What must global companies do to survive a bruising trade war?

Some U.S. domestic companies have benefited from the tariffs placed on imports from China by President Trump, while others can be classified as collateral damage. Major U.S. automakers are experiencing up to $1bn each in incremental costs, as a direct result of the tariffs. The construction industry is hurting as well. So what should companies be doing to protect themselves from the damage, both now and in the highly uncertain future? On this episode, we speak with Steven Bowen, chief executive officer of Maine Pointe. He describes the impact of the tariffs to date, then broadens the discussion to explain how companies can evaluate the “total value” of their supply chains, by undertaking a deep assessment of their capabilities both internally and with outside partners. The future remains hazy, but action must be taken. As Bowen says, “it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.” Hosted by Bob Bowman, managing editor of SupplyChainBrain.

Look for a new episode of the podcast, which can be downloaded or streamed, every Friday on the SupplyChainBrain website and iTunes.

Show notes:

Maine Pointe’s Tariff Bulletin for December 2018, and Bowen’s book, Total Value Optimization: Transforming Your Global Supply Chain Into a Competitive Weapon.