GERMANY has topped the World Bank's 2010 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) as the most efficient in the world with a score of 4.11 out of a possible five, marginally ahead of Singapore (4.09), Sweden (4.08), the Netherlands (4.07), and Luxembourg (3.98).

Completing the top 10 list of most efficient logistics nations were Switzerland (3.97), Japan (3.97), United Kingdom (3.95), Belgium (3.94) and Norway (3.93).

Hong Kong landed 13th place with a score of 3.88, beating the US in 15th position with a rating of 3.86. China Mainland is in 27th place with 3.49 points and India in 47th place with 3.12, far ahead of the Russian Federation ranked 94 with 2.61 points. At the bottom with 1.34 is Somalia in 155th place.

The 2010 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) uses more than 5,000 individual country assessments made by nearly 1,000 international freight forwarders to compare the trade logistics profiles of 155 countries.

The 2010 LPI provides a snapshot of selected performance indicators in nearly 130 countries, including expanded information on the time, cost and reliability of import and export supply chains, infrastructure quality, performance of core services, and the friendliness of trade clearance procedures.

Analysis based on the 2007 LPI has shown that "better logistics performance is strongly associated with trade expansion, export diversification, ability to attract foreign direct investments, and economic growth," said the authors of the report that was prepared by the World Bank's International Trade Department (PRMTR).

To read the full report go to: http:/siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTLF/Resources/LPI2010_for_web.pdf

Source: www.schednet.com