Global Supply Chain Management

From Nepal to Nigeria, U.K. Aid Aims to Save 500,000 People From Slavery

December 8, 2017

Hundreds of thousands of people who have survived modern slavery or risk becoming enslaved in nations including Bangladesh, Nepal and Nigeria will receive support through a 40m pound ($54m) aid package, the British government said last week.

UPS, Overwhelmed by Online Orders, Warns of Delivery Delays

December 7, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

The delays show that delivery networks such as UPS, which are critical components of the e-commerce boom, are still struggling to cope with the busiest shopping periods despite heavy investment to build out and automate their operations and capacity.

Firms Get Guidance on Supply Chain Cybersecurity

December 6, 2017

Supply Management

The U.K. government has released guidance for businesses using cloud-enabled software such as data storage or anti-virus tools.

Disappearances Are Rising in the Pacific

December 6, 2017

Maritime Executive

The U.K.-based charity Human Rights at Sea has published its latest investigative report into the increasing number of deaths and disappearances of crew and fisheries observers in the Pacific Ocean.

Drewry: Freight Rates Hit 2017 High in October

December 6, 2017

Air Cargo World

Airfreight rates for East-West routes reached their highest level so far for the year in October, reaching $2.89 per kilo, as the impact of peak season demand began to be reflected in rising rates, according to Drewry’s latest East-West Airfreight Price Index report.

Cobalt Producer to Tackle Child Labor Concerns With Supply Probe

December 6, 2017

Bloomberg

Chinese cobalt refiner Yantai Cash Industrial Co. will demand suppliers show that their raw materials aren’t produced with child labor after the London Metal Exchange set a deadline for companies that ship to its warehouses to spell out efforts to combat the problem.

UPS Testing Sustainable Delivery System in Europe

December 5, 2017

Environmental Leader

UPS is testing a depot-to-door delivery system in central London. The Low Impact City Logistics project will reduce traffic congestion and emissions associated with urban package delivery by using a power-assisted delivery trailer. If successful, it could change the way packages are delivered in cities in the U.K.

Opinion: Truck Drivers Like Me Will Soon Be Replaced by Automation. You're Next.

December 5, 2017

Finn Murphy, trucker and author, Guardian contributor

I’ve been driving big trucks since shortly after my 21st birthday in 1980 and I always figured I’d be able to stay on the road until retirement. Now I’m not so sure. Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Daimler, Tesla, Uber, Ford and Toyota are all investing billions of dollars in driverless vehicles.

Toyota to Turn Cow Manure Into Hydrogen to Back Its Fuel Cell Vehicle Push

December 5, 2017

Forbes

Fuel cell cars and trucks are a tiny piece of the U.S. clean vehicle market, due in no small part to the limited number of hydrogen fuel stations in California, one of the few places they’re sold. To help fix that Toyota is building a first-of-its-kind refinery to make large quantities of the zero-emission fuel from a dirty source: cow manure.

Drugs Made in Mexican 'Superlabs' Are More Potent Than Ever, Fueling the Addiction Epidemic

December 5, 2017

Los Angeles Times

Ten years ago, the average gram of meth available in the U.S. was 39-percent pure. Today, it is being sold in a nearly pure state, manufactured in Mexican "superlabs" and smuggled across the border to feed an epidemic of addiction.