@Risk

Because of cash shortages, one in eight U.S. carriers has given serious consideration to leaving the industry if rates do not improve soon, according to a fourth quarter Business Expectations Survey released by Transport Capital Partner (TCP) last week.

One in 4.5 carriers under $25 million in revenue are considering the same.

But altogether, that’s only about half as many as were thinking about leaving the industry in February. In fact, for the second consecutive quarter, most carriers expressed optimism on volumes seven to 12 months forward, although about 40 percent of fleets don’t expect an upturn until 2011.

Other findings of note from the survey: (more…)

U.S. retail container volume is expected to see three straight months of gains in early 2010, ending more than two years (31 months, to be exact) of declines, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released last week by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and IHS Global Insight.

Port Tracker covers a variety of ports, including: Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast; and Houston on the Gulf Coast. (more…)

Yesterday, I wrote about optimism in the construction industry.

Now, there’s even more good news, and today it’s from Asian chip distributors.

According to an article in The Channel Insider, chip distributors are reporting better than expected numbers for the fourth quarter. Based on data compiled by FBR Research, analysts are expecting a chip shipment decline of four percent to eight percent sequentially –significantly better than the previously anticipated 10 percent sequential decline. (more…)

Has the construction industry weathered the global economic crisis?

Recent research suggests that it has. In fact, almost two-thirds (64 percent) of construction industry executives expect to either increase or at least maintain their firms’ profit levels by mid-2010, according to the Global Construction Survey 2009 by KPMG.

The 32-page report, Navigating the storm; Charting a path to recovery, was compiled based on face-to-face interviews in mid-2009 with 108 senior leaders from top engineering and construction companies in 30 different countries. Taken as a whole, the results reveal a surprisingly optimistic outlook for the new year, and they also uncover an interesting new trend: (more…)

The global financial crisis –in combination with the trend toward increased use of open account trading and pressure from major customers to increase payment terms –has made financing a critical concern for suppliers everywhere, but the problem is particularly acute for suppliers in emerging markets.

A new study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Nordic business consultancy Capacent underscores the issue and shows that suppliers in emerging markets are now eager to find financing solutions.

The Global Supply Chain Financing Market Study, conducted between May and November 2009, analyzes the need and interest in supply chain financing, focusing on Bangladesh, Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia, Romania, Turkey, and Vietnam.  The study also includes proposals for how IFC might create a platform that would being supply chain financing to emerging markets. (more…)