World Trade articles from August 2004

World Trade archives from August 2004

'Trade is the supply chain'.(Inside World Trade)
August 1, 2004... I work in Washington, in an eleventh floor office several hundred yards from the White House (a corner of its roof is slightly visible through the trees). Insiders call D.C. "the imperial city" these days, only half in jest. Whether you're a...

Ready to compete: the link between productivity, jobs, and wages.
August 1, 2004... Nearly lost in the debate over job creation has been the surge of productivity that has taken place over the last two years. American workers are producing more goods per hour of work and boosting their own incomes in the process. Increased...

U.S. high court clears road block to Mexican trucks.(The Americas)(North American Free Trade Agreement )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that U.S. highways can be opened to Mexican trucks without completion of an environmental study first. President Bush is now free to open U.S. roads at his discretion. The provision to allow Mexican...

Mexico, U.S. resolve telecom dispute.(The Americas)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A dispute between the U.S. and Mexico over liberalization of Mexico's telecommunications market has been resolved. The two countries announced in early June that they had reached an agreement, which should result in lower prices for calls...

U.S. Customs chief urges use of 'smart' containers.(The Americas)(Bureau of Customs and Boarder Protection)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Boarder Protection, remarked at the recent American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) conference in New York City that container security must be improved. "At some...

Transportation Services Index (TSI).(Tradewinds: the latest trends in the world of trade)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... JANUARY-MARCH 2004 January 118.7 February 120.4 March 122.5 The Transportation Services Index (TSI) reached its highest level in the 14-year period covered by the index with a 1.0 percent rise in March, the Department...

Progress on the FTAA limps along.(The Americas, Free Trade Area of the Americas, trade pact)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Representatives from Peru, Colombia and Ecuador met with U.S. officials recently to try and work out a trade pact that would pave the way for the larger Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement, yet progress on the FTAA continues to be...

Asian economic growth could be hurt by energy crunch.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Asia's booming economy, lead by China and India, is being threatened by high oil prices and potential supply problems. The warning came from a meeting of oil and gas industry officials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently. They are urging...

China one of top sources for FDI.(Asia-Pacific)(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... China has become the first developing country to join the list of the top five sources of foreign direct investment, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). A recent survey found that China replaced...

Hong Kong installs additional X-ray scanners.(Asia-Pacific)(Mobile X-ray scanners)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Hung Kong's main container complex has installed two more mobile X-ray scanners, bringing the total number in use to four. The scanners, which cost about $2 million each, are truck-mounted systems that can scan a 40-foot container in just...

EU says it will drop banana quota.(Europe)(Food and Agriculture Organization)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The EU is making good on a commitment to the U.S. to end quotas on bananas. The quotas were designed to protect former colonies and limit banana imports from countries such as Ecuador. The 25-member EU, which is the world's biggest...

Europe, U.S. box rates on the rise.(Europe)(Mediterranean-Canadian Freight Conference )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Ocean transport rates between Europe and the U.S. and Canada are heading upwards. For starters, members of the Mediterranean-Canadian Freight Conference have implemented a general rate increase westbound "for the restoration of viable rates."...

FedEx and the A380.(Letters To The Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... The article entitled "Four Years from Launch: What's the Buzz on the A380" by Mark Bern stein in the April 2004 issue of your magazine sounds like one of the "gee whiz" articles Hugo Gernsback used to write about futuristic possibilities. ...

China labor: capitalism at its best?(Letters To The Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I have never written a magazine before, never have felt the need. But I was floored by your lead article in the June issue entitled "Respecting Chinese Workers' Rights Makes Moral and Economic Sense" by Bob Baugh. I actually had to re-look to...

Fabulous 50 Plus One: the World Trade magazine.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... As the world emerges from several years of doldrums, global trade continues to expand at ever increasing rates. By connecting the first stage of the supply chain anywhere in the world through to the final customer, integrated global logistics...

Project cargo industry finds new revenue sources: military activity, oil exploration are fueling the 'big and heavy' business.
August 1, 2004... Prior to 9/11, Antonov Airlines was flying a lot of project cargo for the aerospace industry, "fuselages, wings, engines," says Vince Seeger, VP Sales, in the company's London office. "After that day, business slowed down tremendously. Most of...

Waiting for your plasma TV? The global supply chain is more complicated than you think.
August 1, 2004... You might recognize this scenario from real life. You're thinking that finally, several years after appearing on the market, the cost of a plasma or flat screen TV must finally be within your reach and you'll be able to satisfy your 'screen...

Ocean carriers vie for bigger share of the logistics market: it's not just the domain of the traditional 3PL anymore.(Transportation & Logistics)
August 1, 2004... Nowadays, all of the leading ocean carriers have logistics divisions. And while the service offering is hardly new, its popularity with shippers has been gaining favor lately, especially in the U.S. where ocean carriers are anticipating strong...

Brazil's recovery gains steam as politics gives way to economic development: leftist president stimulates growth in hemisphere's second biggest market with fiscal discipline.(economic recovery, Luiz Inacio da Silva)
August 1, 2004... Oh, what a difference a year makes. Last June, Brazil watchers were warning that Latin America's largest country was on the verge of sinking into the sort of long-term malaise that has plagued so many in the region. Its economy was in the midst...

Bringing the 'grocery store' model of supply chain management to global trade: financing finished goods inventory affords long-term competitive advantages, but requires additional resources.(Global Management)
August 1, 2004... Advantage is about being positioned to respond successfully to change. Over the past couple of years, manufacturers serving high technology markets have had to keep a focus on cost reduction to meet price pressure in a demand constrained...

Export credit insurers are changing the package: helping exporters to minimize country risk while improving the use of capital.(Finance)
August 1, 2004... Export credit insurance can sometimes be a tough sell. "It may take two years to educate a company and put a program in place," says Robert Downey, a founder of Columbus, Ohio-based International Risk Consultants (IRC), largest of the U.S....

Integrating security compliance into supply chain management software: there's no magic bullet, but customized middleware offers a good start.(Technology)
August 1, 2004... When you're the largest apparel company in the world with billions of dollars in sales, plants throughout the Americas and a worldwide sourcing operation that takes you to Asia and Africa, the amount of documentation required to both run the...

Export-Import Bank of the United States--www.exim.gov.(services)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) assists U.S. companies compete in today's challenging global marketplace. This government agency assumes the credit and country risks that the private sector is unable or unwilling to...

Meridian IQ: www.meridianiq.com.(Web Locators, global logistics management company)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... As a global logistics management company, Meridian IQ helps customers make better use of global transportation resources. Our approach allows customers to choose the level of service that best fits their needs. All levels are quick and easy to...

Swiss WorldCargo: www.swissworldcargo.com.(Web Locators, air cargo services)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Swiss WorldCargo is the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. With its global network of more than ISO destinations in over 80 countries and its broad range of airfreight products and services, Swiss WorldCargo generates...

Union Bank of California: www.uboc.com.(Web Locators)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... When cost effective international trade is integral to your company's success, choosing the right bank is critical. At Union Bank of California, we make it our business to provide our clients with the tools and expertise they need to navigate...

The birth of air cargo.(history)(Obituary)
August 1, 2004... Airfreight is nearly as old as airplanes. Oil November 7, 1910, seven years after the Wrights first flew at Kitty Hawk, a Wright-trained pilot named Philip Olin Parmalee delivered history's first air cargo shipped from Dayton, Ohio to a...