American Shipper

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said its Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services (CADRS) has recently received an increased number of inquiries and consumer complaints involving unlicensed ocean transportation intermediaries hired to ship household goods and personal effects to Brazil.    It said such complaints include, but are not limited to: Failure […]

The final rule to revise regulations for negotiated rate arrangements (NRAs) will eliminate some recordkeeping requirements to make them less burdensome for NVOs, the agency says.

   Disputes over jurisdiction with other unions and vexation with the AFL-CIO are being highlighted this week by leaders of the two major unions for U.S. longshoremen…

The House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday passed by voice vote the SMART Port Security Act, which attempts toenhance risk-based supply chain security programs.

Agency investigators seized from a Seattle-area distributor a shipment of children’s shoes from China that contained three times the legal limit of lead, and ordered them to be destroyed.

   The ocean carrier Maersk Line will suspend its weekly Spondylus service between the U.S. East Coast, Central America and west coast South America.     The last sailing will be by the Maersk Willemstadt, departing Esmeraldas, Ecuador on June 15.     This move comes just one month after Maersk terminated its direct Europe-west coast of […]

   The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday it has carried through with a threat to draw down the security deposit of Foreign Auto Preparation Service (FAPS), its largest automobile handler to cover back rent.    “We drew down on their $2.4 million line of credit and we are monitoring their […]

   Non-vessel-operating common carrier Shipco Transport has started a new less-than-containerload service originating in Rio Haina, Dominican Republic to Miami.    The service, with a transit time of five days, uses ocean carrier Antillean Marine Shipping Corp. Along with the new service, the neutral NVO offers inland point intermodal coverage via Miami to all U.S. points […]

   Robert A. McDonald, chairman and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, has been elected chairman of the U.S.-China Business Council.    P&G is the largest consumer products company in China, with annual sales of about $6 billion. It has operations in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Tianjin, Dongguan and Nanping, and a technical center in Beijing. […]

   The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has appointed Mary Hennessy to president and chief executive officer.    An IFAI employee for 24 years, Hennessy most recently served as interim executive vice president. Prior to that, she worked as vice president of communications.    The IFAI board appointed a search committee to fill the position […]

   Software developer Bridgeline Digital has announced a multi-year deal with UPS to offer business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce Web stores.    The combined offering will give customers the ability to manage the entire e-commerce and supply chain fulfillment process, and Bridgeline and UPS said it was designed to support mid-market and larger digital commerce companies.    Building […]

   A Fabens, Texas resident was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank of more than $690,624, the U.S. Justice Department said.    Hector Cuevas, 42, was also sentenced by Judge Kathleen Cardone in U.S. District Court in El Paso to three years […]

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Tuesday the eradication of European grapevine moth (EGVM) from Fresno, Mendocino, Merced, and San Joaquin counties in California and the removal of restrictions on exports of EGVM host commodities, including stone fruit and table grapes, from those counties to Mexico.    “The […]

The carrier says the fog season in Qingdao lasts from May to July and that during this period, normal port operations are impacted due to increase in waiting time as a result of fog-related port closures.

The French liner carrier, which is not publicly traded but offers financial performance updates, suffered a net loss of $248 million in the first quarter, despite container volume increasing year-on-year in the period.

   A handful of customs brokers filed the first simplified entries on May 29 as part of a trial program to streamline document filing and give international shippers an early decision on releasing their cargo so they can make logistical arrangements prior to arrival, U.S. Customs Commissioner David Aguilar announced Monday.     The simplified entries […]

A Global Port Tracker report on North European ports says latest trade volumes suggest “the slowdown has started and we may be slipping into a deeper recession than anticipated. Any thoughts of a peak season are beginning to evaporate.” 

   The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday approved a $942 million budget for fiscal year 2013, a 12 percent increase over the past year.    The port said the increase reflects the its growing investment in facilities and infrastructure modernization.    The new budget includes $720 million in capital spending, a 14 percent […]

   The House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday is scheduled to edit H.R. 4251, the SMART Port Security Act.    The bill is designed to authorize and enhance existing Department of Homeland Security programs for port and cargo security that are based on risk management principles.    The full title of the bill is the “Securing […]

The portal-based ocean transportation technology provider INTTRA said Tuesday it will partner with liner shipping analyst SeaIntel to produce a monthly report on key ocean carrier reliability measures.