All Policy and regulation articles – Page 47
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Mexico conference: Freeing trade from all points
After more than five years of negotiations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was finally agreed last year across 12 countries in the Americas and Asia. Once the landmark agreement is ratified by national governments, it could reshape trade patterns across the Pacific.For the Mexican automotive industry, TPP brings the opportunity to ...
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FeatureMexico conference: reaching the exponential phase
Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal (pictured), Mexico’s secretary of the economy under its president Enrique Peña Nieto, gave a brief history of the country’s automotive industry while speaking at Automotive Logistics Mexico 2016. First there was the ‘construction phase’ that started in the 1960s with several automotive decrees that led to the ...
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ECG column: A call to action
Only a united and inclusive association, with a multitude of active participants, can resolve the concerns of its members, writes ECG president Costantino Baldissara (far right, with vice-president Wolfgang Göbel)Every industry association is fuelled, not only by the energy of its secretariat, but by the will and dynamism of its ...
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ThyssenKrupp makes further investment in Mexico for regional supply
Vehicle components supplier, ThyssenKrupp, is deepening its footprint in Mexico with the announcement of a €70m ($75.6m) steering systems plant in Puebla that is expected to open early next year. The plant will produce around 1.4m electric power-assisted steering systems per year by 2018 for supply to OEMs in North ...
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FeatureCanada: Changing with the scenery
It may be at a similar level of development, but Canada is a different logistical landscape to the US, and its changing production patterns mean providers have to work harder to remain efficientWhen considering North America’s vehicle logistics network, emphasis is most obviously put on the US, the world’s largest ...
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Nissan North America part 5: Carrying the weight of expectation
Christopher Ludwig highlights global supply and production coordination within the Renault Nissan Alliance, and how Mexican efficiency helps keep US operations lean and keen.In recent years, the Renault Nissan Alliance has accelerated integration across its organisations, including the combination of management functions, as well as implementing cross-production and supply, common ...
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Nissan North America part 3: The search for southern comfort
Nissan has been trying to draw suppliers from the Midwest closer to its US operations since as far back as 1983. Today, the carmaker’s huge volume, together with its new Integrated Logistics Centres at plants, could make it a more attractive proposition.Within John Martin’s wide remit as Nissan’s head of ...
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Faurecia: The power of four into one
Tier one supplier Faurecia is consolidating its North American logistics network in a bid to reduce logistics costs, optimise its networks, and build better relationships with carriersFaurecia, based in Nanterre, France, is among the world’s largest tier suppliers, ranking seventh globally for 2014, according to the latest Automotive News list ...
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North America: Staying flexible in a challenging landscape
Against the backdrop of a recent rise in ground count and decrease in overall velocity, rail operators and equipment suppliers must innovate and invest to meet carmaker’s demands. Anthony Coia and Christopher Ludwig report.North America remains the world’s most dynamic and important market for vehicle logistics by rail. Although the ...
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FeatureRo-ro by numbers: Through the storm but never far from the rock
After navigating unchartered water following the global financial collapse, carriers are now back on the lookout for growth, albeit in an increasingly fractured market.During the past decade ro-ro shipping lines, and in particular pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs), have sailed a rough and wild current. In brief, the sector ...
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FeatureECG column: Rewind to look forward
ECG president Costantino Baldissara (far right, with vice-president Wolfgang Göbel) reflects on the good, the bad, and the frustrating events of the last ten yearsCongratulations to Finished Vehicle Logistics on ten years of coverage of our industry. This is also the 18th year of ECG so we are a (little) ...
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FeatureTPP trade deal is signed by Pacific Rim countries
The biggest trade deal in decades was signed in Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia, on Monday this week when the 12 Pacific Rim countries that have been involved in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks since 2010 finally came to an agreement.“With today’s successful conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, ...
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FeaturePanel discussion: where is the industry heading?
The automotive logistics industry is well known for being evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Change doesn’t happen overnight and this is not likely to change any time soon. However, technology is moving fast and although adoption throughout the supply chain has been slow so far, OEMs and LSPs are confident that ...
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FeatureMore needs to be done to reduce waste in the outbound sector
All aspects of the automotive industry generate waste, whether that is environmental, in terms of productivity, or in business; and logistics and the supply chain are not exceptions. While efforts by OEMs, suppliers, and logistics service providers to reduce waste have significantly stepped up over the past few years, more ...
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FeatureComing to an automotive supply chain near you
The 16th Automotive Logistics Global conference, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, brought together an industry growing and with positive outlooks. However, the potential changes heralded by the digital economy could upend business as usual. The question is when? Discussing disruption: (l to r) XPO's Bradley Jacobs; UTi's Ed ...
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FeaturePositive signs for US-Mexico cross border material flow
[Updated 28th September] Mexico is set to be the United States’ largest trading partner by 2018. Last year, 20 years after the NAFTA agreement was signed, trade between the two countries hit $592 billion, closing in on the $660 billion in trade between the US and Canada. The automotive industry ...
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FeatureThe 'X' factors of port efficiency
Speakers at the 2015 Import Export North American conference in Baltimore pointed to the need to improve visibility in the international vehicle logistics chain, and to work closely together ahead of what could be major changes to import and export patterns. Christopher Ludwig and Rachael Hogg report from Baltimore ...
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FeatureAuto supply chain dispute a factor in failure of TPP talks
Last week’s Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which were held in Hawaii, failed to find resolution, partially because of a dispute over vehicle trade between North American and Japan related to NAFTA rules of origin.The TPP negotiations are an effort by 12 nations trading on the Pacific Rim to find ...
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FeatureRobert Fink leads Surgere expansion in India
Robert Fink, director of technology and performance at Surgere, will lead a new team in India, under Surgere Advanced Technologies (SAT), as the company expands its automotive manufacturing support.Fink joined the Surgere executive team in November 2014 and has more than 15 years of experience in technology management. Before his ...
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FeatureAmerican hauliers: Adding up the miles
Constraints on rail capacity and changing demand could see road hauliers covering greater distances, as well as facing greater challengesThe fact that the majority of volume vehicle movements in North America use rail – perhaps for 70-75% of miles covered, by some estimates – would suggest that most truck deliveries ...