The announcement from HM Treasury on May 13 2020 to support trade credit insurance has to be very welcome news for many UK businesses and their supply chains. It is a very significant announcement because trade credit insurance plays a vital role in supply chains, oiling, as it does, the wheels of domestic and global … Continue Reading
Our colleague, Nicola A. Smith, brings you the most recent edition of our quarterly food and drink sector newsletter for the UK, Legal NewsBITE. The newsletter includes coverage of a recent focus in the UK on meat processing standards and inspections by the Food Standards Agency, which has had a knock on effect on trade … Continue Reading
Responsible sourcing is a vital consideration for supply chain professionals, however, sourcing valuable minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas is one of the most challenging supply chain concerns. Importers of conflict minerals must meet the obligations of EU Regulation 2017/821, the Conflict Minerals Regulation, requiring third-party audits and disclosures about supply chain due diligence. Our resident conflicts … Continue Reading
In light of the recent report outlining the shocking working conditions in Myanmar garment factories, we look at how organisations considering investing in the region should react to reports such as this; the practicalities of investing in such an industry/region as well as the factors organisations should consider when entering into new supplier relationships to … Continue Reading
The UK government has announced £8.5 million of funding to help tackle modern slavery, which will provide over 50 extra analysts, specialists and investigators to assist police in investigations to improve intelligence. This followed the first annual report of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner earlier this month which highlighted that failures by police to record slavery as … Continue Reading
We have recently written the attached thought leadership piece on some of the legal issues arising from the development of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technologies. It is primarily written from a UK legal perspective, but this technology is already being developed and tested globally. Emerging CAV technologies is an exciting, cutting edge and potentially … Continue Reading
The new obligation on commercial organisations over a certain size to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement has come into force today. There will, however, be transitional provisions to allow affected businesses sufficient time to understand the new requirements and produce a statement. Businesses with a year-end date on or after 31 March 2016 … Continue Reading
Last week, David Whincup, Head of our London Employment practice, wrote a post in the Employment Law Worldview Blog about the draft of the statutory guidance for the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. My word, you think, if this is the seventh draft, what on earth must versions one to six have been like? Following … Continue Reading
As previously posted, Squire Patton Boggs and TheBusinessDesk.com surveyed the UK’s manufacturing sector and conducted a series of roundtables to determine what the industry needs in order to stay competitive in the global market. The resulting manufacturing report gauges levels of confidence within the manufacturing sector and what businesses want to see from the government … Continue Reading
Our colleagues at the Employment Law Worldview Blog have put together a helpful guide of 10 key points on the new requirements of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. The guide provides an excellent breakdown of important points such as how businesses will be affected by the new disclosure obligation and what steps businesses should be taking … Continue Reading
Earlier this year, Squire Patton Boggs teamed up with TheBusinessDesk.com to gauge levels of confidence within the UK’s manufacturing sector and to determine what businesses need in order to stay competitive in the global market. At issue were the implications of a referendum on the UK’s membership with the EU. A survey was set up … Continue Reading
In previous posts, we’ve talked about emerging legislation designed to increase visibility and transparency in supply chains to bring about desirable social ends. We’ve discussed, for instance, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and the UK Modern Slavery Act, both of which require companies to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery from their supply … Continue Reading
Bonded labor. Indentured servitude. Human trafficking. These are terms for modern slavery, essentially obtaining or holding another person in compelled service. The UN’s International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are enslaved around the world, generating approximately $150 billion a year in profits. Earlier this year as part of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention … Continue Reading
This week, our very own Simon Garbett was quoted in an article in “Supply Management” entitled, “What should a liquidated damages clause include?” Liquidated damages clauses are, of course, clauses that appear often in supply chain contracts, and that prescribe a specified amount of damages if a specified breach of the contract occurs. Simon reminds … Continue Reading
This month, we have been published in UK supply chain magazine “Operations Management,” discussing tips for UK companies that have supply chain relationships in the US. Among other things, we look at the differences in the legal systems and norms between the UK and US that UK companies doing business in the US should be … Continue Reading
The latest Automotive Council Report (March 2015 Report) identifies some very interesting and potentially lucrative UK supply chain and supplier opportunities. In particular, the Report showcases a big jump in demand from British vehicle manufacturers for high value British-made/sourced components – a continuing drive for increased localisation of the supply chain. It also builds upon … Continue Reading
Much has been written in recent times about reshoring: the practice of bringing manufacturing and services back to the US, the UK and other originating countries for a variety of reasons after “off-shoring” and extending supply chains for decades, but primarily for the cost play, and often leading to the “hollowing out” of the local … Continue Reading
As many of our readers know, we not only write for this blog, but we also work with other publications. This week, we were published in “Supply Management, the Procurement and Supply Website,” a resource for executives and supply chain personnel. Since the publication’s audience is primarily from the UK, we wrote about the legal … Continue Reading
Much has been written recently about “ethical” and “responsible” supply chain practices, certification and the need to safeguard provenance and quality of supply. This is not least to ensure that businesses maintain high standards and integrity (including in their dealings with their own suppliers), as well as promoting values and practices that are aligned to … Continue Reading
