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Global Supply Chain Impacts of COVID-19

By: Keith Schneringer  |  April 30, 2020

Part one-of-three series analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the Jan/San industry.

• Part One: Supply Chain Survey and COVID-19 Disruptions
• Part Two: The Effect of COVID-19 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies
• Part Three: The Ongoing Demand for Hand Sanitizers, Disinfectants and Toilet Paper – Oh My!

The topic of COVID-19 has dominated the news and collective psyche of the world¹ for the last several months – and it may be the height of understatement to say that this intense focus has had a dramatic and oversized impact on many of the facets of our everyday lives which we may have previously taken for granted.

In addition to the implementation of social distancing measures² which have kept us separated and unable to enjoy many of the daily opportunities for interpersonal interactions we are used to being able to have with our friends, families, and neighbors, the COVID-19 pandemic has also shined a very bright light on the global supply chain³ and our collective ability to be able to source and buy the products which are typically viewed as basic staples of our everyday lives, as well as those supplies which we can all agree are needed by those responsible for facilities maintenance in the buildings where we work, learn, heal, and relax in order to combat this new viral threat.

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Topics: industry news, COVID-19, Supply Chain

Trade War with China: How the Tariffs Affect the Cleaning Industry

By: Keith Schneringer  |  December 18, 2018

Status of the ongoing trade war with the U.S. & China as of December 18, 2018

There has been a trade fight brewing between the globe’s two heavyweight economies for a while now, and the impacts are beginning to be felt by those in the cleaning and maintenance industry.

The two heavyweight combatants? The United States of America and China.

The issue? Perceived trade imbalances.

The weapon of choice? Tariffs.

What’s a Tariff?

A tariff is a tax one country places on imports from another country. This tax is also sometimes referred to as a duty or a trade barrier.

According to Investor’s Business Daily, “the purpose of a tariff is to protect domestic production and jobs.” Tariffs have been used for many years by many countries, and although they do provide a degree of protection for the domestic manufacturing interests of the country who has imposed them by making imported goods artificially higher in price, economists argue that “other domestic sectors and customers ultimately pay for tariffs. The U.S. has applied tariffs on imports for centuries, but the global trend has been toward lower tariff rates, lower trade barriers and expanding global trade.”

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Topics: industry news, tariffs, Supply Chain