OEM Insights ~ July 25th

Supply Dynamics’ OEM Insights

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Take a look at this week's roundup of the most current and compelling industry news, updates, and trends related to OEMs and anything that impacts them. Read on to discover the latest in:

1. Industry News: The European Steel Association’s 2019-2020 Steel Outlook
2. Trade War: Trump Tells Pentagon to Find Better Sources of Rare Earth Magnet
3. Metal Trends & Market Analysis: LME Base Metals Prices Up on Trade Optimism

Industry News

• The European Steel Association’s 2019-2020 Steel Outlook: With apparent steel consumption falling by 2.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019, the result of an ongoing slump in the EU’s manufacturing sector due to weakened exports and investment, forward-looking indicators signal, at best, a low-level stabilization later this year, but no rebound. (Eurofer)
• Why Digital Transformation is More Than a Buzzword: As new and exciting technologies move into the mainstream, the need to facilitate change in the supply chain is growing. Besides this fundamental necessity to innovate, digital transformation is providing managers with the opportunity to use these technologies to reach new levels of operational effectiveness within their supply chain. (Supply Chain Digital)

Trade War

• Trump Tells Pentagon to Find Better Sources of Rare Earth Magnet: On Monday (7/22), President Trump told the Pentagon to find better ways to procure a rare earth magnet used in specialty motors, warning that the nation’s defense would suffer without adequate stockpiles. The United States used to be the world leader in the production of rare earths and rare earth magnets, though China now dominates the industry and is using that to its advantage in the ongoing trade dispute between the two countries. (Reuters)
• Trade Tensions Between Japan & South Korea Could Lead to Higher Prices for Global Consumers: As tensions escalate between Japan and South Korea—prices of dynamic random-access memory chips, of which South Korea is the world’s largest producer, recently rose 12% in less than a week—so do concerns about whether the growing spat could lead to higher prices for global customers. (South China Morning Post)
• Trump Says U.S. Ship Downed Iranian Drone in Strait of Hormuz: President Trump said the U.S. Navy downed an Iranian drone that was flying too close to a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Iranian forces said they had seized a foreign tanker, the latest in a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions in a vital oil shipping route. (WSJ)

Metal Trends & Market Analysis

• LME Base Metals Prices Up on Trade Optimism: Three-month prices across the increasingly macro-sensitive base metals complex on the London Metal Exchange were broadly up during morning trading yesterday (7/24) in anticipation of a trade meeting between the United States and China. (Metal Bulletin)

About Supply Dynamics: Supply Dynamics provides dozens of Fortune 500 manufacturers with real-time visibility and control over the material requirements of their extended supply chain. Our innovative supply chain analytics solutions allow our customers to improve efficiency and predictability and to reduce the cost of raw materials and component parts that go into their products. To learn more, visit www.supplydynamics.com.