Reference no: EM133408149

Bolloré Logistics Canada is an international freight forwarder based in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, and part of the transportation and logistics division of the Bolloré Group, a conglomerate of French companies led by Vincent Bolloré. Freight forwarders provide their clients with transport solutions by coordinating the modes of transportation used, customs clearance and documentation, port handling, and supervision of all shipping aspects. This case features Marc Gagnon, a new recruit in the sea freight export department of Bolloré Logistics Canada. Gagnon has to respond to calls from three clients who have inquired about different shipments and transactions (transport of mining equipment to New Caledonia, pharmaceutical products to Chile, and circus-show materials to Greece). Each client request involves international maritime shipping based on the choice of a specific Incoterm (version 2010, as defined by the International Chamber of Commerce) and the corresponding estimate. For each of the three situations, the characteristics of the buyer and seller are described, along with their respective business objectives, their relationship, the merchandise, and the destination. The three cases are presented in increasing order of difficulty.

Students should focus on the logistical aspects of the case and doing business and engaging in logistics in from the perspective of a seaport and international trade. They may wish to address and discuss several of the following:

1. What are the two groups of Incoterms being compared?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Incoterms?

3. Discuss how start-ups are using new technologies to shake up the market for logistics service providers, threatening the so-called "classic" freight forwarding business model.

4. Discuss how the case related to the concepts presented in Lecture 7.