AST&L conference to promote cooperation between U.S., Chinese logistics pros

The Mississippi and China's Yangtze River have a lot in common. Both serve as main arteries of commerce for their countries and both represent cultural touchstones. It is this spirit of commonality between the United States and China that characterizes the 2013 American Society of Transportation and Logistics (AST&L) Conference.

This year's conference emphasizes two of the association's efforts to create bilateral cooperation between logistics professionals in the U.S. and China: the Sino-American Logistics Conference (SALC) and the Yangtze-Mississippi Strategic Cooperation Forum (YMF). The event is co-sponsored by China Communications and Transportation Association, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and China International Talent Exchange Foundation.

The conference, to be held in Chicago Oct. 28-30, will address successful China distribution strategies, infrastructure investments, inland rivers and port development, and the retail, e-commerce, and transportation outlook in China and the United States. SALC tracks will focus on e-commerce fulfillment, retail distribution strategies, and global supply chain innovations. The YMF tracks will look at how to foster regional cooperation, inland logistics parks, port specialization, and economic development.

For details, go to www.astl.org.