Singapore Global Trader Programme (GTP)

 1. Launched in June 2001, the Global Trader Programme is a merger of the Approved Oil Trader (AOT) and the Approved International Trader (AIT) programmes which started in 1989 and 1990 respectively. 

2. The Approved Oil Trader (AOT) Programme aimed at capitalising on Singapore’s growing role as a refining centre in the region. 

3. Shortly thereafter, the Approved International Trader (AIT) Programme was launched to attract non-oil companies. 

4. Twenty years later, both the Programmes were merged into the GTP which now allows for an expanded product base for companies to trade in, including both energy as well as non-energy products and commodities.

Product Spotlights - New Technologies in Hydraulics

1. Innovative new technologies are laying the foundation for the latest hydraulic systems and applications designed for construction, agriculture, mining and power generation.

2. From smart user interfaces to load sensing valve technology to hybrid actuation systems for renewable energy applications, these solutions lead to productivity increases, energy savings and maximised operational efficiency. 

3. From smart user interfaces to load sensing valve technology to hybrid actuation systems for renewable energy applications, these solutions lead to productivity increases, energy savings and maximised operational efficiency. 

China Decoupling Tech Sector for FDI Participation

1. Building ‘new infrastructure’ (新型基础 or新基建 for short) has recently become a top development priority for China – and refers to infrastructure that is ‘digital, smart, and innovative’.

2. As part of its post-COVID-19 relief package, China is ramping up plans to construct new digital infrastructure across the country – including building 5G networks, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), intercity high-speed rail, and setting up research and development institutions.

3. In doing so, a new wave of government support for private sector participation can be seen – through the issuance of special bonds, encouraging public-private partnerships, or extension of credit support.

4. These plans work in concert with China’s other industrial policies like Made in China 2025 and China Standards 2035 Plan – which together signal China’s ambitious long-term strategy of becoming the global leader in high-tech and innovative industries of the future.

5. New opportunities now exist for early investors looking to participate in these fast-growing technology industries and subsectors. In addition, large industry players have the chance to invest in projects that will propel the commercialization of emerging technology.

6. Foreign investors should continue to follow-up on the latest policy developments in their target area of investment, as more government policies will likely be released shortly to guide the development of each of these new technologies.

Steel prices Trend Analysis - April to September and Q4 2020 Prediction

APRIL SNAPSHOT

1. European strip mill product steel prices were largely unchanged, in late March/early April, despite the major impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the steel sector and the worldwide economy.

2. MEPS (MEPS International Ltd) notes a great deal of uncertainty. As major end-user industries, especially the auto sector, ground to a halt, purchasing activity slowed significantly.

3. European steelmakers are cutting output substantially in an attempt to balance supply with reduced demand. Currently, local mills are not using price as an instrument to encourage sales.

4. Negative pressure could come, as a result of cheap third country imports. A sharp reduction in offers from overseas is noted.

Authorized Economic Operator

1. AEO stands for Authorized Economic Operator. Different countries have different versions of this program. In the United States it's called the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT). 

InCoTerms 2020

1. Incoterms are universally recognised rules. They guide buyers and sellers when formulating and fulfilling a contract for the shipment of goods. A careful study of INCOTERMS 2020 will repay the effort by enabling more favourable trade terms.

2. It allows the manufacturer and buyer to open the doors to more effective trade finance. Trade Finance helps importers and exporters with international commerce activities.

3. The definition of InCoTerms (International Commercial Terms) was first introduced in 1936 by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Incoterms 2020 marks the first update since 2010 to keep pace with the continually evolving global trading landscape.

4. The latest version of the rules came into effect on 1st January 2020. It consisted of eleven separate Incoterms, with some specific revisions that are worth addressing.

5. Incoterms 2020 rules make security more prevalent by listing import and export requirements. Also, they help in distinguishing whether the buyer or seller is responsible for meeting each of those requirements.

6. The two main categories are Any Mode of Transportation and Sea & Inland Waterway

Transit Oriented Development Financing Strategy and Best Practices

1. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a way of developing, financing and delivering transport infrastructure projects. 

2. It has gained popularity – particularly in the Far East and parts of the United States – over the last 15 years. 

3. This popularity is set to soar as project owners and governments continue to search for novel ways of financing transport infrastructure developments.

Master Developer Approach - Implications of the greater flexibility in land use

The Government is introducing greater flexibility in land use so as to accommodate the diversifying space requirements of the innovation economy. It is introducing the Master Developer approach to develop districts based on land use and gross plot ratio.

TATLO: Transparency and Traceability for Logistics Optimization

1. Fragmentation of systems and lack of common documents in international trade cause significant inefficiencies and resultant loss of revenues.

2. Improving both B2B and business-to-government (B2G) information exchange through the supply chain could increase global trade volumes and GDP.

3. The obstacles to implementing such exchanges are not technological, but rather are caused by lack of standardization and incentives for information sharing.

4. For a broader roll-out of e-supply chains, global leaders in each supply chain step should work together on practices for sharing information and agree on joint standards.

5. While initial e-customs efforts are a step in the right direction, they need to accelerate, be more ambitious and include businesses to deliver maximum benefits.

6. The TATLO concept is not new, and many of the technologies exist for implementing it. However, a lack of standardization and sharing of norms is preventing the seamless flow of information and the use of protocols, both of which could turbocharge the process.

Master Developers - Traditional and Incorporating Green Infrastructure

 1. The past decade has seen residential Master Developers (MDs) playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s development market, helping to accelerate housing supply through the delivery of strategic housing led developments.

2. Those acting in the role of MDs are responsible from first conception and planning, all the way through to the implementation of these major projects, either through direct development or serviced land sales.

3. We find that there have been many factors that have contributed to a prevalence in this kind of large-scale strategic development in the past decade.

Logistic Provider Models (1PL - 7PL) and Transparency and Traceability for Logistics Optimization (TATLO)

 1. Supply Chain and Logistics terminology can seemingly not keep up with the rapid evolution of the industry. For years we have become accustomed to organisations adopting 3-or-4PL business models, but of late abbreviations such as 5, 6 and even 7PL beginning to become part of the logistics lexicon, but what exactly to do these terms mean?

Analytic Dashboard for Manufacturers

 1. Manufacturers are responsible for a variety of complex business requirements, including tight time-to-market schedules and improving the cost of quality. 

2. Manufacturing technology leaders now have the ability to transform the way the plant floor operates with analytics, dashboards and manufacturing intelligence that provide insight from the bottom up.

Low Code and Auto Machine Learning

1. Organizations that want to get started quickly with machine learning may be interested in investigating emerging low-code options for AI. 

2. While low-code techniques will never completely replace hand-coded systems, they can help accelerate smaller, less experienced data science teams, as well as help with prototyping for professional data scientists.

Analytics for Banking and Examples of Machine Learning

1. Banks’ futures depend on institutions’ ability to master three key things – customer experience, compliance, and storage.

2. strategic default models were a waste of time and money, not because they were inaccurate, but because the parties involved failed to anticipate how offering one customer an attractive loan restructure would influence other customers who hadn’t yet defaulted. The analytics didn’t fail. The implementation strategy did.

Consolidation Warehouses

 1. Utilizing consolidation warehouses can improve your supply chain’s performance while reducing costs.

2. This form of warehousing involves combining small shipments bound for a similar destination into a single truckload.

3. As a result, you can reduce transportation costs, ship more frequently, and, eventually, boost your profitability.

Shifting from Air to High Speed Rail Post Covid-19

A long-term shift in attitudes around climate change, travel, and work triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic could serve to significantly curb aviation growth in the next decade

Automation In Rubber Glove Industry to tackle Covid-19

1. MARGMA (Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association)had projected demand of rubber gloves to reach ~300 billion pieces in 2020 with an annual growth of 12%, 

2. The current outbreak of novel Covid-19 has resulted in a 100% surge in demand globally in the first few months of 2020. 

2019 and Q1 2020 Stainless Steel Industry Trends

1. Global stainless steel purchasing activity is steady, at a level, generally, a little below that of one year ago. 

2. A pickup in order volumes was reported in January. This was boosted by stock replenishment. 

3. Many supply chain participants routinely minimise their inventory levels towards the calendar year-end, in order to improve their quarterly or annual accounts. Material must then be purchased at an accelerated rate at the beginning of the new period, to return stocks to a practical, working level.

4. Subsequently, with underlying demand, reportedly, rather weak, buying activity slowed, during late January and February. As a result, producers, in most of the world, were unable to achieve price rises, or even, in the case of flat products, maintain rollover values, this  March. 

Respirator Mask Industry Analysis

1. A respirator mask is a personal protective equipment that prevents the wearer from inhaling aerosols as well as vapors or gases that are health hazards. 

2. Unlike normal surgical mask that only protects against infectious droplets (e.g. droplets of saliva or other secretions), respirator mask can also protect the wearer from inhaling micro airborne infectious agents such as airborne virus (including coronavirus, SARS, H1N1, etc).

Africa’s First High Speed Line is on Track to Cover its Costs

1. Named Al Boraq after a magical winged creature of Islamic lore, it is the first train service of its kind in Africa, running along the Atlantic coast for 200 kilometres between the port of Tangier and the commercial hub of Casablanca.

2. The Al-Boraq high-speed rail service is a key project for Moroccan infrastructure.

3. It was launched in November 2018 between Rabat and Tangier and carried three million passengers in its first year of service, according to figures from the national railway office ONCF.

4. Al Boraq’s rail stock includes 12 trains. Each service or trip has two locomotives and eight cars with a capacity for 533 passengers.