NIT LEAGUE’S EMMETT WELCOMES RELEASE OF TSA GUIDELINES

   Ed Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League,
welcomed the release of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement guidelines
initiative.
   "The TSA response speaks volumes about the changing attitude between
carriers and shippers. The ocean liner business is going to become more
competitive and more cooperative with shippers. All of us realize, though,
that major concerns and issues will arise from time-to-time, but full
public disclosure will be the best answer," Emmett said.
   The guidelines’ release will allow shippers to evaluate whether the TSA
guidelines "are truly voluntary," said NIT League’s director of policy
Peter Gatti.
   Officials representing NYK Line, APL Ltd. and Sea-Land Service said TSA agreed to release the guidelines to dispel rumors and to establish a
trustworthy relationship between carriers and shippers.
   "These guidelines are … purely voluntary," said Tsunenari Tokugawa,
chairman and CEO of NYK Line, N.A. "We felt that making them available was preferable in order to dispel the unfounded rumors and speculation
concerning the guidelines."
   "With the backdrop of a very difficult financial situation facing the
industry, Sea-Land has negotiated hundreds of confidential individual
contracts in the eastbound Pacific this year," said Sea-land’s president
John Clancey. "We decided independently when to follow or not to follow the TSA guidelines. One of the keystones of the new law is confidentiality, and Sea-Land negotiated its contracts’ confidentiality clauses and other issues
directly with our customers."