UK REDUCES OIL IMPORTS BY A FIFTH
The UK has reduced its oil imports by more than a fifth (21%) in five years, a new online tool from Daily FX has revealed. While the country remains the 12th biggest
global importer of oil, including petroleum oils, it has taken great strides towards reducing its reliance on such environmentally-harmful fuels. Between 2013 and 2018, the UK had the
eighth-best rate in Europe for reducing such imports, with its intake dropping by over 10 billion kilograms (from 49 billion to less than 39 billion). Malta (93%) and the Republic of Moldova
(92%) experienced the most significant decreases across the continent. The data has been visualised on a new
interactive tool built by Daily FX, the leading portal for forex trading news. The tool shows that China has recently
overtaken the USA as the world’s biggest importer of oil. The Asian giant imported over 460 billion kilograms in 2018, which was over 30 billion kilograms more than the USA. China
tops the list having increased its oil imports by 64% since 2013 - nearly six times the rate of its rival (11%). Daily FX’s tool allows traders to spot
developments in the flow of commodities and the growth of both supply and demand while comparing the changes to critical economic indicators. One trend highlighted by the tool is the
decreasing reliance on oil among African countries. Five of the world’s ten best nations at reducing oil imports are found on this continent, including the top four. Morocco, Kenya, Burundi and Gambia all decreased such imports by over 99%. John Kicklighter, Chief Currency Strategist at
Daily FX, said: “The world is changing and so is the way that it uses energy. Renewable and environmentally-friendly fuel options are the future, and while the end of crude oil is still far off, there will be considerable changes in the world’s top importers and exporters.”
www.dailyfx.com/research/global-commodities
SMALL BUSINESSES PREDICT GROWTH
Hitachi Capital Business Finance has revealed that 44% of small businesses in the manufacturing sector predict growth for the period to 31 March. This figure has risen from 39% at the end of last year to 44% this quarter, and shows the most positive growth outlook since Q4 2018 (48%). Gavin Wraith-Carter, managing director at Hitachi
Capital Business Finance, said: “Last year small businesses had to adapt to a period of protracted Brexit uncertainty and the economic ripple it delivered to sectors across the UK. We start 2020 with far greater certainty and our research suggests small businesses have switched from staying afloat through cost-cutting to a new era of planning for sales growth, investing in people and product diversification to boost bottom-line growth. “Our research also suggests that more small business
owners recognise the need to adopt flexibility in their budgeting, whilst safeguarding their financial strength by building up their financial reserves...We would encourage business owners to shop around, to look beyond the high street lenders and talk to specialists that can offer flexible solutions that are tailored to the needs of their business.”
www.hitachicapital.co.uk/business-finance/
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PROMOTING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN LOGISTICS
With the majority of EU members agreeing to become carbon neutral by 2050, and the UK making a separate, but similar, commitment, manufacturers and processors must now take action to not only cut energy consumption, but to find alternative, more environmentally-friendly sources. One such company that has
implemented a solution is AG Barr, manufacturer of soft drinks brands including IRN-BRU and Rubicon. The company has announced plans to introduce fossil-free electricity to power its UK operations. The ten-year contract with
Swedish energy group Vattenfall will provide 100% renewable electricity, from its wind farms in the UK, to AG Barr facilities including factories in Cumbernauld and Milton Keynes, and regional sites across the UK. Hopefully 2020 will bring news
of more and more manufacturing companies working towards net zero carbon emissions. Michelle Lea
There are far more men than women working at senior level within UK supply chains, and Andy Kaye, CEO, Bis Henderson Group and chairman of NOVUS Trust, says this imbalance could be limiting performance. Many businesses are keen to attract female supply chain professionals, but there is a constraint – there are too few women seeking a career in logistics. There is strong evidence to
suggest that businesses do better when there is gender equality at higher levels of management. Gender analysts, Catalyst, found more than a 40% greater return on sales, and over 50% greater return on equity, when comparing Fortune 500 companies with the greatest percentage of women on their boards to ones with the least. So, why are there so few women
pursuing a career in supply chain management? A white paper just published by
Editor
Bis Henderson Recruitment, entitled ‘How achieving gender equality can drive greater financial performance’,
brings together views on the subject from a number of leading supply chain practitioners. One of the key
highlights of the report focuses on the challenges faced by the sector in attracting people from other industries and young people leaving schools, colleges and universities. Leigh Anderson, managing director at Bis Henderson recruitment, believes logistics has an image problem and is not seen as a great place to work. Clearly, much more needs to be done to inform schools and colleges of the opportunities that exist for young people to build successful careers in logistics. Perhaps, there should be a greater focus on the growing importance of the softer- skills required by those managing supply chains. Advice on the subject can be
found in the 5000-word white paper:
https://bit.ly/38kpfF2
Registration is now open for the fourth annual Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo, with early bird discounts available until the 7th March. The event takes place at the
Manchester Central Convention Complex from 31 March - 1 April 2020, and includes content on subjects such as 5G in manufacturing, Supply Chain 4.0, Actionable Ideas, Deep dive into latest 4.0 technologies, 3D printing and much more. This year, a new event will run
alongside the Expo. WAMSE will look at advanced material developments and their application and adoption for manufacturing.
www.industry40summit.com
SolutionsPT will unveil the latest 2020 releases of AVEVA SCADA systems at a series of free events for Systems Integrators and OEMs. The SolutionsPT AVEVA Partner Conferences 2020 will take place at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield, on the 23rd/24th March, and at the Montenotte Hotel in Cork, Ireland, on the 25th/26th March.
https://solutionspt.com/events-webinars/
4 FEBRUARY 2020 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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