World Trade - February 2009 - (Page 12)

TRADEWINDS THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF TRADE Global Transport Ministers Meet to Discuss GHG Emissions U.S., CHINA, AND INDIA AMONG THOSE REPRESENTED Transport ministers from 22 nations met in Tokyo in late January to discuss how to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—over 20 percent of which are caused by the transportation sector. The ministers represented countries that account for about 70 percent of CO2 emissions of the global transport sector, including the U.S., China, and India. Airlines are responsible for about 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, and that amount is expected to increase with the popularity of air travel. Shipping’s share of global emissions, meanwhile, is about 3 percent, equivalent to total industrial emissions from Germany, although the industry is trying to trim fuel use through better hull designs, cleaner fuels, and simple measures such as installing more efﬁcient lighting onboard. with ocean carriers has been postponed due to dwindling cargo volumes. However, Germany’s state railway Deutsche Bahn said the service would eventually start up once economic conditions improved. The rail link between China and Hamburg with connections to Nuremburg and Duisburg is aimed at automakers, chemical companies, appliance manufacturers, and textile producers. Ocean cargo transit times between China and Germany average about 32 days, compared to the 19 or 20 days the rail link will offer once it’s launched. Slovakia Newest Member of Euro Zone POLAND, HUNGARY COULD FOLLOW On January 1, Slovakia became the sixteenth member to join the euro zone and the first country in central Europe to adopt the euro. However, it also ranks as the poorest country in the euro zone, with roughly 67 percent of the euro zone’s average GDP. Poland and Hungary are also likely candidates to join the euro zone, say economists, as the governments of both countries have indicated they would like to enter the so-called European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), a fixed exchange rate ‘waiting room’ for the euro. Launch of ChinaGermany Rail Freight Service Postponed ECONOMIC DOWNTURN TO BLAME The launch of container rail service between China and Germany designed to compete Transportation Services Index (TSI) July 112.9 August 110.8 October September 109.1 108.0 BIFA Supports Third Runway for Heathrow ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS PENDING The British International Freight Association (BIFA), an industry group, is supporting the UK government’s decision to allow a third runway at Heathrow airport. However, the director general of the BIFA points out that the stringent environmental conditions attached to the project, the possibility that a future administration could reverse the decision, and the likelihood of a lengthy planning process means that the decision is not yet a ‘done deal.’ Heathrow currently ranks fourth in Europe for airfreight throughput, and the new runway would help the airport January 111.5 December 108.8 February 111.5 March 109.4 April 109.4 May 111.4 June 111.5 November 107.6 DECEMBER 2007 – NOVEMBER 2008 The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 1.4 percent in November to a level of 107.6 (2000=100), falling after a one month rise, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) ofﬁce. TSI is a single seasonally adjusted index of the month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries, including railroad, air, truck, inland waterways, pipeline, and local transit. 12 WORLD TRADE FEBRUARY 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Trade - February 2009

World Trade - February 2009 Contents Taking Stock in America Confronting Corruption in Latin America Supply Chain Watch Tradewinds Where's the Goods? Where's the Money? Hope on the Horizon Managing Fleets in Turbulent Times The Impact of China's Economic Slowdown on U.S. Supply Chains The Fuel Volatile Supply Chain Getting the Most from On-the-Fly Transactions Managing Supply Chain Risk by Managing China Sourcing Capacity OECD Global Economic Outlook for 2009 'Natural' Agricultural Monopolies No More

World Trade - February 2009

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