The NY Times has an article on the impact of rising transportation costs on globalization.  Key quote on rising container shipping costs:

"The cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to the United States has risen to $8,000, compared with $3,000 early in the decade, according to a recent study of transportation costs. Big container ships, the pack mules of the 21st-century economy, have shaved their top speed by nearly 20 percent to save on fuel costs, substantially slowing shipping times."

The article goes on to talk about increased transportation costs and carbon footprint concerns forcing companies to rethink supply chains and move production closer to consumption.  This is a topic we've posted on often in the past and one reason why we are forecasting a resurgence in small US manufacturing. 

Totally unrelated, the APL shipping container shown above is called a "muffler grade stainless steel reefer."  I have no idea why, but it makes me wonder how the APL marketing and PR folks spend their spare time.