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Post-COVID Logistics: Retooling for the Future

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3pls, Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Post-COVID Logistics: Retooling for the Future

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The impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt across global economies and businesses, but for the supply chain and logistics industry, challenges go beyond the present and threaten the future of operations and business continuity. These challenges redefine what prediction could look like for the logistics industry and what considerations should be taken to keep the supply chain moving.

Global Trade had the opportunity to speak with business owner and author of “The GOP’s Lost Decade: An Inside View of Why Washington Doesn’t Work,” Jim Renacci on what changes the industry can anticipate as the current health crisis continues to change the pace for global business.

What planning measures will logistics players need to consider in a post-COVID environment?

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the way manufacturers/logistic players will need to review their supply chain management post-COVID-19 and access their supply chain vulnerabilities. The crisis has demonstrated that reliance on sourcing from two geographic areas could pose a risk.

During the crisis, while supplies became unavailable, many companies were forced to start looking for new supply chains as many of their overseas suppliers had to limit or reduce shipments significantly. Post-COVID planning will include asking current suppliers to take on more and different product lines. It is already happening with many current business relationships. Also, the reliability of the supply chain…. over cost…. will be more of a priority.

In what ways have supply chain players supported their customers and consumers during the crisis?

Manufacturers/supply chain players are supporting their customers by shifting and increasing supply chain needs where possible. In many instances, secondary suppliers have started adding product lines where possible. With any crisis, opportunities will be there for the business that can move quickly and adapt to change.

How will the manufacturing site selection process shift in a post-COVID world? 

Manufacturing site selection processes in a post-COVID world should include seeking locations within the US and other countries that have access to highly trained engineers, top tier R&D, access to advanced manufacturing technologies as well as private and public institutions and universities. Site selection should also include countries that offer a competitive investment package as more and more countries post-COVID will be looking to entice companies to locate or relocate inside their jurisdictions.

In what ways can logistics players use the disruption from COVID-19 to benefit their operations in the future?

Current disruption due to COVID-19 will allow companies to reassess their vulnerabilities but also their strengths. With these disruptions, companies can retool for the future. They can adjust for their weaknesses and benefit from their strengths.

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Jim Renacci is the author of The GOP’s Lost Decade: An Inside View of Why Washington Doesn’t Work. He is also an experienced business owner who created more than 1,500 jobs and employed over 3,000 people across the Buckeye State before running for Congress in 2010. Jim represented Ohio’s 16th District in the House of Representatives for four terms. He is also the chairman of Ohio’s Future Foundation, a policy and action-oriented organization whose goal is to move the state forward.

paradigm shift
Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Will COVID-19 Spark a Paradigm Shift for Businesses?

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The COVID-19 pandemic is having a dramatic impact on the global economy and reshaping businesses in lasting ways. According to our own research, the U.S. economy is expected to see a sharp recession for the first half of 2020, likely to be followed by a U-shaped recovery. What’s more, the number of business bankruptcies is expected to increase by 25% and unemployment is likely to surpass 20% in the next few months.

As governments, leaders and industries around the globe grapple with the effects of the pandemic, one thing is certain: the fragility of businesses has been exposed. The question we are faced with now is what the aftermath will look like. Will the consequences of this crisis permanently mark the business world? Will we see a paradigm shift in the way businesses transform their strategies and priorities?

A shift in business values

As we shift into a post-pandemic world, will the traditional drivers of a capitalist society (productivity, profit and growth) be re-evaluated by businesses? I believe the answer could be yes. We’re already seeing younger generations less attracted to capitalist values, according to a study published last year. If they want to attract and retain the next generation of top talent, companies must get more in tune with societal movements to attract younger generations and strengthen the meaning in their actions with a clear vision that has a reinforced long-term impact.

I also believe that this catastrophic event will force a greater partnership on a national level between governments, businesses and individuals. We’ve already seen this group come together to encourage solidarity and altruism during this time. Across the U.S., businesses are repurposing their products and services to help fight the pandemic and individuals are stepping into action to shop for their neighbors and set up support systems all while celebrating those on the frontlines of healthcare and emergency services each night. Even state governments are working together to allocate resources across state lines to combat the spread of the virus. This movement toward unity is what the country needs to emerge stronger post-pandemic.

Closely aligning business with altruism

It is possible that this very same concept of solidarity becomes a strong value in the business world too. Businesses who once competed against each other are coming together. We see this with the explosion of innovation at pharmaceutical companies who are joining forces to find a vaccine while large-scale manufacturers and small businesses have stopped their usual production in order to manufacture ventilators, hand sanitizer and medical masks.

Even our credit insurance industry is taking action. In Canada, credit insurers are partnering with their Export Credit Agency to offer government-backed insurance plans. In France, its main actors have recently mobilized with the government to reactivate support systems (known as CAP) with a global budget of 12 billion euros in order to help companies survive the impact of the economic deadlock. In Germany, credit insurers and the government have collaborated to guarantee the payment of compensation to businesses up to 30 billion euros. In other countries like the U.S and U.K, industry leaders are moving to create similar partnerships to better support their countries’ economies.

As companies begin to think through what a post-pandemic world looks like, a closer and more harmonious relationship between different businesses could be what’s needed. Instead of being passive on subjects that require a collective approach, businesses need to join together to adopt like-minded social, environmental and governance standards.

History has taught us that massive events can trigger important changes thereafter. For COVID-19, this could be synonymous with business transformation as companies are forced to rethink and realign their priorities. To prepare for the aftermath, companies must adapt, anticipate changes and accelerate their transformation to link work with a greater purpose. While a “before” and “after” are certain for the pandemic, the future of business and the extent of this paradigm shift remains to be determined. It’s not enough to just survive this unprecedented crisis but rather companies must emerge more innovative and united.

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Virginie Fauvel is the Chief Transformation Officer and Board Member for the Americas Region at Euler Hermes 

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, News, Special Reports

What Small Business Owners Can Do to Steer Their Way Through a Crisis

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As the nation’s economy continues to struggle because of the impact of COVID-19, small business owners and their leadership skills are being put to the test.

They face the task of adapting to the crisis and helping their employees adapt as well. But just what steps can business leaders take to keep employee morale high, make sure the business stays afloat, and manage their own concerns about the future?

One of the most important things is to be transparent with employees about where the business stands, says Adam Witty, ForbesBooks co-author of Authority Marketing: Your Blueprint to Build Thought Leadership That Grows Business, Attracts Opportunity, and Makes Competition Irrelevant.

“Face the facts head-on and don’t try to sugarcoat it,” says Witty, the founder and CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks (www.advantagefamily.com). “Share with your team, in calm and rational terms, what impacts you expect the virus to have on your business and what the business is doing to try to mitigate those negative impacts.”

Witty suggests other steps business leaders need to take as they manage their way through the crisis:

Over-communicate. With remote work, communicating is more important now than ever. In an office, much of the communication happens naturally as people drop by each other’s offices or pass in the hallway. With everyone spread out, communication can easily fall by the wayside so it needs to be more intentional. Witty says it’s critical to use video communication like Zoom or Google Hangouts whenever possible to interact with employees. He also makes a point of sending at least three company-wide video messages a week. “In times of great uncertainty, communicate more not less,” he says. “In the absence of information, people tell themselves stories, and I can promise they are bad stories.”

Project calm. When a leader is anxious and fearful, everyone will pick up on that and they, too, will become anxious and fearful. “If your employees see that you are worried, they will begin to think it is all over,” Witty says. That doesn’t mean to fake it or to pretend the situation isn’t bad. “We can’t control the situation we find ourselves in,” he says. “But we can control how we react to the situation, and how we react will dictate our results.”

Consider introducing new products or services. Now is a good time to get innovative, Witty says, so brainstorm with your team about alternative ways to bring in revenue if your usual sources have been disrupted. For example, some restaurants that were strictly sit-down establishments pivoted to offer takeout and delivery. Witty’s own company created new publishing and marketing products aimed at potential clients who may be more cost-conscious during these tough economic times.

Finally, Witty says, have a plan.

“Hopefully, you already have a strategic plan for your business that you are executing week in and week out,” he says. “As we continue to move along through this crisis, that plan will need to be adjusted as COVID-19 makes some pieces of your plan obsolete.”

He suggests meeting weekly, if not more often, to keep updating the plan to reflect the new realities. Then communicate the plan and its latest adjustments to your team.

“When employees know the leaders have a plan,” Witty says, “it creates calm and confidence.”

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Adam Witty, co-author with Rusty Shelton of Authority Marketing: Your Blueprint to Build Thought Leadership That Grows Business, Attracts Opportunity, and Makes Competition Irrelevant, is the CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks (www.advantagefamily.com). Witty started Advantage in 2005 in a spare bedroom of his home. The company helps busy professionals become the authority in their field through publishing and marketing. In 2016, Advantage launched a partnership with Forbes to create ForbesBooks, a business book publisher for top business leaders. Witty is the author of seven books, and is also a sought-after speaker, teacher and consultant on marketing and business growth techniques for entrepreneurs and authors. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily and USA Today, and has appeared on ABC and Fox.

personal protective equipment
Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control Market to Hit USD 17.1 Billion by 2026

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The global Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control Market should increase from USD 10 billion in 2019 to USD 17.1 billion in 2026.

The massive outbreak of COVID-19 has produced a significant rise in the revenue scale of global personal protective equipment for infection control market. Global Market Insights, Inc., predicts the personal protective equipment for infection control industry to garner appreciable gains over 2020-2026 while depicting a CAGR of -19.3 percent through 2026, perhaps due to the expanding number of surgical procedures and rising awareness about personal safety for infectious diseases.

The lucrative growth map of personal protective equipment for infection control market is evident from the surging importance of safety at vivid workplaces lined with stringent regulatory reforms pertaining to the safety standards. Numerous regulatory authorities have addressed safety standards during operations in manufacturing industries and various service organizations like hospitals and research laboratories.

Moreover, standard operating protocol developed for security and safety against infections at the workplace would favor the business growth over the due course of time. Although the PPE for infection control is unveiling new trends across the globe, the complexity and dearth of time in the production of these might hamper the industry growth to some extent.

Categorized into products, types, and end-use industries, the personal protective equipment for infection control market across the hand and arm product segment is poised to perform exceptionally well in the ensuing years. For the record, hand and arm personal protective equipment market acquired a business share of $4.2 million in 2019. The momentous growth of this segment can aptly be ascribed to the increased risk of infection worldwide. Besides, skin disorder, given the direct contact to toxic pathogens and radioactive materials would propel the industry growth in the years ahead.

Considering the type bifurcation, the disposable PPE market held a considerable revenue share of 74 percent in 2019 and is touted to witness appreciable growth during the mentioned timeframe owing to its ability to reduce risk of infection as it is disposed of after use.

Elaborating further, personal protective equipment for infection control market from the research and diagnostic laboratories segment is set to accrue phenomenal proceeds in 2020, fundamentally due to the growing R&D activities in order to bring forth advanced solutions for diagnosis and treatment. In addition to this, elevating COVID-19 cases worldwide has enunciated the massive demand for PPE in diagnostic laboratories for effective security and functioning.

Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market report provides a comprehensive landscape of the industry, accurate market estimates and forecast split by product, application, technology, region and end-use. All quantitative information is covered on a regional as well as country basis. The report provides valuable strategic insights on the Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market, analyzing in detail industry impact forces including growth drivers, pitfalls, and regulation evolution. The report also includes a detailed outlook on the Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market competitive environment, diving into the industry position of each major company along with the strategic landscape.

Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market report is an all-inclusive document, compiled and designed to provide best-in-class research, insightful analysis and accurate quantitative data. The coverage of this research is the most extensive when compared to other similar studies available on Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market. The industry ecosystem information presented in this report is next-to-none and aims to address all stakeholders of the industry, irrespective of their size and business function. Details of segmentation and cross reporting structure, wherever feasible, makes this Personal Protective Equipment for Infection Control market research one of its kind to offer the most in-depth, readily available data.

Speaking of the regional demographics, the United States is poised to emerge as one of the most remunerative growth regions for industry given the current coronavirus outbreak. It has been reported that the country captured an overall business share of more than 90 percent of the North America PPR for infection control market in 2019.

This growth is ascribed to the expanding development activities paired with rising healthcare spending. It is imperative to mention that, the ongoing disease spread has urged myriad companies to undertake development activities with an aim to offer effective and accurate solutions to abate the infection transmission across the country while boosting its stance in the global market.

Although the rising patient pool has produced a shortage of PPE, various organizations like 3M Company, Honeywell, and multiple others, have laid their focus on establishing M&As to manage the increasing demand for these. Thus, these strategic initiatives would enhance the industry outlook over the forecast period.

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Source: Global Market Insights, Inc.

post-covid-19
Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

The Logistics Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World

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The COVID-19 pandemic is slowly passing. However, we still have a long way to go before we can say we are safe from it. Nevertheless, these past few months were difficult, and it is safe to say that some lives were affected in such a way that they will be different forever. The same can be said for many industries that had to – and still have to – struggle with the pandemic in order to stay in business. My guess is that the logistics industry in the post-COVID-19 world will look a bit different than it used to.

Inventory levels

All companies that had low inventory levels suffered major setbacks. Being left without goods and without means of getting new supplies shipped is a disaster for any company.

With that being said, one of the first changes that must be implemented is that inventory levels are always high. Companies will have to factor in any possibility to protect their business if a similar situation arises in the future.

What about the supply chains?

During the pandemic, it was shown that one of the major disadvantages of stretched supply chains is that they can easily break at any point. You never know when the logistics department will fail to deliver, and your entire business is affected by it.

As a solution to this problem, companies will have to invest their resources into shortening the supply chain and making sure that the merchandise is transported from one end to the other in the shortest period of time.

Managing the workforce during high demand

We have witnessed how high demand for a certain product can create holes in the market if there is no possibility of restocking. For a short period of time, it was virtually impossible in some countries to get your hands on a bag of flour or toilet paper. When panic spreads, people often act without thinking.

The logistics industry in a post-COVID-19 world will have to invest in workforce management training during high demand season.

Many smaller companies will disappear

The COVID-19 situation caused many smaller logistics companies to bankrupt. Since only the larger companies that have higher inventory levels and better overall performance survived, they will invest in purchasing bankrupt businesses in order to expand.

This will lead to a change in the market, and competition will be lower as well. Since there will be a smaller number of logistics companies on the market, there is a possibility for a monopoly to develop. When only a few people share a greater concentration of power, they set the rules to favor them. This will result in surviving companies developing a competitive advantage in the global market.

There will be less money for the development department

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was the financial loss that many companies suffered. People got fired, and paychecks were substantially reduced in order to keep the business running.

I am not sure if this will affect future salaries, but I can safely say that companies will try to keep more money in the system. The department of development, research, and innovation might not get the same amount of funding as in the past.

This step will help logistics companies to have a solid amount of cash to keep the business running if a similar situation occurs in the future.

How will these changes affect the prices in the logistics industry in post-Covid-19 world?

As I stated above, some of the major changes that will happen in the logistics industry in a post-COVID-19 world are shortening of the supply chain, securing higher inventory levels, and investing in workforce management to deal with challenging situations. Furthermore, larger companies may hold a monopoly on the market.

All of these steps require a lot of money. For that to happen, the prices will have to go up. It is unclear about the percentage, but it will happen.

What can you do as an owner of a small logistics company?

Owners of small logistics companies will have to find a way to keep up with this situation or perish from the market. If you are among them, here is a little advice on how to prevent this from happening to your business.

Make partnerships

This might be a decisive move, but making a partnership with other companies in the same situation can increase your overall strength on the market.

Try moving your business elsewhere

Looking for a fresh market without large competition might be a smart move. Many companies may decide to move to a smaller area, or even to a different country, in order to increase their business. A company might make the transition less painful.

Big changes are coming!

As we can see, big changes are coming in the logistics industry in the post-COVID-19 world. As always, when an economic crisis occurs, only the stronger ones will swim out on the surface. Nevertheless, that does not mean that others will lose their plays on the market. Informing yourself in advance will help you prepare for the upcoming changes, and maybe even save your business! With that in mind, spend your time on research that will help you keep your business running. Stay safe and good luck!

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John Palmer is an economic expert with over two decades of experience. Working as a freelance blogger, John uses the opportunity to reach out to a wide group of people and educate them on how to manage their business in a challenging situation. However, he does branch out into other areas, as he also writes for moving companies such as Easy Move KW. Some of his other interests include business startups, management, and business continuity.

small businesses
Archives, Global Trade Daily, State Spotlight

U.S. Metros With the Most Small Businesses Per Capita

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Small businesses across the United States face dire circumstances following the COVID-19 outbreak. While each individual small business might seem inconsequential to the broader economy, in aggregate, these firms are critical to the country’s financial well-being.

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees makeup approximately 95 percent of American business establishments and employ 40 percent of private sector workers. These 7.4 million small businesses (or 2.27 per 100 residents) also account for roughly a third of total private sector payroll.

Unfortunately, research shows that small businesses and their workers are particularly vulnerable during recessions and other periods of economic hardship. A recent survey conducted by the New York Fed found that even prior to the pandemic, 64 percent of small businesses faced financial challenges in the preceding 12 months. The same survey reported that a two-month loss of revenue would cause 86 percent of firms to take a serious financial action, such as using the owner’s personal savings, taking out a loan, or cutting staff salaries.

Moreover, small businesses in some industries have a larger economic impact than others. Among small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, those in accommodation, food services, and retail trade—coincidentally, the sectors hit hardest by COVID-19—employ the most workers. These industries, combined, account for more than 16 million employees and $362 billion in annual payroll.

Like the businesses themselves, small business employees are also more financially vulnerable than their large-firm counterparts. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that fewer small business employees have access to retirement benefits, healthcare benefits, paid sick leave, life insurance, or disability insurance. Troublingly, only half of employees in small businesses have health insurance through their company and only two-thirds have paid sick leave.

While small businesses are a critical component of the national economy, some parts of the country depend more on small businesses than others. To find the metropolitan areas with the most small businesses, researchers at Construction Coverage, a review website for workers’ compensation insurance and construction software, analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked each location according to the number of small businesses per 100 residents. Researchers also included statistics on the total number of small businesses, the number of retail, accommodation, and food service businesses, and the share of workers who are self-employed. For the analysis, small businesses were defined as those employing fewer than 50 workers.

To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis. Additionally, locations were grouped into the following cohorts based on population size: large metros (1,000,000 residents or more), midsize metros (350,000-999,999 residents), and small metros (less than 350,000 residents).

Here are the large metropolitan areas with the most small businesses per capita:

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Construction Coverage’s website: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/cities-with-the-most-small-businesses

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

Handling Workforce Management Challenges in a Logistics Company During High Demand

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The ongoing COVID-19 global crisis has caused a spike in demand for online shopping due to the stay-at-home orders that have been instituted by many countries all across the world. Most of the hauling necessary to get these ecommerce products to their intended recipients is being done by truck drivers. This means there’s more work than ever for the logistics industry but more tired workers too.

Keeping fleets properly organized and scheduling the right number of employees to manage all the necessary deliveries is the top workforce management challenge in a logistics company during such a period of high demand. It can be both difficult and stressful to match employees’ availability to demand.

Managers have to be able to track employees’ stress profiles for effective scheduling and also have to be ready to deal with unplanned changes to schedules as drivers could need to swap a shift with a colleague or fall sick (not just from coronavirus, but other ailments too). Companies should have the right tools in place to keep up with unforeseen shifts in demand and update their schedules accordingly.

Communication is important

Efficient, effective communication is absolutely vital to any workforce, but it is particularly crucial for teams that are as remote as those in the logistics industry, especially during this time. It’s important for managers to prioritize communication during this crisis because if communication falters, work progress not only suffers, but truck drivers are also extremely vulnerable to feeling both overwhelmed by the news and isolated from the team and company. This can have adverse effects on employee morale.

Work on employee morale

Speaking of employee morale, that’s another pressing workforce management challenge for logistics companies during this time. If we who are at home are struggling with motivation and mental health, you can imagine how heavy it must be for truck drivers who are out there all alone on the roads driving through deserted cities, staying away from their families as the world goes through such a scary time.

Keep in mind that they are scared to go home because they might accidentally infect their families and have to eat alone due to strict social distancing rules at restaurants. Maintaining high morale in the face of such extreme loneliness can’t be easy, both for the truckers and for their managers. Companies should leverage instant messaging apps to keep in touch with staff and use video sharing/conferencing tools more than ever to make both team updates and employee appreciation more personal.

We have all come to realize just how important truck drivers are to our way of life; that they have always been providing a service that is absolutely crucial to our supply chains and are continuing to do so even with their well-being at high risk. They are driving into places that others are fleeing from to deliver consumer goods to retailers and medical supplies to hospitals. Companies should make sure they are being compensated like the essential employees they are with significant salary raises and bonuses.

Keep your employees safe

Furthermore, employee morale during such a time is greatly tied to a sense of personal safety. Most truck drivers are middle-aged and/or older men who are more likely to suffer immunodeficiency from chronic illnesses such as pneumonia that make them more vulnerable to succumbing to the coronavirus.

Logistics companies should, therefore, make sure their drivers are sufficiently supplied with the necessary protection at all times – from face masks to gloves to hand sanitizer. Trucks should also be thoroughly disinfected as frequently as possible. When it comes to morale during such a time, it’s extremely crucial for employees to feel that their employers are doing their absolute best to keep them protect them.

Managing employees and hiring new ones to help

Managing the multiple locations and mobile employees that characterize the logistics industry was already challenging enough before the pandemic hit and even more now, in this time of high demand. There’s high potential for confusion around tracking hours accurately for payroll. Managers should be able to track employee hours from any location and capture accurate timesheets using geo-location.

Lastly, with the increased demand, many logistics companies are facing a higher need to acquire and onboard fresh talent but unfortunately, even before COVID-19, hiring and retention was already a major issue for the logistics industry according to recent PwC research. The survey found that transportation and logistics companies are lagging behind other sectors in terms of recruiting and hiring. SMEs in particular are not regarded as the preferred employers of the future.

Job seekers still don’t see transportation and logistics as a desirable industry. Logistics is one of those industries that most people looking for jobs, especially for fresh graduates, simply don’t find very appealing. This has to change if the industry is to keep up with this recent spike in demand. Companies have to make it appealing for fresh graduates, as well as people who have been laid off by other industries, by highlighting the potential for career growth.

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Derek Jones  (VP Enterprise Strategy, Americas)

Derek spearheads key initiatives at Deputy, a global workforce management platform for employee scheduling, timesheets and communication. With a focus on Healthcare, Derek helps business owners and workforce leaders simplify employment law compliance, keep labor cost in line and build award-winning workplaces. Derek has over 16 years’ experience in delivering data-driven sales and marketing strategies to SaaS companies like MarketSource and Griswold Home Care.

car shipping
Archives, Global Shippers 101, Global Trade Daily

Effects of COVID-19 Outbreak on the Car Shipping Industry

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There is hardly an industry in the world that hasn’t been affected by COVID-19. While tourism and travel industries have arguably suffered the most, industries related to shipping are not far behind. So, what precisely are the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the car shipping industry, and how will it behave in the following months? Well, that is what we are here to find out.

How COVID-19 affects car industry

To get a good understanding of the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on car shipping we first need to take a look at the car industry itself. After all, a big part of car shipping is closely connected to car manufacture and sale. So it stands to reason that any effects that the coronavirus outbreak has had on the car industry will have a ripple effect on car shipping.

Reduced production

The best way to imagine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is to envision it as a wave. It started off in China and then made its way into numerous countries. This means that it did not affect all countries at the same time. Therefore, there is a notable time difference when the COVID-19 started effecting companies depending on where those companies were situated. And there will be a notable time difference to when these companies will be able to start recovering from the effects of COVID-19.

Worker safety

The first effect that COVID-19 has had on both the car industry and the car shipping industry is the mandatory safety standards for workers. Standards such as:

-Physical distancing.

-Hand sanitation.

-Mandatory masks and protective gloves.

-Increased ventilation.

Countries were quick to instate these measures, as they are the most cost-effective. And they will also be the last ones that the countries are able to lift. This, as you might guess, makes the overall industry a bit slower. Not only do workers have to take the time to adhere to these regulations, but, there is also an increase in state inspections that ensure that those regulations are met.

Little to no demand

As the coronavirus pandemic got stronger, the economy of the affected countries grew weaker. After it became evident that the safety measures weren’t enough, countries turned towards lockdown and curfews. This has led to a significant drop in trade. The full economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic are still hard to quantify. But, if there is one thing we can say for sure, it’s that the demand for cars has plummeted as a result. People were fearful of losing their jobs. And seeing that 22 million Americans claimed for unemployment benefits as a result of COVID-19, those fears were not without ground. And the last thing that unemployed or scared people do is go out of their way to purchase cars.

The following effects of COVID-19 outbreak on the car shipping

So, with the reduced trade and halted production, what were the following effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on car shipping? Well, not good. There is hardly a shipping company that hasn’t taken a hard financial hit due to worldwide lockdowns. Companies that also deal with medical shipping did fair a bit better since a lot of countries urgently needed medical supplies. But, when it comes to car shipping, companies have slowed down to a crawl.

International shipping

Since almost 80% of car manufacturers have some part of their production done in China, they were among the first industries to feel the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on car shipping. Once the outbreak started it was almost impossible to ship cars or car parts outside of China as the country soon went into lockdown. This scenario, as we mentioned, occurred in subsequent countries as they became affected by COVID-19. International trade, and therefore international shipping of cars, has slowed down considerably. Now, since it is fairly safe to ship cars even during COVID-19, companies managed to tackle a large number of shipments scheduled before the COVID-19 outbreak. But during the hiatus of the pandemic, international car shipping was practically non-existent.

Local shipping

When it comes to local shipping, car shipping companies are doing a bit better. Companies that are situated in a country with a decent local economy had no trouble dealing with local car shipping needs. After all, intrastate shipping has far fewer restrictions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Moving industry

A big part of car shipping is related to the moving industry. After all, one of the reasons why people choose to ship their cars is because they need to move. Or, they have already relocated and they need their car shipped to them. So, with this in mind, what was the effect of the coronavirus on the moving industry (when related to car shipping)? Well, again, not good. Relocation was practically non-existent in the past couple of months. This, in turn, means that people didn’t ship their cars due to relocation. There was a decent amount of people moving back to their home states when quarantine measures were instated. But, international car shipping was difficult, to say the least.

Recovery

If the car shipping industry is to recover from the effects of COVID-19, it needs to do so slowly. As of writing this article, the coronavirus pandemic is slowing down and countries are lifting certain safety measures. Therefore, we should see an increase in international trade, especially from China (which is quite important for car shipping). But, if we are not careful, we might see another coronavirus pandemic in the near future. The key thing here is for countries and companies to slowly tackle the recovery process and to keep public health in mind while increasing trade. Only by doing so will the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the car shipping industry wane. After all, the last thing we want is for another wave of the coronavirus to hit.

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Scarlett-Rose Duffy is an established expert in the moving and shipping industry. She is most known for work as an industry advisor, in addition to her work with All Season Movers NJ.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

The Acceleration of the e-Learning Industry in Crisis

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Well before our world was turned upside down by the Coronavirus, e-Learning was on the rise.

Technology is helping to break the barriers of student-professor and peer to peer interaction. Thus, while online learning was once looked upon as but a potential alternative compared to its brick and mortar counterpart, MBAs and other degrees obtained online from accredited universities now hold just as much weight in the court of public opinion as degrees acquired in the traditional manner. In times of pandemic, the virtualization of education has become vital.

With school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) having impacted 97% of America’s 56.6 million students and 94% of the 132,000 private and public schools in the U.S, institutions shuttered across the nation, educators, tutors, and nonprofits working in the sector needed to find alternatives to salvage the remainder of the academic year.

Yes, the pivot to virtual learning had to and indeed must remain to be expedited. Yet the infuriating truth is that the majority of schools and communities across the country lack the necessary assets, be it access to modern hardware and software or the connectivity to ensure everyone gets online. In my view, it’s commendable that organizations such as Study.com acted pragmatically in this environment, donating 100,000 licenses to their online education-driven programs to schools across the country right at the beginning of state shutdowns. Their extensive online curriculums are capable of many different sites and platforms and no doubt it was imperative that little time was wasted in getting these programs into the hands of those that need it most.

In addition to bringing online or e-Learning to prominence, the Coronavirus crisis will most likely alter the way students are taught in the future. Teachers may use digital resources to maximize the minimal amount of contact time they have with their students. Education can be personalized to befit the student, rather than a rather antiquated ‘one size fits all’ approach seen in years past. Perhaps lectures can be recorded and assigned for homework so that more class time can be dedicated to analysis or insightful discussion. A ‘hybrid’ style of teaching may emerge, in which digital learning is interwoven into the everyday fabric of formal education.

Ultimately, digital learning should be viewed as a tool that can democratize education in the US (rural, urban) and globally, perhaps quelling the brain drain drawing away emerging market nations’ brightest and best. e-Learning platforms can also fill the void often left by school systems that have had to abandon essential subject departments because they lack adequate funding.

Additionally, a strong e-Learning platform with quality teachers at the helm means that anyone with access can absorb high-caliber instruction, no matter the standard of teaching, curriculum, or the reputation of the school district. Indeed the same knowledge can be attained by students from low per capita areas as those attending the nation’s most prestigious (and most expensive) schools.

There are no doubt challenges associated with e-Learning. First and foremost, it’s about making sure that every student in need has a device from which they can gain entry to their lessons. Then it’s about connectivity, especially tough during a time when paying for the internet may understandably not be a high priority. Finally, what mechanisms do we put in place to make sure our kids ‘show up’ to their computers and hold themselves accountable?

Despite these challenges, there is a real opportunity for schools and families to take advantage of the many online learning tools today readily at their disposal.

This revolution was slowly happening; Covid-19 kicked it into warp speed. Those who adjust will see benefits lasting well into the future; those who don’t adapt will be left well behind.

Either way, the train has left the station and is picking up considerable speed. It’s time to log on.

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Marc Serber is a former broadcaster and an alumnus from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Serber is currently a freelance writer on international policy.

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DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE THE LARGEST IMPORTERS OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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Living Longer

Personal and home health aides, registered nurses, and medical and nursing assistants are among the fastest growing occupations in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 1.2 million new personal and home health aide positions – and the need for another 372,000 registered nurses – by 2028. Due to the shortage of qualified healthcare workers, immigrants held 15 percent of all registered nursing positions in the United States in 2016. On April 22, President Trump signed an Executive Order to pause immigration due to COVID-19, but exempted physicians and nurses.

This is not uncommon in developed countries with a growing aging population who are living longer. About eight percent of nurses in Canada are foreign-trained, 15 percent in the UK, 19 percent in Switzerland and 27 percent in New Zealand. The numbers are higher for foreign-trained doctors: 24 percent in Canada, 28 percent in the UK, 27 percent in Switzerland and 42 percent in New Zealand.

Training for Export

India has the world’s highest number of medical schools and is the world’s largest source of immigrant physicians. An estimated 69,000 Indian-trained physicians worked in the United States, UK, Canada and Australia in 2017, according to the OECD. India is second only to the Philippines in training nurses. Nearly 56,000 Indian-trained nurses work in those same four countries, equal to about three percent of total registered nurses in India.

The Philippines has an established international nursing training program and is the largest exporter of nurses globally – accounting for roughly 25 percent of all overseas nurses worldwide. About 85 percent of employed Filipino nurses work in one of more than 50 countries around the world. In the United States, an estimated 20 percent all the registered nurses in California are Filipino. It’s a strong professional cadre. The Philippine Nursing Association of America represents over 145,000 Filipino nurses and has its own theme song.

% foreign trained nurses and docs in OECD

The “Brain Drain” Concern

Health care professionals migrate for many reasons: continuing education, better pay, the opportunity to send remittances to their families and home nation, the prestige of practicing in another country, and others. Filipino nurses in the United States earn 15 times more than those working in the Philippines. Filipino nurses working abroad remit about $1 billion to the Philippines every year, a substantial portion of total remittances which drives 13 percent of the Philippines’ GDP.

International mobility of health workers is accelerating. The number of migrant doctors and nurses working within OECD countries increased by 60 percent over the last decade, along with significant increases in intraregional mobility and migration of healthcare workers among developing countries.

Public health groups including the World Health Organization (WHO) are concerned that health care immigration reduces the number of professional health workers available to serve their home countries. Developing countries are often especially in need of more personnel. Declaring 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, WHO says 18 million more health care providers are needed worldwide to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. To address the “brain drain” concern, WHO developed a voluntary Global Code that promotes adequate staffing of national health systems and “ethical international recruitment of health personnel”.

Mobility and “Ethical Recruitment”

In a 2019 joint study, the WHO and World Trade Organization (WTO) examined the relationship between free trade agreements that improve health worker mobility and the recruitment goals of the Code. The study primarily reviewed so-called “Mode 4” commitments that deal with the temporary presence of foreign natural persons supplying trade in health-related services.

Commitments have been made by 139 WTO members to liberalize trade in services. Of those, 69 members have taken at least one commitment relating to the provision of health services, from hospital care to midwife services. The commitments vary widely, enabling education and skills exchanges, investment, mobility for charitable purposes, and the protection of health worker welfare.

As an example, the Indonesia–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement includes development assistance by Japan’s International Cooperation Agency to support nursing education in Indonesia. In 2019, Japan updated its Economic Partnership Agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam to extend the period of time a nursing candidate can stay in Japan to obtain national nursing qualifications and healthcare worker certifications.

The joint WHO-WTO study makes no real conclusion about the compatibility of the Code with greater mobility through trade agreements. It suggests that further analysis such as economic needs tests or labor market tests could help sending and receiving countries understand the impact of healthcare worker service exports on sustainable development.

call out on HC worker impact (1)

COVID-19 is Shifting the Global Healthcare Trade Landscape

COVID-19 may be accelerating two key trends in healthcare work, while at the same time reversing (perhaps temporarily) the trend of job growth by inducing layoffs in the industry.

Telemedicine:

Encompassing remote patient assessment and monitoring as well as health education, the global telemedicine market was projected to grow from $70 billion in 2020 to $266.8 billion by 2026. COVID-19 is accelerating the trend. In March, the U.S. government announced it would temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries and would expand the communications platforms that could be used.

Telemedicine has long been encouraged in developing countries, supported by international development agencies and non-government organizations. It can help overcome short-staffing limitations and provide support for local clinicians through overseas physicians who can confirm a diagnosis and collaborate on treatment plans as part of global trade in services.

Robotics:

Robotics are being deployed to decrease COVID-19 risks to frontline healthcare workers. A field hospital in Wuhan, China serving 20,000 patients was staffed by robots that monitored patients’ vital signs through smart bracelets and rings that synced with an AI platform. Other robots served food, drinks and medicine to patients, while other autonomous droids sprayed disinfectant and cleaned the floors. Other countries like South Korea and Lebanon are using robots to measure temperatures, distribute hand sanitizer and perform disinfecting services.

Layoffs and Mobility Restrictions:

COVID-19 is causing governments to retrench in some countries that export healthcare workers,. In March, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) temporarily suspended the deployment of all health care workers “until the national state of emergency is lifted,” freezing the fulfillment of existing contracts with hospitals around the globe. Meanwhile, routine healthcare has been stymied due to ongoing stay-at-home directives, causing massive financial distress to the healthcare industry and significant layoffs.

In all of these ways, COVID-19 may be changing the outlook for cross-border global healthcare services for years to come.

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Sarah Smiley is a strategic communications and policy expert with over 20 years in international trade and government affairs, working in the U.S. Government, private sector and international organizations.

This article originally appeared on TradeVistas.org. Republished with permission.