World Trade articles from September 2006

World Trade archives from September 2006

A set-back for free trade.(INSIDE WORLD TRADE)
September 1, 2006... Whither world trade? The answer might seem like a 'no brainer' right now as volumes of international de continue to set records. Maybe. But, warning flags are being raised. After four years of negotiation, the Doha Round of WTO trade talks...

Anti-globalism revisited.(POLICY PERSPECTIVES)(Confessions of an economic Hit Man)(Critical essay)
September 1, 2006... A book that has gained word-of-mouth best seller status is "Confessions of an economic Hit Man," based on author John Perkins' premise that international development lending exists to sustain a concerted effort by big corporations,...

Cargo volume at San Antonio on track to break record.( economy coupled with changing demands in the global supply chain )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A strong economy coupled with changing demands in the global supply chain is likely to push air cargo volumes at San Antonio International Airport to a record high this year, say airport officials. Although air cargo traffic hit a...

Proposed bill aims to spur investment.(RAIL)(Trent Lott )(Kent Conrad )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... U.S. Senators Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) have introduced a bill entitled the "Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act" to help drive private investment in the nation's rail network. The incentive is a 25...

Intermodal volume up sharply.(RAIL)(Intermodal Association of North America )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Intermodal Association of North America reports that intermodal volume during the second quarter has out-paced last year's peak season levels. A total of 3.58 million loads were moved during the second quarter compared to 3.56 million loads...

Customs expands e-manifest along U.S. Northern Border.(Automated Commercial Environment)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... U.S. Customs and Border Protection's electronic truck manifest filing system has been expanded along the U.S. northern border with the addition of two more bridge crossings in Buffalo, New York. The e-manifest system is part of the larger...

Drought hampers barge traffic on Missouri River.(OCEAN)(water levels in River)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... For the fourth consecutive year, the barge navigation season on the Missouri River will be shortened because of drought and below-average water levels. This year, barge operators will lose 44 days, compared to a record 48 days last year,...

New niche port for Virginia.(Marine Terminal will be part of the second-busiest port )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A new niche port in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia has opened to serve break-bulk, heavy-lift and unusual cargoes. The 20-acre Peck Marine Terminal will be part of the second-busiest port on the U.S. East Coast. Located in Chesapeake,...

IT spending up sharply in 2006.(investments across their organization to expand its business)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... According to AMR Research, companies plan to increase investments across their organization in order to expand and transform the business in the coming months, with IT spending in particular expected to increase by 19.5 percent this year. ...

Transportation Services Index (TSI).(Tradewinds: THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE)(Statistics report)(Chart)
September 1, 2006... Transportation Services Index (TSI) JULY 2005-JUNE 2006 July 111.6 Aug. 111.5 Sept. 111.5 Oct. 110.9 Nov. 112.2 Dec. 111.3 Jan 111.1 Feb. 110.2 Mar. 111.1 Apr. 111.3 May 112.3 June 111.9 ...

Target date set for January 1.(negotiations with two other candidate countries)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Bulgaria's chances of joining the EU on January 1 are somewhat improved, according to an EU official who recently praised the country's progress on various reforms. EU justice and home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini said recently, "I...

Research to get more funding.(EU GIVES BOOST TO RFID)(Radio frequency identification equipment)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... RFID research is in need of more funding in order for the technology to realize its potential, and a recent decision by the EU to $7 million towards that effort is being praised by industry experts, who say the U.S. and other countries need to...

Region poised for strong growth.(EXPRESS FIRMS EYEING MIDDLE EAST)(logistics companies can expect plenty of growth in the Middle East )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Express and logistics companies can expect plenty of growth in the Middle East despite regional conflicts, notes research firm Transport Intelligence. The main economic powerhouses are located in the Gulf region, where the logistics...

Longer supply chain and port congestion are factors.(CHINA'S HIDDEN LOGISTICS COSTS)
September 1, 2006... In the rush to outsource manufacturing to China, many companies are unaware of hidden costs, notes Boston Consulting Group. Moving manufacturing to China means the supply chain is longer, therefore increasing the time it takes to get...

$100 million earmarked for port expansion.(substantial investment in Argentina)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Dubai-based terminal operator DP World is preparing to expand its presence in Latin America with a substantial investment in Argentina. The company considers the region one of the world's key emerging markets. DP World will put $100...

Humes named President of NLM and Artisan Associates.(Names & News)
September 1, 2006... Gregory Humes has been named president of National Logistics Management (NLM) and Artisan Associates. He joins the organizations from Vector SCM, where he was president and CEO.

KCS taps Prince for sales and marketing.(Names & News)
September 1, 2006... Railway operator Kansas City Southern has tapped Theodore Prince as vice president of sales and marketing for its intermodal and international business unit. In this position, Prince will oversee development of intermodal business in the...

Kang new CEO of SkyTeam Cargo's U.S. Cargo Sales joint venture.(Chang-Hoon (Colin) Kang has been named the new Cheif Executive officer)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Chang-Hoon (Colin) Kang has been named the new CEO of the U.S. Cargo Sales Joint Venture, the U.S. cargo sales and marketing organization of Sky-Team Cargo. The alliance of Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air said Kang succeeds J.D....

By the numbers.(Take to Clear Imports)(Table)
September 1, 2006... BY THE Numbers How Many Days Does it Take to Clear Imports TIME FOR REGION/ECONOMY IMPORT (DAYS) OECD (30 countries) 14 East Asia & Pacific 28.6 Latin America & Caribbean 37...

Letters to the editor.(Tradewinds)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Dear Mr. Shister, Nicely done [The Trade-Offs in Trade Security, Inside World Trade column, August issue]. You're absolutely on target! As a small start-up in the container security business we know first hand the importance of money and...

Supply chain visibility is transforming trade finance: new instruments and new institutions to underwrite global transactions.(TRADE FINANCE GOES CREATIVE)(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." As it turns out, Newton's law applies not only to the world of physics but also to today's global supply chains. For instance, a manufacturing company begins sourcing goods from an...

A portfolio of innovative deals.(TRADE FINANCE GOES CREATIVE)(United States' Export Credit Agency )(Citigroup Inc.)(KeyBank Corp.)(Company overview)
September 1, 2006... Export-Import Bank of the United States As the United States' Export Credit Agency (ECA), Ex-Im is governed not only by its own rules but also those of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (30 economically developed...

The reader-to-reader report: finance: use of trade finance is increasing with open accounts more common and banks facilitating global supply chains.
September 1, 2006... Few aspects of the global supply chain are as critical as trade finance--and few are undergoing as big a transformation. Traditional practices are giving way to new products as more companies--both big and small, public and private--respond to...

What supply chain execs are buying, where they're skimping: while dollars are pouring into technology, lack of spending on other critical products and services is troubling.
September 1, 2006... When we began talking with supply chain executives a few months ago about what products and services they were investing in this year, the prevailing answer was software and technology--Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Risk...

Dell takes on India: can the ultimate 'just-in-time' supply chain work on a subcontinent with bad infrastructure and limited distribution channels?
September 1, 2006... Someday a business historian will compile the seven wonders of the modern economy, and at the top of that list will most likely sit Dell's Morton L. Topfer Manufacturing Center. Located on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, the 300,000 square-foot...

International trade is less secure than you think: overlapping programs abound, but experts fear there's no coordination behind them.(Security)
September 1, 2006... It is only a matter of time before terrorists breach the superficial security measures in place to protect ports, ships and the millions of intermodal containers that link global producers to consumers, warns Stephen Flynn, Ph.D., retired...

Fluor's strategic supply chain partners span continents and industries: global construction giant shifts to fewer vendors and centralized sourcing across business groups.(DRIVING THE INTEGRATED GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN FROM THE TOP)(Fluor Corporation- James A. Scotti )(Interview)
September 1, 2006... James A. Scotti is vice president and chief procurement officer for Fluor Corporation, the $13 billion Houston, Texas-based international design, engineering and construction firm. As such, Scotti is responsible for $4 billion in annual...

The Adam Smith of supply chain management.(Great Moment: IN WORLD TRADE)(Arch Wilkinson Shaw)
September 1, 2006... In January of 1915, Harvard University Press first published a 119-page business book covered in modest maroon cloth. Its thirty-eight-year-old author, Arch Wilkinson Shaw, was a former office supply company owner and ardent student of...