World Trade articles from May 2008

World Trade archives from May 2008

A second tier transportation system.(INSIDE WORLD TRADE)
May 1, 2008... The National Transportation Policy Commission--created by Congress in 2005 to draft a comprehensive approach to American surface transport--released its report in January. To remarkably little public notice. Surprised? If the Commission's...

Is U.S. trade policy helping or hurting U.S. manufacturers?(POLICY PERSPECTIVES)
May 1, 2008... Be careful what you wish for--you may get it. These words certainly apply to trade policy. U.S. policy is generally "open trade with exceptions." Do we have it right for U.S. manufacturers? The "open trade" part of U.S. policy means that...

TSA outlines air cargo screening rules.(AIR)
May 1, 2008... Although it's been over a year since the 9/11 Commission has called for changes in the way cargo is screened before being carried on passenger aircraft, air carriers have not received any specifics from the U.S. Transportation Security...

Ports of LA/LB to subsidize cleaner fuel for ships.(OCEAN)
May 1, 2008... The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have approved a plan to subsidize low-sulfur fuel for vessels traveling close to the two ports or while docked. The program aims to improve air quality by reducing toxic ship emissions. Cargo ships...

UP expects to handle more hybrids, ethanol shipments in 2008.(RAIL)
May 1, 2008... Union Pacific Railroad says it expects to transport an increased number of hybrid vehicles and ethanol this year as consumers gravitate towards more fuel-efficient vehicles. Last year, Union Pacific transported approximately six million...

Dallas implements truck anti-idling law.(TRUCKING)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The City of Dallas has implemented a new anti-idling law for trucks, effective April 1. Penalties of up to $500 will be given to truckers who violate the five-minute idling limit, which will be enforced during the peak ozone period of April 1...

Truckers protest high fuel prices.(TRUCKING)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... A protest by independent truckers that started on April 1 had a sporadic but significant turnout that lasted for several days at various cities across the nation. The first day of the protest was most noticeable on the New Jersey Turnpike,...

ProLogis to build huge DC for Sears in Central California.(WAREHOUSING)
May 1, 2008... Industrial real estate developer ProLogis is building a 780,000 square-foot distribution center for Sears in Stockton, California--the fourth-largest DC in the state's San Joaquin County. The structure is being built on a 47-acre site and...

Manufacturing combined with market opportunities are key.(BOOZ ALLEN STUDY IDENTIFIES BEST CHINA STRATEGY)
May 1, 2008... The era of China as a low-cost, manufacturing-for-export market has come to an end. Companies that integrate China into their global supply chains as a source of competitive advantage are far more successful than companies that pursue narrower...

Marco Polo program part of that effort.(EU COMMITS FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Marco Polo is the European Union's funding program for projects that aim to shift freight transportation off of the roadways and onto sea, rail, and inland waterways. The goal is fewer trucks on the road, which equates to less congestion, less...

Transportation Services Index (TSI).(TRADEWINDS: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
May 1, 2008... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) was unchanged in February from January's level of 111.5 (2000=100), which marked a 2.4 percent increase over December, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's...

K + N taps Levin.(Names & News)
May 1, 2008... John Levin has been appointed president and chief executive of the Canadian Kuehne & Nagel company, headquartered in Toronto. He succeeds Ferdinand Kurt, who recently took over responsibility for Kuehne & Nagel's South America organization....

Kirchner promoted by UPS.(Names & News)
May 1, 2008... UPS has chosen three senior managers for new positions. Eric W. Kirchner will become the president of freight forwarding, and will direct transportation and commercial air and ocean carrier relationships as well as trade lane development and...

Pilholski appointed by American Commercial Lines.(Names & News)
May 1, 2008... American Commercial Lines has announced the appointment of Thomas R. Pilholski to senior vice president and chief financial officer. Pilholski will report to president and chief executive Michael P. Ryan.

Asia-Europe trade is primary driver.(DP WORLD POSTS IMPRESSIVE GROWTH)(Dubai Ports World)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... DP World recently announced results from its portfolio of 42 marine terminals for the calendar year 2007--one that included significant growth for the company The company's chairman, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, noted, "This is an excellent...

Lack of proper training, education also cited.(SKILLS SHORTAGE IN AUSTRALIA'S LOGISTICS WORKFORCE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... A new study by the Australia-based Transport and Logistics Skills Council shows that the current skills shortage in the country's logistics industry is worse than previously thought and may get even tougher. For starters, the study reveals...

Mark your calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2008... TMCA Annual Conference & Expo Ponte Vedra, Florida June 1-3 www.tmcatoday.org Strategic Issues in Supply Chain Management Chicago, Illinois June 2-3 http://cscmp.org 10th North American Technology Forum Chicago, Illinois June 3-4...

Stonyfield Farm: an environmentally friendly supply chain leads the way to business success.(Manufacturer of the Year: FOR GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN EXCELLENCE)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The thing to know about Gary Hirshberg, the Chairman/President of Stonyfield Farm, is not that his ryderorganic yogurt company has grown from a local New Hampshire home-spun operation into a fast-growing $300 million...

Michaels: how a 400 store arts-and-craft chain transformed its supply chain into a competitive asset.(Retailer of the Year: FOR GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN EXCELLENCE)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A dozen years ago, Michaels had 400 stores selling arts, crafts, framing and related items. Such was then the state of purchasing and inventory management that Michaels did not know with any certainty which of its...

Lam Research: consolidating the supply chain to gain an edge in the competitive chip sector.(MANUFACTURER OF HONOR)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... When, half a dozen years ago, Lam Research Corporation began outsourcing, it realized there was a core competency the company lacked. The Fremont, California-based enterprise is a major maker of wafer fabrication equipment, used by the...

Rite Aid Corporation: networking worldwide suppliers and buyers on a single platform.(RETAILER OF HONOR)
May 1, 2008... Today's retail chain store, says Wilson Lester, is "largely dependent for its success on the agility and nimbleness of its supply chain." Lester is senior vice president, supply chain, at Rite Aid Corporation, which, with over 5,000 stores...

Hitachi: re-engineering processes and culture to achieve supply chain visibility.(MANUFACTURER OF HONOR)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... Tokyo-based Hitachi Ltd. (www.hitachi.com) is a leading global electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide and consolidated revenues totaling $86.8 billion for fiscal year 2006. The company offers a wide range of systems,...

Exploiting the global supply chain: what changes when your sourcing and markets go international? Everything!(SUPPLY CHAIN)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The difference between an international and purely domestic supply chain strategy? "Everything!" So says Greg Lehmkuhl vice president, global automotive, for Menlo Worldwide Logistics, one of five veteran...

Software-as-a-service model: supply chain management takes a threshold leap forward with full up-stream integration.(TECHNOLOGY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When long-time automaker Renault, in alliance with Nissan, wanted to develop a low-cost car called the "Logan," managers knew they would be sourcing for materials and parts worldwide, handling early assembly in...

Eastern Europe capitalizes on growing EU membership: Romania, Poland, and Slovakia share newfound optimism, untapped market potential, and a wealth of opportunity for U.S. exporters.(LOW COST SOURCING)(European Union)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If there's one question that Cynthia Biggs, Commercial Attache for the U.S. Commercial Service in Bucharest, Romania, gets more often than not, it's 'Why Romania?' Last month's NATO meeting in Romania, the...

Redux or re-regulation: the rail industry is at the proverbial crossroads--will it regain its glory or fall victim to government intervention?(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
May 1, 2008... A few years ago, the nation's major rail carriers were enjoying record earnings and freight volumes. Their customers were generally pleased with the service and rates, shareholders were also mostly content, and billions of dollars were being...

Serec: www.serec.com.(WEB FINDERS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some of the many services we offer include: EDI order processing, pick and pack, labeling, pricing, and ticketing; Light assembly, Kitting, and promo packs; E-Fullillment-consumer direct; Inventory visibility; custom...

Benchmark Trade Solutions: www.benchmarktradesolutions.com.(WEB FINDERS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At Benchmark Trade Solutions we are your Canadian connection! We offer cross border and domestic Canadian transportation. Our cross border, direct LTL system can save you time, money and aggravation. Our transit...

Freightgate[R]: www.freightgate.com.(WEB FINDERS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Freightgate continually evolves to provide its customers with competitive advantage along the entire Logistics Management Lifecycle--Procure, Optimize, Execute, Comply, Monitor & Control, Audit & Pay and Orchestrate....

Anti-trust goes global.(Great Moments: IN WORLD TRADE)
May 1, 2008... On July 3, 2001, Europe declared anti-trust independence. By a vote of 20 to 0, the European Commission denied General Electric's proposed $42 billion acquisition of Honeywell. For the first time, a merger between two American companies had...