Predictive vs. Preventive Maintenance: Which is Best?
Most facilities today have well-thought-out maintenance programs. However, many facility managers are still asking one question: Which is better for my electrical system—preventive maintenance or predictive maintenance?
Localizing Operations Strengthens Global Manufacturing
Recent global events, including Brexit, the expanded use of tariffs and the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to unprecedented risks and challenges for manufacturers that depend on global manufacturing operations and supply chains
US-China decoupling: a reality check
I was a decoupler before decoupling was cool. I have advocated selective decoupling of the US economy from China for the past four years, arguing that the United States requires absolute self-sufficiency in strategic areas such as defense electronics.
Russia gas exporters expand south, east and north
They are engineering marvels and potential cash cows for the Russian exchequer, but questions of both politics and economic viability hover over the giant natural gas pipeline networks Moscow has created to pump the natural riches of Siberia to energy-hungry economies across Eurasia.
The case against a US-China ‘divorce’
The reality is the US and China need to cooperate with each other in fighting Covid-19 and addressing issues such as improving the global trade and financial systems and climate change. It does not matter where the virus originated, it is damaging all economies, including those of the US and China, requiring joint efforts to combat it. It is time to push the US-China divorce promoters on both sides of Pacific back into their hole.
China-Europe rail freight services buck falling volumes trend
China-Europe rail freight is bucking the pandemic-wide trend of falling air and ocean volumes, boasting double-digit growth this year.
According to China Railway Group, 2,920 trains ran between January and April, carrying 262,000 teu, up 24% year on year. Last month alone, westbound volumes were up 58% and eastbound 29%, totalling 88,000 teu.
Dark clouds for barley farmer
Despite the Free Trade Agreement, Australia is certainly not innocent when it comes to penalising exporters in China. According to independent trade analysts, Global Trade Alert, Australia far more often punishes Chinese exporters than rewards them with tariff and quota changes.
Anti-Huawei tech bans will hurt US more than China
For the past year, the U.S. government has sought to disrupt Huawei Technologies’s ability to sell its fifth-generation, or 5G, technology and buy the components needed to produce it. Despite this campaign, Huawei’s revenue rose more than 19% last year, leading Washington to redouble its efforts.
Nuclear energy report shows progress is two steps forward, one step back
The picture from the 2020 annual report of the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) reveals a situation where, yes, there are more nuclear reactors coming on stream — but also, some producers are pulling out of the sector.
Who’s decoupling from whom?
As US reevaluates its relationship with China, Asian giant’s export data show increasing regional integration
Trump bets the farm on Huawei equipment ban
After a failed two-year campaign to stop China’s Huawei Technologies from leading the world’s rollout of 5G mobile broadband, the Trump Administration announced the so-called nuclear option, asserting control over sales of computer chips made anywhere in the world with US equipment
Morrison’s accord is WorkChoices 2.0
Irrelevance is the enemy of political leaders, and to avoid sinking to the bottom of the field, they need to keep moving, adapt and make continuous announcements, even when there’s not too much to announce.
‘Not your job’: Superannuation Minister says super funds forget their role
Assistant Minister for Superannuation Jane Hume has lashed out at industry super funds, saying their role is not to create jobs, rebuild the economy or get involved in the climate debate but to bolster retirement incomes for workers.
