Articles
Asia
Amid Hanjin Backlog, Shippers Can Turn to Port Strike Strategies
While news of Hanjin Shipping’s bankruptcy dominates today’s headlines, shippers will be feeling the ripple effects for weeks or months to come. Of the nearly 100 ships listed on the company’s latest operating vessel status report, dozens carry the status of “waiting in open sea.” Others are “arrested,” “embargoed,” or “returned to owner.” A scant […]
Read MoreHow the Panama Canal Expansion Will Shake Up U.S. Shipping
The expansion of the Panama Canal, expected to be completed by the end of June 2016, will rewrite the rules of shipping, with far-ranging impacts for logistics managers, retailers, railroads, and public infrastructure across the United States. More than a decade in the making, the canal expansion not only increases the number of ships that […]
Read MoreShippers Should See Positives from the Trade Promotion Act
When the U.S. Congress passed the Trade Promotion Act (TPA) in June 2015, debate over its benefits and how its passage would affect the U.S. economy lingered. U.S. Congress felt that the goal of TPA and its historical record were solid proof of the benefits this legislation would provide. Although TPA is not a trade […]
Read MoreCrossborder E-commerce Into the U.S. Just Got A Lot Easier, U.S. Retailers Should Take Note and Plan Accordingly
E-commerce retailers worldwide are celebrating the passing of a new bill, which sees the U.S. de minimis rate increase from $200 to $800. Below the new threshold, the U.S. does not require any formal customs procedures, and no duties or taxes need to be paid by the consumer. This creates a huge opportunity for e-commerce […]
Read MoreHow to Implement a Successful Retail Omni-Channel Logistics Operation in Asia Pacific
For any U.S.-based company interested in expanding retail logistics operations outside of the country, Asia Pacific may be the most ideal location. Not only does the region offer more than 4.3 billion potential new customers, but the American brand remains highly popular among its residents. To access these buyers, companies should first focus on their […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—July 2015
TPP: Fishing for Accountability Buried within the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are provisions that will help protect global fisheries—and consumers—from widespread fraud in the seafood supply chain. It’s a pet project of the Obama Administration, which specifically created the Presidential Task Force on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud in June 2014 […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-June 2015
GCC States Warm to Regional Collaboration Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states —Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain—have long been hamstrung by independent-minded sovereigns who prefer to think and act unilaterally. Despite the formation of the trade bloc in 1981, collaboration, especially around transportation and logistics, often goes wanting. It’s why […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—March 2015
Hong Kong: A Space Odyssey Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Remarkably, only 30 percent of its land is actually developed—a reflection of the area’s mountainous terrain. Hong Kong historically has focused much of its infrastructure development on costly projects to reclaim land from the sea. Accordingly, these constraints have […]
Read MoreA Supply Chain World Tour
Demand-driven logistics spans the world…in practice and in print. For a host of reasons, U.S. shippers and consignees are taking control of how they pull—and push—global product to market. Shifting demand dynamics, geopolitical volatility, currency fluctuations, government interference, lengthening and deepening supply networks, and cost reduction directives have conflated to consternate even the best supply […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—December 2014
As UK Port Capacity Heads South, Freight Moves North London’s notorious congestion issues extend beyond the city limits. A shortage of inland transport capacity and increasing truck idling times at ports in the south of England are pushing freight to the north. Over the past year, UK-based third-party logistics provider Metro Shipping has transferred several […]
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