“Trade wars are good, and easy to win.” With those fateful words, uttered by President Trump in March 2018, the US government embarked on a prolonged conflict that will have lasting conse­quences not just for the economies of the US, but also for China and the global trading community. Over the course of two months this summer and fall, the JOC interviewed numerous industry stakeholders, economists, and other experts about the lasting impact the trade war has had on supply chains that, in some cases, were decades in the making. Whether an agreement is reached in the short term or not, manufacturing and transportation networks have changed in ways that will continue to play out for years. Read how in the wide-ranging JOC whitepaper.

Some steamship lines advise shippers of heavy freight to limit container weight to 44,000 pounds or even less to remain within so-called “legal” limits. 

Shippers who abide by this guidance could be shipping 25% more containers a year than needed – andpaying for the privilege.

This eBook from I.C.E. Transport explains how heavy freight shippers can unlock a six-figure savings opportunity.  You'll learn:

• What are the true weight limits for container freight?

• Why are land side services the key to ocean freight savings?

• How are other importers shipping smarter for big savings?

Download the eBook to learn the ins and outs of efficient ocean shipping of heavyweight and over-sized freight.

Supply chain visibility is much more than just simply tracking a container from location to location. It’s following every step a product takes, from the development of its concept, up until the buyer receives the receipt of payment. In fact, 68% of industry leading companies have visibility into supplier quality and manufacturing processes – how does your company compare? In order to achieve this "true visibility" into the supply chain, companies must invest in a comprehensive technology that embraces full transparency - or a digitized global supply chain control tower.

By pulling the collective resources of the members to provide intermodal chassis, NACPC is able to offer at-cost pricing, which provides trucking companies significant savings compared to the competition.

With less than 10 months before the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation on sulfur oxide emission goes into effect, carriers and shippers alike are facing an uncomfortable uncertainty over its potential effects on costs and freight rates as they enter the 2019-2020 trans-Pacific contracting period. The 2020 deadline to reduce sulfur oxide emissions to 0.5 percent m/m is one of the most significant regulations impacting liner shipping in recent memory. Lacking an industry standard for fuel-surcharges computation or a clear picture of the underlying costs for low-sulfur fuel, participants can only roughly estimate its economic impact. Several factors affecting a carrier’s calculation of the fuel surcharges add complexity, making transparency ever so paramount to building trust on both sides. The intention of this whitepaper, produced by Seabury Maritime in cooperation with Gemini Shippers Group, is to promote open dialogue between carriers and shippers by providing insight and a general understanding around metrics used behind bunker calculations. 

The IMO is the United Nations agency responsible for implementing global maritime regulations after they are ratified by a number of member states. On Oct. 27, 2016, its Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) agreed to implement a global 0.5 percent m/m sulfur oxide emissions limit, effective Jan. 1, 2020. The current global limit is 3.5 percent m/m sulfur oxide. Airborne sulfur oxide is a dangerous pollutant, especially near population centers, and is a leading cause for acid rain. Studies have shown that sulfur oxide is a cause of respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Blockchain. The Internet of Things. Artificial Intelligence. Robotics. Virtual Reality. Not since the internet burst on the scene two decades ago have so many disruptive new technologies attracted the attention of supply chain managers, including shippers, transportation carriers, retailers, and other stakeholders in the global trading community. Progressive logistics providers are carving out a unique position from which to support the increasing innovation of its customers by leveraging these new technologies and creating unique tailored solutions.

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The majority of shippers today are concerned with rising transportation costs, fueled by an increasing demand in shorter consumer delivery times and an expanding network of inventory distribution points. Discover how an automated solution can help ease your transportation costs fears with Amber Road’s eBook, Controlling Shipping Costs via Multi-Modal Freight Rate Visibility!

As the globalization of world trade accelerates, the importance of achieving operational speed without sacrificing accuracy is becoming paramount to the success of all stakeholders in the international trading system — from shippers to logistics service providers, terminal operators, and carriers, to retailers, consumers and end-users of the transported goods. For businesses involved in that supply chain, providing end-to-end visibility and predictability is vital for staying ahead of the competition. Fortunately, automation and digitization are making that possible at levels that were unimaginable even a few years ago. Nevertheless, a great deal of additional progress remains attainable, so long as stakeholders join forces to take the next big leap in the process. 

In a 2018 survey of approximately 250 shipping industry executives and professionals conducted by JOC.com/IHS Markit, Navis, and XVELA (Fig. XI), more than half of all respondents anticipated that their performance metrics would improve by at least 50 percent if they could share real-time operational information. However, 56 percent surveyed see a hurdle in the lack of industry data standards, a statistic that supports concerns raised by stakeholders that data standardization is a primary challenge that needs to be overcome to achieve widespread industry collaboration. 

Based upon a series of interviews with industry thought leaders as well as the survey results, this report examines the potential path to real-time collaboration across the industry, including cultural and operational challenges facing adoption. This project was co-sponsored by Navis and XVELA. 

The advent of cloud-based, collaborative data-sharing platforms has enabled automation of dozens of global supply chain processes and management of electronic booking, digital transmission of shipping instructions, and real-time container-status tracking. With the expansion of collaboration and data-sharing into the foundational end-to-end container planning processes, from stowage planning and execution to berth window management and port call optimization, the ideal of “working as one” appears to be within reach. 

One major trend of 2018 is that transporting goods remains costly and complex with increasing ecommerce sales and shipping rates, unexpected natural disasters, and driver shortages. This paper examines several supply chain trends to closely monitor this year and how digitizing your supply chain can keep you one step ahead.