Articles
Global Logistics
Global Logistics—December 2012
Maersk Digs Drilling, Ditches Shipping The name most synonymous with container shipping is taking a break from navigating an increasingly agitated ocean trade. Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk is shifting the focus of its business activity from shipping, choosing instead to concentrate on its oil, drilling rigs, and port operations, according to a Financial Times report. AP […]
Read More
Global Logistics—November 2012
U.S., China Consider Joint Logistics Response Partnership Sometimes shared pain, or even altruism, can create unlikely allies. U.S. and Chinese officials plan to discuss the possibility of combining logistics resources during counter-piracy, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response missions. The United States officially extended an invitation for a team of senior Chinese logisticians to visit Washington […]
Read More
International Shipping: Moving at the Speed of Technology
New technologies for planning, managing, tracking, and securing shipments are continually evolving. With new digital options always just around the corner, organizations of all sizes must stay informed of the latest advances. When it comes to international shipping, technology is especially important—not only because tremendous growth is expected, but also because the processes involved are […]
Read More
Global Logistics—October 2012
China Opens Door-to-Door Delivery to FedEx, UPS Federal Express officially contracted its name to FedEx in 2000 to facilitate an easier translation as it expanded the brand globally. United Parcel Service (UPS) has built similar acronym appeal and currency in the countries where it operates. So China’s recent decision to grant both couriers authority to […]
Read More
Understanding the Implications of Related Party Transactions and Transfer Pricing
Many multinational organizations are embracing tax-effective supply chain management to reduce costs and increase margins. Supply chain managers need to understand the ramifications of these tax-based strategies when it involves the transfer of tangible goods to their own foreign subsidiaries or parent companies. Reducing taxes is a desirable outcome, but not when it runs afoul […]
Read More
“Second Mouse” Opportunities for Logistics Firms
The saying, "The second mouse gets the cheese" represents an analogy for what is happening today in China’s "fast-learner" economy. The ability to quickly learn and copy products and technologies developed elsewhere has propelled numerous Chinese firms to global stature. These firms will soon become a force in the United States. Examples of China’s ability […]
Read More
Global Logistics—September 2012
Brazil Invests in Infrastructure Infrastructure performance and transportation connectivity have long dogged Brazil’s efforts to grow its economy. But the overwhelming success of London’s 2012 Summer Olympics, and the mantle of responsibility and expectation that befalls the next in line, may force the issue. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recently announced a $60-billion-plus investment package to […]
Read More
Global Logistics—August 2012
U.S., Canada Confront Port Insecurities The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is taking Canadian ports to task over concerns they are siphoning U.S.-bound container volumes while threatening homeland security. The agency’s primary target is Prince Rupert, North America’s deepest natural harbor port. While Montreal, Halifax, and Vancouver participate in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) […]
Read More
Global Logistics—July 2012
Latin America Charts Path to Growth Considering trade with Latin America? Here’s a look at five key countries in various stages of economic, political, and trade/supply chain growth. Argentina. Until recently, Argentina has been relatively resilient to global economic woes, and the impact of slower growth in Brazil. Ernst & Young’s Rapid Growth Markets Forecast […]
Read More
Managing Global Complexity: The Right Tools for the Job
Henry Ford is popularly quoted as saying that his customers could have any color Model T they wanted—as long as it was black. For years, global logistics professionals using optimization could relate to Ford’s quote, because they could apply this highly respected engineering practice to virtually any shipping challenge they faced—as long as they were […]
Read More
Global Logistics—June 2012
Air Cargo Growth in Holding Pattern Hitting bottom might be a sign of better things to come. Freight demand was down 4.2 percent year-over-year, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) April 2012 global traffic results. While some of this volume degradation can be attributed to monthly volatility, some signs indicate that different areas […]
Read More
Global Logistics—May 2012
London Braces for Olympic-sized Logistics Logjam For global TV viewers, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London will be a two-week parade of sports pomp and pageantry. But behind the scenes, a grittier story will unfold—how the rest of London gets on with life during a busy fortnight. The Freight Transport Association (FTA), a United […]
Read More
Global Logistics—April 2012
UPS Buys TNT Express, Shifting Global Balance UPS’ estimated $6.77-billion acquisition of Netherlands-based TNT Express puts to rest lingering speculation about the future of Europe’s number-two express mail provider following competition from FedEx and U.S. economic uncertainties. The move clearly places UPS in a new position of strength among its U.S. competitors and German expediter […]
Read More
Global—March 2012
New Zealand Port Tries to Strike Labor Balance As yet another reminder of how global labor strife can impact supply chains, the Ports of Auckland is trying to ease the pressure of three week-long strikes by the Maritime Union of New Zealand during the country’s busy export season. With an impasse expected to run through […]
Read More
As the World Turns, Supply Chains Spin
Continental instability, national volatility, and economic vulnerability force shippers to confront their own global challenges.
Read More
Nearshoring Latin America: A Closer Look
Do the advantages of locating production near the point of consumption outweigh the region’s drawbacks?
Read More
Global Logistics–February 2012
UK University Engine Behind Carbon Tool The University of Sheffield has developed a supply chain environmental analysis tool (SCEnAT) to help manufacturers cut carbon emissions. The solution, which a number of international companies, including aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, are already using, creates a database of carbon usage. It then arms businesses with ways to reduce […]
Read More
The Truth Behind “Made in the USA”
Much talk across the American political and economic landscape centers around the importance of domestic manufacturing. Yet the issue and challenges of "Made in the USA" are so poorly understood that fatalistic hand-wringing and stump speech vitriol are obfuscating its rapidly emerging potential for near-term revitalization. Revitalization implies that there has been a reduction in […]
Read More
Global Logistics—January 2012
Containers Aweigh The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has joined the World Shipping Council, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the Baltic and International Maritime Council to encourage the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to amend the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS). The measure would ensure that a ship and port […]
Read More
Using Incoterms to Simplify Global Sourcing
Specifying standard trade terms in international sales contracts lets shippers take shipment transport cost and risk responsibility in hand when it benefits them most.
Read More