Articles
Global Logistics
Finding Hidden Talent
Employers worldwide are facing the most acute talent shortage since 2006, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey. Of the nearly 40,000 employers surveyed, 45 percent are struggling to fill roles. Skilled trade workers, sales representatives, and engineers are the most difficult to find. MORE TO THE STORY: The 4 B’s of Finding Talent […]
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Managing Global Supply Chains: A Shore Bet
Should you offshore, nearshore, or reshore? It helps to understand how each model impacts the supply chain before you ante up.
Read MoreHumans Are What’s Wrong with the Global Supply Chain
Most business is driven by an incentive to grow. The global supply chain follows a different narrative. Growth costs more than is affordable for the steamship line whose business it is to transport cargo, and there’s no way for these carriers to differentiate from competitors. Instead, carriers cut their costs and increase their margins. The […]
Read MoreTech Drives Trade Growth, Say Upbeat SMEs
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) struggling for equal footing in the global economy increasingly look to cross-border trade for growth, seeing technology as a way past obstacles in shipping and compliance, according to new research from Shipa Freight. Shipa Freight’s global study of 800 SMEs from developed and emerging markets shows smaller companies are remarkably […]
Read MoreSMEs Reveal Global Trade Obstacles
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) face numerous international trade obstacles, finds a Shipa Freight study. Forty-two percent of respondents say the costs of shipping abroad are too high, or they lack an accurate picture of costs, while 40 percent find it difficult to understand documentation requirements. A significant minority say their cargo has been held […]
Read MoreCEVA and IMS Team Up For FTZ Services
A new alliance between CEVA Global Logistics and IMS Worldwide (IMSW) offers Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) services to U.S. shippers. The FTZ program started in the United States in 1934, and is in use across all states, particularly at large gateway points such as Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, El Paso, and New […]
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American Airlines Says Hola to Cuba Cargo Service
American Airlines becomes the first U.S. passenger carrier to begin cargo service to Cuba. The airline now offers mail service, including correspondence, parcels, and express mail, into and out of José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana, Cuba’s capital city and leading commercial center. Havana is American Airlines’ principal destination from the United States, with […]
Read MoreIt’s Supposed to Be, But ACE Isn’t Simple
Importing will always and forever be complex. Efforts to simplify some of the processes have, unfortunately, not always borne fruit. The aftermath of the overhaul of U.S. customs admissibility program – Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) – has created a heavier administrative burden on importers, not a lighter one. One has to believe the agencies see […]
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IATA Automates Dangerous Goods Compliance Checks
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched an innovative new solution that will enhance safety and improve efficiency in the transport of dangerous goods by air and support the industry’s goal of a fully digitized supply chain. Dangerous Goods DG AutoCheck is a digital solution that allows the air cargo supply chain to check […]
Read MoreIoT Goes Green
The Internet of Things (IoT) will play a pivotal role in enabling the transport and logistics sector to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize any negative impact on the environment. According to research from Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications, 95 percent of companies in the sector are actively implementing IoT technologies to […]
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Switching On The Smart Grid
A radical new charging technology that overcomes the challenge of simultaneously recharging an entire fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) without the need for an expensive upgrade to the power supply grid has been deployed in London by a UPS-led consortium. The breakthrough signals the beginning of the end of a reliance on traditional combustion engine […]
Read MoreAlibaba Ties Thailand To Online Commerce
Thailand and Alibaba have signed a letter of intent to cooperate on initiatives to develop e-commerce in the country—from providing training to small and mid-sized companies and individuals to exploring ways to enhance the country’s logistics capabilities to support Thailand 4.0 and Digital Economy strategies. The agreement covers four key areas. First is e-commerce training […]
Read MoreIndia Loses GDP To Poor Logistics
India is losing 14 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) due to inefficient logistics, which impacts the competitiveness of the country’s products, according to CR Chaudhry, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry. "Logistics is an important sector and it is clear that the government is giving importance to the development of better connectivity […]
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XPO Logistics Taps Mobile Technology in Europe
XPO Logistics, a global provider of transportation and logistics solutions, will expand its Drive XPO mobile technology to Europe in spring 2018, following a successful launch in North America. The app, designed for carriers, supports real-time visibility across transportation modes, and integrates carrier operations with daily productivity tools in one technology. The company’s proprietary Freight […]
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U.S. Imports: It’s a Steel
While the Trump administration introduced tariffs of 25 percent on the import of steel and 10 percent on aluminum, many of the United States’ most important steel trading partners were granted exemptions, at least temporarily. These exemptions apply to the selected major steel exporters shown in the chart below, including the European Union, Brazil, Canada, […]
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Simplifying Supply Chain Complexities
Manufacturing has never been more global, productive, profitable, or vulnerable. Despite tremendous advances in breaking down global barriers and adding efficiency to the supply chain, there are still challenges to move products quickly, safely, and seamlessly. To appreciate the complexity of today’s global supply chain, consider Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. Each jet is comprised […]
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Panama Canal Has a 3-in-1 Day
The Panama Canal successfully transited three LNG vessels through its Neopanamax locks on April 17, 2018, marking a first for the waterway. The Clean Ocean, Gaslog Gibraltar, and Gaslog Hong Kong vessels first arrived at the Canal from the Pacific Ocean then transited north, departing on the Atlantic side. The development marks a significant milestone […]
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Outsourced Manufacturing: Ethical and Environmental Concerns Grow
Some interesting trends around the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, as well as continuing challenges with environmental issues and health and safety, have emerged. That’s according to AsiaInspection’s (AI) quarterly barometer of outsourced manufacturing and the quality control services industry for Q1 2018. Highlights of the report include: As many as […]
Read MoreGetting the Most Out of Foreign Trade Zones
When I first started working in logistics, I heard a horror story about what can go wrong when a single detail is missed in a given transaction. A classic-car collector found his dream car in Europe after many years of searching and bought it for several million dollars. When shipping the car to the United […]
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Good Start for Air Cargo? Too Early to Tell
2018 looks to be off to a flying start for the air cargo industry, according to World ACD, but it may be too early to celebrate. Worldwide air cargo yield dropped to USD $1.89 (U.S. dollars) in January 2018, 7.8 percent below December, but 16.8 percent higher than January 2017. MORE TO THE STORY: World […]
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