Study: Trade barriers hinder growth of U.S. logistics companies

Study: Trade barriers hinder growth of U.S. logistics companies    Free trade agreements could serve to remove impediments that U.S.-based providers of logistics services face in gaining access to foreign markets, the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a report published Monday.
   Border clearance procedures represent the greatest impediment to the supply of global logistics services, the ITC found. In countries where regulatory impediments exist, logistic service firms are more concerned with limited transparency and discriminatory practices than establishment restrictions, such as joint-venture or equity requirements.
   According to the ITC, the reduction or removal of impediments that affect logistic services could lead to increases in U.S. merchandise exports. Increases in trade volume, in turn, may also promote demand for logistic services.
   The study was conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.
   The report, “Logistic Services: An Overview of the Global Market and Potential Effects of Removing Trade Impediments” (Investigation No. 332-463, USITC Publication 3770, May 2005, is available in the publications section of the ITC’s Web site at https://www.usitc.gov.