President Donald Trump's new reciprocal tariff regime took effect on August 7, sharply raising US import duties and straining relationships with long-standing trade partners, including Switzerland, Taiwan and the EU. The levies mark a historic pivot in US trade policy, replacing decades of negotiated liberalization with a sweeping, country-by-country retaliation model.

DXP Enterprises has been aggressively pursuing acquisitions as a key part of its expansion strategy. The firm closed two deals in the first half of the year and another to start the third quarter. The distributor made seven acquisitions last year and plans to close as many as four deals in the year's second half, says Chief Financial Officer Kent Yee.

A new federal rule proposed by the US Transportation Department would significantly expand commercial drone use by making it easier for companies to operate delivery drones over long distances and beyond visual line of sight. The change would eliminate the need for a complicated waiver process, paving the way for retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, to rev up drone delivery programs. 

Supply chain resilience has become essential amid frequent disruptions such as the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts and climate-related events, writes DP World Americas COO Morten Johansen. Companies are increasingly investing in technologies such as AI, automation, the Internet of Things and digital twins to enhance visibility, efficiency and safety, Johansen writes, citing examples from DP World and Maersk.

Amazon is investing $4 billion to expand its rural delivery network, aiming to deliver an additional 1 billion packages annually and create 100,000 jobs. This expansion, which includes advanced technologies like drones and vans equipped with its AI-powered Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval, comes as Walmart's GoLocal delivery service leverages its stores as fulfillment centers, boosting its ecommerce growth.

Companies are increasingly incorporating AI into supply chain management, but most applications fail to deliver significant value, writes Fabrizio Fantini, the VP of product strategy at ToolsGroup. The mathematical complexity of supply chains requires sophisticated algorithms that general AI often can't provide, Fantini writes, highlighting the importance of AI as a decision support system rather than a replacement.

B2B email marketers often rely on external benchmarks, which can create a distorted view of performance and lead to strategic errors, writes Chad S. White, head of research at Oracle Digital Experience Agency. White suggests using external benchmarks as guardrails and focusing instead on internal benchmarks, while also controlling for campaign characteristics such as audience engagement and seasonality.

Gray work is defined in Quickbase's 2025 Gray Work Report as the hidden costs stemming from disconnected data and manual workarounds that accompany the adoption of new workplace tools. This phenomenon often leads to decreased productivity, as employees struggle with fragmented information and inefficient processes related to multiple software solutions.

Prioritize your organization's greatest asset — your people. NAW's premier education programs, such as the online Management Academy and the in-depth Distribution Leadership Program at THE Ohio State University, are designed to equip your high-potential employees with the skills and insights they need to lead and succeed. Ensure your rising stars are prepared to drive your business forward by investing in their growth today. Learn more about how NAW can help you develop the leaders of tomorrow.

Interested in membership with NAW? Reach out and let us know how we can help you.