2026-10-07

8 analyses published · 73 sourced figures · 44 named primary sources

Two EU Charges Hit the Same Tonne, and Only One of Them Is Knowable Up Front

Trade Policy·10 min read·8 figures

On the same tonne of Chinese steel the EU applies a carbon charge and a quota duty. One follows a published formula to the cent. The other is 50% of CIF, and at EUR 500 it is the larger of the two. Here is where they cross.

The Same Parcel Costs Three Times More in America Than in Europe

Platforms·9 min read·8 figures

The US now taxes a low-value parcel by classification and the EU charges it by the item. Priced on the same EUR 300 consignment, the US comes to EUR 91-131 and the EU to EUR 20. Here is the arithmetic, and which parcel each regime punishes.

China Cut the Refund on Finished Goods and Added a Tax on Raw Metal

Sourcing & Suppliers·9 min read·8 figures

Export duty on copper cathode is 30% nominal, 10% provisional. The rebate loss on a battery line is 9 points of FOB. Both cut what the exporter keeps, both land on your quote, and neither is negotiable at the table.

An Index-Linked Freight Clause Has Two Ways to Be Wrong, and They Are Independent

Logistics & Customs·9 min read·8 figures

In the week to 30 September the CCFI composite moved 0.3% while its Southeast Asia lane rose 9.1% and Europe fell 2.9%. On a $900 container the wrong series hides $78.97. The second error is whether the index already includes the surcharge you are being billed for.

Two EU Charges Reach Steel and Only One Reaches Aluminium, and That Reverses the Ranking

Sourcing & Suppliers·9 min read·8 figures

The EU applies a carbon charge to both metals and a 50 per cent quota duty to steel alone. On Chinese goods that reverses which material looks expensive, and the crossing point is a single CIF value you can work out.

CBAM Is Moving From Goods That Are Steel to Goods That Contain It

Trade Policy·10 min read·8 figures

CBAM today covers goods that are steel or aluminium. The proposed extension from 1 January 2028 covers goods that contain them, charged on the metal content under an ex-code mechanism, and it adds a material-composition reporting duty that nobody currently holds.

Your Supplier's Input Costs Rose 5.8%. Your 2027 Invoice Should Not.

Supply Chain·10 min read·14 figures

In August 2026 China's purchasing price index rose 5.8% year on year against 3.8% at the factory gate, a 4.3-point gap. On a 500,000-dollar sourcing budget that is 21,500 dollars, and it decides who absorbs a supplier price increase.

China's Factory Profits Rose 15.7%, and Their Customers Started Paying Later

Supply Chain·11 min read·11 figures

National Bureau of Statistics data for January to August 2026 shows industrial profit up 15.7% and August alone up 4.2%. Receivables now take 72.2 days to collect and finished-goods inventory turns in 21.3 days, so the money a supplier earns is not the money it has.