American Shipper

   The logistics and compliance solutions provider Descartes Systems Group said Tuesday it has acquired Computer Management USA, a U.S.-based provider of security filing and air cargo management solutions for airlines and their partners.    Computer Management’s solutions help air carriers with operational efficiency, security filing and customs clearance processes, directly and through coordination with […]

   Morton Salt has renewed its terminal operating lease at Port Canaveral for 10 years and plans to build a new distribution facility there, the port authority said last month.    The current agreement expires this year. The new agreement is estimated to generate $13 million in revenue for the port and allows the Chicago-based […]

   U.S. steel imports increased in February compared to January by 1.4 percent, according to preliminary government data analyzed by the American Institute for International Steel.    “Improved pricing at the end of 2013 and improved demand compared to the weak start to 2013 have created opportunities for importers, and imports have been arriving at […]

   After spending nearly four years as the global head of cargo at the International Air Transport Association, Des Vertannes has announced he will retire at the end of June.    Before accepting the high-level IATA role, Vertannes worked as the executive vice president for cargo at Etihad Airlines. He started his career in air […]

   Exporters and importers should be developing options to prepare for a possible disruption at West Coast ports this year, said Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC).

   Last week, Greg Johnsen of GT Nexus took part in an EBN live chat about the role networks play in modern supply chains and made a point about the nomenclature that companies use for the systems that bind their enterprises.

   Standards and a variety of other trade barriers in the European Union disproportionately affect the exports of U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises more than those of large firms, according to a new report by the USITC.

   David Samson, the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has resigned, effective immediately, said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Friday afternoon.

   Containers are moving again at a more-normal volume after federal, provincial and port officials agreed four days ago to improve compensation for delivery drivers to end a six-week strike at Port Metro Vancouver.

   CMA CGM, the third-largest container carrier in the world, said it had a net consolidated profit of $408 million in 2013, 22.8 percent more than the $332 million it earned in 2012.    The company’s bottom line was boosted by about $200 million due to one-time events, including the sale of a 49-percent share […]

   The liner carrier ZIM said last week it suffered an operating loss of $191 million net loss in 2013, an improvement on the $206 million it lost in 2012.    Excluding extraordinary expenses, the annual operational loss was $130 million, with ZIM attributing the improvement to the implementation of technological innovations, which resulted in […]

   BMW’s announcement Friday that it will invest $1 billion to expand its plant in Spartanburg County, S.C., underscores the increasing resurgence in domestic U.S. manufacturing, growth in foreign direct investment, the strength of the U.S.-based auto industry and growing auto exports.    The German auto maker’s expansion is made possible in part by the Port […]

   China Cosco Holdings Co. said last week that profit attributable to equity holders in 2013 was 235.5 million Chinese Yuan Renminbi ($37.9 million) compared to 9.6 billion RMB in 2012.    Revenue was 66.1 billion RMB, 3 percent less than the prior year.    The company and its subsidiaries are involved in a wide […]

   Air freight consolidator AMI has opened offices in Darwin, Australia, and Christchurch, New Zealand.    Darwin, the capital of northern Australia, is experiencing a surge in freight business to accommodate large energy extraction projects, such as liquefied natural gas.    “The new AMI office will provide freight agents at Australia’s gateways with a local […]

   The per-kilogram cost of shipping air cargo on east-west lanes fell to $3.12 in February, continuing a steady decline measured since a $3.81-per-kilo high in November, according to Drewry.    In its monthly East-West Air Freight Price Index, Drewry averages the price of rates across 21 trade lanes. Sources: Drewry Sea & Air Shipper […]

   Sluggish demand and increased capacity “led to a notable mismatch between supply and demand,” and freight rates on main trade lanes “showed no substantial recovery and continued to fluctuate at low level,” the company noted.

   PSA’s revenue rose 3.3 percent, year-over-year, to $3.7 billion on volume that increased by 2.9 percent to 61.8 million TEUs. When adjusted for port portfolio changes, PSA’s like-for-like volume growth over 2012 was 4.6 percent.

   The project at the port in northern Chile, which calls for the construction of a third berth and the expansion of another, will cost upward of $350 million. Iquique is located in the Tarapaca region, about 1,118 miles from Santiago.

   Expected increases in tanker traffic from British Columbia and a deadly accident involving an oil train has caused the government of Canada to look for ways to beef up tanker safety standards in both modes, Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt told North American port officials gathered in Washington on Tuesday.    Canadian oil exports, […]

   The North Carolina State Ports Authority board of directors announced Thursday the selection of Paul J. Cozza as its new executive director.    Cozza had served as the chief financial officer for Maersk Line Ltd. in Norfolk, Va., and previously was the company’s senior vice president for finance and administration; before that, he worked […]