World Trade articles from November 2005

World Trade archives from November 2005

Singapore 101.(INSIDE WORLD TRADE)(economic development)(supply chain management, infrastructure)(Column)
November 1, 2005... World trading occurs at multiple levels in three-dimensional space. It goes on within individual enterprises at a micro level, and amongst multiple enterprises within global supply chains (experts now believe the true scope of competition is...

Are global supply chains more fragile than we think?(POLICY PERSPECTIVES)
November 1, 2005... Every so often, anyone who runs a cross-border business catches a glimpse of dangers unimagined by the average American. Foremost among these is the challenge of keeping a global supply chain up and running in the wake of significant social...

End-to-end visibility for shipping containers.(International Business Machines Corp. and Maersk Logistics jointly introducing Intelligent Trade Lane )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... IBM and Maersk Logistics, of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group are preparing the launch of their jointly developed initiative, called Intelligent Trade Lane, which brings real-time, enhanced visibility to global supply chain operations by improving...

Transportation Services Index (TSI).(Trade winds: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)
November 1, 2005... Transportation Services Index (TSI) OCTOBER 2004-JUNE 2005 October 109.4 November 110.3 December 109.9 January 111.6 February 110.0 March 111.6 April ...

Attracting U.S.-bound freight is part of the goal.(MEXICO, BRAZIL BUILD PORT CAPACITY)(Manzanillo port signed trade agreement with Shanghai)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A work stoppage at the port complex of Los Angeles-Long Beach in 2002 put Manzanillo, Mexico on the map for a number of shippers who were able to divert their cargo through the port. Since then, some shippers have stayed, which has put the port...

Free trade agreements get the credit.(AMERICAN EXPORTS RISING)
November 1, 2005... Free trade agreements (FTAs) are helping boost exports of American-made goods, says the National Association of Manufacturers. Although the total trade deficit in manufactured goods grew 12 percent in the first seven months of the year, the...

Industrial demand puts added strain on electricity supply.(CHINA ENERGY CRUNCH)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... In China, three quarters of the electricity consumption comes from industrial demand. Power deficiency was the major issue in the electricity market in 2004 and it hasn't gone away this year. While companies from around the world have rushed...

But other countries offer competitive advantages too.(INDIA REMAINS TOPS FOR IT OUTSOURCING)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A recent study by the Gartner Group shows that India is the world's leading destination for global outsourcing of IT services. Although China is also a close competitor, thanks to strong governmental support, India is expected to hold onto its...

New West Coast DCs for UPS.(Names & News)
November 1, 2005... UPS has announced the opening of a 765,000-square-foot distribution center and the beginning of construction on a second DC, scheduled to open during the second quarter of next year, at a new West Coast campus in Mira Loma, California. The...

Emirates increases China presence.(Emirates Sky Cargo)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Emirates SkyCargo is expanding its capacity in Shanghai by 50 percent with more flights and larger aircraft--a Boeing 747-400 freighter. The 747-400 freighter has capacity of 120 metric tons, 15 more tons than the 747-200 freighter it is...

UTi Worldwide acquires Concentrek.(Names & News)
November 1, 2005... Logistics provider UTi Worldwide Inc. has acquired Concentrek, a provider of advanced transportation management and supply chain software. Concentrek employs approximately 80 at its headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan and at customer...

Yellow Transportation launches expedited air service.(Names & News)(Expedited Direct)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Yellow Transportation, a subsidiary of global transportation leader Yellow Roadway Corporation, has announced the launch of Expedited Direct, an expedited door-to-door air service that will provide customers with greater control over their air...

Moorman takes over as CEO for Norfolk Southern.(Names & News)
November 1, 2005... Norfolk Southern has named Charles W. (Wick) Moorman to succeed David R. Goode as chief executive, effective November 1. Moorman, who has served as president since October 2004, will continue in that position. Goode will continue as chairman...

DHL to double capacity at Hong Kong hub.(expanding its facility called the DHL Central Asia SuperHub)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... DHL said it's investing $110 million to double the capacity of its Asian center in Hong Kong to meet growing demand in the region. The company, a unit of Deutsche Post World Net, expects its expanded sorting facility at Hong Kong...

Schneider Logistics opens China office.(Names & News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Schneider Logistics, Inc. has opened its first office in China. The new Shanghai office will initially provide general consulting services. "As China's regulatory environment continues to evolve and the volume of global and domestic trade...

How America's freight railroads provide fuel savings.(BY THE Numbers)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... How America's Freight Railroads Provide Fuel Savings Shifting 25% of projected truck traffic to rail by 2025 would result in the following savings in time, communting costs, fuel consumption and pollution emissions: ...

Sector battling high energy costs and poverty.(AFRICA'S AVIATION CRISIS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Africa's aviation industry has been hard hit by rising fuel costs, just like airlines in other parts of the world. However, one of the biggest challenges unique to the continent's air carriers is the very low purchasing power of Africans. ...

Truckers adapt to keep down transport prices.(RISING FUEL COSTS IN EUROPE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Europe has amongst the highest transport and labor costs in the world, which is partly why truckers there are trying to find ways to adapt to rising fuel costs without necessarily raising prices to customers. Some of the solutions include...

U.S. business remains mixed over policy.(REVALUING CHINA'S CURRENCY)
November 1, 2005... After considerable pressure from the U.S., the Chinese government abandoned its longtime peg to the dollar this summer and bumped up the yuan's value. But since then, the currency has been largely stagnant, which has drummed up calls from many...

Domestic trucking goes worldwide: shippers demand premium offerings and visibility from LTLs as supply chains go global.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... Globalization is a fact of life as businesses increasingly extend their operations and source products offshore to drive down production costs, and with offshore sourcing has come a convergence of global and domestic transportation, meaning...

European DCs on the move: shippers must reappraise supply chain strategy as the market center of gravity shifts eastward.
November 1, 2005... Traditionalists may still be taken aback by references to the 'new' Europe, but the center of gravity, of the continent is shifting eastward. In 2004, the European Union afforded membership to ten additional countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic,...

The next stage in integrating trade finance with the global supply chain: the acquisition of Vastera by JPMorgan Chase is a leading indicator that convergence is finally happening.
November 1, 2005... Everywhere along the supply chain, wherever there is a physical activity occurring, a financial activity is taking place. As export or import documentation is created, letters of credit or other financial vehicles are also being generated and...

Good management trumps good luck when it comes to security: protecting your supply chain in a post-9/11 world requires proactive preparation.
November 1, 2005... My business is helping companies compete in world trade and I have been engaged in this activity since 1971. While my practice has witnessed change over the past thirty years in how global sales, customer service and supply chains operate,...

Protecting money.
November 1, 2005... The volume of banknotes in circulation is rapidly growing worldwide despite the recent advance of Internet banking, cyber money and credit cards. While counterfeiting is growing, it seams to be more manageable than computer crime. It is easier...

Raytheon goes from traditional purchasing to an integrated supply chain: with a new strategy at the Department of Defense, old supply chain paradigms no longer work for defense contractors.(DRIVING THE INTEGRATED GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN FROM THE TOP)(Interview)
November 1, 2005... The Raytheon Company is a major defense contractor; its major customer is the Department of Defense. In this interview, Zack Noshirwoni, vice president, integrated supply chain for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems [IDS], talks about the...

Intermodal rail's resurrection: the dramatic turnaround in the rail sector is getting shippers' supply chains back on track amidst growing volumes.(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
November 1, 2005... Remind any shipper who was affected by last year's intermodal meltdown during peak season and you'll likely elicit a long groan. It's not a pleasant topic that most want to revisit, but by contrast, this year has been a smashing success....

Specialized logistics for a longer perishable supply chain: "we're in a global economy. If flavor can be captured and transported economically, it will.".(INDUSTRY FOCUS: PERISHABLES)
November 1, 2005... Omaha Steaks is already in a hurry. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the fifth-generation family-owned business is the nation's largest small parcel direct shipper of gourmet foods. Its 400-item product line rings up $380 million in annual...

Optimizing the labor supply chain: managing labor is just as cost effective as managing inventory.(TECHNOLOGY)
November 1, 2005... Recent studies show that a clear and direct relationship exists between an organization's financial success and the depth and sophistication of its supply chain. Savvy companies are therefore constantly looking for additional opportunities to...

Two opposing trade tales: Canada is the U.S.' largest trade partner, but a nagging dispute over lumber is beginning to splinter the relationship.(GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS)
November 1, 2005... "You want gas, you want oil, and you don't want wood. It's too bad, but if you have free trade, you have free trade," said former Canadian Prime Minister to U.S. President George W. Bush. And that pretty much sums up the prevailing feelings on...

Thinking inside the box.(rigid polystyrene foam)
November 1, 2005... It was the early 1940s. World War II made short supply of crucial natural resources and a young chemist named Ray McIntire made a mistake. Trying to create a flexible electric insulator without rubber, the Dow Chemical Company researcher...