As President Obama completes his trip to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador, U.S. manufacturers are urging his administration to move forward on a the pending free trade agreement with Colombia.

Japan’s supply chain continues to be disrupted by the ongoing consequences of last week’s earthquake

Net income for the quarter—at $231 million—was down 3 percent from last year’s $239 million, but quarterly revenue at $9.66 billion was up 11 percent from last year’s $8.70 billion. Operating income—at $393 million—was down 6 percent year-over-year.

Following last Friday’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami, nearly all Japanese automakers have idled production, owing to either physical damage or rolling blackouts.

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 24.3 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, increasing to $791 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Following last Friday’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami, nearly all Japanese automakers have idled production, owing to either physical damage or rolling blackouts.

Volume gains continued on a steady pace at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in February.

With the closing of three Japanese ports — Sendai, Hitachinaka and Kashima — some U.S. manufacturers and retailers may be opting for air cargo alternatives to meet shipping and sourcing deadlines.

In a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, DeFazio expressed his concern about the plan to allow Mexican trucking companies to operate long-haul trucking operations in the U.S.

While government and relief agencies are dealing with the ongoing health and safety consequences of Japan’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami, supply chain professionals are coping with the tremendous impact this has made on global shipping and sourcing.