Supply chain

Despite Brazil’s predicted record corn and soybean crop this spring, labor regulations and rain delays have slowed both the harvest and movement to port, as well as loading, according to the U.S. Grains Council.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, reported exports in February reached $186.0 billion and imports totaled $228.9 billion, resulting in a goods and services deficit of $43.0 billion, down from $44.5 billion in January.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist has confirmed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists recorded a first discovery of the Succinea costaricana snail in the Port of Baltimore.

The United Nations’ tourism and crime agencies have plans to launch a joint public awareness campaign this spring with the aim to reduce demand for illegal goods and services that fund transnational organized crime.

Damco has opened a second container freight station warehouse facility in Cambodia, following the launch of Damco CFS Warehouse 1 in August 2011.

Terreno Realty, an industrial real estate company, has acquired an industrial property in San Francisco for about $8.4 million.

Orbcomm has completed its acquisition of “substantially all of the assets” of MobileNet and the GlobalTrak division of System Planning.

The goals set for Canada and the United Arab Emirates’ strategic agenda have been accomplished and will be formalized next month.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn approval of the import and sale of up to 74,000 gas-powered on- and off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from China on the grounds that it may have received...

China’s government has vowed to build 42 transportation hubs by the end of 2015, with at least one in every province, autonomous region and municipality.

The seemingly endless debate over truck driver hours of service stretches back to the 1930s and includes five rulemakings and four final rules issued since 1995. Explore the history of today's 11/14-hour HOS rule.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has developed a program to certify processed eggs and egg products for export, providing new opportunities for U.S. food exporters.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States will participate in U.S. Global Business Solutions, a new interagency initiative to expand the reach of federal export assistance...

In response to the changing local and global economy and to overcome the “middle income trap,” the Thailand Board of Investment is revising its Investment Promotion Privileges and Strategies to promote...

Mexican motor carriers Transportes Mor SA de CV and Adriana De Leon Amaro did not successfully complete the U.S. Pre-Authorization Safety Audit, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

UPS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California have entered into a non-prosecution agreement, allowing UPS to forfeit $40 million in payments that it received from illegal online pharmacies and to implement a compliance program.

Demetrios Marantis, acting U.S. trade representative, has sent three reports to President Obama and Congress detailing noteworthy accomplishments that the current administration has achieved in reducing or removing foreign government barriers to U.S. exports.

CEVA Investments has pulled its plan for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, Reuters reports.

NEWPORT, R.I. — Customs and Border Protection hopes a stopgap spending bill will clear the way for the agency to shift enough funds to minimize the impact of furloughs and other budget cuts under the sequestration, a top Customs official said.

DHL’s supply chain division in Japan will start construction work this month for its new Sagamihara Logistics Center in Sagamihara City in the Kanagawa Prefecture.

Golden State Foods has acquired a McDonald’s distribution center in Lebanon, Ill., from Gateway Distribution.

Geodis Wilson has appointed Santiago Jimeno as managing director of Colombia, effective immediately.

CEVA Group’s revenue in 2012 was €7.2 billion (about US$9.3 billion), rising 4.8 percent from $8.9 billion in 2011, according to the supply chain management company’s preliminary unaudited data.

Pacer International has appointed Julie A. Krehbiel as executive vice president of sales and marketing for intermodal, effective April 8.

Panalpina has named Peter Ulber as its new CEO, starting June 1.

NEWPORT, R.I. — "Stagnant" federal funding for transportation will require increased leveraging of state, local and private investment in freight infrastructure, two longtime Washington-based policy watchers say.

Mexico’s Comisión Nacional de Seguridad has plans to launch a new initiative to decrease crime on Mexico’s highways, including cargo crimes.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has halted plans for furloughs and suspended its ban on overtime, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Kuwait-based Agility today reported its profit in the fourth quarter of 2012 was 9.6 million Kuwaiti dinar (about US$33.6 million), a 179 percent jump compared with $12.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Ron Kirk, who served as the U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration until February 2013, has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as senior of counsel.

DB Schenker Logistics has leased additional capacity in a new multi-customer warehouse in Ukraine in order to expand its service portfolio in the country.

FedEx Express has launched FedEx Priority Overnight in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands.

The U.S. is exploring the possibility of a trade pact with the Economic Community of West African States to increase bilateral trade and investment, according to Demetrios Marantis, Acting U.S. Trade Representative.

President Obama on March 29 introduced the Rebuild America Partnership, which aims to bring together new and existing policies to encourage private investment in U.S. infrastructure.

Could adding team drivers help recover hours or productivity lost under the new hours-of-service rules? Not necessarily. In fact, the new rules may make teams less productive, according to U.S. Xpress.

When it comes to new hours-of-service rules, it’s not minutes or hours that trucking companies and shippers should be counting, but a driver’s weekly turns.