Editor profile

Michael Sterling

Senior Editor, North American Markets & Outlook

Michael Sterling analyzes macroeconomic trends and long-term industrial shifts across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He provides strategic foresight into regional economic growth and consumer cycles.

michael.sterling@northamericabiz.org

Bylined articles

Trade Corridors

USMCA Reshapes the North American Economy: Strategic Reassessment of Supply Chain Resilience and Regional Collaboration

In-depth analysis of how USMCA provisions evolve from a trade agreement into a strategic cornerstone of the North American economy. This article will explore its profound impact on North American manufacturing, multinational production networks, and capital flows from three dimensions: corporate strategy, supply chain restructuring, and regional economic competition.

Michael Sterling6 min read
Business North America

The Intersection of Climate and Trade Policy: Reshaping Environmental Standards and Industrial Layout from a Global South Perspective

In-depth analysis of how environmental standards, against the backdrop of climate change, are evolving from mere trade barriers into a core driver reshaping global industrial layouts. This paper examines the fragmented challenges of multilateral trade rules from the perspective of the Global South and discusses what this means for emerging manufacturing and developing economies.

Michael Sterling6 min read
Trade Corridors

Reshaping Supply Chain Resilience under the USMCA Framework: From Free Trade Agreement to Deep Integration Logic of the North American Value Chain

Analyze the Business Roundtable's comments on the USMCA provisions, exploring how the agreement reshapes the supply chain structure of key North American industries by deepening regional production networks, strengthening rules of origin, and countering trade protectionism, and what it foreshadows as the core driver of future North American economic growth.

Michael Sterling6 min read
Business North America

When Digitalization Becomes the Ticket to Orders: The Supply Chain Power Shift Behind the Transformation of Apparel SMEs

An empirical study of small and medium-sized textile and apparel enterprises published in Scientific Reports shows that what drives digitalization is not technology availability, but external pressure and internal trust. This mechanism is evolving into an order qualification requirement in North American supply chains.

Michael Sterling7 min read
Business North America

Silent Restructuring of the North American Titanium Dioxide Market: Regional Competition and Supply Chain Logic in a Mature Industry

Based on the latest data from MarketsandMarkets, analyze the structural factors behind the growth of the North American titanium dioxide market from 2026 to 2031, including U.S. dominance, nearshoring opportunities in Mexico, process upgrades driven by environmental pressures, and the implications for businesses and investors.

Michael Sterling6 min read
Business North America

Logistics real estate rent inflection point approaching: the cyclical shift from "pause" to "recovery"

After experiencing rent declines in the global logistics real estate market in 2025, demand recovered in the second half of the year and the decline narrowed, with the industry approaching a rental inflection point. This article examines the deep implications of this turning point for North American supply chains and corporate strategy from the perspectives of supply-demand logic, regional divergence, and capital flows.

Michael Sterling5 min read
Business North America

Canada's Manufacturing Moving South: A 'Bleeding' Signal in North American Supply Chain Restructuring

A KPMG survey shows that 42% of Canadian manufacturers are considering moving to the United States or delaying investments due to trade tensions. This is not just a stress response to tariff shocks, but also heralds a deep reshaping of the North American manufacturing landscape. Canada is facing the risk of industrial hollowing out, while the U.S. Midwest and Southern states will become the biggest beneficiaries.

Michael Sterling4 min read
Corporate Strategies

Japan's $158 Billion M&A Shift: Why Has North America Become a New Safe Haven for Asian Capital?

Japan's corporate M&A wave shifts from China to ASEAN and the US, totaling $158 billion. This article analyzes the geopolitical, tariff, and supply chain logic behind this shift, as well as how it reshapes the North America-Asia capital flow landscape, and explores its impact on industrial chains and regional competition.

Michael Sterling5 min read
Corporate Strategies

Rising Resource Nationalism in Africa: How Can North American Mining Companies Address Supply Chain Risks?

Mozambique's new law requires state ownership in mining, marking an escalation of resource nationalism in Africa. This article analyzes the impact of this trend on North American mining investment and critical mineral supply chain security, as well as how Canadian and US companies are adjusting their strategies to cope with increasing political risks.

Michael Sterling2 min read
Market Outlook

The real inflection point for the U.S. hotel industry: How value-oriented consumption, AI penetration, and income stratification are reshaping the 2026 market

Colliers’ assessment of the U.S. hotel industry in 2026 is not just “moderate growth.” What is more noteworthy is that demand is being reorganized by income tier, consumers’ preference for “value for money” continues to rise, and AI is beginning to shift from an auxiliary tool to a structural variable in operations and revenue management. This means the competitive logic of the hotel industry is shifting from a simple pursuit of occupancy rates to a comprehensive contest of capital efficiency, customer segmentation, and technological capability.

Michael Sterling8 min read
Tech & Capital

When AI valuations become crowded, why is capital starting to flow back into biotech

This analysis interprets a deeper shift from the perspective of capital allocation: some investors are beginning to view biotechnology as an alternative direction to hedge AI valuation risk. This is not merely an industry rotation, but also reflects a rebalancing in North American tech capital’s growth narrative, risk appetite, and long-term return expectations.

Michael Sterling7 min read