Outlook on the Logistics and Supply Chain Industry 2012

By World Economic Forum | Global Supply Chain Council

Supply chains today have become globalized thanks to increasing efficiency in transport and logistics, the globalization of manufacturing and consumption and investments in new infrastructure in emerging markets. Many challenges and risks exist for the supply chain systems. They include issues related to trade facilitation, sustainability, talent, infrastructure and risks due to disruptions in supply chain and transport networks.

Trade is high on the global agenda. However, the logistics industry and their supply chain experts, critical to the expansion of global trade, have largely been overlooked. Of global trade, 90% flows through only 39 bottleneck regions. Supply chains are essential to the facilitation of trade, responsiveness to catastrophic risks, sustainability, and the creation of jobs along the supply chain.

The Global Agenda Council on Logistics & Supply Chain Systems strives to raise awareness about the importance of countries and companies developing supply chain strategies. It aims to tackle critical issues in the field, such as trade facilitation, responses to supply chain disruptions, the talent shortage and decarbonization.

The second report of the WTC Logistics and Global Supply Chain council includes a series of papers addressing the role of logistics in the facilitation of international trade. Topics include: trade negotiations; the Panama Canal expansion; deep sea shipping; information & communication technologies; and global supply chain risk.

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