The emergence of API messaging, a topic covered in the October issue of American Shipper (“A New Communication Pipeline,” p. 8), is nothing new. This type of exchange has been around for at least a decade. At SMC³, our business is fueled by web-service APIs. As an industry association that provides trusted, leading pricing […]
With around 400 free trade agreements in effect globally, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is poised to create new opportunities for multinational companies. And with increasingly complex supply chains, companies that do not fully utilize all of the FTAs available to them are operating at a competitive disadvantage. It turns out most companies fit […]
Container shipping will see mergers and alliance shifts in 2016, but still rocked by overcapacity.
Automating denied party screening can help U.S. exporters avoid painful non-compliance penalties.
Cargo pre-inspection part of effort to transform U.S., Mexico customs clearance.
The latest BlueWater Reporting Carrier Report gives readers an industry insider perspective of the potential sale of NOL to CMA CGM, the company’s recent financial performance, and an analysis of APL’s fleet and network.
Ocean carrier APL, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines, finds itself in an interesting position at present. Despite the formation of the G6 Alliance, of which APL is a member, the company has struggled to maintain profitability in the wake of the worldwide economic downturn. Carrier alliances were designed to save companies money […]
Don’t be bashful. When it comes time to negotiate service contracts with the liner carriers this spring, shippers and non-vessel-operating common carriers should go for the lowest rates possible for their container haulage. There’s plenty of capacity to be had on board those new mega-containerships, and shippers and NVOs shouldn’t be compelled to […]
All freight shippers are forced to determine an approach to the phenomenon of cargo theft, but those who ship especially high-value truckloads of targeted commodities are particularly vulnerable to the risk. The circumstances surrounding a recent federal court decision, when examined from the shipper’s perspective, illuminate some effective strategies in combating the problem. […]
Study by KPMG and Thomson Reuters shows U.S. ahead in GTM and compliance process automation.
A U.S. District Court agreed in August to have antitrust lawsuits filed by shippers against roll-on/roll-off shipping companies dismissed. (In Re Vehicle Carrier Services Antitrust Litigation. U.S. District Court, N.J. No. 13-3306. MDL No. 2471. Aug. 8, 2015.) Now some of the shippers are asking Judge Esther Salas to reconsider her decision or […]
Global climate change talks recently concluded in Paris, with leaders trying to get agreement on voluntary commitments for nations to reduce carbon levels from human activity. With the atmosphere warming, sea ice is melting at alarming rates and the world’s oceans are expected to gradually rise. Executive Director Curtis Foltz said in […]
FTZs are a growing strategy for duty management, but it takes software to maximize value.
MER Group to operate ship demolition yards in Puerto Rico and Europe.
Volume growth across the freight movement industry has slowed substantially and in some regions and segments, notably rail and trucking, even declined. This lull is likely to persist for a while and assuming that the causes are reversed beginning in 2016, represents an opportunity for capacity expansion investment needed to reduce the risks of […]
Kudos to Eric Johnson for his insightful article in the October 2015 American Shipper, asking if there are new and better ways of communicating essential data among the participants in international supply chains—“A New Communications Pipeline?” Substantial progress has been made in recent years in supply chain management as it has emerged […]
Throughout the transportation industry, many customers use a pricing benchmark when comparing rates from various providers, but until now, air freight shippers have been shut out of this analytical game. In January, John Peyton Burnett is set to roll out the beta version of his TAC Index, the air cargo market’s first rating […]
It’s not only liner companies like CMA CGM and APL or COSCO and China Shipping that are combining. In November, Triton Container International Ltd. and TAL International Group announced they would merge to become the world’s largest container-leasing company, with about 4.8 million TEUs of revenue-earning assets worth nearly $8.7 billion, or representing […]
The Obama administration has really moved the ball when it comes to implementing reforms of export controls the past six years. The goal was to revise regulations and processes so they are more responsive to today’s technology, trading realities and national security threats. Cold War-era bureaucracy was strangling the ability of many companies to […]
A common problem that every publicly held company faces is the expectation of continued growth. Equity markets demand that success leads to more success, a forever abstract target of compounding growth that seems thoroughly attainable and innately unattainable at the same time. One of the downsides to this expectation of growth is […]
