Growing losses at Singapore Airlines’ cargo division in the first half of the fiscal year contributed to lower operating profits and a 30 percent decline in net profit for the parent company. Singapore Airlines Cargo’s operating loss reached S$99 million ($81.1 million), compared to S$31 million in 2011. Singapore Airlines said Nov. […]
Boeing next year will convert three 767-300 Extended Range passenger planes to freighters for Guggenheim Aviation Partners, an aircraft leasing company. ST Aerospace Services Co. of Singapore will actually perform the work with engineering oversight by Boeing, the company said. “We believe the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter, with performance characteristics similar to […]
By Tom Nightingale, president of sales and marketing, ModusLink Global Solutions Major shippers are incorporating the Panama Canal route into their near-term business plans, East Coast ports are expanding their infrastructure to meet future demand, and we are now close enough to envision what the route’s capacity will be once the canal expansion is […]
The primary reason U.S. Customs established Centers of Excellence and Expertise in the fall of 2011 was to streamline the customs entry process for low-risk shippers in specific industries. A secondary benefit of concentrating import specialists by industry sector has been enhanced enforcement capability for stopping unlawful shipments because the CEEs have better understanding […]
US. and Canadian customs authorities in October launched a collaborative effort to reduce redundant security checks for maritime cargo entering the United States via the Canadian port of Prince Rupert.
Goal to double U.S. exports by 2014, but could be tripped by lackluster 2012. More than halfway through the Obama administration’s efforts to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014, export volumes through the biggest U.S. container ports are stagnating.
eBay leads charge for micro-business trade facilitation. By Eric Kulisch International trade has traditionally been the province of large companies with the resources to scout out suppliers and customers far from home, put multi-modal logistics strategies in place to move their goods across borders at the lowest possible cost and comply with […]
The six commissioners of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Nov. 7 voted unanimously that domestic producers of photovoltaic solar panels are harmed by similar imports dumped on the U.S. market by government-subsidized Chinese producers. As a result of the ITC’s affirmative determinations, the Commerce Department will issue antidumping and countervailing duty […]
In June, American Shipper chronicled the moves the global trade management software and data provider Amber Road was making to tap into growing mid-market demand for export compliance systems.
In late October, the analyst Gartner forecast that the advent of “big data” would necessitate the creation of 4.4 million IT jobs worldwide, of which 1.9 million would be in the United States. “In addition, every big data-related role in the U.S. will create employment for three people outside of IT, so over […]
Last month, I wrote about all the political bickering affecting port authorities along the U.S. West Coast, particularly the key gateways of Long Beach and Seattle. Turns out that as that issue went to press, the juiciest stuff yet was just being revealed in Oakland. In mid-October, two high-ranking executives, including now former […]
It is often said that humans use less than 10 percent of their brain power. The same could probably be said for the average software system, with users often failing to squeeze every piece of usefulness out of their platforms. And most ocean carriers fall squarely into that hole — sometimes because they […]
While listening to the very informative State of Freight webinar from transportation analyst FTR Associates in early November, there were some interesting statistical conundrums for senior analysts Noel Perry and Larry Gross. Gross first noted the intermodal figures from the Intermodal Association of North American (IANA) for September didn’t jive well with figures […]
By Walter Kemmsies, chief economist, Moffatt & Nichol At this point it’s very clear that the United States and world economic outlooks are dependent on the decisions taken by policymakers. It should also be clear that the developed economies are in the midst of reducing debt levels, a process called deleveraging.
U.S. chemical and plastic exports should expect boost from shale gas. By Chris Dupin The boom in U.S. natural gas production is expected to help boost exports and reduce imports of chemicals and plastics, according to chemical industry analysts and logistics services providers. “Between shale gas recovery technologies and conventional natural […]
It’s not unusual to find stories in the financial pages about companies and individuals buying up portfolios of patents — often related to software — just to become “patent trolls,” or defend themselves from such trolls who have no intention of ever creating a product themselves, but aggressively seeking to shake down businesses for […]
If you listen to analysts, the supply chain software arena has been thirsting for a major roll-up of two complementary providers that could provide shippers more functions and fewer systems.
GAC Pindar has entered a partnership with freight forwarder TNL International to offer specialized marine leisure logistics services to the growing Australasian market. The new partnership, named TNL GAC Pindar, is based in Auckland, New Zealand. It serves Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, providing a complete package of services, including yacht […]
The WorldWide Alliance, a network of neutral non-vessel-operating common carriers, has launched WWA 2.0, its second-generation iPad application. The upgraded version features a new design and enhanced navigation. The application allows WWA customers to submit booking requests, track shipments, look up less-than-containerload rates globally and manage documents through SmartDocs. “With the release […]
Criminal prosecution of BP and several of employees has implications for the shipping industry, underscoring the importance of adhering to safety and potential criminal liability of individuals if an accident occurs.
