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Global Imports of Bitumen and Asphalt Fall Despite Increased Supplies to China and the U.S.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Global Imports of Bitumen and Asphalt Fall Despite Increased Supplies to China and the U.S.

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IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘World – Natural Bitumen And Natural Asphalt – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

Global imports of bitumen and asphalt went down by -15% y-o-y to 2.1M tonnes in 2020. In value terms, imports dropped to $918M. America holds leadership in global imports of bitumen and asphalt. The U.S., Romania, China and France were among the few countries that managed to ramp up import supplies. The average bitumen and asphalt import price grew by +15% y-o-y to $427 per tonne in 2020. Indonesia dominates the Chinese imports, while Greece, Canada and Spain provide the bulk of bitumen and asphalt imported to the U.S. 

Global Imports of Bitumen and Asphalt

Global bitumen and asphalt imports dropped rapidly to 2.1M tonnes in 2020, down by -15.2% against the previous year’s figure. In value terms, bitumen and asphalt imports dropped from $943M in 2019 to $918M (IndexBox estimates) in 2020.

The U.S. (578K tonnes), distantly followed by Saudi Arabia (275K tonnes), Egypt (193K tonnes), France (185K tonnes), Canada (174K tonnes), and China (168K tonnes) were the key importers of bitumen and asphalt, together creating 73% of total imports. The following importers – the UK (92K tonnes), Myanmar (72K tonnes), Romania (51K tonnes) and Viet Nam (48K tonnes) – together made up 12% of total imports.

The U.S., Romania, China and France managed to increase their import volume. Most other countries reduced the purchases from abroad.

In 2020, the U.S., China and Romania featured the highest growth rates regarding import volume. American bitumen and asphalt imports rose from 378K tonnes to 578K tonnes in 2020. Over the same period, China boosted purchases from 112K tonnes to 168K tonnes. Last year, Romania doubled its import volume of bitumen and asphalt, while France saw an 8.4%-increase in supplies from abroad.

In value terms, the largest bitumen and asphalt importing markets worldwide were Saudi Arabia ($320M), the U.S. ($178M) and Egypt ($120M), with a combined 67% share of global imports. France, Canada, Viet Nam, Myanmar, China, Romania and the UK lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 21%.

The average bitumen and asphalt import price stood at $427 per tonne in 2020, with an increase of +15% against the previous year. There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major importing countries. In 2020, Saudi Arabia was the country with the highest price, while the UK was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Egypt, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Major Suppliers of Bitumen and Asphalt to the U.S.

Greece (166K tonnes), Canada (152K tonnes) and Spain (83K tonnes) are responsible for 81% of total American imports. Turkey (44K tonnes) ranks fourth among the leading suppliers of bitumen and asphalt to the U.S.

In value terms, the largest bitumen and asphalt suppliers to the U.S. are Greece ($53M), Canada ($42M) and Turkey ($38M), together comprising 74% of total imports.

Major Suppliers of Bitumen and Asphalt to China

Indonesia (84K tonnes) dominates the Chinese imports with a 75%-share of the total volume. Malaysia (17K tonnes) and Canada (11K tonnes) follow Indonesia.

In value terms, Malaysia ($5.6M), Canada ($5.2M) and Indonesia ($3.9M) are the largest bitumen and asphalt suppliers to China, with a combined 96% share of total imports.

Major Suppliers of Bitumen and Asphalt to Romania

Poland (33K tonnes) constitutes the largest bitumen and asphalt supplier to Romania, with a 64% share of total imports. Moreover, bitumen and asphalt imports from Poland exceed the figures recorded by the second-largest supplier, Greece (7.7K tonnes), fourfold. Austria (6.3K tonnes) ranks third in terms of total imports with a 12% share.

In value terms, Poland ($9.6M) is the largest supplier of bitumen and asphalt to Romania, comprising 59% of total imports. The second position in the ranking is occupied by Austria ($3M), with an 18% share of total imports. It was followed by Greece, with a 13% share.

Source: IndexBox Platform

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

How to Keep Customers Engaged, Instead of Enraged, During Supply-Chain Issues

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Supply chain issues, an ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to impact holiday shoppers this year. And at a time when companies annually hope for a significant uptick in revenue, marketers need to be on top of their game to keep customers engaged, informed, and interested.

While modern technological tools such as websites, chatbots, and social media platforms can educate and assist customers quickly, email marketing is still a vital strategy but is often underutilized by companies large and small, says Jeff Pedowitz (www.pedowitzgroup.com), President/CEO of The Pedowitz Group and ForbesBooks author of F The Funnel: A New Way To Engage Customers & Grow Revenue.

“Beefing up your email marketing for the holidays is essential, and it’s an effective way for brands to communicate, especially when customers are being advised to start shopping earlier due to supply-chain problems,” Pedowitz says. “Brands need to get ahead of the curve by reaching out to customers through email and creating added value in their messages.”

Research shows nearly half of marketers rate email marketing as the most effective marketing channel. In another study, 90% of content marketers say email engagement is the top metric they track to measure content performance. Pedowitz gives some tips on email marketing and offers ideas to engage customers.

-Don’t blast one email to your entire database. “This is often called ‘batch and blast,’ “ Pedowitz says. “A series of three emails perform better than a single email. One study showed there were 90% more orders for a welcome series of emails.”

-Know your audience. “Your audience is smart and expects you to send emails that only pertain to them,” Pedowitz says. “If you don’t, studies show the vast majority of consumers will delete the emails, unsubscribe, and become less willing to buy your product or service.” Therefore, Pedowitz says companies must take time to segment their target audience. “Not only will you minimize the negative customer reactions to mistargeted information or promotions,” he says, “but you will be ahead of your competitors.”

-Know how to engage them. Email engagement centers on three fundamentals, Pedowitz says: a strong subject line, simple, to-the-point copy, and graphics if applicable. “Short, concise subject lines will engage the reader,” Pedowitz says. “Create a sense of urgency with your email, without sounding like spam. Measure engagement with email subject line tools from CoSchedule or Email Subject Line Grader.” Pedowitz suggests a summary of the product’s/service’s benefits with bullet points. The majority of the copy should put the reader first. “Leverage pain points or needs of the audience and even their personal motivators right up front,” he says. “Is there a particular problem you can help them with?”

-Offer added value. “Given the supply-chain problems, in lieu of instant gratification that comes with receiving the actual good or service, marketers can interest consumers in becoming part of the future production process,” Pedowitz says. “Invite them as VIPs to help design the next wave of products and services, and let them receive those products and services as future gifts.”

Pedowitz also suggests a virtual immersive experience, which offers customers value in real-time, and monthly promotions in which customers get a discount and an added gift to go with their purchase. “Go above and beyond for prospects,” he says.

“The holiday shopping season is when marketing campaigns kick into high gear,” Pedowitz says. “Emails play a significant role in connecting with your brand audience, telling compelling stories and improving conversions.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Pedowitz (www.pedowitzgroup.com) is ForbesBooks author of F The Funnel: A New Way To Engage Customers & Grow Revenue, and President/CEO of The Pedowitz Group, a consultancy that helps companies create and execute new business models for driving scalable revenue in a digital world. He has over 25 years of experience leading successful B2C and B2B organizations. Pedowitz is widely recognized as an industry expert and thought leader, writing and speaking on a variety of topics related to Revenue Marketing™, demand generation, marketing operations and marketing technology. He hosts a weekly podcast, CMO Insights, interviewing sales and marketing executives on the topics of business transformation, digital transformation and the customer experience.

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Archives, EU Trade, Global Trade Daily, News

European Brown Rice Imports Surge to Record High

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IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Rice – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

In 2020, European imports of husked brown rice jumped nearly by +6% y-o-y to 1.1M tonnes, reaching the highest level over the past decade. Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Poland were the largest brown rice importers, constituting more than two-thirds of total imports in the EU. Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands featured the highest growth rates regarding brown rice purchases among the key importers. Last year, total rice imports in the EU grew by +10% y-o-y to 3.5M tonnes. 

European Imports of Husked Brown Rice

In 2020, brown rice imports in the EU rose markedly to 1.1M tonnes, growing by +5.9% on the previous year’s figure. In value terms, brown rice imports jumped by +9.9% y-o-y $764M.

The purchases of the seven major importers of husked brown rice, namely Belgium (243K tonnes), the Netherlands (179K tonnes), Portugal (135K tonnes), Spain (100K tonnes), France (100K tonnes), Italy (86K tonnes) and Poland (78K tonnes), represented more than two-thirds of total imports. It was distantly followed by Germany (68K tonnes), comprising a 6.3% share of total imports.

In 2020, Poland (+29.0% y-o-y) saw the most notable growth rate of purchases amongst the key importing countries. Belgium (+11.0% y-o-y), the Netherlands (+10.5% y-o-y), Portugal (+9.3% y-o-y), Spain (+6.1% y-o-y) and Germany (+3.8% y-o-y) were following Poland.

In value terms, Belgium ($175M), the Netherlands ($127M) and France ($82M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of imports in 2020, with a combined 50% share of total imports. Italy, Portugal, Germany, Spain and Poland lagged somewhat behind, comprising a further 41%.

In 2020, the brown rice import price in the EU amounted to $708 per tonne, picking up by +3.8% against the previous year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was Germany ($940 per tonne), while Portugal ($499 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable growth rate of prices was attained by Germany, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Total European Rice Imports

In 2020, the amount of rice imported in the EU amounted to 3.5M tonnes, increasing +10.2% compared with the year before. In value terms, rice imports spiked by +12.8% y-o-y to $2.9B in 2020.

France (627K tonnes), Belgium (611K tonnes), Germany (462K tonnes) and the Netherlands (399K tonnes) represented roughly 60% of total imports of rice in 2020. It was distantly followed by Portugal (218K tonnes), Italy (217K tonnes), Spain (210K tonnes) and Poland (205K tonnes), together making up a 24% share of total imports.

In value terms, France ($589M), Germany ($462M) and Belgium ($390M) appeared to be the countries with the highest levels of imports in 2020, together comprising 50% of total imports.

Source: IndexBox Platform

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Archives, Features, Global Trade Daily, Stories

LEAVE IT TO TECHNOLOGY TO MEET MODERN CHALLENGES: PART I

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To be honest, incorporating more technology into business as usual for logistics, supply chain and manufacturing entities pre-dates the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S. in January 2020. But it did take the global pandemic to propel many in those industries to move unrealized digital transformation initiatives to their front burners.

In light of Industry 4.0, which places a high value on robotics, clean technology, renewable energy and transforming traditional factories into smart ones using the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, InfinityQS International announced the findings of its 2021 Customer Satisfaction Survey on June 1. 

The report from the Fairfax, Virginia-based authority on data-driven enterprise quality revealed that more than half of manufacturers now have their sights set on digital transformation to address concerns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Behold:

-52 percent of respondents reported they are currently exploring or already adopting digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational performance. 

-24 percent cited advanced analytics as their top technology priority.

“The pandemic exposed significant and often widespread operational weaknesses within incumbent manufacturing environments,” said Jason Chester, director of Global Channel Programs at InfinityQS. “It brought into sharp relief where legacy systems and outdated processes exacerbated the problems that manufacturers faced, alongside new challenges such as the rapid shift to remote work and supply chain disruption.”

Digital transformation is the key to addressing these new challenges, according to Chester. “Data, for example, is a great way for manufacturers to increase visibility into their operations as it can provide important insights into each stage of the production process. These insights can then be leveraged to make more informed and tactical decisions to secure long-term resilience and growth.”

In addition to advanced analytics, the other most popular technologies on the priority list for respondents included the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing. InfinityQS notes that either technology supports anytime, anywhere access to real-time data for proactive decision-making, enabling manufacturers to maximize performance, respond to fluctuations in demand, ensure flexible operations and even build resilience for future “black-swan” events—all while maintaining high levels of product quality and safety.

“For manufacturers to stay ahead of competition and remain at the top of their industry, they need to constantly adapt to their environment by making tactical digital investments,” Chester says. “It is great to see the majority are rebounding from the pandemic and embracing digital transformation to increase their agility and maintain competitive edge. Companies that do so are better equipped to improve their operations at a faster speed and even anticipate changes before they occur.”

A clue that an impactful industry change was on the way happened during the March 2020 MODEX show in Atlanta, where attendees were warned they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Folks can be forgiven if they were too preoccupied with personal health to consider the findings in the annual Materials Handling Industry (MHI) Report that was released during MODEX. According to the report (which you can read more about in our Industry Expertise column):

-67 percent of survey respondents said they believed robotics had the power to disrupt their industry and offer a competitive advantage for their organization. 

-39 percent of surveyed companies said they’d adopted robotics and automation. 

-73 percent of those surveyed said they plan to add more robotics or start implementing robotics in the next five years.

For a look ahead of the curve, Global Trade identified industry players who confronted a recent challenge with the help of technological partners. Our case studies are arranged by the categories Global Trade covers on the regular, from 3PLs and e-commerce to intermodal and air cargo logistics. Read on for part one. 

3PL

Company: KSP Fulfillment of Fridley, Minnesota

Challenge: Rapid growth putting pressure on order fulfillment

Problem Solver: Softeon of Reston, Virginia

Solution: Cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS)

Founded in 2012 and headquartered near Minneapolis, KSP offers a broad mix of 3PL services to multiple industries, including medical, health & beauty, education, agriculture and pet care. The Verified Veteran Owned Business has realized rapid growth, with revenues jumping 296% in 2020. That is, of course, the goal, but … 

Why is there always a “but?” 

The mountain of increased orders drove the need for additional space, and KSP is set to complete construction on a new 182,000-square-foot facility in November. However, the KSP brass also realized they needed more than additional real estate. 

“The company determined it needed a new WMS with the ability to scale, more advanced features and a better platform for continuous improvement,” explains Dennis Nicholson, vice president, Business Development at Softeon. “KSP selected Softeon as its WMS provider to help power execution of their aggressive strategy, making their decision to move to Softeon in less than two months.”

KSP was ready to move even sooner, to hear CEO Rob Walters tell it. “It was obvious in the early stages of our WMS vetting process that Softeon was going to be the right fit for our short and long-term business goals,” he says. “It was incredibly important that we chose the right strategic partners to ultimately support our customers’ needs. Softeon offers a unique combination of rich WMS functionality, robust support for 3PLs and a collaborative partnership that matches well with our culture.” 

It’s not just smaller company cultures that Softeon meshes with, having also provided a WMS solution to Germany’s DB Schenker, which is, of course, one of the world’s largest providers of freight forwarding and logistics services

AIR CARGO LOGISTICS

Company: American Airlines Cargo of Fort Worth, Texas

Challenge: Expanding temperature-controlled shipments across the entire mainline fleet 

Problem Solvers: CSafe Global of Dayton, Ohio, and CargoSense of Reston, Virginia 

Solution: State-of-the-art packaging and temperature sensors

One lesson American Airlines Cargo learned from the pandemic was that operating one of the largest cargo networks in the world made one no more prepared to handle the huge demand for distributing temperature-critical vaccines, pharmaceuticals and other life science products than Uncle Eddie’s Crop Duster Inc.

Though the new normal is getting more normal currently (knock on Formica), the demand for temperature-controlled cargo solutions is not going away. That even newer normal propelled American to enter into a number of tests and trials in partnership with CSafe Global and CargoSense. The result: All of American’s aircraft offered ideal environments for passive temperature-sensitive shipments thanks to CSafe’s industry-leading packaging and CargoSense’s Temperature Loggers.

The even more amazing result: American’s ExpediteTC solution, which was founded in 2009 to provide active and passive shipping solutions as well as a global network of temperature-controlled facilities, can now nearly double its capacity. The airline has now extended its cold-chain solution network to 30 new stations, including in-demand cities such as Memphis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. 

“When it comes to cold chain shipments, reliability is crucial for our customers,” explains Roger Samways, vice president, Commercial for American Airlines Cargo. “By expanding our offering of temperature-critical shipping on all mainline flights, we are able to provide our customers with access to more than 180 markets, marking the largest cold-chain network in our history.”

During the trials, sensors monitored internal package temperatures while aircraft operated in various climates. Results proved that temperatures of each package stayed constant, despite changing conditions during transit, according to the partnership.

 “We are excited the pharmaceutical industry can now leverage American’s full fleet at a time that is critical for all of us,” says CargoSense CEO Rich Kilmer.

Added Tom Weir, CSafe Global’s chief operating officer: “It was a privilege to work with American to conduct these trials and leverage our innovative thermal shipping solution technologies to ensure even more temperature-critical shipments can travel effectively. Many sensitive, often life-saving goods travel the world thanks to effective cold-chain networks, and we are proud to play a part in that alongside American Airlines.”

BANKING/FINANCE

Company: Old Dominion Freight Line of Thomasville, North Carolina

Challenge: Streamline payments to improve satisfaction among 10,500+ drivers 

Problem Solver: Relay Payments of Atlanta, Georgia

Solution: Instant electronic payments 

Motor carrier and industry leader Old Dominion provides regional, inter-regional, and national services that include expedited transportation through an expansive network of service centers throughout the continental U.S. as well less-than-truckload (LTL), container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply-chain consulting across North America.

However, Old Dominion lived up to the . . . ahem . . . “Old” part of its name by, like many of its peers, relying on cash and checks to conduct business. With manual payment processes creating a sub-optimal experience for customers, OD turned to Relay Payments, which recently received a $43 million infusion from venture capitalists who share the fintech company’s vision of building an electronic payment network in the transportation, logistics and supply-chain industries.

“We strive to deliver best-in-class customer service and are always looking at ways technology can improve our offerings,” explained Todd Polen, vice president, Pricing Services, at Old Dominion. “Working with Relay Payments has allowed us to remove tedious and manual steps throughout the payment process and modernize the way we do business with our customers.”

Relay’s partnership with OD’s accounting, pricing and operations teams is paying dividends, thanks to the development of unique application leveraging data integrations and custom payment workflows for each department’s specific needs. “We have entrusted Relay to process millions of dollars in volume annually,” Polen notes, “and we’ve already been able to realize millions in savings through data integration, digitalization of receipts and simplified reimbursements. On top of it all, our customers are happier than ever which is the most important to us.” 

“Our goal was to design an end-to-end solution which eliminated the use of paper-based payments and introduced operational efficiencies and increased revenue for the organization,” says Relay co-founder and President Spencer Barkoff. “We’re excited to continue working together to change the industry and keep America’s supply chain running during a period of immense challenge.”

E-COMMERCE

Company: Hermes Fulfillment of Hamburg, Germany

Challenge: Incorporate state-of-the-art technology to legacy warehouse management systems

Problem Solver: ProGlove of Munich, Germany, and Chicago, Illinois, and Ivanti Wavelink of Salt Lake City, Utah

Solution: Wearable barcode scanners and backend digital systems

Hermes Fulfilment handles the entire shipping process—including customer orders, warehousing and returns—for parent company the Otto Group’s retail companies. Besides multiple locations in Germany, Hermes has logistics, e-commerce and distribution facilities across all of Europe.

After identifying the need to upgrade technologically, Hermes officials sought an “out-of-the-box” solution: 150 of ProGlove’s wearable MARK Display barcode scanners that are married with Ivanti Wavelink’s Velocity backend/warehouse management systems.

This combo platter allows for easy integration of Telnet and browser-based applications to communicate and deliver crucial information to and from workers’ rugged mobile computers and wearable devices. 

“ProGlove’s MARK Display is a giant leap forward in barcode scanning,” says Simon Storey, Ivanti’s Global VP of Strategic Alliances. “Their devices come with a unique form factor that is tailored to meet the needs of warehouse shop floor workers superbly.”

His company’s Velocity platform helps improve accuracy and efficiency without modifying or replacing legacy backend systems, all the while maintaining and improving worker productivity. This helps reduce picking errors, decrease downtime and increase productivity without frontline workers needing additional training as they continue to work with the tools with which they are familiar. 

“The cost, risk and time associated with writing new mobile applications to keep up with modern mobile operating systems just isn’t feasible,” Storey explains. “We make it easy for their customers to deploy next-generation mobility, minimizing the risks and dependence on IT resources.”

“Ivanti’s Velocity set of solutions is a mission critical engine to boost the digitization of the shop floor,” remarks Charlie Grieco, ProGlove’s chief revenue officer. “While many organizations recognize the need for more flexibility and adaptability, they cannot just shake off the legacy systems they have in place. Ivanti resolves this issue so that businesses can change gears and accelerate to warp speed in no time.”

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3pls, Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Warehousing

Supply Chain Professions: Women’s Place Today?

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Despite the diversification of its professions and a recent and relative feminization, the supply chain remains predominantly male, especially the higher up the organization chart you go. We have gathered a panel of experts from the field and from education to understand how to make supply chain jobs more attractive to women and to remove the obstacles to the feminization of a sector that has strong recruitment needs:

 

 

Salomée Ruel: associate professor of information systems management and supply chain management at Kedge Business School;

 

Marie-Laurence Deruaz: Logistics Director at Suez Eau France

 

Anicia Jaegler: director of the Operations Management and Information Systems department and professor at the ISLI at Kedge Business school, delivers their analysis;

 

Just over 4 in 10 (41%) supply chain positions, according to the Gartner 2021 survey, are filled by women. These numbers are slowly changing, as Gartner reported an occupancy rate of 39% in 2020 and 33% in 2019. However, in executive positions, their share is only 17%, and decreasing. What are the persistent obstacles to this feminization? 

 

Anicia Jaegler: “Historically, logistics originated in the military world. Then, it was implemented in the industrial world and associated with transport and storage. This explains its masculinization. The supply chain, which is more recent, is slowly becoming more feminine, with very significant differences depending on the activity and sector”.

 

Salomée Ruel: “The operational functions of logistics – transport, handling, etc. – which make up the bulk of the troops, have less than 10% women. Conversely, in customer services, more than 9 out of 10 employees are women, but these profiles weigh little in the overall workforce.

 

The digitalization of the sector, which is pushing companies to recruit more “mathematical” profiles, does not seem to be conducive to the feminization of the sector, particularly in management positions, which are predominantly male.

 

This is related to the fact that it is a male world that has difficulty making room for women, but also to image problems generating a lack of attractiveness for some women”.

 

Marie-Laurence Deruaz: “The supply chain is often reduced in people’s minds to its “logistics” part, which is historically considered to be a man’s job, physical, with a lot of travel and staggered hours, considered to be very restrictive.

 

These stereotypes apply to recruiters, but also to female candidates, who tend to censor themselves. Fewer in number in training courses, they find it harder to take the plunge when applying.

 

My own team of about 60 employees who perform operational supply and package preparation duties includes six women”.

How can we make these jobs more attractive to women?

 

Anicia Jaegler: “The first action is the promotion of professions in industry, transport, e-commerce, etc. The supply chain is everywhere and its professions are very diverse. Several initiatives are moving in the right direction: a book for primary school children, a card game for high school girls, etc”.

 

Salomée Ruel: “We need to work on the image of these jobs. We must make it known that these jobs, considered as very manual and requiring muscles, have been largely facilitated by mechanization, which also relieves the men.

 

It should be noted that beyond logistics, the sector now encompasses a wide range of functions, around the management of the supply chain.

 

As a teacher, I insist on their transversal and strategic dimensions. We need more female teachers in logistics. At Kedge Business School, the Superior Institute of Industrial Logistics, where I teach, and the Msc “International Transport” are run by women. We have an educational role to play by training our female students in negotiation and leadership and by trying to change the way students view their colleagues.

 

This image work must be led by companies, but also by journalists and public authorities. 100% female events such as the “Global Women Supply Chain Leaders 2020″, organized by B2G Consulting, are starting to be set up.

 

Finally, in the locker room, change also means strict enforcement of the law that prohibits posters of naked women, which is considered sexual harassment. It may seem like anecdotal evidence, but it’s not always.”

 

Marie-Laurence Deruaz: “We also need an active HR policy on gender equality. At Suez, this means communicating to all employees about the stereotypes and discrimination that women may be subject to.

 

It is important that communication also highlights successful women and career opportunities.

 

Recently, we set up a women’s network to give them more visibility, to allow them to share experiences, but also to decipher codes and remove barriers that they sometimes put on themselves.

 

When I set up my team, I made sure to give both men and women a chance: two out of five site managers are women. On a daily basis, I encourage the teams to be open to this type of recruitment. We have some of the best female warehouse staff.

 

But these changes are not always without difficulties. It is also necessary to support the teams, as some members have difficulty recognizing the legitimacy of women managers. This requires open discussions with these employees to help them take a step back from what they are saying and what they think, but also support for the manager.

What are the benefits for a company to have a more active gender diversity policy?

 

Marie-Laurence Deruaz: “Diversity in the broadest sense of the word is an asset for the company. It is the variety of experiences, skills and points of view on the same problem that will make a team more efficient. And diversity is part of this. As long as you know how to agree to cross the views. I have noticed that teams with women leave more room for communication.

 

Anicia Jaegler: “The research conducted made it possible to link the presence of women and financial performance, sustainable performance and diversity.”

 

Salomée Ruel: “Women are more sensitive to issues of well-being in the workplace and to compliance with Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) rules.

 

They are also more sensitive to the respect of suppliers’ codes of conduct; a key dimension at a time when consumers do not hesitate to boycott a brand that violates ethical rules. Finally, research has shown that in supply chain audit situations, teams led by women perform better and uncover more disputes and compliance issues.

 

Generix Group North America helps distribution & manufacturing companies achieve operational excellence with their WMS & MES  Supply chain solutions. We invite you to download our WMS Decision Making Guide  here.

This article originally appeared here. Republished with permission. 

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

World Trade in Disinfectants Doubles to $ 6 Billion in 2020

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IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘World – Disinfectants – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

Global disinfectant imports skyrocketed to $6B in 2020, rising more than twofold over the last year. In physical terms imports grew from 0.9M tonnes to 1.9M tonnes. In 2020, the U.S., Canada and Japan featured the largest purchases from abroad in value terms. America saw the highest growth rate of imports, increasing the volume of supplies ninefold. Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada and France followed the U.S. in import growth per year. Germany, the U.S. and the UK constituted 39% of global export value last year. 

Global Disinfectant Imports by Country

In 2020, global disinfectant imports soared from 0.9M tonnes in 2019 to 1.9M tonnes in 2020. In value terms, disinfectant imports surged from $2.5B to $6B (IndexBox estimates) in 2020.

In value terms, the largest disinfectant importing markets worldwide were the U.S. ($770M), Canada ($549M) and Japan ($498M), together comprising 31% of global imports.

The countries with the highest levels of disinfectant imports in 2020 were the U.S. (244K tonnes), Germany (188K tonnes), Canada (155K tonnes), France (136K tonnes), Japan (134K tonnes), the UK (119K tonnes) and Australia (87K tonnes), together recording 55% of total import. Hong Kong SAR (51K tonnes), Belgium (47K tonnes), the Netherlands (37K tonnes), China (36K tonnes), Spain (35K tonnes), and Austria (33K tonnes) occupied a minor share of total imports.

The U.S. saw the highest growth rate of purchases. America boosted its imports by nine times, from 26K tonnes in 2019 to 244K tonnes in 2020. In value terms, U.S. imports grew from $87M to $770M over this period.

In 2020, Japan and Hong Kong increased purchases from abroad by seven times. Australia, the UK, Germany boosted the imports threefold, while Canada and France saw a twofold-increase in supplies to their countries.

In 2020, the average disinfectant import price amounted to $3,062 per tonne, up by +13% against the previous year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was China ($5,227 per tonne), while the UK ($2,142 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the Netherlands attained the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

World’s Largest Disinfectant Exporters

In value terms, Germany ($654M), the U.S. ($497M) and the UK ($341M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of exports in 2020, with a combined 39% share of global exports. These countries were followed by Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Costa Rica, which accounted for a further 34%.

The shipments of the twelve major exporters of disinfectants, namely Germany, the U.S., Spain, France, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands, China, Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic and Costa Rica, represented more than two-thirds of total export. Denmark took a minor share of total exports.

Source: IndexBox Platform

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

New Compliance Obligations for Cross-Border Data Transfers

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For several years, cross-border data transfers functioned similar to airport security checks for international travel, with the Privacy Shield operating as a fast check-in lane. After the European Union (EU) Court invalidated the Privacy Shield in July 2020 (Schrems II decision), EU-U.S. data transfers faced greater uncertainties. While other mechanisms existed, Privacy Shield was a common compliance tool. Given the inability to utilize the Privacy Shield concept, the EU introduced an update to an alternative mechanism, new standard contractual clauses (New SCC), which replace the 2010 version and facilitate post-Schrems II cross-border data transfers.

Beginning September 27, 2021, most organizations will need to amend their commercial agreements with the New SCC for transatlantic data transfer. These new processes will add significant compliance obligations for customers and vendors to assess, document, and implement to ensure additional safeguards for protecting EU personal data.


Why the EU Invalidated the Privacy Shield

Before July 2020, more than 5,000 companies transferred EU personal data to the U.S. through the Privacy Shield framework approved by the U.S. and the EU. For 15 months following the Schrems II decision, companies have been struggling with this “Suez Canal moment” that places severe hurdles for transatlantic data transfer. Similar to the Evergreen container ship’s accidental blockage of the Suez Canal in 2021, the impasse in cross-border data transfer jeopardizes EU-U.S. trade at an estimated $1 trillion per year.

The EU-U.S. friction over cross-border data transfer arises because of their differing approaches in privacy and data protection: while the U.S. considers data privacy important, the EU sees it as inalienable and sacred. Edward Snowden’s revelation about U.S. surveillance programs further demonstrated that the U.S. federal government can compel companies such as Facebook to turn over EU residents’ data. In response, the EU court found that U.S. laws undermine the protections of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The court noted in its opinion that U.S. national security laws do not afford individuals sufficient rights when their personal data is intercepted by U.S. intelligence agencies.

Options for Cross-Border Data Transfers

U.S. organizations must undergo a thorough case-by-case assessment of cross-border data transfers, known as a transfer impact assessment (TIA). Other options are binding corporate rules (BCR); however, these are generally not favored by most organizations.

When to Amend Existing Agreements with the New SCC

For contracts signed before September 27, 2021 under the old SCC, companies have until December 27, 2022 to amend with the New SCC. The New SCC comes in one document with four separate cross-border transfer scenarios or modules:

1. Controller to controller,

2. Controller to processor,

3. Processor to processor, and

4. Processor to controller.

A business must select the applicable module before initiating the transfer based on the executed New SCC. A key step for the TIA outlined below is that the business must also adopt supplementary measures, in addition to the New SCC, to provide GDPR-equivalent data protection to EU residents.

The Six Steps for a Transfer Impact Assessment

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the EU body responsible for GDPR implementation, directed businesses exporting EU personal data to the U.S. perform the following six-step assessment:

Step 1: Perform data mapping for cross-border data transfer.

Step 2: Identify appropriate transfer tools, i.e., the New SCC or a few other mechanisms.

Step 3: Assess whether the GDPR will be undermined under any laws and/or practices in the third country (i.e., the U.S.) that are applicable to the specific data being transferred based on relevant, objective, and publicly available information.

Step 4: Identify and adopt appropriate contractual, technical, and organizational measures (supplementary

measures) if the third country’s laws lack GDPR-equivalent protection.

Step 5: Take formal procedural steps to adopt supplementary measures.

Step 6: Re-evaluate at appropriate intervals the protection afforded to the EU personal data transferred.

Whether organizations choose the New SCC or other transfer tools for cross-border transfers, they should involve their data privacy counsel to conduct the six-step TIA mandated by the EDPB.

The good news is an organization does not need to repeat the assessment every time it transfers the same specific categories of personal data to the same country outside the EU. For example, if a company regularly transfers to the U.S. a dataset with EU residents’ names, emails, and job titles, the company must complete and document a TIA specific to transferring this type of dataset to the U.S. in order to comply with the EDPB guidelines. For this specific scenario, the company can rely on the documented TIA without repeating the same process each time it transfers the data, subject to the following conditions:

-The transfer involves the same specific type of data from the EU to the same third party, i.e., the U.S. in this case,

-It continues to implement the necessary supplementary measures, and

-It re-evaluates and monitors the level of data protection afforded to this specific dataset by keeping continuous vigilance of the third country laws and practices.

Conclusion

Similar to the 2021 Suez Canal blockage that disrupted global trade, companies will feel the rippling impacts of the Schrems II decision as they operationalize and implement the New SCC. Most U.S. organizations will now need to rely on the New SCC as the primary tool for cross-border transfers. The New SCC provides a mechanism to facilitate trade, while imposing complex, ongoing contractual obligations for data protection. All organizations should thoroughly review the terms and implement supplementary measures or risk cross-border data transfers on tenuous grounds.

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Vivien F. Peaden, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM is a technology and privacy attorney at law firm Baker Donelson. She brings her previous in-house counsel experience with one of the world’s largest management consulting firms to deliver business-oriented and practical advice on a wide range of technology transactions, data privacy, and cybersecurity issues that impact her client’s bottom line. She can be reached at vpeaden@bakerdonelson.com.

Phenol
Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Chinese Phenol Imports Soar Over $1.7B

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IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘China – Phenols – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

In 2020, China boosted its phenol imports by +20% y-o-y to 1.5M tonnes. In value terms, they exceeded $1.7B. South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand constitute the key phenol suppliers to China, with a combined 58%-share of the total imports. Taiwan, the U.S., Thailand and Japan expanded their exports to China, while shipments from South Korea dropped in 2020.

Chinese Phenol Imports

In 2020, approx. 1.5M tonnes of phenols were imported into China; growing by +20% against the year before. In value terms, phenols imports grew by +3.5% y-o-y to $1.7B (IndexBox estimates) in 2020.

South Korea (302K tonnes), Taiwan (302K tonnes) and Thailand (249K tonnes) were the main suppliers of phenols imports to China, together comprising 58% of total imports.

Taiwan (+95% y-o-y), the U.S. (+82% y-o-y), Thailand (+32% y-o-y) and Japan (+10% y-o-y) saw the highest increases in export volume to China in 2020. By contrast, purchases from South Korea reduced by -15% y-o-y.

In value terms, the largest phenols suppliers to China were South Korea ($319M), Taiwan (Chinese) ($294M) and Thailand ($237M), together accounting for 49% of total imports.

In 2020, the average phenols import price amounted to $1,183 per tonne, waning by -13.8% against the previous year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was the U.S. ($1,891 per tonne), while the price for Saudi Arabia ($712 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Japan, while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced a decline.

Source: IndexBox Platform

delivery
Archives, EU Trade, Global Trade Daily

Has COVID-19 Changed the French Food Delivery Market Forever?

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The French food delivery market is hugely lucrative, worth €180 billion and growing. Food makes up 20% of our manufacturing output, highlighting its economic importance.

The market was flipped on its head during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw restaurants, cafes, and bars close their doors and demand for deliveries rise.

Electrix, a producer of coffret électrique encastré for the food industry, explores how the pandemic has changed consumer needs and how the market could look in the coming months.

Our Changing Food Delivery Habits

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. As businesses closed their front doors and we were confined to our homes, consumer behavior changed.

People were forced to turn to online shopping for non-essential items, but many also began to shop online for critical supplies, like groceries. Takeaway food deliveries increased as people sought comfort in delicious restaurant food at home. 29% of French households were already getting meals delivered to their home regularly, which naturally increased when we were unable to go out.

We were seeing a shift towards eating out before the pandemic. In 2019, there was an 8.5% increase in people eating outside the home, whether that was in bars, restaurants, or cafes. 48% of people said this was the activity they were most eager to get back to, scoring it higher than seeing family and friends or attending events.

Fast Grocery Delivery will Become the Norm

Demand for grocery deliveries rose as people sought to avoid contracting the virus in shops. Stores struggled to keep up with this demand initially, but they soon adapted. Because of this huge response, we’re now seeing companies offer grocery deliveries in as little as 15 minutes across the country. Interestingly, this activity reached a new high in Europe in the first quarter of 2021 rather than during the first lockdown.

Cajoo, the first French company to offer immediate grocery deliveries, put itself up for sale as its competition rose quickly. It went from being an innovator to one of many businesses offering the same services in an instant, so high is the demand for fast food shopping deliveries.

It’s important to note that these operations are expensive and require multiple locations. Cajoo committed to paying its drivers a salary, while we’ve seen other providers cut delivery costs in order to remain more profitable, which can impact driver earnings. One thing is for sure – fast grocery delivery is here to stay.

Will People Dine out More Again?

While lockdown restrictions have eased, capacity in restaurants, bars, and cafes is still limited as the vaccine rollout continues. We know that eating out is the activity the French public has missed the most during the lockdown, but we’re seeing mixed results on people returning to restaurants.

In December 2020, a survey was released on our intentions to dine out after lockdown restrictions were eased, and the results were surprising. 51% of respondents said they intended to dine out less than usual, while 35% said they’d do it as much as they had prior to the pandemic. While many restaurants have been fully booked since reopening, the hospitality industry union UMIH has estimated that the recent introduction of green passes could reduce visitor numbers by 15–20%.

It’s clear that we’re taking precautions as France continues its roadmap out of lockdown. While visits to restaurants after the easing of restrictions exceeded 2019 levels by 50%, consumers are currently dining out less. We expect this trend to continue in the coming months because of the backlash to the COVID pass, despite the fact that dining out is a much-loved activity in the country.

Fast Food Delivery will Get More Competitive

As people ordered more fast food through the pandemic, delivery services increased fiercely. Uber Eats has long dominated the takeaway delivery market in France, but we saw Deliveroo triple its subscribers by offering unlimited deliveries for a small initial fee of 1€, rising to only 5.99€ at the end of 2020.

When France fully exits from lockdown restrictions – whenever that may be– we may see a decline in fast food delivery orders. The pandemic increased competition between the providers of these services as they looked to capitalize on increased demands, but we may see even more discounts as spend in this area inevitably drops.

A Backlash to Competitiveness?

With competition at an all-time high in the food delivery market, we’re seeing businesses undercut themselves and each other to gain key market shares, such as the low delivery prices offered by Deliveroo. We know that this can impact the earnings of its drivers, so could we also see a backlash to this type of ruthless competitiveness? Just Eat, which has a smaller share in the market, hired 4,500 drivers on permanent contracts in order to build and an ethical brand.

Values matter to French consumers, and half wouldn’t continue to buy from a business that didn’t have similar values to them. We could see businesses that take an ethical stance increase their market share.

There’s no doubt that the past 18 months have shifted consumer behaviors in a way we never expected, and this will impact the future of the market. The food delivery market in France is highly valuable, and we’re seeing new trends emerge as a result of our changing habits.

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Sources

https://blog.paylead.fr/the-pandemic-ignites-a-food-delivery-war-in-france/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103928/coronavirus-restaurant-visitation-impact/

https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/Restauration-cafes-Le-passe-sanitaire-pourrait-entrainer-baisse-frequentation-15-20-2021-08-09-1201170029

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1242287/restaurant-visits-by-french-covid-19-pandemic/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-22/grocery-delivery-shakeout-pushes-france-s-cajoo-to-explore-sale

https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/How-the-French-Food-Market-Changed-in-2019

https://www.eurostartentreprises.com/en/business-advice/five-reasons-you-should-start-a-food-business-in-france

https://sifted.eu/articles/food-delivery-startups-europe/

https://santandertrade.com/en/portal/analyse-markets/france/reaching-the-consumers

https://www.eurostartentreprises.com/en/business-advice/five-reasons-you-should-start-a-food-business-in-france

https://blog.paylead.fr/the-pandemic-ignites-a-food-delivery-war-in-france/

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20201125-as-they-reopen-with-fresh-restrictions-french-businesses-rely-on-new-avenues-to-drive-sales

https://dealroom.co/uploaded/2020/06/Food-Tech-Prez-FINAL.pdf

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Coronavirus-Daily-updates-on-the-situation-in-France

https://www.thelocal.fr/20210518/fully-booked-for-a-month-frances-bars-and-cafes-prepare-to-reopen-after-six-months-of-closure/

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/france/consumer-survey

https://fortune.com/2020/05/20/amazon-warehouse-shutdown-france/

biscuits
Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

The U.S. Boosts Sweet Biscuit Imports

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IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘U.S. – Sweet Biscuits Without Chocolate – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

American sweet biscuit imports jumped by +7% y-o-y to 561K tonnes in 2020. In value terms, the purchases from abroad stood at $1.4B. Last year, Mexico remained the largest supplier to the U.S., comprising 70% of the American sweet biscuit imports. Among other major exporters, India saw the highest increase in biscuit shipments to the U.S. The average sweet biscuit import price in America dropped by -7.7% against the previous year.

U.S. Sweet Biscuit Imports

Sweet biscuit imports into the U.S. rose notably to 561K tonnes in 2020, increasing by +7% against the year before. In value terms, sweet biscuit imports stood at $1.4B (IndexBox estimates) in 2020.

In 2020, Mexico (391K tonnes) constituted the largest supplier of sweet biscuits to the U.S., with a 70% share of total imports. Moreover, sweet biscuits imports from Mexico exceeded the figures recorded by the second-largest supplier, Canada (77K tonnes), fivefold. The third position in this ranking was occupied by India (14K tonnes), with a 2.5% share.

In 2020, the average annual rate of growth in terms of volume from Mexico amounted to +13.1%. The remaining supplying countries recorded the following average annual rates of imports growth: Canada (-2.2% per year) and India (+23.7% per year).

In value terms, Mexico ($658M), Canada ($332M) and Denmark ($52M) constituted the largest sweet biscuit suppliers to the U.S., with a combined 76% share of total imports. India lagged somewhat behind, accounting for a further 2.1%.

In 2020, the average sweet biscuit import price amounted to $2,442 per tonne, declining by -7.7% against the previous year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was Denmark ($5,603 per tonne), while the price for Mexico ($1,681 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by India, while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced a decline.

Source: IndexBox Platform