BYD Spotlights Veterans in Worker Population

November 11th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

Build Your Dreams (BYD) continues setting the bar higher for competing battery-electric vehicle manufacturers, as the company now boasts being the only one representing both a union workforce and agreement dedicated to simplifying and creating opportunities for veterans seeking to enter into the manufacturing sector. The agreement is known as the Community Benefits Agreement and is a joint effort between BYD, SMART Local 65, and Jobs to Move America. The BYD veteran workforce is supported directly from nonprofit Helmets to Hard Hats focusing on assisting military personnel during the civilian transition.

“Our coalition recognizes how difficult it is for many veterans to find good jobs after their service,” said Hector Huezo, JMA’s senior workforce equity coordinator. “That’s why we were excited to team up with BYD and other partners to create a pipeline for veterans
that benefits all of our communities. Together, we’ve been able to help veterans and other disadvantaged workers get good-paying, high-quality jobs that have allowed them to support their families.”

BYD is proud to report that veterans represent support for the company in a variety of departments including factory floor jobs as welding, warehousing, and assembly work to the offices as well as sales, material planning and control, and human resources.

“BYD knows what veterans bring to the table,” said Patrick Duan, Vice President, Operations and SkyRail. “They have leadership skills. They are mission-driven and they work well under pressure. They have the ability to adapt existing skills and learn new ones. We are proud to have veterans as part of our workforce.”

“It’s nice to see hope in everyone’s faces when they see how much opportunity this company has given to not just our workers but our community and vets,” said Army veteran Daniel Moran.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

UPS Launches Access Point Rewards Program for Increased Holiday Support

November 11th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

UPS customers gearing up for the upcoming holiday season are being encouraged to keep things simple in terms of shipping through the utilization of the UPS Access Point® network through the UPS My Choice® service. By doing so, consumers can expect up to $35 in value rewards back from the shipping company from Target eGift cards to upgraded deliveries via a free UPS My Choice Premium membership.

“UPS understands that busy consumers increasingly need choice, control and convenience in the delivery process, especially during the holiday season,” said Kevin Warren, UPS’s chief marketing officer. “With the expanded UPS Access Point network, they get that, as well as the added bonus of not having to worry about package security, missed deliveries or hiding presents until the right time.”

The added rewards in conjunction with the Access Point network are direct initiatives supporting the needs of UPS consumers. Customers are currently offered more than 15,000 convenient pick-up destinations through the Access Point network. A survey conducted earlier this year revealed 20 percent of global shoppers expressed alternate delivery location preferences to home delivery. The Access Point network and now rewards program are direct responses to fulfill consumer demands.

To take advantage of the rewards program, consumers are encouraged to enroll (for free) in the UPS My Choice® service for global delivery options access. An email will be sent to eligible rewards members in January 2020 with information on redeeming their rewards. To learn more about the holiday program, please visit: ups.com

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

BYD & Toyota Collaborate for Electric Vehicles

November 8th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

Build Your Dreams (BYD) and Toyota released information this week confirming next steps behind a joint company that would ultimately support battery electric vehicle research and the creation of BEVs and related parts.

The R&D company will comprise of transferred engineers and total needed capital will be shared 50/50 among the two companies. Build Your Dreams and Toyota both have notable accomplishments in supporting an eco-friendly atmosphere, including Toyota’s Prius – the first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle, and BYD’s manufacturing of energy storage cells and electric vehicles. BYD is responsible for the first mass production of plug-in hybrid electrified vehicles and boasts four consecutive years of first-place sales rankings for its BEVs and PHEVs.

“We aim to combine BYD’s strengths in development and competitiveness in the battery electric vehicle market with Toyota’s quality and safety technology to provide the best BEV products for the market demand and consumer affection as early as we can,” stated BYD senior vice president Lian Yu-bo.

Additional information released confirmed the joint R&D company’s headquarters will be in China beginning in 2020 and ultimately support further efforts for Toyota’s vision of global electrification.

“With the same goal to further promote the widespread use of electrified vehicles, we appreciate that BYD and Toyota can become “teammates,” able to put aside our rivalry and collaborate. We hope to further advance and expand both BYD and Toyota from the efforts of the new company with BYD,” concluded Toyota executive vice president Shigeki Terashi.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

CaseWare’s AnalyticsAI Provides New Level of Audit Visibility

October 30th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

Risk mitigation in digital auditing processes is taken to a whole new level through the most recent release, AnalyticsAI, from software solutions provider CaseWare International. AnalyticsAI provides professionals consolidated audit processes by enabling auditors to perform analytics throughout an engagement, eliminating the separation of functions all while ensuring compliance is met.

“We’re bringing this groundbreaking technology to market to address a new reality: conventional auditing processes simply cannot keep pace with the volume of data generated in today’s digital business environment,” said Matt Dodds, CaseWare IDEA General Manager. “We’ve designed AnalyticsAI so anyone on the audit team can use it to easily spot exceptions in client data that warrant further investigation and indicate areas of higher risk.”

AnalyticsAI challenges other audit tools in that it analyzes 100 percent of transactions rather than smaller subsets of information. Additional features of AnalyticsAI includes customized analysis for what’s being audited – with the option to increase the risk score of ‘influencer’ accounts, multi-user capabilities for transactions, interest area isolation capabilities, and more.

“AnalyticsAI will even identify anomalies outside of the parameters of the audit, allowing for higher quality and more efficient bookkeeping overall,” added Hampton.

“One of the advantages of being able to tie AnalyticsAI and IDEA together is that it takes away the notion of the ‘black box’ – the primary criticism of AI products on the audit market today,” said Matt Dodds, adding that data scientists can easily go behind the scenes to dive deeper into the results reported by AnalyticsAI. “If further investigation of the data is needed, they simply move the data over and slice and dice it in IDEA,” he said.

AnalyticsAI will make its appearance in North America, Europe, and Asia with CaseWare’s global network to follow.

To read more about AnalyticsAI, please visit: caseware.com

Archives, Executive Education, Global Trade Daily

Disruptors, Problem-Solvers, & Up-and-Comers: What to Expect at RILA/LINK 2020

October 18th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

Known as The Retail Supply Chain Conference, the 2020 Retail Industry Leaders Association’s (RILA) LINK show gathers leading retail players for an event that goes far beyond networking. The annual RILA/LINK conference will be held from Feb. 23-26, 2020, at the Gaylord Texan Resort, one of the premier conference centers in Dallas.

The conference boasts a global and domestic attendee presence consisting of exclusive RILA members, executive keynote speakers and supply chain professionals in search of the latest and greatest innovations, resources and partners. More than 1,800 attendees are expected so far.

Participants can anticipate more than 300 solutions providers, 155-plus leading retailers, dozens of breakout sessions and more keynote speakers than one can count on their hands. Among the speakers currently lined up include Levi Strauss & Co. President and CEO Chip Bergh as a keynote speaker and seminar leader, educator and business guru Dr. Dale Henry as a general session speaker.

Innovation, industry disruptors, retail up-and-comers, economic growth, environmental sustainability and competition are among the RILA focus areas and are part of the topics anticipated for the conference to address.

Hundreds of exhibitors from around the globe will showcase the latest innovation, retail and supply chain solutions and expertise at the show. Among the big names to look out for include: Descartes Systems USA, Amber Road, APL Logistics, Approved Freight Forwarders, Bastian Solutions, BluJay Solutions, CN, FedEx Corp., Georgia Ports Authority, Port Everglades, Port Tampa Bay, Port of Baltimore, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and many more. DHL serves as the Title Sponsor for the 2020 conference, following suit from last year’s event in Kissimmee, Florida.

LINK 2019 put a spotlight on many of the issues retail and supply chain players are still learning to navigate to this very day. Of these issues, trade tariffs, customer relations and innovation remain high on the list of significant disruptors showing no signs of going away. The retail ecosystem is continuously evolving without warning. The customers of yesterday are greeted with new and competitive offerings to gain their loyalty and without the knowledge of experts and peers, it seems nearly impossible to keep up.

Jennifer Safavian, RILA executive vice president of Government Affairs, issued a firm statement in a recent press release from the association, commenting on the current situation in the trade war and how it continues impacting industry players and customers by taking actions one step further. The following announcement is being attributed for ultimately delaying the imposition of President Trump’s proposed tariffs for another month:

“The damaged caused by the trade war is escalating. Economic indicators continue to signal a slow-down in growth. Investors are skittish, markets are volatile and uncertainty over tariffs is stalling business investments and job creation. Consumer confidence is the one pillar of strength in the U.S. economy, and the president’s tariff strategy is threatening that as higher prices will be imposed on consumer goods with increased tariffs.”

As the retail sector changes, RILA and its 200+ members of retailers, manufacturers and suppliers are ready and prepared for the next step in ensuring success and establishing a competitive edge. Furthermore, the executive team at RILA is ready to stand up on behalf of global retailers. If your company is involved in supply chain logistics or retail in any way, RILA’s 2020 LINK Conference is a no-brainer. Registration is now open, secure your spot today!

Archives, Dispatches, Global Trade Daily

NEWTREND USA VINDICATED BY CBP’S FINDING OF NO EVASION

October 18th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

City of Industry, California-based Newtrend USA Co. Ltd., a leading producer of fine chemical products, announced Sept. 30 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) found no merit to the transshipment allegations made against it by its competitor, Salvi Chemical Industries Ltd.

In September 2018, Salvi alleged to CBP that Newtrend evaded payment of antidumping duty cash deposits by transshipping Chinese-origin glycine through Thailand. That complaint initiated a CBP Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigation in which the government required Newtrend Thailand to prove that it was not transshipping glycine produced in China.

The EAPA probe confirmed that Newtrend only manufactures and ships glycine to the U.S. manufactured at its affiliate in Thailand, Newtrend Food Ingredient Co., Ltd.

“Newtrend is gratified with the outcome,” says Douglas Heffner, chairman of the U.S. Customs and International Trade practice at Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP, who represented the company. “They were confident they had operated in complete compliance with all regulations and are pleased to put this behind them.”

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

COMMERCE SUSPENDS INVESTIGATION INTO FRESH TOMATO IMPORTS FROM MEXICO

October 18th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

On Sept. 19, Commerce finalized an agreement with Mexican tomato growers to suspend the AD investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, halting the process for imposing antidumping duties on tomatoes from Mexico.

“Today’s successful outcome validates the administration’s strong and smart approach to negotiating trade deals,” Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said. “The department’s action brought the Mexican growers to the negotiating table and led to a result that protects U.S. tomato producers from unfair trade. It also removes major uncertainties for the Mexican growers and their workers.”

The suspension agreement completely eliminates the injurious effects of unfairly priced Mexican tomatoes, prevents price suppression and undercutting, and eliminates substantially all dumping, while allowing Commerce to audit up to 80 Mexican tomato producers and U.S. sellers per quarter, or more with good cause.

In addition, the agreement also closes loopholes from past suspension agreements that permitted sales below the reference prices in certain circumstances, and includes an inspection mechanism to prevent the importation of low-quality, poor-condition tomatoes from Mexico, which can have price-suppressive effects on the market.

The probe came from a Nov. 14, 2018, request from the Florida Tomato Exchange.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY CHAO COMMEMORATES ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

October 9th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao marked the 60th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the U.S.-Canadian waterway, at a Sept. 24 ceremony at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York.

“For 60 years, the St. Lawrence Seaway has been a safe and reliable gateway for global commerce, further demonstrating our nation’s strong and strategic partnership with Canada,” Chao said.

She was joined by Transport Canada Director General of Marine Policy Marc-Yves Bertin, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-New York), U.S. Seaway Deputy Administrator Craig Middlebrook, Canadian Seaway President and CEO Terence Bowles and U.S. and Canadian government and transportation officials.

Chao and Representative Stefanik also used the event to announce $6 million in funding for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. to construct a new Visitors’ Center at the U.S. Eisenhower Lock. This new center will welcome the tens of thousands of people from around the world who come to watch ships transit the lock each year, and serve as a cornerstone for tourism in the North Country region of New York.

The bi-national waterway was officially opened in 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It has been proclaimed as one of the 10 most outstanding engineering achievements of the past 100 years. Since its inception, nearly 3 billion tons of cargo, valued at over $450 billion, have been transported via the Seaway.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

COMMERCE ISSUES PRELIMINARY DETERMINATIONS IN PROBES OF DRIED TART CHERRY IMPORTS FROM TURKEY

October 9th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Sept. 23 announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of dried tart cherries from Turkey, finding that exporters sold dried tart cherries at less than fair value at rates ranging from 541.29 to 648.35 percent and received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 204.93 percent.

Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of dried tart cherries from Turkey based on these preliminary rates.

Investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by the Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee, whose members include Cherry Central Cooperative (Traverse City, Michigan), Graceland Fruit, Inc. (Frankfort, Michigan), Payson Fruit Growers Coop (Payson, Utah), Shoreline Fruit, LLC (Traverse City, Michigan) and Smeltzer Orchard Co. (Frankfort, Michigan). In 2018, imports of dried tart cherries from Turkey were valued at an estimated $1.2 million.

Commerce is scheduled to announce its final AD and CVD determinations on or about Dec. 5. If affirmative final determinations are made, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about Jan. 21, 2020. Only if both Commerce and the ITC make affirmative final injury determinations will AD and CVD orders be issued. Any negative final determinations end the investigations with no orders issued.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

UPS Flight Forward Boasts First-Ever Part 135 Standard Certification

October 6th, 2019 GT Staff Leave a comment

Drones continue to make news headlines with the latest announcement from UPS Flight Forward, Inc. confirming the first-ever government-approved Part 135 Standard certification awarded by the FAA earlier this week. This certification – which is known as the highest level, supports the UPS subsidiary to further opportunities in drone deliveries including operating drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS).

“This is history in the making, and we aren’t done yet,” said David Abney, UPS chief executive officer. “Our technology is opening doors for UPS and solving problems in unique ways for our customers. We will soon announce other steps to build out our infrastructure, expand services for healthcare customers and put drones to new uses in the future.”

UPS Flight Forward deployed the first BVLOS drone delivery to WakeMed’s hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina shortly after receiving the certification. The government-exempted BVLOS flight was carried out by Matternet’s M2 quadcopter. UPS partnered with drone creator Matternet earlier this year to expand supporting healthcare delivery operations specifically for WakeMed’s hospital campus. These operations further reiterate the demand for efficient, speedy deliveries for the medical industry and its patients.

“UPS Flight Forward is benefitting from our knowledge as one of the world’s leading airlines. The Flight Forward organization is building a full-scale drone operation based on the rigorous reliability, safety, and control requirements of the FAA,” Abney said.

The Part 135 Standard certification carries significant advantages with minimal restrictions to UPS, such as no limits on the scale of operations, unlimited numbers of drones and remote operators, cargo weights exceeding 55 pounds, and more. By obtaining this certification, common barriers associated with drone deliveries are eliminated.

“This is a big step forward in safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems into our airspace, expanding access to healthcare in North Carolina and building on the success of the national UAS Integration Pilot Program to maintain American leadership in unmanned aviation,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

BYD Spotlights Veterans in Worker Population

most viewed today