Reliability ranks second in survey of shippers’ criteria for carriers by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor Last month we did a survey asking what matters most to shippers when they choose an ocean carrier. Rates ranked as the top priority, garnering 41% of the votes,...
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Your eco-friendly, reusable shopping bag may be loaded with lead Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) yesterday called on federal agencies to police reusable shopping bags that contain unacceptably high levels of lead, getting out ahead of a story that’s been developing for...
Pro-Poor Biofuel
Side-stepping the food-or-fuel choice by cultivating cassava It seemed like a good idea at the time: Reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and start weaning the gasoline-dependent by phasing in (with a mix of subsidies and mandates) the use of ethanol as motor fuel. The...
Refresh 9/22/10
… recent developments in stories we’ve covered … Tug of War over PotashCorp BHP bid signals realignment in global N-P-K sector posted August 31st 2010 Update: Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp has filed suit against Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton in a U.S. district court...
Tug of War over PotashCorp
BHP bid signals realignment in global N-P-K sector It’s a pretty safe bet: As the world’s population increases, so too will demand for food. That makes fertilizer – and its three primary ingredients nitrogen (N), phosphate (phosphorus or P) and potash (potassium or K)...
From Few to Many
Approximately 80% of world potash is traded across borders Every farmer needs it, but there are few producers of potash, one of the three essential components of fertilizer (the other two are nitrogen and phosphate). According to Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.,...
Sugar Rush
A U.S. federal court ruling is a global market changer Global sugar supplies were already tightening because of the Russian drought, Pakistan’s floods, and weather delays at the ports of top exporter Brazil, when a potentially huge hit to U.S. stocks emerged from the...
Plastic Bags Upstream & Down
PRCBs are once and future export drivers Stepping back from the trade tug of war over the U.S. market for polyethylene retail carrier bags, overseas suppliers make a positive contribution to growth in U.S. export sales of the low density polyethylene resins from which...