• Supply chains in 2024 face higher labor costs which may hinder investments in resilience. Firms are returning to “just in time” rather than “just in case” inventory strategies and diversification of suppliers is falling. Reshoring continues, however, as firms look to cut costs and risks even as corporate cash flows remain pressured.
• New data shows that US seaborne imports recovered more quickly in November, although a faster-than-normal seasonal dip may hold the seeds of a new slowdown. Tequila’s growing dominance drags on other spirits’ supply chains, including cognac.