Tag: Worldwide

U.S., Latin America at key juncture for Free Trade

Posted by | Jun 12, 2007 | |

The United States, Canada and Latin America can form the world’s next great trading bloc, but only if the various nations move quickly to improve their transportation infrastructures and simplify customs requirements, the chief executive of UPS said today.

“But it is clear the Americas are at a crossroads,” Eskew continued. “Although we’re neighbors, our border and customs policies make it sometimes seem like we’re enemies. We have so many complicated customs and security requirements in place that it’s often easier to import goods from Europe or Asia … The choices are to adapt, or become irrelevant.”

The trade issues facing the region are particularly nettlesome, the CEO added, because they are impeding what should be clear “built-in advantages.”

The chief executive noted the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada and Mexico already has created the second-biggest trading bloc in the world behind the European Union “and accounts for far more trade than the U.S. conducts with China.”

“And between 1997 and 2020, Latin America’s real Gross Domestic Product is expected to grow 4.4 percent annually. That’s faster economic growth than Asia at 3.6 percent and much faster than the 2.8 percent global average.”

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Swiss intermodal operators on a roll

Posted by | Jun 12, 2007 | |

Swiss intermodal operators no longer need subsidies from their government, because intermodal is performing so well, according to operator Hupac.

Bernhard Kunz, director of Hupac, said the success was partly thanks to a pro-rail freight policy by the Swiss government that included substantial investments in both terminals and infrastructure.

Three years ago, rail freight volumes surpassed those of road in Switzerland.

Hupac is planning to invest EUR 44m (USD 56m) a year by 2010 in new terminal infrastructure and rolling stock.

The Swiss government is currently funding vital infrastructure developments including two tunnels, one of which is being inaugurated this week, the second in 2017.
Hupac currently moves around 1.1m teu of goods a year around Europe, using 100 trains with dedicated terminals and IT systems.

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Poland, Bulgaria and Croatia now on tourists’ most wanted list as currency sales boom

Posted by | Jun 12, 2007 | |

Tourists are heading east on holiday to a trio of former Eastern bloc countries in search of low prices and new sights to stimulate sore eyes. With currency sales close to double last year’s levels, Poland heads the Post Office® list of Fastest Growing Currencies, with Bulgaria and Croatia in fast pursuit.

Further east still, three long haul destinations – China, Egypt and Dubai – complete the line up of currencies whose growth levels are outstripping those of traditional favourites like Spain and Greece.

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DMA asks USPS to extend rate relief for flats

Posted by | Jun 12, 2007 | |

The Direct Marketing Association is calling on the U.S. Postal Service’s Governors to quickly implement the rate reductions recommended by the Postal Regulatory Commission for Standard Mail flats. The DMA is also asking that the temporary rate relief be extended beyond the Sept. 29 deadline recommended by the PRC.

The PRC’s Second Opinion and Recommended Decision on Reconsideration, which was issued May 25, establishes a transitional temporary rate reduction of 3 cents for all Standard Mail Regular flats and 2 cents for Standard Regular nonprofit flats.

In a letter to the Governors submitted June 4, the DMA asked them to approve the rate reduction without the deadline, leaving it in effect until the next postal rate change, likely in mid-2008, under the new procedures established by the postal reform law, which was signed by President Bush on December 20.

However, the DMA also cautioned that the temporary discounts offered to flat mailers would only postpone substantial cuts in mailing volumes and a further decrease in revenues for the USPS.

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Posts and electronic services go hand-in-hand

Posted by | Jun 11, 2007 | |

Some 150 people attended a conference on the postal sector and the information society, organized on Friday 8 June at UPU headquarters in Berne.

E-Commerce development, Internet security, identity authentication, delivery of merchandise bought online, protection of personal data, and partnerships to be explored were among the many topics discussed during the conference organized by the UPU in cooperation with the International Telecom-munications Union. The discussions brought to light many opportunities and issues facing companies that have gone the e-business route and for which the postal sector, with the help of the UPU, could bring solutions through more standardization as well as improvements to quality of service and security.

In their presentations, the Canadian, Tunisian, Italian and Korean Posts showed how they used new technologies to develop innovative services that responded to customers’ needs. For example, the Korean Post has developed systems such as PostNet to better manage its mail operations and ePost to facilitate Internet access through post offices. With the creation of its electronic bank, today close to 67% of all postal financial transactions are electronic. The Korean Post now wants to become ubiquitous thanks to its u-Post project, which relies on radio-frequency identification technology.

eBay International explained how the company maintains a very close relationship with postal services for the delivery of merchandise bought on eBay sites, while Ernst & Young talked about the evolution of cyberspace security and improvements made to better protect electronic data.

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