The end may be nigher than expected for the Pearl River Delta manufacturing powerhouse.

At the moment, what’s good for the mainland is bad for the shipping industry.

They say talk is cheap. Well in the fight against piracy, talk and not much action is costing global trade an estimated US$7 to $12 billion a year.

As much as communities are devastated by aggressive acts of Mother Nature, companies also take a hammering, and there is little they can do about it.

China is looking to Chile to bolster mainland copper reserves and has whipped out its giant checkbook.

The euphoria that came with a return to profitability is fading fast as shipping lines prepare for a grim second quarter.