It was reported this morning by the Associated Press (see the New York Times and International Herald Tribune) and trumpeted by Rick over at All Roads Lead To China that Beijing has begun to crystallize its efforts to reduce air pollution for the Olympics by shutting down heavy industry in and around the capital.
It is still unclear to what degree the Chinese government will go to clean the air for China's coming out party to the world - it has been suggested that if initial measures don't produce the desired results, they'll expand efforts until they get 'em.
In any event, there are potentially devastating consequences for manufacturers that do business in or with China. Aside from the heavy industry shutdowns that could directly disrupt supply chain performance, it is being reported that spend and purchasing managers are also concerned over the impact on logistics by other efforts the government is considering: water and electricity rationing, and suspension of vast land-based transportation (personal and commercial).
For more on the prospective impact on outsourcing strategies, pay a visit to Jason Busch over at Spend Matters.
For suppliers in mature markets like the U.S., this window of opportunity - to influence prospects and customers toward the value of "in-country" sourcing - continues to open wider.
Stay tuned, folks. This is gonna get even more interesting than first expected.
