All Policy and regulation articles – Page 31
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FeatureA crisis in human capital
As the automotive logistics sector continues to automate and let technology take the lead, there are some important human factors to resolve if such plans are to succeed – as delegates at this year’s Automotive Logistics Global conference in Detroit found out While the US car market may be ...
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FeatureMexico hopes for a smoother road ahead
After much uncertainty around trade talks between Mexico and the US and the former’s presidential election, Mexico’s economic and political conditions now seem clearer, leaving OEMs and LSPs in the country more optimistic about the future.Mexico, which is the world’s fourth biggest vehicle exporter, has enjoyed strong levels of exports ...
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FeatureMema slams Trump’s latest tariffs
The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (Mema) in the US has criticised the Trump administration for imposing $200 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports. The duties start at a rate of 10% on September 24 and will rise to 25% in January.“[The measure] will serve as a tax increase ...
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FeatureVolvo seeks US tariff relief for China-built SUV
Following its decision to shift production of its XC60 back to Europe from China, Volvo Cars has revealed it sought exemption from US tariffs of 25% on imports of its SUV, which were exclusively made in China and exported to the US.So far this year the carmaker, which is owned ...
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FeatureDon't hope for a trade war truce
Escalating trade wars look set to be the new risk frontier in the automotive supply chain. With countries and trading blocs starting to retaliate against US moves to raise tariffs, open trade borders are closing in quickly. On July 6, 2018, the US began imposing a 25% tax on $34 ...
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FeatureGaz feels the sting of US sanctions
Russian OEM Gaz Group is facing supply chain disruption due to several European component suppliers ceasing trade with the company following US sanctions on companies owned or controlled by Oleg Deripaska. According to Russian news source Vedomosti, one of the effects is the supply of electric buses to Moscow as ...
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FeatureDeal or no deal – LSPs should prepare for Brexit now
Logistics providers reading the headlines about Brexit may well feel uncertain about how their business needs to transform. A range of potential outcomes, from a soft Brexit to no deal, makes it difficult to know what the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU will look like. Although much is ...
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FeatureKuehne + Nagel builds in blockchain
Logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel is applying blockchain technology to upgrade its existing Verified Gross Mass (VGM) portal. VGM is the weight of cargo, including the dunnage, bracing and tare weight of the container.Since 2016, the IMO has enforced the regulation that requires the shipper to provide the weight of ...
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FeatureRussians drop US dollar for components purchases
Russian Trade and Industry minister Denis Manturov (pictured) has revealed that many Russian automotive manufacturers are increasingly using national currencies, rather than the US dollar, to pay for imported components. The move has been prompted by recent US sanctions on Russia.Several companies have so far announced the policy, trade with ...
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FeatureWLTP: lower emissions, greater challenges
Emissions targets for OEMs are tighter and the method for testing efficiency is more stringent than ever before. As of the start of this month (September), all new vehicles must adhere to New Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) standards, which provide ‘real world’ fuel consumption figures and, therefore, ...
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FeatureEEU cuts import duties but trade within bloc is in dispute
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) has officially cut duties on finished vehicles being imported into the bloc from 20% to 17%. The rule took effect from September 1 this year, while a further reduction to 15% is proposed to take place at the same time in 2019. The EEU comprises ...
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FeatureTrump rejects tariff offer in trans-Atlantic car trade
Donald Trump has rejected an EU offer to eliminate tariffs on cars, saying the proposal is not good enough.Trump said that ending duties on US car imports into the EU would do little to help the automotive industry in the US because Europeans would still not buy American-made cars. “Their ...
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FeatureFord cancels Focus imports to US from China
Ford has scrapped plans to export the Focus Active model from China to the US because of tariffs of 25% being imposed by the US government. Exports from China were due to begin next year following plans first announced in 2017, when the carmaker decided to supply the car from ...
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FeatureV8 engine production restarted at Scania
Swedish truckmaker Scania is trying to reduce the order backlog for trucks, and industrial and marine V8 engines, because of a strike at an unnamed supplier of cast engine components, which began on June 14 and is reportedly continuing. However, last week the supplier started to produce engine blocks for ...
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FeatureChangjiu Chuzhou to start making convertible trailers
Chinese firm Changjiu Chuzhou Special Vehicle Manufacturing (SVM) and Convertible Trailer Manufacturing Worldwide (CTM) have signed an agreement for the former to start producing convertible trailers for the Chinese market. Wang Xin, CEO of Changjiu Chuzhou Special Vehicle Manufacturing (left), signs MOU with Bill Pawluk, CEO of CTMCTM, which is ...
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FeatureUS announces tentative deal with Mexico
Following a year of renegotiations over the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), the US administration has this week outlined the basics of a new bilateral agreement with Mexico on trade in agriculture and manufactured goods, including finished vehicles and automotive parts.The move follows President Trump’s rejection of the existing ...
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FeatureStandoff between the US and Turkey raises questions for OEMs
The collapse in the value of the Turkish lira and the political stand-off between Turkey and the US have some potentially serious consequences for the continued growth of the automotive sector in the country.Car and light van production in Turkey has grown steadily in recent years, to around 1.4-1.5m vehicles ...
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FeatureSpanish authorities impose fines at Vigo
Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has imposed fines on five stevedoring companies and five port unions for colluding to restrict competition at the port of Vigo and keep prices unnaturally high.The CNMC said their collusion had prevented the loading and unloading of finished vehicles from vessels other ...
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FeatureAnu Goel: the highs and lows
What have been some of the high points in logistics in your career?One is the swing toward providing a level of service that customers expect, as opposed to providing a level of service that we either think they need or that the system can provide. Those are two different ...
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FeatureBattling a perfect storm
The finished vehicle sector in North America is dealing with a lot of challenges at the moment. There is a basic imbalance in the number of vehicles that the US imports and exports with its global trading partners, which contributes to ongoing problems involving congestion and limited capacity on hinterland ...