The government on Friday froze the assets of the operator of a North Korean ship seized for smuggling arms, the Foreign Ministry announced, just as Tokyo is engaged in talks with Pyongyang to return Japanese citizens kidnapped decades ago by North Korean agents.The sanction against Ocean Maritime Management, which operated the vessel detained near the Panama Canal a year ago carrying Soviet-era arms, follows similar steps by the United States and U.N. blacklisting of the North Korean firm in July.It is not immediately clear how many assets, if any, Ocean Maritime Management holds in Japan, the Finance Ministry said.Pyongyang in…

Shipping is a major component if you are thinking about expanding your business globally.  Ecommerce is no longer only domestic, it is international and like domestic consumers, international consumers demand rapid shipping. Mark Venezia, senior vice president of global sales and marketing in North America for custom t-shirt maker Spreadshirt, offered these tips on how to select a reliable shipping partner during his presentation at eTail East 2014: Ensure you have reliable pickups at multiple locations. Set up an account for your specific needs Ensure that any special sorting of operational needs can be met. Make sure your shipping partner…