HUNTSVILLE, AL, May 18, 2023 – The North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA) is pleased to announce that Huntsville-based PZI® International Consulting received the 2023 NAITA Global Trade Award at NAITA’s 40th Anniversary World Trade Day Luncheon Celebration. Expanding a business to the point of going global, is not only an exciting and busy time, but also a time full of possible pitfalls that not everyone sees coming. While the United States is a very task-oriented society, many other countries lean towards being more relationship-oriented. As growing companies expand into international markets, face to face meetings in foreign locations are becoming more common. This year’s recipient of the NAITA Global Trade Award is a local global corporation, located in all regions of the world, that helps companies navigate these new situations by providing dedicated solutions for global organizations and their team members that relocate, work abroad, and take on new challenges. PZI® International Consulting, formed in 2014 in Huntsville, Alabama, is a global human capital solutions company with a presence in over 25 countries. PZI created a Center of Excellence model – combining Talent Management with Global Mobility – that is a unique outsourced, single-point-of-contact resource for a corporation’s global…

NAITA is pleased to welcome Kerry Logistics as our newest Sustaining Member Partner! Kerry Apex (HSV) is led by Christin Haenig, Operations Manager. Kerry Logistics is the largest non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) in the Trans-Pacific trade and one of the largest global airfreight forwarders handling over 500,000 tons of airfreight globally. Their extensive network provides a wide range of supply chain solutions, from integrated logistics, international freight forwarding (air, sea, road, rail, and multimodal transport), industrial project logistics to cross-border e-commerce and other related businesses. Kerry Logistics has recently partnered with the Port of Huntsville to establish a hub at the airport operating inbound and outbound air cargo flights, as well as trucking connections to provide seamless transportation of goods across the Americas. Kerry Logistics Network Limited has a new Trans-Pacific air freight service connecting multiple Asian locations to the U.S. to capture the heightened demands in the pandemic-hit air freight market. Kerry’s freight integrator centers on the Americas hub set up in Huntsville, Alabama, and inaugural flights originated from Hong Kong in September 2021. “We chose Huntsville as our Americas air freight hub for KCN as it is congestion-free and enjoys expedited transfer of cargo to Latin America and…

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Global automaker Toyota has announced a planned investment of $222 million at its manufacturing facility in Huntsville to create a new production line for four-cylinder engines including a hybrid electric version.  The company is investing $383 million companywide  into four U.S. manufacturing plants that support powertrain production for Toyota and Lexus vehicles. While the Alabama plant in Huntsville will receive the largest investment, plants in Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee are also included.  Toyota has been a Corporate Member and supporter of NAITA since their beginning in Huntsville on Cottonvalley Drive, and now with their new investment, Toyota has become NAITA’s latest Sustaining Member! “We welcome Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama and thank the global company for their generous impact that can be seen across the North Alabama community,” said Anne Burkett, NAITA Executive Director.  Toyota is investing $222 million at its plant in Huntsville to create a new four-cylinder engine line, which can produce both combustion and hybrid electric powertrains. With this investment, Toyota Alabama will create a new four-cylinder production line with the capacity to produce engines for both combustion and hybrid electric powertrains.  Additionally, the footprint of the 1.3 million-square-foot Huntsville facility will expand by 114,000 square…

Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield led a delegation to Savannah, Georgia, for the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference, reinforcing our common economic ties and working to expand commercial opportunities. SEUS-CP features networking, business-to-business meetings and panel discussions on topics including supply chain resiliency, sustainable agriculture, and electric vehicle adoption. Canada is Alabama’s second largest export market, with shipments valued at $3.5 billion in 2021, a figure that jumped 18% from the prior year. Alabama is also a top U.S. destination for goods from Canada, with imports topping $3 billion last year. top international trade partners. The country ranks as a top 5 foreign investor in the state, with more than 80 Canadian companies located in Alabama. Secretary Canfield said the conference represents a platform that allows representatives from the six Southeastern states and six Canadian provinces to build bonds that can lead to new commercial and cultural possibilities. “Over many decades, we have built a partnership that relies on respect, discovers meaningful pathways to collaborate, fosters innovative solutions and advances common goals,” said Canfield. “This is a special relationship, and its benefits are self-evident – working closely together, we have driven economic growth, sparked job creation and generated…

World Trade laws and guidance provisions are complex and dynamic. If sudden significant regulatory changes are required, is your Trade Compliance program flexible and agile enough to adjust quickly? What are the steps, and how do you manage them effectively? The compliance framework must be dynamic and capable of responding swiftly to changes. Top-level commitment, clear accountability and a strategic plan will guarantee success. Individuals and entities are required to assess the nature of the compliance program, supply chain and regions where they trade and operate to devise an appropriate compliance framework.  It is important to react quickly to avoid the risk of infringing on the new legislation to prevent enforcement action tomorrow. Managing regulatory changes takes commitment, proficiency, and attention. Robust due diligence is a must. Below are some best practices to make the regulatory change process more manageable. Understand the law. If you are not a legal adviser or in a related profession, it isn’t easy to interpret the regulations correctly. Legal counsel will come in handy to ensure that regulations are understood to implement correct processes. Maintaining awareness is key. Monitor regulatory agency websites and official communications, signing up for alerts and newsletters. Also look at enforcement…

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Ms. Deborah E. McGee, Immediate Past President for the North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA) was recently recognized at the Port of Huntsville for her service as 2020-2021 NAITA President by current NAITA President Ms. Barbie Peek, who also serves as Business Development Director for the Port of Huntsville. Ms. Peek presented Ms. McGee with a crystal globe engraved with her name and title and NAITA’s logo, to thank her for her service, noting her exemplary leadership as NAITA’s Chair during the pandemic and NAITA’s transition to a standalone entity. Ms. McGee served in several VP and director positions before taking on the presidency position and currently serves as the lead for the Senior Advisory Council for NAITA. Ms. McGee, who is the President and CEO of PZI® International, headquartered in Huntsville, AL came to Huntsville in 2013, after a global career as a financial and human capital management executive with multi-national corporations. Having been part of the Steering Committee for the National Foreign Trade Council in Washington DC/NYC for many years, Ms. McGee was surprised to find such a unique organization located right here in Huntsville, AL. “NAITA has a unique opportunity to highlight international expansion in…

 After the numerous supply chain issues of the last two years, businesses are hoping for an improved logistics landscape in 2022. While there is somewhat smoother sailing on the horizon, international trade waters will remain choppy in 2022 as logistics issues and government actions continue. Some pressure on the logistics portion of the supply chain may ease, but the cost of shipping will continue to increase. Moreover, new issues are expected to arise in 2022 resulting from government action that will continue to put pressure on the supply chain. Logistics Issues Will Remain Logistics-related supply chain pressures may ease during 2022 as a result of lessons learned. During 2020 and 2021, the pandemic upended the logistics industry. Supply chain pressures stretched ports to maximum capacity, and there was (and continues to be) a shortage of truckers. Companies sought to side-step the delays by paying extra to take another company’s spot-on containerships and take other creative actions. Some logistics-related issues likely will ease in 2022 due to companies learning from their experiences during the pandemic. Companies have learned to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and will continue to do so. Recognizing that “just-in-time” supply chains will not return to their prior efficiency,…