American Shipper

   Non-vessel-operating common carrier CaroTrans has created a team that will specialize in breakbulk, out-of-gauge and roll-on/roll-off cargoes.    The service will be available to freight forwarders from all the NVO’s 14 U.S. office locations, and will provide specialized equipment such as flat racks and open tops, door-to-door services, shrink wrapping, haulage, crating and delivery to the exit port.    “This service sector is […]

   COSCO Container Lines said Tuesday it will seek to increase rates on the trade from the Far East to the east coast of South America.    The increase, $500 per 20-foot container and $1,000 per 40-foot or 40-foot high-cube container, is effective from June 15.

   The liner carrier Safmarine has taken delivery of the 4,500-TEU Chachai, a WAFMAX containership designed specifically to serve the West African trade.    The ship is the third to be received by Safmarine, a subsidiary of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. One of the previous two ships has already been deployed on Maersk Line’s and […]

   Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said Lisa Raitt, Canada’s labor minister, summoned Vice President Doug Finnison to Ottawa for a meeting today as the midnight deadline for a possible strike against Canadian Pacific Railway looms.    The union put out a notice to its members Monday that said it was unsure what the request “means and any attempt to […]

   The U.S. Justice Department said Markos Baghdasarian, president of Delfin Group USA, was arrested on Saturday at the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta just before boarding a flight to the United Arab Emirates.    Baghdasarian was charged by criminal complaint, issued in the District of South Carolina, with exporting goods from the United States to […]

   Zim will implement a peak season surcharge on June 10 in the eastbound Asia-U.S. transpacific trade of $600 per 40-foot container, with proportionate levels for other equipment sizes.    Zim said the surcharge “is required to cover extraordinary seasonal costs associated with anticipated cargo surges, as announced by the TSA (Transpacific Stabilization Agreement), and in order […]

   The focus on the powerhouse east-west container shipping lanes has often obscured the fact that north-south lanes are showing the most growth.    But global logistics providers and liner carriers are taking notice, with new services being offered and branch offices opening to take advantage of opportunities in South America.    One of those […]

   London-based freight forwarder SBS Worldwide has appointed Lars Hansen to regional vice president of operations for the U.S. Southeast.    He will be based in Atlanta.    Hansen’s appointment is part of a recent restructuring of the forwarder’s U.S. operations.

   Western Associates Group, one of Japan’s biggest air cargo general sales agents, has established a new company, Gateway Partners Inc. (GPI), to provide dedicated representation for Virgin Atlantic Cargo.     GPI will focus on maximizing freight, courier and express revenues for shipments carried on Virgin Atlantic’s daily flight from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport to London […]

   The U.S. Export-Import Bank and Bancóldex on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to facilitate trade between the United States and Colombia.    In specific, Ex-Im Bank and Bancóldex have agreed to exchange information on trade and business prospects that may present opportunities for cooperation, including expanding use of Ex-Im […]

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has begun issuing permits to allow the import of fresh celery, arugula and spinach from Colombia.    “Based on the findings of three pest risk analyses, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe […]

   Rising transportation fuel costs, increasing overseas labor challenges, quality control concerns, political pressures, and heightened regulatory requirements have many American shippers pondering whether to bring manufacturing back to the United States or at least geographically closer to home.    Terms, such as near-shore or re-shore, have crept into the supply chain management discussion with […]

By Tom Nightingale president of sales and marketing, ModusLink Global Solutions    The demand for consumer electronics can sometimes go into warp speed, leaving companies unable to provide retailers with the hot products their customers…

   A federal court has found a motor carrier liable for a load of frozen salmon that disappeared from a terminal in Baltimore. And it found a driver and truck owner owes indemnity to the motor carrier. (Merchants Terminal Corp. v. L & O Transport, Inc. D. Maryland. No. SAG–09–cv–2065. April 20)     (We reported […]

   Here’s a court decision from the England and Wales High Court (Commercial Court) that might be used to enliven a classroom discussion about punctuation (Osmium Shipping Corp v Cargill International SA [2012] EWHC 571 (Comm)).    The issue was whether the off-hire clause in the charter party agreement for the ship that the company hired applied […]

Navis’ system takes aim at technical issues involving bigger ships. The growing size of containerships and desire by carriers to minimize delays is resulting in increased interest in software and systems that can be used to optimize terminal operations, said Andy Barrons, a vice president at the terminal automation company Navis, which provides software at about a […]

   Global Container Terminals has announced plans for a multimillion-dollar expansion to its Global Terminal in Bayonne, N.J. that it said will make it one of the most technologically advanced container facilities in the country. James J. Devine, president and chief executive officer of Global Container Terminals USA, said the expansion will add 70 acres to […]

Shippers struggle with varying policies on how to secure wheels under their containers.    By Chris Dupin       While a recent study found most U.S. shippers would prefer no change in the way chassis are provided for moving containerized freight to and from ocean terminals, many ocean carriers are steaming ahead with efforts to reduce their […]

New CEO Skou eyes a return to profitability for world’s biggest container line.    By Eric Johnson       In a year of pain for liner carriers, the biggest of them all had its fair share.    Maersk Line succumbed to a $483 million operating loss in 2011 as market share battles and increased operating costs took […]

Grow or perish. It’s the oldest business cliché in the book, and a big reason why container shipping lines seem to be voluntarily inching themselves toward the edge of a cliff.