November 2002

Ford Motor Company has outsourced its global trade operations in Europe to Vastera, the global trade management systems specialist. The deal follows similar arrangements in the US and Mexico, which were announced in 2000 and 2001 respectively. The fixed-fee four-year contract is worth $3.9 million, and will initially involve Spain, Germany, Belgium and the UK. Ford and Vastera have also reached agreement to transfer Ford's operation to Vastera's software platform.

Meanwhile, Vastera has just launched a stand-alone version of its Duty Manager solution, which helps companies maximise the potential duty savings achieved available if they participate in various preferential trade programs. Through a process called "qualification," the system provides clients with a comprehensive audit trail for Customs, determining eligibility for existing products and suppliers, and also provides "what-if" sourcing analysis to identify new, cheaper sources of supply.