Chain Reaction

Hosted by Tony Hines

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Episodes

386

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Chain Reaction is the number one podcast 'All About Supply Chain Advantage, Global Trade And Policy' with Tony Hines containing regular audio snippets relevant to C suite executives, supply chain professionals, researchers, policy makers in government, students, media commentators and the wider public. New episodes every week discuss hot topics in the news and supply chain ideas relevant to everyone involved in supply chain management. There are special editions too. Our goal is to keep our listeners updated and informed about the various factors that can influence the dynamics of supply chains. As the world continues to evolve, so too do the complexities of global supply chains. By keeping an eye on these global events, we can anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of supply chains with agility and insight.

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October 13, 202614 min

The Trojan Horse Parking In Europe And Elsewhere

Tariffs are built to stop imports, but what happens when the “import” is assembled down the road? We unpack a major shift in global trade and the auto industry: Chinese automakers are no longer just exporting EVs, they’re building full manufacturing ecosystems inside Europe, Mexico, ASEAN, Latin America, and beyond. That move turns localization into a strategic shortcut around border defenses and changes the balance of power in automotive supply chains. We walk through the drivers behind the push outward, from China’s EV overcapacity and brutal price competition to rising tariff pressure in the EU and the United States. Then we zoom out to the global map of Chinese overseas factories and the way these projects cluster into regional hubs. When OEMs arrive and battery giants and component suppliers follow, the advantage is not only cost. It’s also speed: product cycles measured in months rather than years, vertically integrated batteries, leaner bills of materials, and manufacturing routines that can be transplanted into host markets. From there, we get practical about the implications for Western automakers and policymakers. Once production is localized, tariffs and anti-dumping tools lose punch, and the response has to move toward strategic competitiveness: battery ecosystems, software-defined vehicles, supply chain modernization, critical mineral diversification, and coordinated standards and rules of origin. We also wrestle with the hard trade-offs around foreign direct investment, cybersecurity, technology transfer, and the reality that EV factories and automation may not deliver the jobs many communities expect. Subscribe to Chain Reaction, share this with a friend who follows EVs or global trade, and leave a review if the conversation helps you think clearer. Do you see this transformation as a catalyst for renewal or a long-term strategic vulnerability? Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

October 7, 202618 min

How Geopolitics Rewrites Global Supply Chains

Supply chains are being rewritten in real time, and the author isn’t a boardroom or a new app. It’s geopolitics. I’m Tony Hines, and I’m looking at how global power shifts are turning sourcing, logistics, and manufacturing into high-stakes decisions that can reshape entire industries. We dig into the new strategic battlegrounds, starting with critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements. These inputs decide who can scale EV batteries and clean tech, and they create leverage for countries that control mining, refining, and processing. From long-term offtake agreements to joint ventures and strategic stockpiles, I explain why resilience now looks a lot like sovereignty and why supply chain leaders have to think like geopolitical analysts. Then we move to the pressure points: maritime choke points such as the Suez Canal, Panama Canal, the Straits of Hormuz, and the South China Sea. One incident, one drought, or one spike in regional tension can reroute global trade flows and crush lead times. From there, we connect the dots on trade policy and global trade policy, industrial strategy, tariffs, export controls, sanctions, ESG and carbon regulation, and CBAM-style carbon border adjustments, showing how “quiet” policy can change the economics of production overnight. To close, I share practical guidance you can use immediately: map dependencies, build optionality beyond single-source strategies, and invest in geopolitical intelligence and scenario planning. If you found this useful, subscribe, share the show with a colleague, and leave a review. What dependency in your supply chain worries you most right now? Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

September 29, 202634 min

AI-Powered Cargo Security

The way we picture cargo inspections is outdated and that mismatch is costing us time, money, and security. We sit down with David Smason, founder and former CEO of CargoSeer, now VP AI at Big Bear AI, to unpack what customs enforcement looks like when non-intrusive inspection meets artificial intelligence. Think X-ray and gamma-ray scanning, drones and sensors, and an AI layer that can digest massive streams of images, documents, and historical records then turn it into a decision an operator can trust in seconds. We get specific about what AI actually does at the border: it doesn’t “replace” the officer, it interprets complexity at scale. David explains how agencies can move from looking at a handful of scenarios to gaming out thousands, flipping the old cat-and-mouse advantage that smugglers rely on. We also talk about identifying exceptions, combining object detection with anomaly detection, and using decades of archived data to catch fraud by comparing what’s supposed to be in a container with what the scan shows. Just as important, we cover what makes these systems succeed or fail in the real world. Concept of operations, operator buy-in, and workflow design determine whether technology speeds up port throughput or creates new bottlenecks. David shares practical “low-hanging fruit” starting points like empty container verification and automated document extraction, then zooms out to bigger themes: frictionless borders, trust and benchmarking to reduce AI skepticism, smarter government procurement, and why AI should be treated as infrastructure. If you care about supply chain security, trade facilitation, and border technology, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with someone in logistics or policy, and leave a review if it helped. What’s the biggest barrier you see to AI-enabled border security: data, trust, or procurement speed? Read more Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

September 25, 202621 min

El Nino And Sanctions Are Stress Testing Global Trade

El Nino and sanctions sound like separate headlines until you follow the money and the materials. We connect the dots between climate driven yield shocks, fertilizer and energy costs, shipping volatility, and the real world procurement calendar where Q4 buying decisions feed Q1 production plans. When the strongest El Nino in decades lines up with planning season, the risk is not just a late shipment. It’s higher input costs, lower output reliability, and fast moving commodity price pressure that shows up in everything from packaged food and personal care to tires, chemicals, and industrial lubricants. We also shift to the policy side and treat sanctions like what they’ve become: a supply chain weapon embedded in trade infrastructure. We break down direct trade blockages and the indirect spillovers that follow, including secondary sanction risk, compliance screening, rerouting, insurance changes, and documentation friction. Using recent research, we talk through what sanctions do to lead times, logistics costs, and supplier networks, and why small and mid sized firms often take the hardest hit when they lack compliance capacity and alternative sourcing options. To make it concrete, we look at Russia under long running sanctions and what the evidence suggests: trade rerouting at a discount, rising shadow fleet and intermediation costs, technology restrictions that degrade industrial capability, and mounting fiscal pressure despite periods of higher energy prices. The practical takeaway is simple but not easy: diversify sourcing, adjust forecasting for climate and policy shocks, and treat compliance as a core capability. Subscribe, share this with a supply chain leader, and leave a review. What part of your supply chain feels most exposed right now? Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

September 19, 202627 min

Business News - Importing Into The United States Now Requires Proof And Power

Importing into the United States is no longer a routine admin task. We walk through how a new enforcement-first customs posture changes the practical reality for importers of record, brokers, and forwarders, from higher bonds and beneficial ownership disclosure to continuous vetting and risk-tiered clearance that can slow your freight if your compliance history is weak. If you manage global sourcing, procurement, customs compliance, or logistics, this is the kind of shift that quietly rewrites your service levels and your margins. We also dig into the end of the $800 de minimis threshold and why that single policy change hits direct-to-consumer brands and small-parcel networks so hard. With tariffs and surcharges applied to every parcel plus full customs entry requirements, landed cost rises, clearance times stretch, and carriers have to rethink routing and capacity. From redesigned shipping documentation that reads like an audit file to new delivery timelines that bake in border uncertainty, the message is simple: predictability is now a competitive advantage. From there we widen the lens to the week’s biggest risk drivers shaping supply chain resilience and trade strategy: the Canada tariff shock that destabilizes a critical North American corridor, geopolitical pressure around the Strait of Hormuz that drives insurance and energy inflation, and the growing weight of OFAC sanctions and forced labor enforcement. We close with a market signal from fast fashion as Shein’s valuation falls and its IPO path shifts to Hong Kong, highlighting how regulatory scrutiny and supply chain transparency can reshape growth. If this helped you think more clearly about tariffs, customs enforcement, and compliance-driven logistics, subscribe, share the show with a colleague, and leave a review with the one trade risk you want us to cover next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

September 3, 202616 min

Bond Markets Are Forcing Companies To Rethink Supply Chains

Bond yields are climbing across the US, Europe, the UK, and Japan and the ripple effects are showing up in places most people don’t connect to the bond market at all: mortgage rates, business investment, supplier stability, and the everyday cost of moving goods. I’m Tony Hines, and I walk through why this isn’t a temporary wobble but a synchronized repricing of risk that’s tightening financial conditions worldwide. We break down the three major forces pushing yields higher: persistent inflation that keeps getting reinforced by energy shocks, ballooning government debt that markets increasingly question, and massive private sector borrowing to fund AI infrastructure and data centers. When investors demand more compensation for inflation risk, geopolitical instability, and fiscal strain, the result is higher borrowing costs for everyone and less room for governments and companies to fund long-term plans cheaply. Then we bring it back to supply chain management and global trade. Higher yields raise inventory financing costs, slow factory and logistics expansion, and amplify supplier liquidity risk, especially for smaller firms that live on short-term credit. Trade finance tightens through more expensive letters of credit, export finance, shipping insurance, and receivables funding, adding friction to every transaction. When capital gets expensive, nearshoring and regionalization start to look financially rational but geopolitical risk still remains a direct cost driver. If you want a clear explanation of how bond markets are redesigning supply chains for the next decade, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more operators can find it. Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

August 25, 202615 min

The Data Center Squeeze

Data centers look like anonymous warehouses, but they’re the beating heart of the modern economy and they’re starting to collide with the physical world. We dig into the growing “data center problem”: soaring AI and cloud demand, grid connection bottlenecks, and the rising frustration of communities who feel they’re being asked to absorb the costs while big tech captures the upside. We walk through what data centers actually do for financial services, healthcare systems, logistics, manufacturing, and public administration, then zoom in on where they get built and why. The UK story centers on clusters around London and the Thames Valley, emerging northern hubs, and a growing push toward rural sites when land is cheaper or transmission capacity is available. But that shift creates fresh tension when heat, drought, and water stress make cooling harder to justify, and when planning systems are not designed to weigh electricity, water, and land use together. Then we unpack the core drivers of public resistance: massive electricity demand and grid upgrades, water consumption that can reach millions of liters per day, visual and land use conflict, local air quality worries from diesel backups, and a persistent feeling that permanent jobs do not match the footprint. We also cover the economics behind the boom, including investment, incentives, infrastructure burdens on utilities and ratepayers, and the uncertainty that makes long range planning so difficult. If you care about sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, AI growth, and supply chain resilience, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe, share this with a friend who works in tech or energy, and leave a review with your take: how should communities and governments set the rules for data center growth? Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

August 22, 202622 min

Business News - Deficits Debt Data Disruptions And Inflation in the Chain

One chokepoint can change the price of almost everything. When commercial vessels are attacked and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz drops, the ripple spreads fast: higher freight costs, more rerouting, tighter capacity, and a persistent premium in oil and LNG prices that can show up as inflation in everyday goods. We walk through what the latest security updates mean for global shipping routes, seafarer safety, and the real-world stress test on just-in-time supply chains. From there, we shift to the defense supply chain and the uncomfortable math of depletion. Reports of major drawdowns in Patriot and THAAD interceptors, plus heavy use of other long-range systems, raise tough questions about operational readiness and multi-theater risk. Replacing high-end missiles is not a quick restock problem; it’s a multi-year production and supplier-capacity challenge. We also look at the debate over licensing Patriot production for Ukraine and why sensitive technology, certifications, and component bottlenecks make timelines far longer than headlines suggest. We round out the week with the macro and market forces shaping business planning: rising bond yields, a US national debt above $40 trillion, and elevated trade deficits that keep pressure on long-term borrowing costs. We connect those trends to AI-driven capital spending, including major data center financing tied to chip demand, and we flag a growing privacy fight around airline customer data sales as another form of supply chain risk. If you care about global trade, supply chain resilience, energy markets, and policy-driven volatility, this roundup gives you a clear map of what’s moving and why. Subscribe for weekly supply chain and global trade analysis, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

August 15, 202620 min

Business News Edition

Global trade is booming in 2026, yet the story beneath the numbers is what really matters for business leaders. We’re seeing growth powered by higher prices, not necessarily more shipments, as energy and logistics disruptions ripple through key routes like the Straits of Hormuz. At the same time, demand for AI infrastructure and electric mobility keeps rewriting trade flows, with critical minerals, semiconductors, batteries, ICT products, and electric vehicles turning into the new center of gravity for global supply chains. We also dig into the policy reality reshaping planning and budgets: record-high trade intervention and a clear swing toward protectionism. I walk through major Section 301 tariff moves in the United States, the EU’s evolving stance on rebalancing measures and industrial protections, and why supply chains are increasingly being designed around national security and resilience rather than pure efficiency. If you’re responsible for sourcing, logistics, compliance, or risk, this is the context you need to interpret the headlines and make better calls. Then we widen the lens to the week’s business signals: food inflation risks returning due to climate volatility and geopolitics, US consumer spending shifting toward essentials, and fresh labor market weakness that could pressure discretionary demand. You’ll also hear updates on the Trump BBC defamation case, the UK review of electric vehicle sales targets, the surge in transshipping networks used to sidestep tariffs, and even a surprising packaging challenge where adhesives can undermine recyclability goals. If you want clearer insight into global trade, tariffs, supply chain risk, and where the economy is heading next, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...

August 12, 202645 min

How 3D Printing and AI Rewire Supply Chains

Imagine saying “summon” and the exact spare part you need appears near your factory, printed within days, not weeks. That’s the promise we unpack with Bindiya Vakil of Accio 3D: agentic AI paired with modern additive manufacturing to replace bloated inventories, slow logistics, and “just in case” stockpiles with smart, on‑demand production. We dig into how AI co‑pilots assess thousands of legacy components for printability and ROI, parsing drawings and specs to flag thin walls, overhangs, and material needs. Then we connect those parts to the right printers and materials worldwide, creating a hybrid model where in‑house capacity handles the obvious wins and specialized service bureaus take the rest. Along the way, we map the upside for aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, and medical devices—especially low‑volume, high‑variety parts where tooling kills margins. Reverse engineering through 3D scanning brings back end‑of‑life components even when CAD is missing, while new polymers and metals expand what’s possible and let us consolidate multi‑piece assemblies into single, stronger parts. The financial and sustainability stakes are just as big. Shipping files instead of pallets slashes lead times and carbon, cuts scrap compared to subtractive machining, and lightens carrying costs that quietly turn a ten‑dollar part into a thirty‑five‑dollar headache. We talk resilience with agility—faster response without parallel inventories—and why CFOs should test digital inventory before funding another warehouse. We also touch on IP pathways, supplier incentives to “end of technology” instead of “end of life,” and the growing policy push that helps small and midsize manufacturers stand up additive capacity. If you’re ready to simplify, scale, and summon the parts you need where you need them, this conversation will show you the path from pilot to playbook. Subscribe, share with a teammate who lives in spreadsheets and stockrooms, and leave a review to tell us which part you’d print first. Find out more about accio3d.ai Send us Fan Mail Support the show THANKS FOR LISTENING PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW You can support the podcast by following the link here. It makes a big difference and helps us make great content for you to listen to. Follow like and share the Chain Reaction Podcast with colleagues and friends on social media: Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn . News about forthcoming programmes click here SHARE Please share the link with others so they can listen too https://chainreaction.buzzsprout.com/share LET US KNOW If you have any comments, suggestions or questions then just direct message on Linkedin or X (Twitter) REVIEW AND RATE If you like the show please rate and review it. Every vote helps. About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon. ...