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February 2017

News and Views for the clients of Universal Logistics

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Going to the 2017 London Book Fair?

Tariffs
London Book Fair

It’s that time of year again when key Universal executives hit the road to attend major trade shows that are of importance to our valued clients.

First stop is the 2017 London Book Fair, which will be held March 14-16 in London, England. This year, Universal will be represented by Chris Barnard, Vice President – Projects & Market Development and Andrew Doick, Business Development – International.

Contact Chris or Andrew by email if you would like to arrange a meeting at the Universal booth(#6B109B).

"I hope to have many meetings and look forward to learning about the latest trends in the book publishing industry," said Mr. Barnard.

Brian Rowe

Brian Rowe

Chris Cartan

Chris Cartan

John Leis

John Leis

Client focus underlined by
three key appointments

Three senior Managers at Universal – Brian Rowe, Chris Cartan and John Leis – have been promoted to the position of Director as part of a corporate wide effort to augment an already strong commitment to client service.

"All three are wonderful people with fresh ideas and a deep respect for the way we do business," said Michael Glionna, President. "They are on the cutting edge in their respective fields, but never forget the importance of client service or any of the other small business values that will always be an important element of our success formula."

Under the new corporate structure, the three Directors will have the following responsibilities:

Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs will oversee Canadian and U.S. Customs Consulting services, with the main focus being to ensure our operations and the customs activities of our clients meet all government compliance requirements.

Chris Cartan, Director – Operations will oversee Canadian Customs Operations as well as Canadian Freight Operations, including air, ocean and trucking services, with the main focus being to ensure our clients experience efficient shipment moves and prompt status communications.

John Leis, Director – Client Relations will oversee the Client Care program for clients of our Canadian and U.S. companies, with the main focus being to ensure our clients see value in maintaining their business relationship with Universal and are aware of additional Universal services that could add value to their business.

HS Tariff update support

Tariffs

The Harmonized System (HS) tariff classifications for our clients have been updated to reflect changes implemented by the World Customs Organization (WCO) on January 1, 2017.

"This is just one of many ways we work behind the scenes to protect the interests of our clients," says Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.

If you are not a client and have questions about the tariff updates, we can help.Contact Mr. Rowe by email to learn more about our Tariff Support Services.

Success of new mega-shipping alliances still in doubt

Two docked freighters

Even more consolidation of the ocean container shipping industry could be in the future if the new mega-shipping alliances are not able to get more sustainable rates.

Maintaining current rates might be preferable for shippers in the short term, but they will be harmful in the long term, warns David Arsenault, the former Hyundai Merchant Marine CEO. "The next step would be rapid consolidation through mergers and acquisitions that would leave the industry with a handful of extremely powerful shipping lines that could set freight rates at will," suggests Mr.Arsenault.

The ocean shipping container industry lost $10 billion in 2016, and has not recorded a profit since2010.

For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – Freight Solutions.

Global Spotlight Quiz
Global Spotlight
The main government building is a palace constructed of materials taken from another destroyed palace built on the same land.

Global Spotlight Quiz

What city (built on sinking land) is the economic engine of an entire country?

This mystery city is a popular tourist attraction that many Canadians visit annually. See if you can name it after looking at the following clues:

  • This city has had many nicknames in the past, including “City of the Palaces”, “City of Hope” and “Capital in Movement”.
  • This city is located in a country where a third of the GDP is comprised of exports – nine of the ten top exporters have their offices in this city.
  • This city accounts for 50% of its country’s economic output.
  • This city is striving to be a world leader in the fight against global warming and carbon emissions – yet it is in a country that is a major oil producer.
  • This city was built on a lake called Texcoco and has sunk more than 9 meters over the last 100years.
  • This city is not located in Spain, but has the world’s largest Spanish speaking population.
  • This city is the 6th largest as well as the 8th richest in the world.

Click here to see the answer

For more information about freight to/from this city, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – FreightSolutions.

Quick Tip

Cut Cost

By controlling your freight, you can choose the best routing and service level for your business.

Time critical? If saving time saves you money, ensure your freight is moving on the fastest routeavailable.

Cost the issue? Deferred services offer goodsavings.

Different carriers offer various service options, ranging from “no frills” to “executive treatment.”

Choose what works best for you.

At Your Service: Oswaldo Arteaga, Office Manager – Toronto Airport

Oswaldo Arteaga, Office Manager – Toronto Airport

Oswaldo Arteaga,
Office Manager – Toronto Airport

After joining Universal Logistics in 2012, Oswaldo Arteaga held positions of increasing responsibility at our Head Office in Thornhill, Ontario, and our Airport Branch Office at Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Oswaldo currently holds the position of Office Manager – Toronto Airport. He oversees the Airport Customs Operations team and works closely with our Distribution and Airfreight Operations teams.

Oswaldo has been involved in the logistics industry since 2010, when he successfully earned the CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designation.

Oswaldo can be reached by phone (905)676-2763, ext.32 or by email.

February 2017



Route
is produced monthly for the clients of Universal Logistics. Reader comment and story ideas are welcome. Comments of general interest to all Route readers will, with the permission of the writer, be published. Copyright ©
Universal Logistics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction for any commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Route is produced by Universal Logistics. Editor: Bettina Scharnberg. Email:bscharnberg@universallogistics.ca While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained herein, Universal Logistics accepts no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions. Written correspondence should be forwarded to:

Universal Logistics Inc.
125 Commerce Valley Drive West
Suite 750, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7W4
Tel: 905-882-4880 Fax: 905-882-2250
Attention: Bettina Scharnberg
Universal Logistics

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