October 19, 2020 • Posted in Daily Bulletin, News

COVID-19 Bulletin: October 19

Good Afternoon,

More news relevant to the plastics industry:

Some sources linked are subscription services.

Supply

Supply Chain

  • New wildfires, fueled by drought and high winds, erupted in Colorado and Utah over the weekend, forcing thousands to evacuate.
  • Evacuation orders were eased to warnings on Saturday in the vicinity California’s August Complex fire, the largest in state history, which is now 86% contained.
  • Parcel delivery services, including FedEx and UPS, already are experiencing capacity constraints as the holidays approach, leaving many shippers with few alternatives.
  • Rail carload volume was down 5.2% year-over-year for the week ended October 10, while intermodal container and trailer volume was up 8.4%.
  • Nearly 200 countries are in talks to establish a carbon rating system for the world’s cargo ships, an effort led by the International Maritime Organization to reduce industry pollution.
  • A Swedish ship will be able to carry more than 7,000 cars across the Atlantic using wind power alone, although the trip will take twice as long as normal.
  • Spot market rates for van and refrigerated truckload freight reached all-time highs in September.
  • With tight freight capacity nationwide and supply constraints with many plastic resins, clients are advised to provide expanded lead times on orders to help ensure delivery dates.

Markets

  • The U.S. added more than 48,000 COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing its total number of infections to 8.1 million with a death count of almost 220,000.
  • Thirty-three states have rising COVID-19 infection trends this week.
  • Only Texas, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands experienced declining COVID-19 infections in the two weeks ended Saturday. 
  • Several studies suggest that people with Type O blood are less likely to get infected or, if infected, less likely to get severely ill, with COVID-19 than other blood types.
  • U.S. industrial production fell 0.6% in September, after rising for several months prior.
  • The $3.1 trillion budget gap in the U.S. shattered decades-old records, while cementing the country’s standing as one of the world’s most indebted nations.
  • The speaker of the House of Representatives set a Tuesday deadline to come to an agreement with the White House on further relief legislation, dimming hopes for a deal before the November 3 election. 
  • Dannon will conduct an asset review and pare smaller brands, joining other companies simplifying their product offerings in response to pandemic pressures.
  • Coca-Cola is discontinuing its Tab brand, the company’s first-ever diet soda.
  • BMW, GM, Ford and Hyundai are confronting battery fire dangers with their electric vehicles, presenting a safety hurdle for the rising category.
  • Volkswagen’s trucking unit agreed to buy the shares of Navistar International that it does not already own for $3.7 billion.
  • The holiday shopping season, which usually provides 20% of annual U.S. retail sales, is expected to slow down this year after several years of increases.
  • A survey of global manufacturing executives conducted by HP found that 71% plan to invest in 3D printing technologies to attain greater speed, flexibility and manufacturing resiliency.

International

Our Operations

  • The MAPP 2020 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference starts today. Stop by M. Holland’s virtual booth, and mark your calendars for our breakout session on Thursday, October 22. Click here for more details.
  • Global Healthcare Manager Josh Blackmore will be a featured speaker at the Plastics in Healthcare Virtual Edition, sponsored by Plastics News, October 26-30. The title of his talk: Applying the Lessons from the First Wave of COVID-19 to Successfully Navigate the Second
  • To access 3D Printing training, order parts and seek technical assistance, visit our new online resource.
  • Market Expertise: M. Holland offers a host of resources to clients, prospects and suppliers across nine strategic markets. To arrange a videoconference or meeting with any of our Market Managers, please visit our website.

Thank you,

M. Holland Company

We will provide further COVID-19 bulletins as circumstances dictate. For all COVID-19 updates and notices, please refer to the M. Holland website.

Stay informed with industry trends and insights.

Subscribe