3.1.2 The Japanese vehicle manufacturing
industry: NAC is one of the major companies
manufacturing vehicles in Japan, a nation
committed to engineering perfection. The
Ministry of International Trade and Industry has
declared success in this industry sector a national
goal and encourages the development of export
markets. The domestic market for vehicles has
been soft. The global industry is highly
competitive, with manufacturers from numerous
countries competing intensely for sales to
purchasers. Some of NAC’s domestic
competitors have established both assembly and
manufacturing plants in foreign markets; notably
in the United States. Three of its domestic
competitors are among the leaders in the global
vehicle manufacturing industry segment.
3.2 US Shipping Lines, Inc. (USSL)
3.2.1 Company profile: USSL Inc. is a global
leader. It is a large, broadly diversified, logisticalbased enterprise specializing in ocean shipping,
rail transportation and trucking as well as port
facilities management. The company is registered
in the United States and has operations
worldwide. USSL is on the forefront of its
industry and plans to maintain its leadership role.
It has recently spent hundreds of millions of
dollars to modernize its assets, acquire
companies, and invest in logistics technologies.
USSL has found it necessary to develop an
international client base to meet its strategic goal
of being recognized as a global industry leader.
USSL maintains a fleet of ocean-going vessels
that include 23 container ships, 17 roll on/roll off
(RoRo) ships and 12 bulk carriers. A RoRo ship
is designed specifically for rolling stock, wheeled
and tracked vehicles and is particularly suited for
automobiles, SUVs and pick-up trucks. As the
name implies the vehicles are driven onto and off
the ship using either the ship’s own ramps or
shore-based ramps rather than lifted, via crane,
from the dock to the ship for loading and lifted
from the ship to the dock for unloading. Cargo
loading and unloading tends to be very efficient
thus reducing costs. USSL RoRo vessels range in
carrying capacity from a low of 4,732 vehicles to
a high of 6,498 vehicles. The USSL profile is shown