Can Ports Keep Up With the Changing Needs of Container Lines? A recent article in SupplyChainBrain discusses the changing size of ships, the ever-shifting alliances and mergers among the container lines, and the consequences for the ports. Could a port catch it all? Or an even better question might be, should a port catch it [...]
A Reuters article talks today about the UK Business Minister's focus on EU trade ties, this is focus during the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
Logistics Executives Say Brexit Will Rattle European Supply Chains In an article last week in the WSJ, global logistics executives are acknowledging that supply chains will be in transition as the Europe reacts to the Brexit vote but they are cautiously optimistic that in a post Brexit era trade will continue and that new trade [...]
In the coming twelve months, our staff and the GLDPartners’ Advisory Committee will be focusing on two key issues: 1) first year market use and acceptance by the ocean carriers, and 2) ground-based private investment in Panama in regards to inventory management/logistics activity. Later on we will be focused on the extent of ground-based investment in Panama associated with the Canal’s impact on new manufacturing and value-add investment.
Essentially, Jeff Bezos is saying that Amazon wishes to maintain much of the status quo in terms of their relationship with the main carrier/integrators - but that at the same time that they wish to control some transport capacity during peak periods. There is so much going on here - on one hand he is saying to investors that Amazon is keeping its head and isn't venturing into territory that will disrupt its profit-making business model, for now. On another hand, he is saying that he sees a friendly-ish balance in the relationship with the likes of FedEx, UPS, DHL and others. He needs them (for now) and he wants to hold more cards in the pricing/leverage balance. All I would note is that he who owns the demand has all of the power - and would offer that Amazon would have little reason to not wade deeper and deeper into the swimming pool that is transportation and logistics. The ecommerce model will increasingly have end-customers demand faster deliveries and in the end, the likes of Amazon and Alibaba are more logistics companies than anything else.
There are changing winds in the liner shipping industry. Or should we call it a perfect storm of low oil prices, low charter rates and falling demand in times when the market is trying to absorb an increasing number of ultra large container ship?
In an article yesterday in The Maritime Executive, an article was offered talking about progress on the Senate side to fund $6B for improvements to the navigable waterways in the US and also in the bill $1.3B for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. This still needs to move through the House, but good progress. Some [...]
This large scale seaport project in Morocco represents the sort of joined-up strategy that will help shape how logistics and production will intersect in some highly strategic locations. There's a bit of obvious similarity with Panama but there are other more established settings with some similar opportunity. We'll be talking more about this in the coming months,
As automakers add advanced driver-assist systems to conventional passenger vehicles, they are developing one path to the fully autonomous vehicle—but not the only one. So, the inevitable question: When will fully self-driving cars arrive and what will they be like? Google, with years of experience in this area, has predicted as early as 2020. Work underway was described by the project's CEO, John Krafcik, who spoke at the recent J.D. Power/NADA/NY Auto Show forum.
In 2012 Airbus announced that they would build a final assembly facility in Mobile, AL, assembling the A319, A-320, and A-321 aircraft. Over the last three years, the Company has built the systems and assets to fully produce an airplane in North America, and that's a pretty significant milestone for Airbus but also for the aerospace industry.