Supply Chain Research

The outlook for U.S. trade remains positive, though slightly less so than before as the ISM reading of export expectations fell to 56.0% in November (over 50% shows expansion). That’s part of a “optimistic but less so” trend going back to June. Import order expectations improved somewhat, suggesting the trade deficit may continue to widen. That’s also consistent with Chinese export order expectations which improved. The steady decline in American export optimism suggests U.S. exporters may underperform their peers in China and Europe even as global trade continues to expand.