The Friday Report: November 9th, 2018

FedEx Increases General Rates & Announces More Changes

Effective January 7, 2019 shipping rates for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground will be increased an average of 4.9% and FedEx Freight will increase rates an average of 5.9%.  FedEx surcharges and minimums will also be increased.

China Expands Purchase of U.S. Made Machinery and Semiconductors

Despite the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, some high profile American exports remain wide open.  On this list are components used in the production of computers, cell phones and high tech gadgets, medications and medical equipment.

In August, soybeans have dropped nearly 95%.  Automobiles decreased 56% and oil dropped from a record high to zero in only two months.  Despite this, U.S. exports to China have increased more than $100 million in 2018.  China still maintains its “Made in China 2025” plan to ensure that it becomes a global leader in high end manufacturing.  Categories including the machinery used to manufacture semiconductors as well as the actual semiconductors and computer chips are increasing rapidly. 

Reports indicated that the U.S. exports of the machinery needed to produce semiconductors to China have increased nearly 70% in 2018, making this the sixth most valuable U.S. export to China this year.  As of 2017, China trailed Taiwan and South Korea in rankings for these purchases from the United States.

For more information, continue reading here.

U.K. Shortage of EpiPens Averted by Extending Injector Expiry Dates

To combat a shortage of epinephrine pens across the U.K., authorities have agreed to extend the expiration date on a second injector to provide some relief for the dangerous situation.  This month, the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will decide which batches of Jext EpiPens can have the expiration date extended by four months in the interim during manufacture of more products.  Additional stability data was already provided to MHRA to aid with the processes.

This same effort was already executed last month for Mylan’s 0.3 mg auto-injector EpiPens.  MHRA also imposed restrictions on who can be prescribed EpiPens until the shortage has been resolved.