International Supply Research Articles

International Procurement and Supply Network Management in the Post COVID 19 Era in Nigeria: A Literature Review


 
 Introduction: The global economy has been greatly affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the oil and gas industry is also being felt immensely as the industry relies heavily on the importation of the goods and services that they require to run their operations effectively and efficiently and the only way to get to the final destination of these company is through a well-managed supply network.
 Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine international procurement and supply network management in the post COVID 19 Era in Nigeria. Being a literature review, the paper adopted a desk research methodology.
 Findings: The findings of the review of literature reveal that international procurement significantly influence and predicts supply network management performance. It also shows that COVID-19 has negatively affected both international procurement and supply network management, and that the phrase supply network management, instead of supply chain management, is most appropriate to describe the activities and relationships between and amongst individuals, enterprises, facilities and information, materials and services systems that connects supplier’s suppliers to customer’s customers capturing the multiple and complex relationships that exists amongst them.

Uncertain Future of American Lithium: A Perspective until 2050.

During the 20th century, the United States went from being the largest producer and user of lithium to being heavily reliant on imports from Asia, particularly lithium-ion batteries. To explore different futures for U.S. lithium, we here generate four scenarios─including COVID-19 implications─that model lithium use for its main applications: electric and hybrid vehicles, stationary energy storage systems, and small electronics. We find that the "Sustainable Future" scenario requires the highest amount of lithium (cumulatively 1281 Gg in the period 2020-2050, peak inflow in 2040 at 53 Gg); in contrast, "Fossil Fuel Everything" requires only 500 Gg and peaks in 2050 at 26 Gg. COVID-19 implications appear to be negligible in the long run. The future electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet and energy storage systems will depend upon a reliable and resilient international supply chain of lithium chemicals and/or batteries as well as vigorous recycling efforts.

An indigestible feast? A multi-scalar approach to the energy transition in Taiwan

Whilst current, global efforts in energy transition have driven up renewable energy generation around the world, this growth in renewable energy is often accompanied by the understated, increased dependency on natural gas. This paper therefore re-engages transition study and the geographical focus of scale to delineate how energy transition is negotiated, translated and exercised at three scalar networks, namely international supply chains, national development plans, and local electrical systems. By proposing a multi-scalar approach in the scrutiny of Taiwan’s energy transition, this paper stresses on three arguments. First, the energy transition is not a unified process. It is being sifted through the negation process between different actors, being translated and implemented at different scalar networks. Second, the variegated translations of the energy transition will co-create the trajectory of the energy transition, and often lead to unexpected outcomes. Finally, by delineating the scalar relations that energy transition is construed in, energy transition can thus be comprehended as the outcomes at different levels, informing the sequential policy making process.

Development of Hydrolysis Probe-Based qPCR Assays for Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius for Detection of Adulteration in Ginseng Herbal Products.

Authentication of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius products is important to be able to mitigate instances of adulteration and substitution that exist within the international supply chain of ginseng. To address this issue, species-specific hydrolysis probe qPCR assays were developed and validated for both P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius herbal dietary supplements. Performance of the probe-based assays was evaluated using analytical validation criteria, which included evaluation of: (1) specificity, in selectively identifying the target species; (2) sensitivity, in detecting the lowest amount of the target material; and (3) repeatability and reproducibility of the method in detecting the target species in raw materials on a real-time PCR platform (reliability). The species-specific probes were developed and successfully passed the validation criteria with 100% specificity, 80–120% efficiency and 100% reliability. The methods developed in this study are fit for purpose, rapid, and easy to implement in quality assurance programs; authentication of ginseng herbal supplements is possible, even with extracts where DNA is fragmented and of low quality and quantity.

Adaptation of West Java Tuna Supply Chain in the Covid-19 Pandemic Era

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic imposed by the Indonesian government has impacted supply chains of various important commodities, including fish products. Lockdowns and mobility restrictions forced market players to limit their activities, change strategies or even close their businesses. This research, conducted in June 2020 - February 2021 in West Java Province, aimed to analyze patterns of adaptation taken by business players of the fisheries industry in facing the pandemic. The research methodological approach was the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework, which relied on data collected from 80 respondents proportionally representing impacted groups of fisheries business players in the West Java Province. The results showed that fisheries business players and the government had exercised some supply chain innovative adaptations, some of which can be considered potential adaptation strategies that will improve resilience and ensure the industry’s sustainability when similar pandemic crises occur in the future. These are (i) ensuring access to domestic and international supply chains, (ii) connecting fishery production centers with processors to reduce damage to fresh fish, (iii) creating added value using optimizing existing temporary fish storages, and (iv) promoting and delivering products through digital platform or e-commerce.

Research on the evaluation of China’s regional energy security and influencing factors

ABSTRACT Significant increases in energy demand and a higher pressure on energy supply pose a great threat to energy security. This study evaluated the level of regional energy security in China and explored the influencing factors of energy security based on the spatial lag model. The results show that China’s overall and regional energy security is generally not high. Technological progress, ecological environment, and energy production can improve energy security, while energy consumption intensity, and population size negatively affect regional energy security. Moreover, the results indicate that the marginal effect of energy consumption intensity on energy security decreases as the technological level increases. Therefore, encouraging the development of high-tech industries, controlling the size of the population, stabilizing international energy supply, and strengthening foreign cooperation are of great significance to the improvement of energy security.

A Trade Agenda for the Right to Food.

Whoever benefits from a trade regime in effect gains power over significant aspects of different food systems. And yet the WTO still does not provide a coherent food policy and the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit made very little space for trade policy. The degree of international trade policy discord and supply chain fragility strongly suggests that there must be new international trade negotiations around fundamental questions of principle. Seeing little benefit in reforming the WTO, this article explains how the trade agenda for the right to food could focus on territorial markets and negotiating new types of treaties, International Food Agreements.

Mapping International Trade and Supply Chains for Humanitarian and Business Resilience to Atmospheric and Pandemic Disasters Method and Preliminary Findings for Puerto Rico

The study presents preliminary findings of a Pilot Project that identified alternatives to disruptions in international trade and supply chains in the face of atmospheric (hurricane Maria in 2017) and pandemic (COVID-19) disasters. It focused on four critical imports: water, humanitarian relief goods, solar photovoltaic products, and COVID-19 test reagents. The project proposed an alternative pathway and method to address disruptions: build an integrated database from Bill of Lading and import-export-related data organized by Harmonized Schedule Code. Data analyses were carried out based on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule code system, and an integrated database was generated for imports of the four products that Puerto Rico buys in the international market. Import Key data were analyzed based on the Bill of Lading, sector, companies that sell the product, location of countries where the products are sold, ports that can reach Puerto Rico, and contact information of the companies and suppliers. This information allows humanitarian organizations, SMEs and the government to identify alternative supply networks.

Responses to the Uyghur Crisis and the Implications for Business and Human Rights Legislation

As has now been well publicized, there is serious and credible evidence that Uyghur and other minority communities in China are being forced into internment or ‘re-education’ camps,1 with strong links to subsequent forced labour in factories, particularly centred in Xinjiang province.2 The use of forced labour (intimately connected to many international supply chains) as a hallmark feature of the Chinese state’s oppression of its Uyghur peoples requires a ‘business and human rights’ (BHR) lens to responses to the human rights violations in the region.

The Development Status, Problems And Strategies Of China’s Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Areas

As a new international trade situation, cross-border e-commerce has become a link to promote the development of foreign trade and stabilize the international industrial supply chain. China’s cross-border e-commerce has grown by more than 30% annually, which is not only a new engine to promote foreign trade growth and a new shortcut to foreign trade transformation, but also a new channel to encourage import consumption and stimulate domestic demand. At the same time, it also provides enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, with the possibility of better docking the international market and expanding the international market at lower cost. In order to cope with the new order of international trade, Chinese government has launched the initiative of setting up Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Areas, which have made some achievements, but also faces a series of challenges. This paper summarizes their development status and experiences first. Based on the in-depth analysis of the problems and future trends, it puts forward the development strategy to provide reference for the sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce.

Impacts of poverty alleviation on household GHG footprints in China

Eradicating poverty and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are core issues of global sustainable development goals (SDGs), and China is struggling in realizing these targets. The poverty reduction that leads to popualtion structure and lifestyle changes would have an impact on GHG emission changes. However, few studies have assessed the historical and future impacts of the poverty allevation on China's emissions. Here by linking Chinese Multi-Regional Input Output (MRIO) database to the global MRIO database EXIOBASE, and using provincial household consumption data, we identified the distribution of Chinese household greenhouse gas footprints (HGFs) by income groups in 2015 at the national and provinical levels. Moreover, we focused on the historical impact of poverty alleviation on HGFs during 2010–2015, and developed four scenarios to project future HGFs changes due to poverty alleviation by 2030. We find that eradicating extreme poverty in the secanrio S2, i.e., bringing people to an income above $1.9 daily, does not cause a large emission impact with current technological level. However, lifting people from a higher poverty line of $5.5 per day in the sceanrio S4 results in a 1.6% increase in emissions compared with the scenario S1 without any poverty reduction goals. Furthermore, realizing a higher poverty reduction target will result in an increase of emissions contribution from internatioanl supply chains due to the differences in consumption patterns among different income groups. Our study highlights the conflict between the high poverty alleviaition goal and emission reduciton in China, and reminds us of the need to make more technological efforts for avoiding the large emissions embodied in international supply chains.

Эволюция технологий таможенной логистики на евразийском экономическом пространстве

A retrospective study of the evolution of customs logistics technologies in the Eurasian economic space is carried out, taking into account the stages of development of integration processes. The specific composition and features of the application of special simplifications and logistics technologies for customs declaration of goods in the single customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union are determined. The innovations of the institute of authorized economic operators in the Eurasian Economic Union are studied, their subject composition is characterized and the peculiarities of performing logistics operations in international supply chains are considered. Promising directions for the development of customs logistics technologies are being established, taking into account the digitalization of customs operations, the organization of customs control, and the transformation of the institute of authorized economic operators. The logistics technologies of customs declaration are identified (preliminary informing, preliminary customs declaration of goods, submission of an incomplete customs declaration, periodic customs declaration, release of goods before filing a customs declaration, temporary periodic customs declaration of goods, declaration of goods in unassembled or disassembled form, “remote release”, “dry port”, “remote payment of customs payments”). The technologies of customs logistics are highlighted, which can be used only by authorized economic operators-participants in foreign economic activity and / or logistics operators that meet the requirements for inclusion in the Register of Authorized Economic Operators. It is concluded that in the process of the evolutionary development of customs logistics in the Eurasian economic space, a new institute of logistics intermediaries is being formed.

Examining COVID-19-triggered changes in spatial connectivity patterns in the European air transport network up to June 2021

The integrity of international supply chain operations heavily relies on air transport services to facilitate the movement of goods and enable human interactions between its stakeholders. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe around March 2020, air transport networks have been subject to profound alterations. Although the link between variations in air transport service levels and changes in user costs for network-wide travel has been analysed extensively, few studies have examined the extent to which severe network shrinkage events lead to a reduction in network connectivity, which is therefore difficult to predict. This paper investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has structurally altered the European air transport network in 2020/21 and how these changes have deteriorated users' ease when utilising network-wide air transport services. To do this, the paper estimates the change in average quickest path length at the airport level during different stages of this period. Results indicate there is strong heterogeneity in airports' susceptibility to pandemic-induced network changes, with both regional variations and variations in the airline type serving individual airports. Furthermore, topological features of individual airports are found to determine airport susceptibility. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for locational decisions in supply chain designs.

The Impact of COVID-19 Government Responses on Rhinoceroses in Kruger National Park

Global COVID-19 responses by governments restricted international travel, imposed national lockdowns, reduced economies, and influenced people's livelihoods. Travel restrictions and national lockdowns may constrain international illegal supply chains of high value wildlife products such as rhinoceros (rhino) horn. We evaluated whether the COVID-19 lockdown responses by South Africa induced a poaching pause on rhinos in Kruger National Park. We collated information on poaching incidences from 2017 and made predictions for expected incidences during 2020 using trends noted between 2017 and 2019. Rangers observed substantially fewer incidences of poaching during South Africa's hard lockdown. As restrictions eased, poaching incidences increased. Despite the COVID-19 poaching pause, both black and white rhinos continued to decline in Kruger National Park as recruitment could not offset poaching and natural deaths.

Smart Mixes in International Supply Chains: A Definition and Analytical Tool, Illustrated with the Example of Organic Imports into Switzerland

Combinations of national and international, hard and soft powers, known as Smart Mixes, have been proposed as a way for governments in consumer countries to influence the behaviour of supply chain actors who operate outside their jurisdiction. However, the Smart Mix concept has not yet been precisely defined, which has hindered its operationalization as a means of analyzing the governance of long and complex international supply chains. The aim of this contribution is to derive a working definition of Smart Mixes and use it to create and demonstrate a generalizable analytical tool that facilitates identification of whether a Smart Mix exists in an international supply chain. To address this aim, we reviewed existing literature on Smart Mixes to define the concept, which led to a three-step process for analyzing a supply chain. In a second stage, we demonstrate the process by applying it to the example of organic imports into Switzerland, using data from expert interviews and existing public documentation. The application showed that the governance of the organic sector in Switzerland related to imported products fulfils the criteria for it to be considered a Smart Mix that enables the Swiss Government to influence the behaviour of supply chain actors outside its jurisdiction. This example shows that the proposed Smart Mix concept is sound under particular circumstances: in this case, when the interests of the public and private sectors are aligned so that binding public measures provide protection to the private sector. These circumstances are not unique to organic imports into Switzerland, which allows the conclusion that Smart Mixes may provide sustainability solutions in other international supply chains.

The transition of regional innovation systems to Industry 4.0: the case of Basque Country and Catalonia

ABSTRACT The work looks at how regions design policies to facilitate the transition of regional innovation systems to Industry 4.0. The research analyses how regional Industry 4.0 policies should take into account the integration of the position of the regional productive system into international supply chains, the games of legitimacy and power of the actors involved in the innovation system, the institutional structures that allow the exchange of knowledge on Industry 4.0. between the agents and the connection between the synthetic knowledge base (engineering driven) and the analytical knowledge base (science driven) of the region. Through a detailed case study of the background, structure and impact of Industry 4.0 in the Spanish regions of the Basque Country and Catalonia, the work demonstrates how it is not possible to define a policy of promoting Industry 4.0 that is generalizable to all regions and how each region will have to adapt the design and implementation of its Industry 4.0 policies to the specific characteristics of its regional innovation system. Therefore the replication of policies from other regions will not be an effective mechanism for promoting Industry 4.0 since the transition to Industry 4.0 is a very regional specific and diverse process.

Evolution of energy and metal demand driven by industrial revolutions and its trend analysis

Industrial revolutions have a profound impact on energy and metal demand. Based on technological improvement, industrial transformation, and changes of energy and metal consumption in the United States, this paper identified the evolution characteristics of energy and metal demand driven by industrial revolutions, and analyzed the trends of energy and metal demand driven by the fourth industrial revolution which is happening currently. Results indicated that fossil fuels were the major energy sources which boosted up the past three industrial revolutions, whereas their consumption increased at a slowing pace as the economy was growing continually; after the third industrial revolution, the consumption of fossil fuels decoupled gradually with the economic growth. As the industrial structure transformed as the industrial revolutions went on, more and more metals were used in the industries, and the consumption of different metals showed different trends. In recent years, a new technological revolution has surged mainly driven by the overall application of new information technologies. The technological advance in information, new energies, new materials, etc., will speed up the industrial transformation and exert a deep effect on the demand of energy and metals. It can be inferred that the ratio of clean, non-polluting, renewable energy will rise while the ratio of fossil fuels will drop in the energy demand, and the demand of rare metals will perhaps enter a fast-growing period, while the demand of traditional bulk metals will fluctuate at mid-high levels. Following the new industrial revolution, China should adopt an energy transition strategy of developing low-carbon and free-carbon technologies simultaneously, reinforce the domestic and international metal supply system with the aim of enhancing global governance capability, strengthen the deep development of rich rare metals and broaden the overseas supply channels of scare rare metals.

The Impact of Supply Activities on Building the Positioning of Enterprises in the International Market: "Hasnaoui" Group of Companies in Sidi-Bel-Abbas as a Case Study: أثر أنشطة الإمداد في بناء تموقع المؤسسات في السوق الدولي: دراسة حالة مؤسسة "حسناوي" بسيدي بلعباس

The study aims to determine the importance of supply activities in building the enterprise’s positioning in the international market. In its theoretical framework, the study adopted the issue of international supply as an independent variable in addition to the strategy of positioning in the international market as a dependent variable. Hover, the practical framework of the study included identifying the impact of commitment to implement supply activities on the enterprise’s positioning in the international market. The supply activities consisted of procurement, transportation, storage, distribution, and packaging. The Hasnawi Group of Companies was chosen as an international enterprise to conduct the study. As for the study sample consisting of 42 individuals, it was randomly chosen. By analyzing the questionnaire using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS V. 20), the results showed that the enterprise under study pays attention to international supply activities as a key factor in building international positioning. The study also found that there is a correlation and influence between the supply activities and the dimensions of positioning in the international market represented in quality, cost, delivery speed and brand. Notably, the storage and packaging activities had the greatest impact, which means that the company seeks to build its positioning internationally by providing products near the consumer, in addition to adopting a packaging policy that is consistent with the characteristics of the international marketing environment.

Recovery of Critical Metals from Aqueous Sources.

Critical metals, identified from supply, demand, imports, and market factors, include rare earth elements (REE), platinum group metals, precious metals, and other valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and uranium. Extraction of metals from U.S. saline aqueous, emphasizing saline, sources is explored as an alternative to hardrock ore mining. Potential aqueous sources include seawater, desalination brines, oil-and-gas produced waters, geothermal aquifers, and acid mine drainage, among others. A feasibility assessment reveals opportunities for recovery of lithium, strontium, magnesium, and several REE from select sources, in quantities significant for U.S. manufacturing and for reduction of U.S. reliance on international supply chains. This is a conservative assessment given that water quality data are lacking for a significant number of critical metals in certain sources. The technology landscape for extraction and recovery of critical metals from aqueous sources is explored, identifying relevant processes along with knowledge gaps. Our analysis indicates that aqueous mining would result in much lower environmental impacts on water, air, and land than ore mining. Preliminary assessments of the economics and energy consumption of recovery show potential for recovery of critical metals.

Risk assessment for adaptation to climate change in the international supply chain

Climate change affects people's daily lives and industrial activities by increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, such as typhoons and heatwaves, raising the sea-level, and changing rainfall patterns. These effects expand across countries and industries through disruptions in supply chains. In this study, a method of identifying high-risk processes in the supply chain due to climate-related disasters is developed, along with climate-related disaster risk factors (CDRF) for each country and each type of climate-related disaster. As a case study, the automotive supply chains of the USA, China, Japan, and Germany were assessed using a multi-regional input-output table. The results show that, in the USA, Japanese, and German automotive industries, the climate-related disaster risk to workers outside the country is higher than that to workers within the country. However, the economic climate-related disaster risk is higher in the home country. In China's automotive industry, the risks to both workers and the economy were higher for the home country because the high level of involvement within the country. High-income countries should support climate change adaptation in low- and lower-middle income countries. These policies are also important for improving the stability of their own industrial base.