American Shipper

   Los Angeles-based Less Software, a supply chain management service provider, has joined Avalara’s list of certified original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and will now integrate Avalara’s Software-as-a-Service platform for sales tax management into its own applications.    Avalara said that its OEM partners, which in this case are software publishers and providers, typically offer the Avalara […]

   AFS Technologies announced it has expanded its trade promotion partnership with Otis Spunkmeyer, a North Carolina-based baked goods manufacturer that leads in the cookie dough space.    With this expanded contract, Spunkmeyer will increase its use of AFS’s ContractPro and related data services. AFS said Spunkmeyer will also extend the use of these tools to the Canadian […]

The European Commission on Wednesday handed out $225 million in fines to 14 air freight forwarding companies, including some of the largest global firms in the sector, for fixing prices on several routes.

Republican leaders on Tuesday tried to move a 60-day extension to the floor, but could not get enough Democrats to agree to a suspension of the rules for such a vote.

   Swiss freight forwarder Kuehne + Nagel Group said Tuesday it’s introducing a new product for the pharmaceutical and health care industry.    KN PharmaChain will give shippers door-to-door temperature control, a 24-hour alert system, and optional wireless temperature measuring.    “KN PharmaChain is Kuehne + Nagel’s response to the pharmaceutical industry’s requirements for effective and proper […]

   A new express service from Lufthansa Cargo provides a personal escort and short cut-off windows for time-sensitive, critical cargo to make sure it gets on the next flight.    Lufthansa Cargo said it accepts pallets and containers of any weight for “Courier.Solutions.”    Customers at Frankfurt Airport can drop off cargo as late as 90 […]

“The addition of a vessel to each service provides seven additional days of transit time from North Europe to Asia Eastbound,” the line said in a customer notice. “It will improve our reliability for your cargo to reach the destination.”

   Damco, the logistics arm of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has launched a new supply chain service that it says will more efficiently deal with continual changes on the demand and supply side of logistics management.    Damco’s Dynamic Flow Control allows supply chain managers to continually re-plan shipments and redefine what is the most important aspect of the shipment, such […]

   The U.S. Transportation Command announced Tuesday the appointment of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Richardson to commanding general of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC).    He replaces Maj. Gen. Kevin A. Leonard, who retired after 33 years of service.    Richardson has served in a variety of command and staff positions during […]

   Franklin, Mass.-based Barrett Distribution Centers, a family owned third-party logistics company, has chosen Scott Hothem as its new senior vice president of customer solutions.    Hothem has held senior leadership positions with Matson Integrated Logistics (which acquired Pacific American Services while Hothem was president), Circuit City Stores, Merisel, Arvato and Bertelsmann AG.    Barrett operates […]

   Menlo Worldwide Logistics, the logistics subsidiary of Con-way Inc., has appointed two new directors in its South Asia organization.    The company has named Victor Loo as director of operations and Kelza Phang as director of human resources.    Loo is now responsible for developing Menlo’s warehouse offerings in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, while […]

From April 11, CMA CGM will join as an operator a seven-ship Brazil-focused loop with Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CSAV and will also take slots on an MSC service to the River Plate region.

   As previously announced, the liner shipping companies Zim and Mediterranean Shipping Co. have now merged their two services between the U.S. Gulf and ECSA.    The new joint service, combining Zim’s SAX loop with MSC’s String 2 service, began with the March 27 sailing of MSC Korea from Houston and will operate with seven vessels averaging 2,987 TEUs. MSC provides five of […]

   Dissatisfaction with the way funds are collected and distributed for port and waterway projects bubbled to the surface during a House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing Tuesday on the proposed 2013 budget for the Army Corps of Engineers.    Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., complained the budget was unfair to the Port of Los Angeles and […]

   Cathay Pacific Airways on Wednesday said it has started a new twice-weekly freighter service to Zhengzhou, the capital city and principal commercial hub of Henan Province in Central China.    The service is intended to further boost the airline’s cargo profile in inland China, following the launch of services to Chengdu and Chongqing in the […]

   The liner carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. said Wednesday it plans to raise rates on U.S. East Coast export shipments to the west coast of South America.    The increases are $150 per 20-foot container and $300 per 40-foot container to west coast South America ports, excluding Cartagena, and $100 per 20-foot container and $200 […]

   The Singapore-based shipping and logistics company NOL Group on Wednesday named Olivier Lim to its board of directors.    Lim is chief investment officer at Singapore’s CapitaLand Limited and will join the board April 12. He spent six years as CapitaLand’s chief financial officer before becoming chief information officer in early 2012. Before that, he […]

   FedEx Trade Networks, the freight forwarding arm of FedEx Corp., has opened three new U.S. offices as part of its ongoing expansion initiative.    The offices are located in Phoenix, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.    “By increasing our U.S. office network, we can continue to offer customers a wider variety of solutions and routing […]

   Page International, a Savannah, Ga.-based logistics provider, has promoted Jackie Johnson to director of exports.    She started with Page in 2003 in the ocean export bookings and traffic department, and for the past six years was ocean export manager. In her new position, Johnson will be responsible for the oversight and direction of […]

Congress is moving closer again to the brink of a partial government shutdown as lawmakers failed to make progress Monday on a short-term extension of authority to run surface transportation programs and collect fuel taxes.