That's the number of local companies impacted by the massive explosions and fire on August 12 in a warehouse area next to the port of Tianjin in China, according to the Mayor there, as reported in a new analysis of the disaster by supply chain risk management solution provider Resilinc. The second explosion registered a significant 2.9 on the Richter scale. More than 120 are dead and dozens more are missing from the explosions that occurred at a 3PL handling chemical products. Resilinc says companies that have suppliers within 15-30 miles of the impact zone may want to presume they will experience 4-8 weeks of delays plus perhaps further delays at the port of Tianjin itself or even other Chinese ports, as volumes are transferred elsewhere. A few days later, another huge explosion ripped through a chemical plant in eastern China, killing one person and injuring nine.

That probably is at most the current level of economic growth in China, well down from the double digit growth rates seen just a few years ago, and even substantially below the 7% rate the government there says is being reached, according to the UK's The Guardian newspaper this week. Some experts have estimated the growth may now be no more than 2-3%. Whatever it is, growth has slowed dramatically, and that is the key factor in the deep recent slump in Chinese stock values - down 22% in the last five trading days through Wednesday and 43% since June, after a heavy run up in the previous 12 months. The Chinese market crash caused wild gyrations - mostly down - in US markets as well in recent days. Falling Chinese demand is driving global commodity prices way down (see other entry nearby), though China unbelievably has some $3.6 trillion in foreign-currency reserves to carry it through the relatively tougher times and stimulate the economy even further.