The logistics sector in 2011 was characterized by flat freight volume and higher rates, says Rosalyn Wilson, senior business analyst at Delcan, who researches and writes the annual State of Logistics report. The report is underwritten by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and Penske Logistics.

Increasing labor costs in China's heavily industrialized areas, mostly along the coastline, are driving many companies to move production to the country's inland regions, creating a number of logistics and supply chain challenges, according to Greg Spudic, vice president of North American sales and marketing for Dimerco Express.

Johnson and Johnson, owner of personal care brands Aveeno, Neutrogena and Clean and Clear, says it will remove a number of potentially harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, from its line of adult consumer products by the end of 2015.

In emerging markets, regulations impacting trade and business differ greatly from country to country and changes constantly occur with little or no notice, says Mark Millar, managing partner at M Power Associates, Hong Kong. Because of this, trade compliance is an increasingly important issue for companies doing business in these economies.

Canada-U.S. border maintenance costs Canadian governments and taxpayers up to $19.1bn annually, according to a report from the Fraser Institute, a Canadian public policy think-tank.

The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) continues to improve its capabilities, most recently by completing a mapping project that enhances the organization's ability to match the resources of its members with specific needs of relief agencies.

Cargo volumes dropped steadily at Frankfurt Airport during the first half of 2012, Fraport Group traffic figures show. In addition to recording a 9.9-percent, year-over-year, drop in domestic freight volumes, the airport saw an overall tonnage stall of 9 percent from the first six months of 2011. The declines were "strengthened" by the night-flight ban imposed last fall.

The business consultancy Accenture has agreed to acquire Octagon Research Solutions Inc., a provider of clinical and regulatory information-management services and software to the pharmaceutical industry.