Economy

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading rose to 0.3, after September’s -0.5.

High-value cargo and volatile trade conditions are reshaping freight management, demanding a shift from reactive tracking to proactive, data-driven control.

The Federal Reserve said yesterday that it lowered the target rate, for the federal funds rate, which comes from its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) for the second consecutive month, dropping it by 0.25%, to 3.75%-to-4.0%, its lowest rate level since 2022.

A trio of industry stakeholders—each focused on different areas of surface transportation, including truckload, ground parcel, and less-than-truckload (LTL)—addressed current market conditions for their respective modes, as well as take a look at key priorities shippers need to be focusing on in 2026, at a session at this week’s Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Logistics Management (LM) Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently spoke with Matt Muenster, Chief Economist for Green Bay, Wisc.-based Breakthrough, an innovator in transportation management, dedicated to creating transparent and fair strategies for the world’s leading shippers. Muenster provided Berman with an overview of trade and tariffs, the industrial economy, and Peak Season, among other topics. 

A common refrain among industry stakeholders has been that they know tariffs are coming, or have already arrived, but they badly want, and need, some clarity and stability on tariff rates in order to effectively take action, as it relates to a whole host of things, including: operations; sourcing and procurement; inventory management; capital expenditures; and hiring and staffing, among many others.

The July Services PMI, at 50.1 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth), fell 0.7% off of June’s 50.8 reading, growing, at a slower rate, for the second consecutive month.

As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve said yesterday that it will not make any changes to its federal funds rate, which comes from the Federal Reserve Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), announcing that it again decided to leave the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25%-to-4.5%.

The U.S. Department of Commerce labeled it a historic trade deal-providing unprecedented access to the U.K. markets while bolstering U.S. national security. And it added that the trade deal will usher in a golden age of new opportunity for U.S. exporters, establishing a long-sought level playing field for American producers. 

With President Trump set to roll out what are being described as widespread tariffs on United States trading partners later today, findings from a study published this week by the National Retail Federation and Morning Consult highlight ongoing concerns regarding tariffs and the potential subsequent economic impacts.

As United States-driven tariff-related actions continue to dominate the narrative in supply chain and freight transportation circles, leading to a new “Trade War,” it is not an understatement to say it has brought with it a sense of economic uncertainty, and unease regarding macroeconomic conditions.

In this podcast Armada Corporate Intelligence Managing Director Keith Prather addressed various topics, including: the current state of the freight economy; tariffs and their impact on the supply chain; inventories and imports; and 2025 Peak Season prospects. 

After making three rate cuts in 2024, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said earlier today it has decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25%-to-4.5%.

In this podcast, Bingham discussed the impact of tariffs on the supply chain, in terms of how it impacts shippers and freight flows, among other topics.

In this podcast, Breakthrough's Muenster addressed various topics related to the state of the freight economy, including: the freight economy; tariffs; manufacturing; capacity; inflation; demand patterns; and pricing and rates, among others.