The U.S. relies on a single Chinese company for buta-netriol (BT), the chemical needed to produce the solid rocket fuel used to propel Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. Hellfire missiles are launched from attack helicopters and unmanned drones. The last U.S. producer of BT, Cytec Industries, discontinued production in 2004.
On March 25, 1911, fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City. One hundred and forty-six garment workers perished in the blaze, many of them trapped in the building because management had locked the exit doors. The youngest of the victims were 14. It was a horrifying tragedy, not atypical of working conditions during the so-called Progressive Era. Can we not, however, take comfort in knowing that those times are far behind us?
Jeff Tucker, CEO of Tucker Companies, explains how a court case changed the ground rules around carrier selection and offers steps that shippers and brokers can take to reduce their risk of liability.
Export regulations were - and are - anything but straight-forward. One reason is that they reflect political pressures and interests. And these pressures and interests change with the wind.
While the frequency of pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa has fallen to its lowest level since 2009, this is no time to celebrate. Somali pirates still hold two vessels for ransom with 60 crew members as hostages. More alarming, however, is the increase in the capabilities of pirate groups in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, now challenging Somalia as the world's most dangerous place to sail.