U.S. honey consumers should look for labeling that identifies honey as "True Source Certified" as a way to know the honey is coming from reputable sources, said True Source Honey in a press release. True Source, a joint "effort by a number of honey companies and importers to call attention to the problem of illegally sourced honey," provides third-party audits that certify the source of honey, it said.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America's board of directors recently approved 16 new members, the NCBFAA said in a notice on its website. New members include:
General Electric will use Amber Road's Global Trade Management (GTM) to "centralize and automate trade functions worldwide across all of its business units," Amber Road said in a press release. GE will use the GTM within a new center of excellence program, a central group that will manage trade for all GE business units, said Amber Road.
Radiant Logistics acquired On Time Express for $20 million, Radiant said in a press release. On Time Express generated approximately $3.5 million in normalized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on approximately $26 million in revenues for the year ended June 30. On Time Express will operate as a Radiant subsidiary.
C.H. Robinson joined CargoNet, "a national database and information-sharing system managed by crime analysts and subject matter experts," said C.H. Robinson in a press release. "By providing coordinated incident communications, recovery support, and deterrence measures, CargoNet helps its members prevent cargo theft and improve chances of recovery." CargoNet allows information on cargo thefts to be passed on to statewide law enforcement and non-law enforcement systems quickly after a theft is reported, said the press release. “Shippers can mitigate the risk of cargo theft by understanding what makes commodities easier to steal and taking steps to reduce theft,” said Chris McLoughlin, cargo risk manager at C.H. Robinson. “Working with CargoNet allows C.H. Robinson to add another layer to our risk management security plan, which adds value to our customers and contract carriers through business intelligence.”
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published the 13th of its Restricted Substances List (RSL), which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The AAFA releases the list every six months, it said in a press release (here).
Import quality control services provider AsiaInspection announced the launch of a mobile application allowing inspections, audits and lab tests to be ordered from smartphones and tablets. It said the app will allow brands, retailers and importers to secure their imports from the convenience of their mobile device. The free app offers: Detailed inspection, audit and lab tests reports delivered online; An online dashboard to monitor and benchmark the supply chain; Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and rank suppliers; Instant results for inspections, audits and tests, with complete reports available; Approve or reject shipments; Seamlessly place orders and manage scheduling. The app is at m.asiainspection.com.
Intermodal container lessor Textainer Group Holdings said its new Textainer Marine Containers III Limited subsidiary closed its offering of $300.9 million in aggregate principal amount of Series 2013-1 Fixed Rate Asset Backed Notes. Textainer also said it recently established a $300 million asset backed revolving credit facility under its new Textainer Marine Container IV Limited subsidiary. The facility provides Textainer a source of financing for a diversified pool of older containers to assist in managing the container age limits in the Company's other term and warehouse facilities, it said.
Costly penalties from inaccurate Importer Security Filing (ISF) reports can be mitigated by consolidating services within companies, while reducing other import-related concerns such as customs delays, Livingston International officials said during a Sept. 19 webinar. Chuck Stroupe, product manager for Livingston's customs brokerage, and the company's practice leader Jill Hurley, said integrating services within importers could reduce human error and rising compliance costs by streamlining the overall process.
Amber Road, provider of global trade management (GTM) solutions, announced Sept. 18 that it acquired Shanghai-based EasyCargo, a GTM provider that focuses on a subset called China Trade Management (CTM). According to Amber Road, CTM provides “extensive automation to support the Chinese government’s regulations for an import regime called Processing Trade.” Amber Road said this regime affects companies that import materials into China and use them to manufacture final products that are exported to foreign markets. When properly administered, Processing Trade transactions are exempt from import duties and value-added-taxes, therefore reducing product costs by 25 percent or more, Amber Road said.