Many private companies have not implemented risk management practices that can help protect them from exposure to lawsuits and government fines, a survey by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has found.

Mitigating the risk of sanctions under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is a core concern in every international commercial transaction, including cross-border distribution and franchising relationships.

More than 30 years ago, when I began writing about transportation and logistics, one of the first pieces that I did was about the imminent demise of the U.S. merchant marine. Today, I find myself addressing the same issue. As industries go, this has got to be one of the slowest deaths on record.

A maritime attack from Al-Qaeda or other affiliate terrorist groups is now increasingly likely, maritime security firm Gulf of Aden Group Transits (GoAGT) has warned.

The nation's transportation infrastructure is in dire shape.

Across industries, manufacturers pride themselves on quality but put top emphasis on reducing overall costs. And while these may seem like conflicting priorities, they can be explained by the concurrent demands of the internal economic drivers of an organization and the external customer requirements for quality and efficiency. As such, these priorities are here to stay, especially as the consumer becomes increasingly empowered and publicly vocal. In recent years, product quality and safety have become tightly integrated with traceability and supplier scorecards. But for manufacturers with foresight to proactively implement a comprehensive traceability system before a contamination problem occurs, there is an opportunity to provide their organizations with the ability to dramatically improve response time, implement corrective measures, and minimize repercussions to the bottom line and the brand, should a problem arise.

It's been more than three years since the Obama Administration launched its National Export Initiative (NEI), with much ballyhoo. The stated goal of the massive effort was to double U.S. exports within five years - from $1.57tr in 2009 to a projected $3.14tn in 2015.