Articles

Global Logistics

Why the Rise of the 4PL Is Good News for Your Business

On-demand delivery, trade uncertainties, siloed information…for today’s supply chain managers, the list of concerns is long. Current industry and geopolitical trends are complicating matters further. Companies are juggling more products and suppliers, leaving supply chains increasingly vulnerable to disruption. In the grocery industry alone, the average number of SKUs skyrocketed from 9,000 in the 1970s […]

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Water Works

Unmanned surface and underwater vessels will dominate maritime activity in the United Kingdom and across Europe over the next decade, according to a new report on the future of autonomous maritime systems. Networks of autonomous surface and underwater vessels are set to radically change the nature of maritime operations, according to the follow-up to Global […]

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U.S.-Cuba Trade: The Intersection of Sanctions, Sourcing, and Compliance

With the changing diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba, and expectations for the new administration to redraw U.S. policy toward Cuba, many involved in international trade are unclear of the sanctions status of trade with the island nation. The country is still embargoed and, at a practical level, for most all products, normalized […]

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E-commerce Retailers Target Germany

Germany is the most important European future market for U.S. brands expanding their e-commerce business (see chart), according to Internationalizing Your Brand in 2017, a study of e-commerce retail decision makers commissioned by Arvato and conducted by the Worldwide Business Research Digital agency. Companies that focus consistently on omnichannel and offering convenient, flexible, and reliable […]

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Fashion Supply Chain: What to Where

While most fashion and apparel executives are optimistic about the 5-year outlook for the industry, the percentage fell from 92.3 percent in 2016 to 71 percent in 2017, a record low for the United States Fashion Industry Association’s annual Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study, which surveyed executives from leading fashion and apparel brands, retailers, importers, and […]

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Supply Chain Commentary: The Future of Blockchain in Ocean Shipping

The potential for blockchain goes hand in hand with digitization. Blockchain will require digitization and can also help drive it with the goal of minimizing the manual processes that many shipping industry participants still use today. Blockchain’s added value to digitization is authentication, non-repudiation, immutability of data, improved business process support through smart contracts, and […]

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Does Multimodal Logistics Have a Future in Europe?

When it comes to multimodal logistics moving freight by combining two or more transport modes Europe still lags the more advanced U.S. market, but has made steady progress, according to Colliers International’s latest industrial research for the EMEA. The future drivers of multimodal traffic in European corridors include: Mega projects. Infrastructure is vital to enhancing […]

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Is Ransomware Holding Global Trade Hostage? Here’s How to Safeguard Your Supply Chain

In June 2017, another major cyberattack targeted several large multinational corporations. The malware Petya (or NotPetya or Nyetya) was able to breach dozens of Russian and Ukrainian companies, including Russian oil and gas giant Rosneft, as well as leading global businesses across multiple industries. This time, two giants in the logistics industry, Maersk and FedEx, […]

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Chris Makowski and Nisa Moore

Insights into Complexities of Managing Secure Global Transportation for the Government – General Dynamics IT

Operating one of the largest supply chain and logistics operations on behalf of the government, General Dynamics IT, a 2017 Inbound Logistics Top 100 3PL Provider, functions as a 3PL provider and is responsible for the shipment of goods around the world to high-threat and isolated posts. In addition to meeting contract door-to-door terms and […]

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Global Trade Content: Unlocking the Supply Chain Value

New Content-as-a-Service solutions deliver content that exists outside an organization. This outside-in perspective is spurring companies to find new value to make supply chain planning and execution inherently more intelligent—especially when it comes to global trade. Content solutions can, for example, help companies properly classify goods to ensure compliance while minimizing duties and tariffs; research, […]

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Under Contract

Key takeaways from TI’s Global Contract Logistics 2017 report: The global contract logistics market grew by 3.9 percent in 2016, up from 3.7 percent in 2015. Asia Pacific has overtaken Europe as the biggest market for contract logistics. Seven of the 10 largest markets grew at a slower rate than in 2015. The market is […]

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U.S. Online Shoppers Click With International Retailers

U.S. Online Shoppers Click With International Retailers

Nearly half of avid U.S. online shoppers bought items from international retailers, demonstrating the need for retailers to offer more personalized services as a way to compete against lower prices, according to UPS’ sixth annual Pulse of the Online Shopper study. Almost all avid U.S. online shoppers (97 percent), made purchases on marketplaces, up 12 […]

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Global Supply Chain Suffers Disruptions Amid Diplomatic Crisis

Global Supply Chain Suffers Disruptions Amid Diplomatic Crisis

Disagreements in the Middle East left the supply chain reeling as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen cut political and business ties with Qatar and accused the small Middle Eastern nation of supporting radical Islamic terrorism in the region. As part of efforts to sever contact, the countries shut down […]

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Report: Multimodal Transportation Has a Future in Europe

Multimodal logistics moves freight by combining two or more transport modes. In this area, Europe still lags the more advanced U.S. market but has made steady progress. In its latest industrial research for the EMEA region Colliers International highlights a number of examples of established and emerging European multimodal platforms and discusses the drivers and […]

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How to Find Your Next Supplier in Europe

Small businesses seeking a competitive advantage in the global marketplace would be remiss if they ignored the power of working with a supplier in the European Union (EU). Not only is the EU the largest manufacturer of exported goods and services, its 28 member countries account for 16% of the world’s imports and exports. The […]

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Safety and Shipping Report: Cyber Security, Regulation, and Cost Cutting Impacts Global Shipping

Large shipping losses have declined by 50% over the past decade, mostly driven by the development of a more robust safety environment by ship owners, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) fifth annual Safety & Shipping Review 2017. There were 85 total shipping losses reported in 2016, down 16% compared with a […]

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