Global trade is a many splendored thing, but in the end it boils down to one thing: the bottom line. Through careful and thoughtful management of your company’s supply chain, you can boost your profits while minimizing risk.

This issue of WT100 outlines many ways in which you can achieve this result.

New trade finance products and services are perhaps the most basic way to boost your bottom line. The products featured in Gail Dutton’s article  will help your company stay competitive on a global basis by increasing your market share and market penetration.

Our cover story discusses ways to boost your ROI from your 3PL. Put your 3PL to work for you in a strategic way, and this will ultimately positively affect your bottom line.

By treating your 3PL as a partner, being specific about your needs, and being open to changes in the partnership as new needs and solutions arise, your company will see positive effects in your supply chain, although perhaps not where you expect.

Managing your fleet and knowing where your products are in transit at all times can also benefit your bottom line. New fleet management solutions enable any company to see exactly where their shipments are in real time. These solutions help shippers and carriers save time and money, which can only benefit their bottom lines.

Sustainability is another way in which a company can save money. Some sustainable initiatives generate cost savings and operational efficiencies, which boost your bottom line. Joel Anderson explains to us what the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) is doing to promote sustainability in U.S. warehouses.

Investing in regions that are ripe for global trade is an obvious way to boost your bottom line.

In the U.S., for example, port locations on the U.S. Gulf coast will be hotter than ever after the Panama Canal expansion is complete in 2014. This increased port activity will bring additional economic development to the regions and states in which they are located. Additionally, those ports will bring cost savings to manufacturers importing and exporting from them.

Internationally, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) continue to be good locations for U.S. companies looking for long-term growth. Click here to see just how hot the BRICs are.

Whether investing in new regions, applying new financial products, or trying out new partnerships, the bottom line remains: by working strategically in myriad ways, you can increase profits and minimize risk throughout your supply chain.