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April 16, 2020 Dear Guam Partners, A new memo from the DPHSS was issued this week on COVID-19: The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) tested 33 individuals for COVID-19 on Monday, April 13, 2020 with conclusive results. Zero tested positive through DPHSS and 33 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, with one additional case that was clinically diagnosed. Because test results are reported from multiple labs at varying times of the day, the cumulative total from all labs will be reported on a nightly basis. Updated results will be provided this evening, once all tests from today are completed. Preliminary Profiles of Confirmed Cases...

Human beings have been thinking about robots and automation for thousands of years. But how are they using automation and AI in supply chain? In Greek mythology, Hephaestus, the god of fire, created three-legged tables that moved on their own. A bronze man named Talos, who was powered by a single vein of lead, guarded the island of Crete. More recent television shows like Battlestar Galactica and Westworld imagine the consequences of conscious machines. You have only to consider the fact that Saudi Arabia recently extended citizenship to the robot Sophia in order to realize that we’re making significant strides in the world of automation...

For the last few months, our ocean freight specialists at Approved and across our network of DeWitt sister companies have been keeping a close watch on the effects of the International Maritime Organization’s low-sulfur mandate. Now that the January 1 deadline has come and gone, we wanted to share an update on the real-world effects of the IMO’s mandate. We talked to our experts to discover what they’re seeing on a day-to-day basis in the ocean freight markets. But before we dive into their observations, we’ll give you a quick refresher on the issues at play. What Is the IMO 2020 Low-Sulfur Mandate? If you’re...

Many of Hawaii’s nine million annual visitors fall in love with the Aloha State. If you’ve experienced the magic of the Hawaiian islands as a tourist, you might find yourself sitting at the airport with a heavy heart, planning your return—not just to visit, but to make Hawaii your home. And as part of that plan, you might dream of starting your own business in the islands.    Many Hawaii residents share this entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, around 800 small businesses get started in Hawaii every year. A WalletHub study of the best small towns to start a business ranked Hilo, Hawaii, and Kahului, Maui right around the...

If you’re buying and selling goods, you’ve likely come in contact with the international commercial terms, also known as the Incoterms® rules. This set of rules, established by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) helps buyers and sellers quickly, clearly and easily establish who’s responsible for which costs in their transactions.  The ICC recently published an updated set of rules—Incoterms 2020—which offers six key changes to the Incoterms 2010 rules. These rules went into effect as of January 1, 2020. To help you stay current, we’ll run you through what’s new in Incoterms 2020 so you can continue to negotiate with buyers or sellers like a pro.  But before we dive...

Since 2008, imports from China to the United States are up a staggering 59.7%. In fact, the country has become the U.S.’s largest goods trading partner, with imports of electrical machinery, furniture and bedding, toys and sports equipment and plastics leading the charge. We’ve certainly seen a rise in new companies getting into this market. While many take advantage of the Amazon platform to sell these imported goods, we’ve also seen several companies establish their own websites.   If you’re new to importing goods from China—or you’d like to get in on this nearly $560 billion-dollar market—there are a couple of common mistakes you’ll want to avoid. We’ll show you the six we see most often. By...