The complexity of order fulfillment is at an all-time high with warehouses utilizing technologies such as WMS, ASRS, AMR’s and AGV’s to manage, store, and move items throughout a systematic process with the goal of getting orders out the door quickly and accurately. But what about the shipping box?

EU member states voted on October 4 to impose new tariffs of up to 35%, with 10 countries including France, Italy and Poland in favor of the measure. 

The researchers say there might be 5-19 million tons of lithium in an underground brine reservoir in the Smackover Formation.

The project in Karawang, West Java, aims to scale up battery production to 15 gigawatts a year.

Jeremy Michalek, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Vehicle Electrification Group, describes the impact to date of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on efforts to reduce U.S. automakers’ dependence on China for electric vehicle battery production.

China has threatened to raise tariffs on large-engine vehicles and said it will start collecting duties on cognac, in moves that would hit the EU’s two largest economies.

GM is aiming to source more of its raw materials for electric vehicles from the U.S, to manage battery cell costs and decrease its reliance on imported materials.

After a period of overcapacity, demand for industrial space, including warehouses and manufacturing facilities, is growing, and lease rates are rising as a result. Companies therefore need to be more careful than ever as they weigh a variety of factors when considering distribution network design and investment. 

The automotive supply chain has never been more challenging. From the rapid shift to electric vehicles and skyrocketing costs to raw material shortages, geopolitical tensions, and volatile market demands, suppliers face pressures that can define their success or failure.

DPW predicts that 2025 will see a concerted drive towards a digital revolution in procurement, signaling a shift from operational technologies to more strategic, relationship-driven solutions.