World Trade articles from March 2009

World Trade archives from March 2009

Infrastructure renewal requires a national master plan.(INSIDE: WORLD TRADE)
March 1, 2009... The deteriorating state of U.S. transportation systems has been the 10,000-pound gorilla in the room for a long time. As an Inside the Beltway-type once told me, "You don't get elected by exciting voters about the infrastructure." There's...

How long-haul trucking drove America's neo-liberal market revolution.(POLICY: PERSPECTIVES)
March 1, 2009... Today's industrial infrastructure--the combination of factories, farms, roads, rail, and everything else that makes our economy move, not to mention the rules and regulations that govern it--is so vast and complex that it's hard to imagine it...

Government to fund Aviation biofuels R&D.(AIR)
March 1, 2009... The U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture have announced a plan to jointly release up to $25 million in funding for research and development (R&D) of biofuels, including aviation biofuels. The Air Transport Association of America...

LAX makes air Cargo Screening history.(AIR)
March 1, 2009... Los Angeles World Airports says that one of its tenants has secured certification from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to be the nation's first Independent Cargo Screening Facility (ICSF) under new TSA air cargo screening...

Clean truck fees underway at LA/LB.(OCEAN)
March 1, 2009... The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach implemented their $35 per TEU "clean truck" fee on February 18, which created some snags for considering that about 20 percent of the trucks had to be turned away for failing to show proper credentials....

CN, NS team up to improve service.(RAIL)
March 1, 2009... Two Class I railroads-Canadian National and Norfolk Southern-are collaborating to improve the transportation of consumer goods and coal between the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. The joint project, called the MidAmerica Corridor initiative,...

ATA asks Congress to support green initiatives.(TRUCKING)(American Trucking Associations)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has asked Congress to support the trucking industry's environmental initiatives, which will reduce fuel consumption by 86 billion gallons and reduce the carbon footprint of all vehicles by nearly a...

LTL winning back business from truckload.(TRUCKING)
March 1, 2009... According to a survey of less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers conducted by Longbow Research, LTL carriers are winning back market share from the truckload carriers. An analyst with the research firm said, "Driving this trend are lower...

Global scan: Europe's inland shipping makes a splash: investment pouring in as congestion mounts on roads, rail.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... Inland shipping companies throughout Europe are getting a boost from new investment as logistics players look for an alternative to congested road and rail links. Each year, inland shipping companies handle approximately 2 million shipping...

Americans would pay more for infrastructure: survey shows 68 percent would favor tax hike.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... A new survey shows that Americans realize that the nation's infrastructure is in bad shape and 68 percent would pay more taxes to help fund highway and bridge maintenance and new construction, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. ...

China, South Africa to bolster weak industries: logistics, auto, and textiles among those targeted.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... The Chinese government will add logistics to its industry support plan to help ports, warehouse operators and shipping firms. China had earlier said that its support program would cover just 10 industries. The assistance is aimed at helping...

Transportation services index (TSI).(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... Transportation Services Index (TSI) JANUARY 2008-DECEMBER 2008 January 111.5 February 111.5 March 109.4 April 109.4 May 111.4 June 111.5 July 112.9 August 110.8 September...

Japan to impose $107 million fine on cargo cartel: Nippon Express, rivals targeted.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... Japan's Fair Trade Commission has warned Nippon Express and its competitors in the logistics and distribution industry that it plans to impose a fine totaling about 10 billion yen ($107 million) for a price cartel on international air cargo...

Pakistan, Jordan agree to free trade pact: deal would strengthen economic and trade ties.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... Pakistan and Jordan have agreed to sign a free trade pact designed to deepen their existing economic and trade relations. A Pakistan delegation will visit Jordan in March to formally start negotiations on the agreement. In the...

New outsourcing hot spots: Belfast and Brisbane: credit crunch driving quest for alternatives.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... A new study by consultancy KPMG has identified an eclectic mix of 31 cities ranging from Australia and Ireland to areas in South America and Africa as the new hot spots for outsourcing. Belfast is one city on the list and was chosen for its...

Port Metro Vancouver taps Silvester.(Names & News)(Vancouver Fraser Port Authority appointed Robin Silvester )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Port Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, has tapped Robin Silvester as president and chief executive. He succeeds Gordon Houston, who is retiring as head of Canada's busiest ocean trade gateway on March 31. Silvester previously worked as...

NYKCool's Jansson retiring.(Names & News)
March 1, 2009... Mats Jansson, chief executive of NYKCool, will retire after 15 years in the post as of March 31. The carrier of refrigerated and temperature-sensitive ocean cargo said Boris Gersling will take over as CEO, effective April 1.

Battles named by Houston port authority.(Names & News)
March 1, 2009... The Houston Port Commission has named Wade M. Battles as the interim executive director of the Houston Port Authority. Battles will serve as port chief while the commission conducts a search for a permanent replacement for H. Thomas Kornegay,...

Daher new chairman for Port of Marseilles-Fos.(Names & News)
March 1, 2009... The Port of Marseilles-Fos has chosen Patrick Daher as its new chairman. Daher will lead the new 17-member supervisory board formed after the implementation of port reform legislation in 2008 requiring the transfer of cargo handling to the...

Mark your calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... SCOPE East Orlando, Florida Apr 1-3 www.scopeeast.com TIA Annual Convention & Trade Show San Antonio, Texas Apr 1-4 www.tianet.org WERC Annual Conference 2009 Atlanta, Georgia Apr...

EU to mull plans for Intelligent Transportation Systems: goal aims to improve trade flows, reduce traffic.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... The European Parliament's Transport Committee has heard plans for the European Union to set up so-called Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which would link travelers, vehicles, and road infrastructure through new communication technology....

France to slash business taxes: government hopes to stem bankruptcies.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... The French government will slash business taxes by eight billion euros (US$10 billion) next year in an attempt to stop firms from going bankrupt during the economic crisis, President Nicolas Sarkozy said. "We will get rid of local taxes on...

European automakers want to scrap South Korea FTA: exports will be crimped, they claim.(TRADE WINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
March 1, 2009... European automakers are calling for the EU to put the brakes on a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea, saying it won't let them increase exports during a sales slump at home, reports the International Herald Tribune. Specifically,...

China draws nearer: the world's 'factory' is fast moving up the value chain to directly compete in foreign markets.(Cover story)
March 1, 2009... On an average weekday afternoon, the showroom in Bangkok for Huawei, China's mobile telephone giant, seems less like a store and more like a subway at rush hour. Crowds of Thai teenagers in crisp-pressed school uniforms huddle over showcases of...

Box traffic blues: containerized freight is down across the board at West Coast ports, but a diversified cargo mix is helping to shore up business.(WEST COAST PORTS)
March 1, 2009... While there are some sporadic signs of life in the overall containerized freight market, by and large the volumes are down sharply from a year ago and the short- to medium-term outlook is dicey at best. Yet, ports along the West Coast are...

Forwarders make a difference to companies with Latin America on their mind: near sourcing is re-drawing the supply chain.(LOGISTICS)(Company overview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] American manufacturers and retailers have long associated Mexico and countries within Central America as challenged by inadequate infrastructures that contribute to costly and limited truck, rail and water...

A common sense approach to transportation fleet management: to make the right fleet decisions, 'look at the business value of everything you do.'.(SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE ENTERPRISE)(Company overview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Own your own assets? Out-source? Lease a dedicated fleet? Truth is, when it comes to running land transportation, getting goods from Point A to Point B is just the starting point. In a very tough business climate,...

The future of the physical supply chain and collaboration: 'external' concerns like less C[O.sub.2] emission and energy consumption will impact future bottom lines--and require new models to achieve.(STRATEGY)(Reprint)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new report, "Succeeding in a Volatile Market: The Future Value Chain," published by the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI), Capgemini, HP and SAP AG, brings together insights and analysis of 130 of the industry's...

Has last (mile) been least for too long? Customer service functions such as last-mile delivery count for more than you might think.(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2009... Each spring some of the world's fastest drivers compete for one of the most coveted spots in sports: the starting pole position at the Indianapolis 500. Since pole position is awarded to the driver with the fastest qualifying time, it...

Mass producing modernity.(Great Moments IN WORLD TRADE)
March 1, 2009... In 1903, the Ford Motor Company introduced its first car, the Model A, of which approximately two were made a day, each by a team of three men, working with other company's components. By 1906, the company was onto Model N and Ford was the...