Global Commerce & Logistics

This book looks at logistics, international trends, and underlying trade constraints. It discusses global logistics issues in international trade and the structure of transaction networks by looking at the underlying constraints. This includes the varying physical and legal infrastructures that can result in changing flows and patterns in the world trading system. Structural change in the global economy has resulted in new information technologies that have provided the world's producers, service companies and agencies with a new model for global commerce. Technological advances in computer and communications hardware and software are reducing costs while providing a more "user-friendly" interface. These changes along with innovations in transportation technologies have allowed manufacturers to reduce inventories and to produce components in lower cost regions of the world. New markets for labor, goods, materials and services along with advances in electronic commerce, logistics, supply chain management and intermodalism is fostering an increase in global trade that is challenging many regions of the world.