Supply chain

The Journal of Commerce’s supply chain news and analysis impacting the management of end-to-end supply chains reports on supply chain strategies, cargo visibility, inventory trends, sourcing, customs certification and contract logistics. Supply chain news coverage also delves into refrigerated shipping advancements and management of inventory status, regulatory updates and government funding projects. 

The latest Supply chain News & Analysis

Forwarders back BCOs seeking FMC relief on demurrage

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
Shippers and intermediaries could deflect tens of millions of dollars of detention and demurrage fees.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Forwarders, NVOs slow to embrace automation

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Many of the 20 largest freight forwarders have only a basic, undeveloped online portal.
Logistics Technology News

Unified customs needed to ease China-EU rail pain points

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
A unified customs clearance system along the New Silk Road from China to Europe can address the major pain points on the route, a World Economic Forum director believes.
International railTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Indian import tax raises costs, confusion

India Special Correspondent |
With logistics services contracted and paid outside of India within the purview of the tax, there’s widespread confusion about how this could be applied to complex international supply chains.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

US port deepening fight intensifies on funding worries

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
<p>Rising anti-trade rhetoric from the Trump administration has US East and Gulf Coast ports fearing they won't get money needed for dredging efforts.</p>
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American ports

US-flag advocates praise CBP proposal on Jones Act

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |
Customs and Border Protection proposed on Jan. 18 to revise almost 30 interpretative rulings on the Jones Act.
Breakbulk NewsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Philly aims to lure discretionary cargo from NE rivals

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The Port of Philadelphia is taking aim at discretionary cargo moving through northeastern competitors.
North American portsCool Cargo News

Trump's pick to lead FMC signals cautious regulatory approach

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Michael Khouri has consistently encouraged supply chain stakeholders to seek commercial solutions.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Trump’s Mexico plans threaten to disrupt supply chains

Alan M. Field, Contributing Editor |
The advent of the new US administration brings uncertainty and potential disruption to US-Mexico trade.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

China pumps $600 million into deep-sea Angola port

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
The project is being funded with a $600 million loan from China.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Eimskip acquisition spree continues

Dustin Braden, Shipper Relationship Manager |
Eimskip’s acquisition spree continued this week with the purchase of a Belgian refrigerated freight forwarder.
Container linesCool Cargo News

Law change to spur Brazilian port investment

Rob Ward, Brazil Special Correspondent |
Private marine terminal operators in Brazil will benefit from two changes likely to become law.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Slideshow: How Uncle Sam could impact shippers

JOC Staff |
From a potential battle over detention and demurrage to the easing of truck regulations, shippers and transportation providers need to keep track of major issues.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Nigeria vows action as corruption costs port traffic

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
Nigeria’s ports boss has committed to making 2017 a turning point for the competitiveness of the country’s ports sector.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Brazilian port-wide customs strike ends

Rob Ward, Brazil Special Correspondent |
The dispute – over pay, pensions, and working conditions – began in July 2016.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Shippers big losers if US-China trade war erupts

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Should the US slap punitive tariffs on goods made in China, Beijing would certainly retaliate with measures of its own, heightening the prospects of a trade war.
Container linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

US shippers, truckers flex lobbying muscle

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
The incoming administration may provide an opportunity for freight-friendly policies, according to Americans for Modern Transportation, a group that counts Amazon, UPS, and FedEx among its ranks.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsTrucking NewsLTL

Slideshow: Surface transport uncertainty revs into 2017

JOC Staff |
There’s still plenty to concern shippers in 2017 when it comes to trucking and intermodal rail.
Intermodal providersTrucking NewsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

3PLs face uncertainty as Trump takes on trade

Alan M. Field, Contributing Editor |
Donald Trump’s presidential election victory makes forecasting the future for third-party logistics providers more difficult than usual, given Trump’s unorthodox and unpredictable views on international trade.
Logistics Technology News

US Commerce report stresses port metrics

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
A US Commerce Department report published Thursday stressed the benefits of collecting port productivity data.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American ports

China Cosco gets $26B for Belt and Road initiatives

Dustin Braden, Shipper Relationship Manager |
The China Cosco Shipping Group will receive $26 billion for Belt and Road investments and reforming of state-owned enterprises.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Attempt to block US driver logging rule falters

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
After setback, owner-operators say they will "pull out all the stops" to convince lawmakers, US Supreme Court, to kill the ELD mandate.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsTrucking NewsLTL

Chinese injects $300M into logistics property developer

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Investment continues to pour into the China logistics sector to support rapidly growing e-commerce and the demand for modern warehousing.
Industrial Real Estate News

Tepid US port metrics report limps to DOT

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
<p>US shippers hoping Uncle Sam would shine a light on the metrics that impact the reliability and costs of their containerized supply chains are bound for disappointment.</p>
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American ports

US Customs postpones more ACE rollouts

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
US Customs and Border Protection has indefinitely postponed the rollout of several more functions of its troubled new electronic filing system.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Gothenburg told to invest or lose Nordic hub title

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Sweden’s top port of Gothenburg must invest in deepening its access channel and container berths to remain a leading Nordic hub amid increased competition.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsPort infrastructure

Alibaba expands global logistics network

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has taken another step into the world of freight transport.
Logistics Technology News

Chao hearing short on US infrastructure funding details

JOC Staff |
Elaine Chao's measured responses signal shippers and transport providers shouldn’t expect massive infrastructure upgrades soon.
Trucking NewsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Ports bill paves way for deep-water Alaska port

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
Shippers hoping to tap the small but growing Alaska market may eventually gain new access via an Arctic deep-draft port.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American ports

Surge of new NVOs on US trades ending as margins tighten

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The number of NVOs registered with the Federal Maritime Commission has more than doubled since 1999.
Logistics Technology News

No US driver detention rule to hit shippers

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
US official says excessive detention of truck drivers by shippers or receivers is an issue best handled by industry, rather than government intervention.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsTrucking News

India kicks off investment summit with port focus

India Special Correspondent |
India has kicked off a major investment summit heavily focused on the country's Sagar Mala port modernization program.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Carrier-port agreement for NY-NJ chassis rejected

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |
FMC's action highlights friction between ocean carriers and lessors over port-wide chassis pool.
North American portsMarine terminalsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

US truck regulators signal restraint in 2017

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The Department of Transportation’s trucking agency ‘consolidates regulatory inventory,’ puts focus on finishing, implementing existing rules as new administration takes charge.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsTrucking News

India unleashes 12 port projects

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
India has established a company to oversee its Sagar Mala port-led development program and announced 12 more port projects.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

Restocking forecast to fuel January import surge

Dustin Braden, Shipper Relationship Manager |
Strong US retail restocking after an even better-than-expected holiday season will send a surge of container imports through ports in January.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American ports

Shippers, Vancouver criticize port authority privatization

Reynolds Hutchins, Associate Editor |
Port of Vancouver president and CEO Robin Silvester has called the government-led push “a threat."
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

UPS enters European truckload market

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
New UPS subsidiary Freightex will work closely with US-based Coyote Logistics.
Logistics Technology NewsTrucking NewsTruck brokers

US imports to rise after solid 2016, IHS economist says

Mario O. Moreno, Senior Economist, IHS Maritime & Trade |
<p>US containerized imports stayed on an upward trend in 2016 despite strong headwinds.</p>
Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

US warehousing rate rises force shippers to contract fast

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
High demand for warehouse and distribution space means shippers must act quickly.
Industrial Real Estate News