All Policy and regulation articles – Page 37
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FeatureThird-party logistics: An ever-evolving partnership
What's in a name?Dating from the 1970s, the term ‘third-party logistics provider’ (3PL) grew swiftly in importance and usage and was even seen as marketable at one time.Management consultants Accenture registered the term 3PL as a trademark in 1996, defining it as “a supply chain integrator that assembles and manages ...
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FeatureThis changing world…
Click here to access more Automotive Logistics 20th anniversary featuresOver the past two decades a number of major global events have had a significant impact on global automotive supply chains, from new technologies, external disruptors entering the industry, catastrophes (both manmade and natural), and political earthquakes.There is little doubt ...
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FeatureBeijing Changjiu Logistics: Independence, investment and internationalisation
Beijing Changjiu Logistics has grown to become one of the largest third-party providers serving the automotive sector in China, both for handling parts and especially for finished vehicles, of which last year it moved 3.08m. The company began its life in 1992 as Jilin Changjiu Logistics but registered as Beijing ...
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FeatureFTA issues trade checklist in response to government statements on independence
In response to the UK government’s latest statements on trading and customs post-Brexit, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has issued a list of conditions it says are needed to secure continued trade in the UK. James Hookham, the FTA’s deputy chief executiveEarlier this week the government issued a white paper ...
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FeatureGefco opens sequencing warehouse in Liverpool with a view to the future
Transport and logistics provider Gefco has opened a £10m ($13.2m) warehouse and sequencing centre in Speke near Liverpool, in the UK which is currently supplying components to Jaguar Land Rover’s plant in nearby Halewood. At an event held to mark the opening last week Gefco executives talked about the latest ...
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FeatureKobe’s data manipulation halts shipments, ripples through Japanese industry
Car manufacturers in Japan are checking the extent to which they are affected by using incorrectly certified parts from Kobe Steel that has brought a halt to its shipments and could have impacts across the supply chain in Japan.Internal quality and government-ordered safety checks are being carried out after the ...
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FeatureLiving in interesting times
With the shadow of a hard Brexit hanging over the UK, the question of how it will maintain a competitive automotive sector into the next decade is harder to answer than ever…
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FeatureChanges are the only certainty at Ford of Europe
Dirk Willmann, director of material planning and logistics for Ford Europe, outlines how the carmaker is improving visibility and adapting its vehicle logistics network across Europe to better manage customer demand and trade uncertainties.
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FeatureFord of Europe: A system of strength and complexity
Dirk Willmann’s 25-year career with Ford has made him witness to the changing arc of the company’s supply chain in Europe and further afield, including more complicated material flows, new locations and footprint changes, as well as advances in technology.
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FeatureMini plant, huge complexity
BMW’s Mini factory in Cowley, near Oxford in southern England, is a striking example of managing high levels of supply chain and production complexity, set against space constraints and long lead times for inbound parts delivery and exports of vehicles.However, thanks to well-defined supply and logistics processes, along with strong ...
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FeatureMexico rail vs sea: No easy route for exports
Figures from the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA) show that between January and June this year, more than 85% of the passenger cars and light trucks made in the country were exported to the US and Canada – equal to almost 1.3m units out of a production total of nearly ...
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FeatureUS car carriers: Driven to deliver
The US car market is forecast to contract slightly over the next two to three years, with sales set to fall from a high of 17.8m this year to around 16.3m in 2019, according to figures from industry analyst PwC. As OEMs cope with swelling inventory, the car carrier sector ...
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FeatureUK logistics industry cuts emissions with innovation funding
The freight, utilities and logistics industry in the UK contributes 31% of the total emissions polluting the environment and threatening the health of country's population but the good news is that trials are already underway on low emission goods vehicles, thanks to £24m ($32m) in funding through the government's innovation ...
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FeatureGeneral strike in Catalonia hits assembly at plants around Barcelona
This week’s general strike in the Spanish region of Catalonia has disrupted vehicle production in the region and distribution networks across the modes.Strike action began on Tuesday (October 3rd) in protest at the police violence that hit the region’s independence referendum on October 1st. Hundreds of people were injured as ...
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FeatureScania vows to appeal against EC's €880m fine for price-fixing
Volkswagen-owned commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania has said it will appeal against a European Commission fine of just over €880m ($1.04 billion) for its role in an alleged truckmaking cartel that is said to have lasted 14 years.In late September, the EC said its long-running investigation had found that Scania had ...
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FeatureBrexit casts shadow over outlook in automotive and logistics sectors
A new report out this week from global law firm Baker McKenzie has suggested that annual revenues from UK automotive exports could fall by nearly £8 billion ($10.6 billion) if negotiations with the EU follow a ‘hard Brexit’ line. At the same time, a separate report from Barclays Corporate Banking ...
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FeatureAn aftermarket network rebuilt for rapid response at BMW
An interview with Wolfgang Baumann, vice-president of parts logistics management and responsible for the global supply of service parts for the BMW Group
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FeatureVolkswagen pulls the plug on exports from Russia
VW has announced it will cease exports of finished vehicles from Russia in a few weeks’ time, as a result of high raw materials costs, quality issues and differing emissions standards.Speaking to local news outlet Interfax recently, Oliver Grunberg, technical director of Volkswagen Group Rus, said: “The last batch of ...
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FeatureHöegh Autoliners settles with US authorities after cartel investigation
Shipping company Höegh Autoliners has agreed a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after a price-fixing investigation dating back five years.The company has agreed to pay $21m in fines related to exports from the US to the Middle East, following the DOJ’s investigation into the car carrier industry ...
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FeatureGreenpeace protestors board ro-ro vessel carrying VW diesel vehicles
Greenpeace activists have boarded a ro-ro vessel in the UK’s Thames Estuary carrying Volkswagen diesel-engine passenger vehicles for the UK.A group of 25 volunteers in kayaks and boats surrounded the 23,000 tonne ship owned by K-Line’s European short-sea subsidiary, KESS, and attempted to stop the Volkswagen cars from entering the ...