by March 25. Two days later, Trump suspended the tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico and moved the implementation date to April 2. The president also increased the tariff on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. China retaliated with 15% tariffs on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton and 10% tariffs on…

Special Guest Blog Post written by Stela Jaqueta   In today’s fast-changing world, Africa’s role in global supply chains is at a tipping point. For too long, the continent has been viewed primarily as a source of raw materials rather than as a strategic partner in value creation. But what if we reimagined everything, from policies and technologies to mindsets and sustainability practices, through an Africa-centered lens? In this blog post, I explore five questions that challenge conventional supply chain thinking. From redefining Africa’s place at the global negotiation table, to elevating cultural intelligence from “soft skill” to strategic necessity, to designing climate-restorative logistics and embracing the digital revolution in a way that includes youth-led and informal businesses, each question is a call to rethink, redesign, and re-center. 1. What would a truly Africa-centered global supply chain look like? A truly Africa-centered global supply chain would shift from a model of extraction to one of empowerment and value creation. It would prioritize investment in local manufacturing, infrastructure, and knowledge transfer, ensuring that raw materials sourced from Africa are processed, packaged, and innovated on the continent. African-led businesses are seen as power players, with a voice and authority at the negotiation…