Supply Chain by the Numbers
 

-October 16, 2008
   
 

The Numbers Worth Knowing this Week in Supply Chain and Logistics

   
 

This Week: Ocean Shipping Rates Sinking, Financial Crisis "Meddles" with Copper Prices; John Deere Takes Control and Saves; Marks and Spencer Tags Top Spot in Tag Consumption

   
 
 
 

$700

The current rate for shipping a container from Asia to Europe, according to a Wall Street Journal article, down from about $2800 just a short while ago. The CEO of Maersk called current pricing conditions “unsustainable.”

 
 



 

-25.1%

The change in the price of copper so far this year on the London Metals Exchange, as commodity prices hit a free fall in most areas due to the financial crisis. That price is down about 50% from mid-year peaks.

 
 
5%

The amount equipment maker John Deere expects to save this year in transportation costs from taking more direct control of inbound freight, according to a presentation last week at the CSCMP 2008 annual conference in Denver.
 
 
 
 
150 million

 

 

The number of RFID tags European retailer Marks & Spencer has ordered for use in tracking apparel items in 2008, making it the largest consumer of tags in the world. However, “the number two behind that is much less,” according to a new report from the researchers at IDTechEx.
 
 
 
 
 
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