Strategic Sourcing Pulse

  Introduction: The Global Financial Tug-of-War In the ongoing race for economic dominance, both the United States and China are leveraging unique strategies to strengthen their financial systems and global influence. While China has turned to gold as its cornerstone, the U.S. has identified Bitcoin as a potential counter-strategy. This blog unpacks how these strategies intertwine, why Bitcoin regulation matters, and how this approach could bolster the U.S. dollar in the face of China’s gold-centric financial game. China’s Gold Strategy: A Shield Against Dollar Dependence Why China is Hoarding Gold China's reliance on gold stems from its desire to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar. As the world’s reserve currency, the dollar gives the U.S. significant global financial leverage. By amassing gold reserves, China hopes to: Stabilize its economy against dollar fluctuations. Position gold as a reserve asset to hedge against the dollar’s dominance. The Bitcoin Connection Historically,...

  As the U.S. braces for an Arctic outbreak expected to bring catastrophic cold weather across much of the country in the next two weeks, it is imperative for supply chain professionals and businesses to prepare. The forecasted temperatures—20 to 30 degrees below average—could rival the historic Texas freeze of February 2021, which caused widespread power outages, halted resin production, and triggered force majeure declarations across multiple industries. Here’s a detailed guide on what we can learn from past events, the current weather situation, and actionable steps to safeguard operations during this critical time. 1. Lessons from the 2021 Texas Freeze In February 2021, an unexpected deep freeze paralyzed Texas, exposing vulnerabilities in the energy grid and supply chains. Here's what happened and what we can learn: Energy Infrastructure Failure : Texas experienced massive power outages as the state’s grid, operated by ERCOT, failed to withstand the surge in demand and cold-re...