SBS, Avion cement U.S-Italy forwarding deal

SBS, Avion cement U.S-Italy forwarding deal U.S. freight forwarder SBS Worldwide said Monday it has signed a formal agency agreement with Milan-based freight forwarder Avion International.
   The agreement gives Avion International access to SBS Worldwide's U.S. network of offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The partners have established eastbound air freight consolidation services from Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, and anticipate expanding their market share of eastbound traffic. Westbound, the companies are seeing growth in full-containerload, less-than-containerload and air freight traffic.
   In Italy, Avion International is one of the largest privately held logistics companies and, in addition to its headquarters in Milan, has branches in Turin, Treviso, Florence, Vicenza, Prato and Bologna.
   In 2008, the United States exported $15.5 billion of products to Italy, while importing $36.1 billion worth of manufactured goods and commodities. The United States was responsible for 6.8 percent of all Italian exports in 2008, making it Italy's fourth-largest export destination and largest non-European Union destination last year.