Procurement News — Page 2

G7 members agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and other reserves after a US export-ban threat. Fuel cost steps for procurement and finance teams.

On October 2, 2026, the FTC filed a proposed stipulated order with Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits resolving the agency’s first Robinson-Patman case in a generation. Procurement teams that buy through distributors should audit paired-price practices before a judge signs the six-year order.

On September 30, 2026 the U.S. Court of International Trade heard challenges to 10–12.5 percent Section 301 forced-labor tariffs on nearly all imports. No ruling yet. Procurement teams should flag landed cost and refund clauses now.

Shein’s first post-listing quarter showed adjusted profit of $228 million, down about 67%, as U.S. de minimis closure and EU low-value parcel fees hit the model. November 1 adds another European handling fee.

A U.S. import ban on selected Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on September 29, 2026. Procurement and customs teams should treat those lines as refused entries, not merely higher-duty goods.

On September 28, 2026 the United States and China released reciprocal product lists covering roughly $30 billion of trade each for more favourable tariff treatment. Procurement and trade-compliance teams should map current China-origin and U.S.-export lines against the published categories and prepare for formal duty changes still to come.

Akamai announced an $11.6 billion seven-year cloud commitment with Anthropic on September 24, 2026, with potential expansion to $20 billion and a warrant for up to 5% of Akamai stock.

Oracle sent a force-majeure notice on its New Mexico AI data-center campus Project Jupiter on 24 September 2026, seeking payment flexibility if the 2028 target is missed. Procurement teams should review power and force-majeure clauses in AI infrastructure contracts.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on September 23 that the United States and China agreed to extend their trade truce until January 10, 2026, buying time for a broader deal while rare-earth and agricultural commitments remain under scrutiny.

Alibaba announced its Zhenwu V900 AI accelerator on September 22, 2026, calling it China’s most powerful chip and targeting mass production in the first quarter of 2027. Procurement and technology teams evaluating AI hardware supply chains should note the performance claims and capacity targets.

On September 20, 2026, U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to operationalize the Board of Trade mechanism for identifying non-strategic goods eligible for lower tariffs. Procurement teams should prepare for possible duty reductions on selected consumer, agricultural, energy and medical products while monitoring critical-minerals supply commitments.

On September 20, 2026, U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to operationalize the Board of Trade mechanism for identifying non-strategic goods eligible for lower tariffs. Procurement teams should prepare for possible duty reductions on selected consumer, agricultural, energy and medical products while monitoring critical-minerals supply commitments.