World Trade articles from February 2006

World Trade archives from February 2006

The only constant is change.(INSIDE WORLD TRADE)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... "All other things being equal" is how economists hedge their bets. When they predict that X will happen they attach this caveat: that all Y's remain unchanged. Although manufacturers and traders may not be aware of it, most are doing much the...

American business must produce a generation of "New Internationalists".(POLICY PERSPECTIVES)
February 1, 2006... "Many academic, business, and media outlets point to the "export of U.S. jobs" as an "unfair business practice." With the U.S. on track to hit a record $200 billion trade deficit with China in 2005, debating whether we are "exporting America"...

Airfreight sector pins hopes on IT sector.(growth in freight services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The growth of international airfreight posted a modest gain last year, just under 3 percent, but it's hoped that number will grow in 2006 with increased demand from the IT and semiconductor industries, says the International Air Transport...

Chinese imports pushing rail improvements.(intermodal shipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Intermodal shippers survived the peak shipping season last year without any major snags, and the nation's rail carriers are gearing up to improve intermodal performance this year. Not surprisingly, imports from China will continue to drive...

Megaport planned for North Carolina.(sea ports)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The North Carolina State Ports Authority is closer to the construction of a large seaport in the southern part of the state that would have the capacity to handle 2 million TEUs per year. Recently, the port authority authorized the purchase...

Pearl river delta behind the RFID curve.(usage of Radio frequency identification equipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A recent study by Fusion Consulting shows that many Chinese companies in the Pearl River delta region--an intensive manufacturing area--"don't understand and are not familiar with" RFID technology. The study revealed that even as RFID...

Trade credit insurance FAQs.(insurance )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... According to insurance and risk management firm Aon, just like car insurance, there are no established 'prices' for trade credit insurance policies. However, there are several factors that an insurer uses when assessing the premium rate,...

Eastern Europe primed for logistics growth.(growth in logistics )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The logistics industry is ripe for growth in Eastern Europe, thanks to ongoing investment by Western European and American companies in the region who are being lured by lower labor costs and other incentives. Many companies who are...

Transportation services index (TSI).(Trade winds: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
February 1, 2006... Nov. 110.3 Dec. 109.9 Jan. 111.6 Feb. 110.0 Mar. 111.6 Apr. 111.7 May 112.6 June 112.0 July 111.6 Aug. 111.5 Sept. 111.5 Oct. 111.6 The Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 0.6...

Boeing, Airbus battle over exploding market share.(market share of airlines)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The rivalry between Boeing and Airbus has played out in China for years and it shows no signs of letting up. Boeing has approximately 60 percent of the market share in China, but on a recent visit to France, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said his...

Central Bank OKs use of euro along with U.S. dollar.(dollar usage)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Central Bank of Venezuela has approved using the euro as a way to service demand from foreign companies and to diversify the country's dealings from the dollar. The development is in step with the country's efforts to diversify its...

Lower import tariffs helping to spur investment.(OPENING UP INDIA TO TRADE)
February 1, 2006... India's buge consumer market used to be the stuff of dreams, mostly because despite advances the country remained poor. All that is changing, though, as the middle class is growing quickly and more young people are earning decent wages in the...

Government's privatization efforts paying off.(SUCCESS FOR CHILE'S SEAPORTS)
February 1, 2006... The move to privatize ten of Chile's largest seaports, which began in 2000, is starting to pay off for the country's exporters, who are no longer plagued by the serious delays the had become commonplace. Most of the improvements have...

Canadian dollar highest since 1992.(foreign exchange market)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Canadian dollar has made significant gains against the U.S. dollar recently, pushed higher by rising energy prices, gold, and other commodities, which comprise 35 percent of the country's exports and about 10 percent of its economy. ...

American drug companies press for revision.(CHANGES TO U.S. AUSTRALIA FTA?)
February 1, 2006... The U.S.-Australia free trade agreement is barely over one year old, yet the Australian government says it may consider a request by the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to remove an amendment in the pact that puts a cap on drug prices. The...

Europe loses fight over GM foods.(genetically modified food products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The United States has won the latest round in the ongoing controversy over genetically modified food products, after the WTO ruled in early January to let producers in the U.S., Canada, Argentina, and Australia sell huge quantities of processed...

Letters to the editor.(Trade winds)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... Dear World Trade, Your lead article on doing business in China [World Trade January, "Trading With China: A How-To Guide"] is very interesting, very important. I imported from Hungary and Romania when they were under Russian...

Sectors and institutions most affected by bribery.(BY THE Numbers)
February 1, 2006... (1 = not corrupt at all, 5 = extremely corrupt) Political parties 4 Parliament/Legislature 3.7 Police 3.6 Legal...

U.S. dollar's rise and fall against Canadian Dollar.
February 1, 2006... Exchange Date Rate (US$) January 1, 1992 1.1562 January 1, 1997 1.1 371 January 1, 2002 1.5920 January 1, 2004 1.2970...

CP Ships appoints Adrion.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... CP Ships has appointed Adolf Adrion as its new chief executive. The move follows completion of the acquisition of CP Ships by Hapag-Lloyd at the end of 2005. The combined companies' new chief financial officer will be Ulrich Kranich, effective...

Name change for Yellow Roadway.(company name changed)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Yellow Roadway has announced that it will change its name to YRC Worldwide to reflect its expanding global presence and range of services. "Simply put, the breadth and depth of the enterprise is greater than the name Yellow Roadway...

Executive promotions at MSC.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... Mediterranean Shipping Co. (USA) Inc. has made a number of executive promotions. Claudio Bozzo was named president and chief operating officer; Allen Clifford will now serve as executive vice president, commercial; Robert Milazzo was promoted...

Conley new president of NTTC.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... John Conley has taken over as the new president of National Tank Truck Carriers, following the retirement of Cliff Harvison. Conley joined the Alexandria, Virgian-based truck association as vice president in 1989. He is only the third...

TNT Logistics North America taps Kowalkowski.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Steven A. Kowalkowski has been appointed by TNT Logistics North America to the position of vice president and general manager, automotive. In his new role, Kowalkoski will be responsible for all operations and business development functions...

ICAT Logistics appoints Debinski.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... ICAT Logistics has appointed Mark Debinski as chief operating officer and Rick Pototsky as chief financial officer. Debinski had been president of Keneseal Construction Products, Inc. since 2002, while Pototsky was chief financial officer at a...

Loup new CIO for BDP International.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... BDP International has named Michael Loup as chief information officer. Loup will be responsible for global strategy, planning and operation of the Philadelphia-based logistics company's information systems and technology development.

Kuehne & Nagel completes acquisition of ACR Logistics.(Names & News)
February 1, 2006... The European Commission has approved Kuehne & Nagel's takeover of contract logistics specialist ACR Logistics. The Schindellegi, Swizterland-based Kuehne & Nagel Group has 40,000 employees in over 100 countries and ranks as one of the top five...

Night gates set for expansion in 2006.(PierPass)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The off-peak program PierPass has been such a success at the port complex of Los Angeles-Long Beach that terminal operators plan to expand the program in 2006. Since the program began last July, approximately 1.2 million truck moves have...

Australia boosts security of food supply chain.(EXPANDING RFID'S APPLICATIONS)
February 1, 2006... According to MoreRFID.com, the role of radio frequency ID is being expanding to other industries and applications, including food supply chains. Recently, Australia's National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS), which is considered the...

The port of New Orleans is coming back ... slowly: seventy percent of the port's pre-Katrina ship traffic has returned, which is phenomenal. But there are questions about the rest.
February 1, 2006... In the wake of Katrina, many observers worried that the blows suffered by the Gulf port infrastructure might prove lethal. Although the hurricane's ultimate impact on trade remained to be seen, early indications were pessimistic. A...

Shippers are adding private fleets to their transportation mix: interest in private fleet operation is growing, as capacity-starved shippers look to optimize supply chain operations.(technology application)
February 1, 2006... Private fleets are getting a lot more attention r these days and projected to grow at 10 percent over the next several years. As the trucking industry continues to struggle with capacity crunches and a lack of qualified drivers, shippers are...

Focusing on the big picture: what's the real deal with global supply chains? The expert business school faculty for World Trade webinars on Supply Chain Management describe underlying trends destined to impact your company.(global strategy)
February 1, 2006... Throughout 2006, World Trade will be hosting a series of webinars with supply chain experts from the country's leading business schools. You can find the schedule and register on our web site (http://supplychainwebinar.worldtrademag. corn)....

Expanding capacity while facing global pricing puts Cummins' supply chain to the test; collaboration with key supply chain partners is a priority in preserving competitive advantage.(DRIVING THE INTEGRATED GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN FROM THE TOP)(Interview)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... Ignacio Garcia was named Vice President, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Support, for Cummins, Inc., in 2004 after more than two decades with the $8.4 billion company (annual revenues) known for the manufacture of diesel and power...

Air cargo industry anxious to recover in 2006; shippers stand to gain as industry tackles high fuel costs and competition from other transportation modes.(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
February 1, 2006... It's fair to say that most in the air cargo industry are happy to see 2005 behind them. The year was marked with record high fuel increases, ramped up pressure from lawmakers to tighten security measures, ongoing industry consolidation, and...

Data warehouses integrate supply chains: software eliminates internal silos to create global trade view.(TECHNOLOGY)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... What is the one thing without which a world-class supply chain cannot exist? Accurate data. But that's easier said than deployed. From tracking goods until they arrive at a customer's door, to handling security and regulatory compliance...

The ABCs of financing China trade: understanding the rules of the game can mean the difference between profit and loss.(FINANCE)
February 1, 2006... Prior to China's admittance into the World Trade Organization (WTO) most Chinese manufacturers were required by law to export their goods through designated Export Trade Companies. The Export Trade Company had government license to export goods...

Lloyd's of London.(insurance services)
February 1, 2006... Edward Lloyd sold coffee. The company of fellow drinkers came free. As early as 1688, newspapers reported sailors, merchants, and ship owners meeting at Lloyd's Tower Street, London shop to await word from port. Those with a ship to insure...