Trading Partners

CHICAGO - Transora, the business-to-business online exchange that links manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in food, beverage and packaged goods industries among others, has laid off about 15 percent of its work force, and its CEO says a merger with another exchange is a possibility, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

CINCINNATI - Chiquita Brands International Inc. today filed in Federal Court in Cincinnati a Pre-Arranged Plan of Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union's highest court today rejected demands from UK supermarket giant Tesco for the right to import Levi's jeans from the United States, the BBC reported.

LONDON - Sales of organic food in the UK are continuing to increase faster than in any other European country, according to a report cited by BBC news.

DALLAS - 7-Eleven Inc. senior executives announced today the company is hosting its first quarterly Product Innovation Day on Jan. 17, 2002, at its headquarters in Dallas.

CINCINNATI - Chiquita Brands International Inc. today announced that it has reached agreements with bondholder committees in support of a restructuring plan that will reduce Chiquita's debt and accrued interest by more than $700 million and its future annual interest expense by about $60 million.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. and DALLAS - The WorldWide Retail Exchange today announced the signing of a definitive agreement with The viaLink Company, the first of several preferred partners for data synchronization services. viaLink will provide advanced, commerce-level data synchronization services to WWRE members and their trading partners.

MINNEAPOLIS - International Multifoods Corp. today announced two additions to its senior management team: Dan C. Swander as president and chief operating officer, and Daryl Schaller, Ph.D., as vice president of research and development.