Industry news
What's changing, and what it means for buyers.
Developments in procurement, supplier markets and the industries we serve, each with our take on what to do about it.
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Producer Prices Rose 1.3% in September, With Unprocessed Goods Up 8.4%
Producer prices rose 1.3% in September and 6.3% over 12 months, according to BLS. Test each supplier increase against the index before accepting it.
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USTR Confirms the 2018 China Tariffs Stay in Place, With a Second Review to Follow
USTR says the first two Section 301 tariff actions on Chinese goods did not expire on their 2026 anniversaries and will be reviewed again, with public comment to come.
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EIA Sees Diesel Staying Above $6 This Quarter, Then Falling Through 2027
EIA's October outlook puts diesel at $6.29 in September and above $6 for the quarter, easing to about $4.50 in 2027, while wholesale power runs 11% above 2025.
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ISM September Reports Show Prices Climbing Across Manufacturing and Services
ISM's September surveys put the manufacturing Prices Index at 77.9 and the services index at 74, its highest since 2022, with memory and steel in short supply.
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FedEx Adds Demand Surcharges on U.S. Imports Ahead of Peak Season
New per-pound FedEx surcharges on U.S.-bound shipments from Canada, Europe, Asia and other regions take effect September 21, adding cost before the holiday peak.
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Diesel Tops $6.28 a Gallon, Putting Fuel Surcharges Back in Focus
Diesel rose nearly 69 cents in two weeks to over $6.28 a gallon, per EIA, and weekly surcharge tables mean shippers feel it with a lag.
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CBP to Begin Next Phase of IEEPA Tariff Refunds on October 6
U.S. Customs will start processing refunds for finally liquidated entries on October 6, covering about $11.4 billion in IEEPA tariffs in its third refund phase.
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HPE Locks In Memory Supply With Multiyear Agreements as Shortages Persist
HPE is using multiyear supplier agreements, better forecasting and higher inventory to manage memory constraints, a signal for anyone buying servers and storage.
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CBP Ties Import Privileges to Accurate Importer Data From September 18
U.S. Customs can now revoke the right to import when information on file is inaccurate, and the importer of record is responsible even when a broker files.
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CPO Benchmark Study Finds Savings Expectations Rising Faster Than Procurement Capacity
A new benchmark of 160 procurement leaders shows savings targets climbing while teams, data and tools lag, and poor data quality is the top barrier to scaling AI.
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Canada Imposes Retaliatory Tariffs of Up to 50% on U.S. Goods, Effective September 8
Canada matched new U.S. duties with counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on steel, aluminum, appliances, dairy, electronics and more. What procurement teams should do now.
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Kimberly-Clark Completes Global Procurement Platform Rollout and Scales AI Agents
Kimberly-Clark finished a worldwide procurement platform rollout with most suppliers onboarded, alongside AI agents and a workforce skills academy.
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Harvard Business Review: Why Procurement May Be the Best Place to Start With Agentic AI
An HBR article argues procurement's structured, measurable work makes it one of the strongest candidates for moving agentic AI from pilots into production.
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Oracle Adds Agentic Applications for Supplier Qualification and Inventory Planning
Oracle introduced four Fusion agentic applications, including a Supplier Qualification Workspace that guides risk-based supplier onboarding and compliance.
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Federal Lab Tests AI Agents on Proposal Evaluation, With Humans Kept in the Loop
An ATARC lab pilot used three specialized AI agents to review a federal proposal against acquisition rules, flagging gaps while people made every final call.
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