Seized vehicles. Bribes. Dayslong delays. Moving goods across Indian states isn't exactly easy and that's a major barrier to economic growth.

Logistics technology provider Teknowlogi has launched its Logistics Expert System (LES) - a logistics supply chain analytics platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) decision-making technology. The same technology has already been deployed in medical diagnosis and stock trading.

Challenge: Transit delays and increased inspections by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) caused supply chain disruptions for a leading essential oils wholesaler. CBP requests for information and action had been received, and there were documentation errors. Customs brokerage fees were costly.

Challenge: The Liebherr LR11350 is one of the most powerful cranes in existence. To ship this 1,488 ton load from the factory door in Germany, through the Port of Hamburg and to the Port of Mobile, Alabama, every piece had to move together - which ultimately meant a heavy-haul ocean transport.

Shipping goods across borders with reusable containers and tracking systems is better for the environment, consumers and companies, yet differential treatment by customs authorities can be detrimental for business, says the International Chamber of Commerce.

The gap between the top-performing airfreight forwarders and those at the bottom, in terms of profit margins, appears to be growing wider, and may continue doing so for the next few years, according to results of a recent poll by Descartes Software and the U.S. Airforwarders Association (AfA).