American Shipper

   The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Hanover, Md.-based Gunthers Transport an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the trucking company to immediately cease all transportation services.     FMCSA issued an imminent hazard out-of-service order against Gunthers following an in-depth review of the company’s operations, which found multiple […]

The Panama Maritime Chamber said it is opening its membership for the first time to international owners of the 9,000 vessels under Panama’s flag. This will make the group the equivalent of a Panamanian Shipowners’ Association.

   The Transportation Asset Protection Association has released a new global security standard to protect high-value consumer goods traveling on international.     According to the association, cargo crime levels involving attacks on vehicles are estimated to cost in excess of $10 billion a year.     The updated and enhanced Trucking Security Requirements 2012 replaces the […]

The U.S. government, along with a coalition of private sector and humanitarian organizations, on Monday announced the formation of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade.

   The Middle East aviation market will require 39 new freighters worth $11.1 billion and 1,882 passenger aircraft between now and 2030 to meet demand, Airbus said last Monday in its Global Market Forecast.     The European aircraft maker said the need stems from continuing fleet expansion and replacement by Middle East carriers, greater urbanization, an increasing number of mega-cities and […]

   The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the 2011 Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2011 (H.R. 2838) by voice vote.     The bill authorizes $8.49 billion for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 2012, $8.6 billion for fiscal year 2013, and $8.7 billion for fiscal year 2014.     H.R. 2838 includes […]

   U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday he will convene a meeting in Washington to help the Port of Savannah find funds to deepen its harbor.    During remarks delivered as he received the National Industrial Transportation League’s 2011 Logistics Executive of the Year Award, LaHood decried political gridlock in Washington that is delaying transportation […]

   The Singapore-based liner carrier APL suffered an 18 percent drop in revenue on its global container volume in the period from Sept. 24 through Oct. 21, its parent company NOL said this week.    APL’s average revenue per FEU carried during the period plummeted to $2,402, from $2,916 during the same period in 2010. […]

   Hapag-Lloyd said Tuesday it plans to raise rates on cargo moving from Asia to Mexico, Central America and the west coast of South America next month.    The German container line will seek the increase, $600 per TEU, from Dec. 15.

   Maersk Line said this week it will omit some calls in Mediterranean ports on its Asia-Med services in the lead up to Christmas and New Year’s.    On the line’s AE1 service, a call at Port Said will be skipped on one sailing, while on the AE2 service, three sailings will skip calls at […]

   Maersk Line said this week it is raising rates from the Far East to West Africa from Dec. 15, following a decision by members of the Asia-West Africa Trade Agreement.    The increase, $200 per TEU, is applicable to destinations in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde Island, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, […]

   Maersk Line and subsidiary line Safmarine have added a new call and an additional vessel to their Safari 1 service between Asia and South Africa, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.    The carriers have added a second, southbound call at Port Louis, while increasing the vessels deployed on the service from eight […]

In October LA loaded imports grew by 5.5 percent year-on-year, to 368,842 TEUs. Retail sales for October also spiked 7.2 percent year-on-year.

   Ocean Intelligence, a Singapore-based marine credit analysis company, has appointed John Phillips to manager director.     Phillips, a 24-year maritime industry veteran, will also become a member of the Petromedia Group board and will be based in Singapore.     He comes to Ocean Intelligence from his own consulting company, Awyr Las Pte Ltd, which will continue […]

   Southern Air Holdings, a provider of ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) aircraft, on Tuesday signed a multiyear Boeing 747-400SF agreement with Ethiopian Airlines.     Ethiopian is Southern Air’s first customer for its recently acquired fleet of B747-400 freighter aircraft with operations scheduled to begin in early January.     “Our future fleet will be comprised of […]

   Management Dynamics, a developer of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications for the shipping industry, said it has changed its name to Amber Road.     “Derived from the ancient trading route of the same name, Amber Road evokes images of trade throughout history and more accurately embodies the nature of the company’s business,” the East Rutherford, N.J.-based firm […]

Sappio    Business advisory firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has appointed Robert Sappio to managing director.     Prior to joining A&M, Sappio spent nearly 30 years with APL, most recently serving as senior vice president in charge of trade and marketing activities for the liner carrier in transpacific, transatlantic and Latin American regions.     “His breadth and […]

   The U.S. Justice Department said Xun Wang, a former managing director of PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a Chinese subsidiary of U.S.-based PPG Industries, pled guilty Tuesday to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.     Wang, 51, entered the guilty plea before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court […]

   Meditetranean Shipping Co., the liner shipping carrier, has announced an extension of its slot charter with Maersk Line and Hamburg Sud on their 10-ship Oceania loop connecting Australia and New Zealand with their various hubs in Panama/Columbia and extending to Savannah and Philadelphia on the U.S. East Coast. It calls this loop its Oceania […]

   A training course for project freight forwarders will be held Feb. 27-28 in conjunction with Breakbulk China 2012 at the Intex Shanghai exhibition center.     The Certificate of Achievement in Project Cargo Management ISO accredited training focuses on the professional development of employees and new thinking about how to successfully manage complex heavy-lift transportation. “The […]