Now that the American Senate has approved that $3 billion USD border fence between USA and Mexico, some portions of which are being manufactured in China, it’s worth noting that over $760 billion in trade using surface transportation took place between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico in 2006, 8.9 percent higher than in 2005.
    Last year alone over 6.6 million trucks and over 30 million personal vehicles crossed the U.S.-Canada border and over 4.7 million trucks and over 88 million personal vehicles crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
    Potential for disruptions at USA ports of entry due to heightened security, increased traffic and increasingly longer delays and border wait-times have created additional uncertainty and volatility in moving cargo across these borders.
    In some cases this has prompted industry to move away from established best business practices, such as just-in-time delivery, reducing the efficiency of the supply-chain.
    An advocate organization called Border Trade Alliance (BTA) thinks that there needs to be discussions between USA government leaders who are tasked with securing borders and business leaders who help bring economic security to America.
    “What is the incentive for business to voluntarily participate in these programs and submit to security screening if we cannot provide the benefit of expedited passage of cargo that helps with “just-in-time” delivery and other competitive business practices,” BTA wonders.
     “There are many well-intentioned programs designed to secure the flow of goods passing through our nation’s border, but are they working?
    “Without the proper support, we are fruitlessly sinking dollars into initiatives that, in the end, aren’t being given the support they need to expedite secure freight and allow our limited resources to focus on suspect cargo.
    “The real question is what is the adequate level of security for container integrity to ensure for the physical and economic protection of trade and commerce while focusing limited resources on the appropriate threats?”
More : www.thebta.org.

East Star Airlines, one of China's growing private airlines, had just signed a Total Component Support (TCS) deal with Lufthansa Technik AG.
    The contract will run for five years and is worth over USD10 million.
    Although East Star commenced flying in May 2006 with three Airbus A319's, the carrier has become the notable “new kid on the block,” by outperforming other older, more entrenched Chinese private airlines.
    The airline declared a net profit of over USD145 million for its first year operation.
    In fact East Star together with Spring Airlines, are atop all Chinese private airlines registering gains last year.
    Last month on September 13, 2007, East Star received its fifth A320 at its base facility, middle China’s Wuhan International Airport.
    Next month (November), an additional A320 will join the carrier, with four more to follow in rapid succession during the Beijing Olympic Year of 2008.
    All told ten aircraft either in service or to be received have been leased from GE U.S., while ten more airplanes that will join the East Star fleet have purchased directly from Airbus.
    Two months ago in August 2007, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) gave the green light to Wuhan, East Star with approvals to fly international routes, an exception to the three-year-operation threshold to applying international flight regulated by Rule Number 59 by CAAC.
    As the first private China flag airline to fly internationally East Star says it will commence Wuhan-Hong Kong/Macao by the end of this month (October), while flights to other Asian destinations including possibly Japan and Korea are in preparation.
    East Star like Spring Airlines says it has received great support in filling up its airplanes from its traveling agency business operations.
    However, Mr. Lan Shili, (left) owner of East Star, told Air Cargo News/FlyingTypers:
    “We are different from Spring Airlines, as we are focused more on business passengers than travelers brought by our traveling agency.
    “East Star has successfully marketed itself as a business traveler’s airline.
    “In fact our hope is a future where 70 percent of our passengers are business passengers.
    “East Star now has another aggressive plan for its development, to be the first stock listed private airlines of China. Although Mr. Lan did not reveal any specific plans, stay tuned.
    East Star is on its way.
David