World Trade articles from November 2004

World Trade archives from November 2004

Choppy water or a perfect storm?(Inside World Trade)
November 1, 2004... The early warning signs of a potentially troublesome situation crop up in this issue and I'm not sure whether we're looking at a temporary glitch or the early fissures of a major fault line. Two of our best writers, Andrea MacDonald reporting...

Lifelong worker education is the right response to globalization.(Policy Perspectives)
November 1, 2004... We are witnessing one of the greatest periods of transformation in history. The convergence of powerful technological, political, economic and cultural forces are shaping the 21st century. For many manufacturers and workers, adapting to this...

Transportation Services Index (TSI).(Tradewinds: the latest trends in the world of trade)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 0.2 percent in June, the second consecutive monthly decline from the all-time high recorded in April, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported. A revision...

U.S. Customs to begin testing of automated truck manifest system.(The Americas)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Testing of the automated truck manifest system will begin in November, starting with two northern border crossings, according to the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection agency. Truck carriers participating in the test phase will be...

Ports of LA-LB to implement extended gate hours.(The Americas)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... PierPass, a new program designed to encourage the use of extended gate hours at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, will begin on November 1. Under the program, importers and exporters will pay a fee of $20 per TEU if it moves through...

EU, Mercosur hope to seal trade deal by October 31.(Europe)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Officials from the EU and Mercosur trade bloc came hack to the bargaining table in September to resume free trade talks that had undergone a series of starts and stops. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said that the two sides hope to have...

Talks between EU and Singapore would forge closer economic cooperation.(Europe)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said negotiations between Singapore and the European Union on an economic cooperation agreement may start within weeks. The pact would fall short of a free-trade agreement--something Singapore has...

EU's customs laws not compliant with WTO, charges U.S.(Europe)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. Trade Representative announced in late September that the U.S. would file a complaint with the WTO against the European Union's customs laws and regulations. According to the USTR, many important aspects of customs administration in...

China to continue pegging yuan to U.S. dollar.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Bush administration in September rejected a petition by a coalition of U.S. business and labor groups to file a formal complaint with the WTO accusing China of manipulating its currency to gain an unfair advantage in international trade....

Malaysia unveils program to streamline customs clearances.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A select group of shippers in Malaysia have been chosen to participate in the country's new Customs Golden Client program, which is designed to expedite cargo flows with a streamlined documentation process. The aim is to improve the...

Hong Kong, China sign aviation pact.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Hong Kong and China announced recently that they will increase the number of passenger and cargo flights between the two countries, although Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways will have to wait longer than it hoped to fly the coveted route to...

E-signatures gain approval in China.(Asia-Pacific)
November 1, 2004... China's Legislature has passed a law that gives electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten signatures. Officials say this is intended to accelerate the move toward electronic trade, especially in logistics, but acknowledge...

Bahrain, U.S. sign free trade agreement.(Middle East & Africa)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Trade officials from Bahrain and the U.S. put their signatures on the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement in mid-September. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly $900 million last year. Under the agreement, 100 percent...

Privatization picking up in the Middle East.(Middle East & Africa)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Privatization and the role it plays in lifting economies is increasingly being recognized by countries in the Middle East and North Africa, notes the Economist Intelligence Unit. "For the wealthy oil exporters, privatization offers a means...

Turkey, Iraq seek to improve trade ties.(Middle East & Africa)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Turkey and Iraq have agreed to explore ways to improve economic and trade ties, especially in the energy sector. A Turkish government official said recently that security problems in Iraq have made it impossible to operate the...

How big retail is transforming ground transportation: the good news and bad news for truckers is that Quick Response Stocking is testing their limits.
November 1, 2004... Big Box retailers--the Wal-Marts, Targets, Best Buys and Home Depots--are changing the face of retail both in the stores and on the highways. Customers now take it for granted that they'll have a wide and rapidly evolving variety of products...

Supply chains face peril as rail freight capacity nears limits: if infrastructure can't grow, what's the answer? Public-private partnerships and imagination.
November 1, 2004... This autumn's renewed economy and continuing surge of Asian imports is pushing the nation's rail system to the edge of capacity and in some cases, even beyond. Freight volumes are hitting new highs throughout the country as the traditional 4th...

How pharma is tightening its supply chain to avoid counterfeiting: part of the solution is RFID, part is stricter controls over secondary wholesalers.
November 1, 2004... If your latest DVD turns out to he counterfeit, you'll probably shrug it off. When it's the family's medicines that are fake, however, the issue takes on urgency--for you, the pharmaceutical company, and the supply chain that delivered the...

Prologue.(A Special Advertising Section)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... On behalf of AIT Worldwide Logistics, I would like to take this opportunity to properly introduce you to our company and share what makes us so unique in the freight forwarding community. It goes without saying that freight forwarders like...

AIT Worldwide Logistics: celebrating 25 years.(A Special Advertising Section)
November 1, 2004... Turning Twenty-Five Steven Leturno and Daniel Lisowski became friends while working together at an airfreight company over thirty years ago. They liked the industry, but neither was fond of the way it operated. The two wanted a chance to...

Seven mega-trends shaping modern logistics: what a shipper needs to know about the state of 3PLs to build a global supply chain.(Transportation & Logistics)(third-party logistics )
November 1, 2004... It's a good time to be a third-party logistics company. The mood of the sector has improved considerably since this time last year. First and foremost, growth is back--the 3PL market is up 6 percent, to an estimated $80 billion. The...

Gulfstream relies on international supply chains to deliver world class aircraft: state-of-the-art logistics sustains state-of-the-art technology.(Industry focus: aerospace)
November 1, 2004... Gulfstream Aerospace is legendary for manufacturing the world's most technologically advanced business jet aircraft. A two-time recipient of the most prestigious award given by the National Aeronautic Association, Gulfstream is known for safe,...

The new FTA with Australia makes a good thing even better: a Western-styled economy makes Australia a natural base for U.S. firms' Asian operations.(Geographical Focus)
November 1, 2004... It's rare when decisions involving global supply chains are made without considerable analysis and number crunching, and for good reason. Like a finely tuned machine, any single change will affect the entire operation, whether it involves where...

Export finance companies are now filling a gap: as choices multiply for U.S. companies, so do opportunities.(Finance)
November 1, 2004... Sometimes U.S. exporters get lucky. When a flurry of bank consolidations a few years back led to the exit of many large lenders from equipment trade finance, or at least from smaller transactions and smaller firms, a new roster of lenders...

Standards for intelligent transportation system will speed up supply chains: federal mandate lays foundation for NAFTA-wide wireless two-way roadway communication system.(Technology)(Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments)
November 1, 2004... Sne of the biggest hopes for moving goods quickly and cost effectively around the world, while beefing up security, rests with a little known standard named WAVE and an equally little known Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision of...

A.N. Deringer Inc.--www.anderinger.com.(Corporate Profiles)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
November 1, 2004... Founded in 1919, Deringer has grown to become one of the leading providers of international logistics services. With over 30 offices coast to coast in the U.S. and a global agency network we provide supply chain solutions for companies moving...

Euler Hermes ACI: www.eulerhermes.com/usa.(Corporate Profiles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Euler Hermes ACI is North America's oldest and largest provider of accounts receivable insurance. Euler Hermes ACI offers both domestic and global credit insurance policies, which insure clients against commercial and political risk in more...

Export-Import Bank of the United States--www.exim.gov.(Corporate Profiles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-lm 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...

Printronix: www.printronix.com.(Corporate Profiles)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
November 1, 2004... Established nearly 30 years ago, Printronix is a leading provider of industrial and back-office enterprise printing solutions for customers the world over. The long-term market leader in line matrix printers, Printronix has earned an...

Institute of Logistical Management: www.logistics-edu.com.(Corporate Profiles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Since 1923, The Institute of Logistical Management (ILM) has provided specialized education and training worldwide to over 84,000 graduates for the transportation and logistics industry. ILM integrates all areas of transportation, logistics and...

The king of spices.(Great Moments In World Trade)
November 1, 2004... In 1793, as President George Washington delivered his second inaugural address, Captain Jonathan Carnes docked in Sumatra, 24,000 miles from his home port in Salem, Massachusetts and prepared to transform America's world trade. He had heard...