AGOTC TO HOLD ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO

AGOTC TO HOLD ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO    The Agriculture Ocean Transportation Coalition will hold its annual meeting July 21 in San Francisco.
   During the past 13 years, the AgOTC meetings have become known for their informative dialogues between agriculture and forest products shippers about the state of the ocean transportation environment. The meetings also give members the opportunity to meet with ocean carrier executives and to review trade problems. Joe Ponder of Sun Growers and Bob Lubeck of E&J Gallo will co-chair the meeting.
   This year’s meeting will feature shipper assessments of developments in the Pacific, Atlantic and Latin America trade lanes, followed by a presentation by Albert Pierce, executive director of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement.
   Frank Caradonna of Pegasus Ltd. and Jim Galligan of MOL will provide their assessments on how well the “new” ocean shipping environment is working. Peter Friedmann, AgOTC executive director, will provide a status of Rep. Henry Hyde’s legislation to abolish ocean carrier antitrust immunity.
   Federal Maritime Commissioner Delmond Del Won will be the keynote luncheon speaker. He will be followed by presentations on new export documentation requirements of the Census Bureau and a rail services assessment by Don Newton of JR Simplot Co.
   The AgOTC will also sponsor a “shippers only” forum for agriculture shippers. Issues to be discussed include surcharges, carrier antitrust immunity, truck weights and limits, rail competition, export certification requirements, harbor services fee, Automated Export System and fumigants.