American Shipper

   The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday proposed eliminating a burdensome paperwork requirement for truck drivers related to vehicle maintenance that could save the trucking industry $1.7 billion per year.    Truckers are required to conduct pre-and post-trip inspections of their tractors and trailers and file reports with the employing motor carrier after each tour of duty, whether or not an […]

   NYK Line said that effective Sept. 2 it will implement a chassis provision charge (CPC) for motor carrier transport moving under NYK import or export merchant haulage bills of lading when chassis from the South Atlantic Chassis Pool are used.    The CPC will be $14.50 per chassis per day charged directly to motor […]

   An agreement between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and China’s General Administration of Customs to cooperate on combating intellectual property theft has produced its first tangible results with the seizure of 243,000 counterfeit electronic products sold by Apple, Beats by Dr. Dre, Blackberry, Samsung, Sony and UL.    A month-long enforcement operation also resulted in the arrest by local police in the […]

   French liner carrier CMA CGM said it has “signed for the acquisition” of three more 16,000-TEU ships.    A spokeswoman said the ships will be delivered in the second half of 2015 and that the company is “envisaging to add three others hopefully for end 2015.”    The first three 16,000-TEU ships – Marco […]

   U.S. Gross Domestic Product increased 1.7 percent in the second quarter, up from 1.1 percent in the first quarter of 2013, according to an initial estimate by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.    The main drivers of productivity gains in the quarter were exports, a smaller decrease in government spending, an upturn in state and […]

   Alabama’s Gov. Robert Bentley named Angus R. Cooper III to the Alabama State Port Authority board’s at-large seat and chairman.    In a concurrent gubernatorial action, Bentley also appointed Tim Parker III to the board’s Central Region.    Both appointments are five-year terms and are effective Aug. 1. Established by state legislative act in […]

   Swissport has announced it will acquire Servisair from French Derichebourg SA for an undisclosed amount.    Subject to regulatory approval, Swissport expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter.    Servisair, which boasts 118 locations in 20 countries, focuses on cargo and ground handling, fueling, airport services and load control.    “Servisair is a […]

   The former secretary general of the International Air Cargo Association, Daniel Fernandez, has left the organization following the appointment of Douglas Brittin to the secretary general post.    Brittin, it was announced last week, is to take over his new duties on Aug. 15. The organization had offered Fernandez what it called a “substantial […]

Roanoke Trade Services is advising freight forwarders and property brokers that they need to “re-comply” with new permitting and bonding mandate put forth in the 2012 highway reauthorization bill, known as MAP 21.

GSP is designed to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential, duty-free entry for up to 5,000 products when imported from one of 127 designated beneficiary countries and territories.

   The European Union will continue to provide U.S. beef producers with significant access, at zero duty, to the EU market for high-quality beef produced from non-hormone-treated cattle.    The United States and European Union are planning to extend for two years Phase 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2009 in connection […]

   FedEx has expanded its temperature-controlled packaging options, unveiling a product that will keep goods within a range of 2 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius for up to 96 hours without using gel packs or dry ice.    The environmentally friendly option, which was built by NanoCool and is targeted at the healthcare industry, can […]

   The task of the exporter is getting more difficult by the day.    New markets, changing regulations. Outbound shippers face increasing complexity on both the operational and regulatory sides of cargo management as supply chains move to emerging regions and customs enforcement at destination becomes more stringent. Click here to tell us how your […]

   A value-added tax (VAT) will be applied to transportation and logistics services throughout China, starting today, Aug. 1.    “In 2012, China reformed its existing VAT system by integrating the business tax (BT) into the value added tax (VAT),” according to a memorandum provided to American Shipper by Zhen Xie, Carlos Rodriguez, and Robert Stang […]

The Chilean liner carrier on Thursday reported a net profit of $34.3 million in the second quarter of 2013, the second profitable quarter for the line since it was taken over by the Luksic Group in 2011.

New steel business helped the Port of Charleston experience an 85 percent increase in breakbulk volume during the fiscal year fourth quarter ended June 30 from the first nine months, according to the South Carolina Ports Authority.

   Freight movement among the United States, Canada and Mexico — partners in the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — hit $98.6 billion in May, a 1.8 percent year-over-year increase, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.    In May, imports totaled $52.9 billion and imports totaled $45.7 billion, both slight decreases from April’s […]

Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Coast Guard and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, challenging a permit amendment authorizing the raising of the Bayonne Bridge.

AMR has been soliciting approval for its regorganization plan since early June, when the court authorized the new direction. A confirmation hearing is scheduled with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York on Aug. 15.

   The Virginia Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners unanimously elected Vice Chairman Jeffrey Wassmer to succeed William Fralin Jr. as chairman.     Wassmer was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to the VPA board in July 2011, along with the rest of the current board, and was reappointed a year later for a five-year term that ends […]