Carriers
QATAR AIRWAYS TO TRANSPORT 1 MILLION KILOS OF HUMANITARIAN AID
Qatar Airways Cargo has pledged to transfer one million kilos of humanitarian freight free of charge by the end of 2020. Under this offer, charities will be able to use the carrier's free service to move humanitarian aid and medical supplies. Chief cargo officer at Qatar Airways Guillaume Halleux stated that this is the initial part of a sustainability project by the airline called “We Qare” which aims to bring a positive impact on the industry and the world through air cargo actions. For more details, please see The Loadstar.
UPS AND DUBLIN PARTNER TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE DELIVERIES
An innovative walking and cycle-based system to optimize last-mile deliveries has launched in Dublin. This system will operate out of UPS’s mini urban distribution centers and combine powered e-walkers and e-quad cycles to reduce emissions and congestion in the city center. Dublin City Council, Enterprise Ireland and Belfast City Council are funding this solution. For more information, please see Irish Tech News.
Global Trade
CHINA REPORTS Q2 GROWTH
In the second quarter of this year, China reported GDP growth of 3.2 percent compared to a year earlier as the country eased its coronavirus lockdown. In the first quarter, China’s GDP contracted by 6.8 percent from the same period in 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic caused the world's second largest economy to a standstill. In an effort to boost the economy, the Chinese government has introduced measures including fiscal spending and cuts in lending rates. For more information, please see CNBC.
UK INFLATION UP 0.6 PERCENT
In June, the UK’s inflation rate increased to 0.6 percent as coronavirus lockdown restrictions began to ease. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew slightly from a four-year low of 0.5 percent in May. According to the ONS, games, toys and hobbies made the largest contribution to the inflation rise while clothing also increased. The inflation rate remains below the Bank of England’s 2 percent target. For more details, please see BBC News.
Retail
UK RETAIL FOOTFALL REMAINS LOW IN JUNE
In June, retail footfall in the UK was more than half of that against the same month in 2019. According to retail experts Springboard, UK footfall decreased by 56.6 percent in June compared to June 2019. As well as few shoppers purchasing in store, overall high street footfall also declined. Overall high street footfall in June 2020 fell 65.1 percent with footfall in London down 80.8 percent compared to June last year. Nevertheless, these figures are an improvement from the 73.3 percent year-on-year decline in May. For more information, please see Retail Gazette.
PRESSURE ON E-COMMERCE TO REDUCE PLASTICS
International ocean conservation organization Oceana has announced that it is launching a campaign appealing to Amazon to offer its customers plastic-free packaging choices. Research conducted by the organization has revealed that Amazon consumers are purchasing more online amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the e-commerce giant’s customers also want the online retailers to give them the option to select plastic-free packaging. According to the survey, support was strongest among Amazon Prime customers with 73 percent agreeing that they would select a plastic-free choice/alternative packaging if available. For more details, please see Post and Parcel Technology.
QAD Precision News
SIMPLIFYING POST-BREXIT UK/EU TRADE COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES
Companies trading between the UK and EU are likely to experience significant new regulatory headaches from 1 January 2021. Should the UK and European Union fail to finalize a trade deal, these challenges could impact e-commerce merchants and retailers as well as manufacturers.
With less than six months before the Brexit transition period ends, trade talks between the UK and the bloc have not been fruitful. Face-to-face talks halted earlier this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, negotiating teams transitioned to video conferencing, but failed to make much progress.
In-person meetings resumed this July, with both sides agreeing to intensify talks. Nevertheless, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier recently stated that there were points of “significant divergence” between the UK and EU.
Even with a deal in place, additional customs paperwork and other regulatory changes seem unavoidable. The EU is to impose border checks on UK products entering the bloc from 1 January, and UK border controls on EU goods will begin next July. In this QAD Precision Report we outline the challenges for companies engaged in UK/EU trade. Read the full report here.
PRECISION SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES NEW SOLUTION RELEASE
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QAD Precision, an industry-leading provider of global trade management and transportation execution software, has announced the release of QAD Precision 18.1, the next-generation version of its global trade and shipping software. QAD Precision is a division of QAD Inc. (NASDAQ: QADA) (NASDAQ: QADB).
QAD Precision 18.1 includes a new import management solution, which offers an array of specialized tools to execute critical import activities. In addition, this release provides the solution's Delivery Exception Management (DEM) and Freight Bill Audit and Pay (FBAP) as microservices, a variant of the service-oriented architecture structural style that separates new modules into individual services that can interact with each other and the core Web UI.
For more details, please see Business Wire.
