We thought you'd be interested in the following article as it highlights the urgency of booking in advance to peak season: Trans-Pac rates jump on rising imports Despite uncertainty in the global arena, and specifically involving consumer merchandise imports from China, volumes continue to inch up over last year’s record numbers. At the same time, the spot rate for shipping an FEU from Shanghai surged 30.2 percent to the East Coast and 16.7 percent to the West Coast, according to the...

VULCAN VIEW - KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT European Commission issues “no deal” Brexit contingency planAfter a fortnight of political turmoil in UK, the European Commission has called on member countries to step up preparations for a “no deal” Brexit. In a published 15-page document, Brussels warned that a “no deal” scenario seemed increasingly likely and detailed the “significant disruption” to be expected for both business and individuals. The warning offers a blunt analysis of the potential economic and social implications of the...

By Damian Smith | Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Societe Generale Americas It's easy for many in the corporate world to get caught up in diversity buzzwords. But the reality is that for today's companies to compete and succeed, it is a necessity - and it goes well beyond a feel-good marketing story. Companies that truly believe and walk-the-walk of diversity and inclusion see benefits that ripple throughout the organization. And many of these benefits are now established and measurable. The...

By Robin Knight | Global Media Relations Director | London AlixPartners, the global business advisory firm, announces that it has advised British Steel (“British Steel” or the “Group”), the £1.4bn turnover UK-based steel manufacturer, on the raising of £90 million of asset-backed financing from White Oak Global Advisors LLC, the San Francisco-based credit fund. The new senior secured facility is the first major FILO (“first-in, last-out”) facility in the European asset-backed debt markets. In June 2016, Greybull Capital LLP, the family-office investor, acquired...

The Toy Association continues to actively fight against tariffs that could potentially be placed on toy imports from China, advocating the industry’s position to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Congress, and the White House. Toys were not named as part of USTR’s most recent list of $200 billion in Chinese imports that could be subject to a 10 percent tariff; however, The Toy Association continues to actively oppose any tariffs being placed on toys. The Association will once again be submitting comments...

Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, has launched a Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group in response to growing client demand for legal assistance with the wide-ranging labor and employment issues that can arise during corporate acquisitions and restructurings. The lawyers in the practice group—led by shareholders Kevin Kinney (Milwaukee), Diana Nehro (International Practice Group), and Jonathan Wilson (Dallas)—have years of experience advising U.S. and international clients of all sizes across a wide range of industries, including private equity, technology, manufacturing,...

Tradewind has provided a $1 million post shipment finance facility to a manufacturer of sensory technology headquartered in Germany. Tradewind funded the US subsidiary who is using the facility to alleviate financial pressure on the parent company so it can invest in R&D and boost production. The company sells to Europe, the US, and across East Asia. The manufacturer decided to pursue financing as it began to grow and cash flow became tight. Products are made in Europe, shipped abroad...

Meeting the global challenge of evolving corporate compliance. Compliance is becoming more important as a variable that senior decision-makers must consider when choosing international expansion locations. At the same time, legal and tax teams need to know what jurisdictions are complex for handling compliance issues. The TMF Group Compliance Complexity Index gives a detailed understanding of the changing picture for corporate compliance in 84 jurisdictions, as well as across continents and globally. It takes the pulse of a sector that is...