Supply chain

Port Logistics Group and Tagsys RFID have partnered to provide radio-frequency identification solutions for Port Logistics Group customers at their U.S. gateway facilities.

The decision by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to cease overtime work for its personnel while Washington attempts to solve the sequestration issue will be a burden for all ports, but it could be disastrous for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and import specialists assigned to the Los Angeles-Long Beach seaport complex have seized 1,500 high-fashion leather handbags bearing counterfeit “Hermés” listed trademark.

The bilateral U.S.-Iraq Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, first negotiated in 2005, is likely to enter into force later this year, providing a bilateral forum to foster greater trade and investment between the two countries.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized more than 122 pounds of khat at the Indianapolis FedEx facility.

The U.S. freight-related transportation industry and warehouse sector gained 3,100 jobs in February from January, but the most promising signs for increased freight transport came from sizable growth in the construction and manufacturing industries.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles-Long Beach seaport have seized a shipment containing 445 counterfeit “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones and 28 all-terrain vehicles that violated EPA standards.

José Manuel Barroso, European Commission president, and Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand’s prime minister, have launched negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Thailand.

Graybar has opened two new branches in Carrizo Springs, Texas, and Dickinson, N.D., and a new sales office in Rockford, Ill.

The U.S. exported $184.5 billion in goods and services in January and imported $228.9 billion of goods and services, resulting in a goods and services deficit of $44.4 billion, up from $38.1 billion in December 2012...

Dukal has chosen Georgia’s Port of Savannah as its major port of entry and established a new distribution center in the city’s foreign trade zone.

In his annual State of the State address, Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott emphasized the need for strategic infrastructure investments and announced his budget recommendation of $288 million in seaport improvements this year.

Rinchem Co. has opened a 65,000-square-foot chemical logistics facility in Hollister, Calif.

Government regulatory agencies are seeking the support of importers in their attempts to secure the nation’s borders while at the same time facilitating the clearance of legitimate cargo.

China’s official purchasing managers index dropped to 50.1 in February from 50.4 a month earlier.

The volatile U.S. refrigerated freight trade will make a comeback in 2013 after declining in 2012, “a modest comeback but still a comeback,” Journal of Commerce Economist Mario O. Moreno told the 13th annual TPM Conference.

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., has introduced the Multimodal Opportunities via Enhanced Freight Act of 2013, also known as the MOVE Freight Act, which is designed to ensure all transportation modes and system connections...

Maersk Line is having mixed results in its attempt to raise reefer container rates by $1,500, with actual price gains varying by commodity and lane, according to at least one ocean shipping analyst. But there is little doubt about the overall direction of refrigerated freight pricing.

Quintiq has appointed Kim Rhodes as its vice president, general counsel and secretary.

3Gtms, a developer of transportation software products, has merged with Transite Technology, a developer of transportation management systems.

Panalpina plunged to a loss of 70.2 million Swiss francs ($74.4 million) in 2012 from a 127.4 million franc ($135 million) profit in 2011.

Supply chains will soon feel the federal budget sequestration’s impact on Customs and Border Protection, a trade attorney warned the JOC’s 13th annual TPM Conference.

Lebanon has joined the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

A group of Mexican tomato growers and the U.S. Department of Commerce have signed a new agreement that will govern the import of fresh Mexican-grown tomatoes into the U.S.

Eleven national organizations representing dairy farmers and dairy industry workers have sent a letter to eight members of Congress urging them not to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal without considering the impact on dairy farms and workers.

Norbert Dentressangle’s freight forwarding division has established a new office in Vietnam.

Progress on a new inland port in Greer, S.C., planned by the South Carolina Port Authority, is moving forward, following a recent groundbreaking ceremony with more than 250 port users, stakeholders, community leaders and...

The U.S. Council for International Business has named Robert J. Mulligan as senior vice president for policy and government affairs.

Merchandise trade showed “moderate growth” in the major economies during the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s International Trade Statistics report.

DB Schenker Logistics, together with air freight container provider Envirotainer, has expanded its range of temperature-controlled air freight services.

Kuehne + Nagel International’s board of directors has announced that Reinhard Lange, CEO of the Kuehne + Nagel Group since 2009, will step down because of health reasons, effective May 7, 2013.

Managing big data is similar to managing the data “of old,” with one big difference: It’s exponentially faster and broader in scope.

Big data is being captured, stored, mined and analyzed across industries. It’s being used for metrics, reporting and forecasting, and for management of sales, marketing, transportation, inventory and risk.

U.S. importers face severe delays in getting their cargo cleared at major seaports and at the Canadian and Mexican borders because federal sequestration will reduce Customs and Border Protection manpower.

DB Schenker has started operations at a new 154,000 square foot distribution center in China.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced its preliminary affirmative countervailing duty determination in the investigation of imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China.

Logistics technology company CargoWise has entered into a distribution partnership with Asvinta Solutions to enhance delivery of CargoWise’s ediEnterprise service in Sri Lanka.