Shipping, Steel & Solar

With traffic through both the Panama and Suez canals disrupted for different reasons, shippers are shouldering higher costs to go the slow way around the tips of South America and Africa. Impacts could include supply-chain delays, inventory shortages, and inflationary pressures. Jackie reports on the reactions of shippers and companies with goods to ship. … Also: Commodities prices remain depressed by the economic malaise in China and Europe. The price declines are broad-based, although steel’s price is up y/y, reflecting strong demand from the rapid construction of US factories by companies capitalizing on government incentives. … And in our Disruptive Technologies segment: Solar innovators compete.