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Welcome back to Business English Pod for the third lesson in our series on English for logistics. In this lesson, we’ll focus on duties, tariffs, and other cost factors.

There was a time when logistics was a lot simpler than it is today, when economies were not nearly so interconnected. But in the second half of the 20th century, governments took down barriers to international trade. Soon companies were relying on complex supply chains stretching around the world, as they outsourced production and sold their goods abroad.

With so many moving parts to these modern supply chains, it can be challenging to control costs. You’re likely paying several different companies involved in moving and storing goods across oceans and continents and through the air. Each of those companies is trying to make a buck. And in many cases, you’re also moving things across borders, which means you need to consider duties and tariffs – the taxes governments charge on imported goods.

Talking about costs involves specific terminology used in logistics. But you’ll need to know about more than just tariffs, duties, and other taxes. You’ll also have to speak about regulations and compliance. And any conversation about costs will likely involve the vocabulary of risk, as you try to minimize the chances of something going wrong.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between Cam and Anna. Cam is a production manager with a clothing company, while Anna works for a logistics firm. Cam is getting Anna’s support with moving their clothing lines from manufacturers in Eastern Europe to markets in the United States.

Listening Questions

1. What does Anna say are the biggest factors in discussing customs?

2. What point does Cam try to clarify by asking a more specific question?

3. What might be included in “landed costs” when discussing logistics?

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Welcome back to Business English Pod for the second lesson in our series on English for logistics. In this lesson, we’re going to focus on routing and capacity.

Look at the labels of the items on your desk or in your home and you’ll appreciate just how critical international trade is. It’s easy to take it all for granted and forget that the entire system depends on a very complex supply chain. Until, of course, politics gets in the way, and suddenly the whole world is thinking about logistics!

Getting products and materials from point A to point B involves a lot of moving parts and a lot of important decisions. Manufacturers and retailers’ business models depend on optimizing logistics. And central to that work is figuring out routing, or the particular pathway of shipments, as well as storage and capacity.

Talking about routing requires special vocabulary related to transportation. You will also need to talk about how cargo is handled and how it is stored, or warehoused. And in discussing these matters, you’ll find it useful to keep a broad perspective and be able to reject options that aren’t quite right.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between a production manager named Cam and a logistics manager named Anna. Cam’s company, Boston Vintage, manufactures clothing in Eastern Europe for distribution in several parts of the world. Boston Vintage is working with Anna’s company, Global Freight Express, to support their complex logistics needs.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Cam reject the regular “carrier loop” as an option for transporting their goods?

2. What are some of the terms used to discuss shipping containers and capacity?

3. What possible problems does Anna mention related to “warehousing?”

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Welcome back to Business English Pod for the first lesson in our new series on English for logistics. In this lesson, we’re going to focus on discussing modes of transport and shipping options.

In international business, products rarely stay in one place for long. They move between suppliers, warehouses, ports, and customers across different countries and time zones. To manage all this successfully, we need to learn the language of logistics.

Discussing logistics effectively starts with understanding and using key logistics vocabulary. This includes terms related to shipping schedules, transport arrangements, documentation, and responsibilities. If we’re comfortable with the language, we can discuss plans clearly and confidently in real business situations.

For starters, there are several basic logistics terms that everyone should know. From there, you can talk about different transport modes and incoterms, which define responsibilities of different players in the movement of goods. And as we plan and negotiate, it’s useful to be able to state your priorities.

In today’s dialog, we’ll join a conversation between Cam and Anna. Cam is a production manager with Boston Vintage, an American clothing company with manufacturing in eastern Europe. Anna is a logistics manager with Global Freight Express. Anna has been hired to help Boston Vintage with its complex logistics needs.

Listening Questions

1. What are the different “modes” of transport that Cam and Anna discuss?

2. In deciding on how to move products from Europe to the US, what is Cam’s priority consideration?

3. What abbreviations are used to talk about the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in shipping?

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