Global trade stagnated below pre-economic crisis levels through August, according to the International Transport Forum’s December Global Trade and Transport Statistics Brief, released Friday. The briefing indicated total ocean trade remained lower than pre-crisis levels in the European Union and United States (at -2 percent and -10 percent, respectively), according to the ITF’s […]
NYK on Friday said it will merge its subsidiary companies NYK-Hinode Line Ltd. and NYK Global Bulk Corp. Hinode has been in business for more than a century and transports a variety of cargo, such as plant and heavy equipment, while NGB is one of the world’s largest specialists in handy-size bulk carriers. […]
C.H. Robinson’s senior vice president Jim Butts will retire, effective Dec. 31. Butts started working at the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based logistics company in 1978. He has been senior vice president since December 2007. His previous positions at C. H. Robinson include manager at both the Chicago South and Detroit offices.
“If a new labor agreement is not reached and a port shutdown occurs, we respectfully ask you to be prepared to immediately put into place measures,” the organization told the president.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank approved a $1.03 billion loan to GLOBALFOUNDRIES to finance the export of American-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment to Germany. The transaction, which is Ex-Im Bank’s third with GLOBALFOUNDRIES and its related entities, will support about 9,700 jobs, according to Commerce and Labor department data. Four American exporters from California, […]
The Port of New Orleans has elected Joe Toomy to serve as chairman. He succeeds Commissioner Valerie Cahill, whose term as chairman expired. Cahill will continue to serve on the board as a commissioner. The board also elected Commissioners Dan Packer to vice chairman and Greg Rusovich to secretary-treasurer. A 24-year veteran […]
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has appointed Jeff Borling to director of industrial/economic development, effective Jan. 1. Borling has spent most of his career in economic development. He joins the port after nearly seven years with APEX (Area Partnership for Economic Expansion), helping drive regional investment and job growth. Since 2010, he […]
A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, his girlfriend and two of their associates pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court for their participation in multi-year bribery and human smuggling activities along the U.S./Mexico border, the U.S. Justice Department announced. Former CBP officer Juan Carlos Guerrero, 39, of Mission, Texas, pleaded guilty before […]
Saddle Creek Logistics Services, a Lakeland, Fla.-based third party logistics firm, has appointed Amy Barnes to director of business development. In this role, she will oversee the development of new customer relationships and help generate organic growth with existing accounts. She will be based in Winston-Salem, N.C. Before joining Saddle Creek, Barnes […]
Next year, the U.S. airline industry will achieve a “rational industry construct” with four major airlines competing in the domestic and international air space, Richard Anderson, chief executive officer of Delta, said.
A federal mediator said after contract talks on Tuesday and Wednesday the Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers and ILWU Locals 4, 8, 19 and 23 “have agreed they require additional time to review their options.”
Three days of negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and their employers ended on Wednesday without a labor agreement to replace the one that expires on Dec. 29.
The logistics software developer Trade Tech on Wednesday released an update to its Trade Rates Pricing Suite, with the new version aimed at accelerating the quote response time for non-vessel-operating common carriers. Trade Tech said the updated platform generates rate quotes in 90 seconds or less. “Both experienced sales people and first-time […]
FMC Chairman Richard Lidinsky noted that foreign NVOs have wanted to be able to offer Negotiated Rate Arrangements since the commission approved allowing domestic NVOs to offer them.
Canada is evaluating simpler eligibility requirements for highway carriers to participate in the Free and Secure Trade program to expedite the movement of cargo across the northern border for trusted shippers.
The ocean carriers Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) of Japan and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd have added a fourth vessel to their joint weekly MAREXN service between the U.S. West Coast, Mexico and Central America, increasing roundtrip voyage time from 21 days to 28 days. Transit times in both directions have been increased by a few days, now taking […]
CMA CGM’s decision to purchase a stake in the Port of Long Beach’s Pier J container terminal will increase port throughput by 2.6 million TEUs and increase revenues by about $70 million during the next five years, the port authority said Wednesday. The Port of Long Beach’s gain comes at the expense of the […]
Canada and Israel have signed a Customs Mutual Assistance agreement, the Canada Border Services Agency said. The agreement provides the legal framework for Canada and Israel to share customs data to prevent, investigate and prosecute customs violations. The signing in Ottawa followed a visit by Doron Arbely, director general of the Israel Tax […]
The container leasing company Seaco on Wednesday appointed Jeremy Matthew to group chief executive officer and Paul Merritt as group chief operating officer. The appointments follow the retirement of former CEO Dave Amble. Matthew, the group’s current chief financial officer, will take over as CEO with immediate effect and will be supported by Merritt, […]
Craig Perciavalle was promoted to president of Austal USA, the subsidiary of Australian shipbuilding company, Austal Ltd. He most recently served as senior vice president of operations. Perciavalle joined Austal USA in 2007, serving in a number of senior management positions while overseeing the company’s transition from a small commercial shipyard to a […]
The influx of trucking assets to meet demand will exacerbate a tight market and lead to a national shortage of trucks, especially for flatbed, dry van and refuse haulers, warned Noël Perry, senior consultant for FTR Associates.
According to a Transportation Department docket published today in the Federal Register, cargo-only operations aren’t required to abide by the new flight, duty and rest requirements for pilots, but may choose to opt in if desired.
Two barge industry groups said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has named two contractors to remove rock pinacles in the Mississippi at Thebes, Ill., and that the agency could begin blasting next week. But the American Waterways Operators and Waterways Council, Inc. warned in a joint statement that water releases from the Missouri […]
DHL Global Forwarding has expanded its sea-air product to eight new destinations in Africa, further strengthening the Asia-Africa trade lane. DHL now boasts 26 air-sea destinations in Africa that can link up with more than 40 Asian destinations. These Asia-Africa shipments will be sent by ocean to Dubai and flown on pre-booked air […]
Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are the latest casualties in cargo price-fixing scandal, settling their cases and agreeing to pay fines levied by the Federal Court of Australia of $11.25 million and $11.75 million, respectively. These stand as two of the largest fines ever ordered in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, […]
“The industry is now comprehensively united in our objectives and timelines for e-freight and e-AWB. This sends a huge message to all industry participants,” said Bill Gottlieb, past president of FIATA and a GACAG member.
A senior Commerce Department official helping to oversee the overhaul of the country’s antiquated export control regulations said the Obama administration is committed to following through on concluding these reforms in its second term. “Given last month’s election results, we have time to finish the largest part of the reform effort—the transfer to the […]
The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday reported that the country’s exports in goods and services for October were down 3.6 percent from the previous month to $180.5 billion. Similarly, U.S. imports during that month fell 2.1 percent to $222.8 billion. As a result, the October international trade deficit increased to $42.2 billion […]
The CKYH or Green Alliance of container shipping companies (COSCO, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping) said it will cancel seven voyages on loops between Asia and North Europe and Asia and the Mediterranean “in order to cope with the seasonal market demand.” According to a press release, CKYH members will cancel the voyages from […]
The center, which will support 40 programmers and engineers, will serve as a software engineering and research and development hub for the railroad’s technology group.
The Port of Hamburg said the world’s largest containership, the 16,020-TEU CMA CGM Marco Polo, berthed at the HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB). But Reinhard Peschel, managing director of CMA CGM Deutschland, said “delay in the dredging of the river Elbe makes it more difficult for us to enable dependable handling, because even […]
Transportation Solutions Enterprises (TSE) has appointed Richard G. Piontek as president of 3PLogic, the company’s transportation management and technology services subsidiary. Piontek takes over from 3PLogic’s current president and co-founder, Eric Rempel, who will focus on continued innovation and development of the company’s technology platform as its chief information officer. “We’re excited […]
The freight rate technology vendor Catapult International said Wednesday it has released a new software product called Spring Board that allows liner carriers and non-vessel-operating common carriers to accept shipper rate request bids of any Excel format and map them to a master template. Spring Board also allows carriers and NVOs to manage […]
Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 3.9 percent in December despite a strike that closed the nation’s largest port complex for the first few days of the month, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Monday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. […]
The Port of Virginia handled 198,720 TEUs of containerized cargo in November, the second best month ever for the port. Several carriers rerouted container cargo through Norfolk after Hurricane Sandy closed the Port of New York and New Jersey. But the uptick in cargo in Virginia is part of a longer term […]
With the U.S. government’s recent order to impose duties of Chinese solar panels, a group representing U.S. manufacturers of this equipment warned importers that tariffs may climb. Federal orders were issued on Dec. 7 to activate final anti-subsidy and antidumping duty rates ranging from 24 percent to 255 percent on imports of Chinese […]
Entercoms, a Dallas-based provider of aftermarket supply chain services, has named Michael Smith chief commercial officer. He will be responsible for commercial strategy and development in marketing, sales, product development and customer service as the company seeks to drive business growth and expand market share. Previously, Smith was vice president and general […]
Fednav Group’s ship, Federal Satsuki, is discharging cargo at Federal Marine Terminals in Cleveland this week, one of a series of new “green” vessels being built by the Montreal-based company by the Oshima shipyard in Japan. The ship will discharge steel for the coal mining, automotive, and cosmetic industries and machinery for the […]
The Port of Jacksonville said a grant will allow it to reduce pollution from equipment at its Talleyrand and Blount Island marine terminals. Awarded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a grant funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow Jaxport to pay for diesel oxidation catalysts to be installed on […]
Ryder System said Tuesday it launched a mobile application of its onboard telematics system RydeSmart 3.0 for the iPhone and iPad devices. With the application, existing RydeSmart customers will be able to track their vehicles and access real-time data on their fleets from their mobile devices at any location, any time of the […]
Cavotec said it had won multiple orders for alternative maritime power (AMP) shore-to-ship electrical power systems at the Port of Los Angeles. These projects follow several orders for similar systems throughout California. The units allow ships to “cold iron” and use shore-generated electricity when docked. “These orders are the latest in […]
Life got easier last week for importers of low-value consignments when U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a rulemaking increasing the threshold for informal entries to $2,500 from $2,000, effective Jan. 7.
Swiss WorldCargo has signed up as the first member of the International Air Transport Association’s multilateral e-air waybill agreement, an initiative that promotes using a multilateral agreement where several bilateral EDI agreements between forwarders and carriers once stood. This new approach to the e-air waybill is still in the trial stages, but the […]
The port is taking steps to be more transparent in the wake of a scandal involving improper travel expense reimbursements, which led to the retirement of former executive director Omar Benjamin in November.
There may be a need for further improvements to the Panama Canal even after the waterway completes its current expansion in 2015, said Alberto Alemán Zubieta, former administrator of the Panama Canal Authority.
Nine global logistics networks have banded together as the founding members of ELITE, a global freight forwarding association comprising more than 3,550 companies with revenues in excess of $60 billion. The founding networks include the Global Logistics Network, Lognet Global, the WCA Family of Logistics Networks and the WCA Projects Network, the Worldwide […]
DB Schenker has announced its expanded lead logistics service, a fourth party logistics program in which DB officials will manage and integrate service providers among a customer’s supply chain. “We have noticed that demand for this special service is increasing across Europe,” DB Schenker’s Karl Nutzinger said in a statement. “We offer efficient cost controls […]
Delta has acquired a 49-percent stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways for $360 million, forming a joint venture focused on North America-U.K. routings. DOT and the European Commission are expected to approve the deal in early 2013.
About 200 ILA wage scale delegates, meeting this week in Delray Beach, Fla., with employer representatives from the U.S. Marine Alliance (USMX), voted unanimously to grant union president Harold Daggett the ability to call a strike.
The Singapore-based electronics manufacturing services provider Flextronics and Google-owned Motorola Mobility said Monday that they have signed a definitive agreement designed to streamline supply chain operations between the two entities. The agreement will see Flextronics acquire Motorola’s manufacturing operations in Tianjin, China, as well as assume the management and operation of its Jaguariuna, […]
The New Jersey-based transportation software developer Aljex Software said Monday it has introduced a new service that enables carriers to fax documents directly into a broker’s or third partly logistics services provider’s hosted Aljex system. Integrated Inbound Faxing (IIF) allows a broker using Aljex’s system to receive faxed proofs of delivery (PODs) or […]
CMA CGM said Tuesday it has taken a stake in the Pier J container terminal in the Port of Long Beach, joining an already existing terminal operations consortium between SSA Marine and COSCO. The parent company of the French container line will join via its American subsidiary, CMA Terminals California (CTC). The existing […]
Light-weight pallet maker Airdex International has promoted Randall “Randy” Boeller to vice president of global logistics. His responsibilities will be focused primarily on growth of Airdex’s products in the high-tech, medical products, and pharmaceuticals markets in all global regions, the Henderson, Nev.-based company said. Boeller previously worked in the computer industry and […]
CBP solidifies ties with Israel Customs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is laying the ground work for an agreement to mutually recognize the Israeli Tax Authority’s Authorized Economic Operator program. The agency said Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar, who has headed the organization the past 11 months, met with Israeli Customs Director General Doron Arbely […]
An association representing a half dozen grain terminals on the Columbia River and Puget Sound said over the weekend that federal mediators have called for additional meetings to reach a contract agreement.
President Obama issued an order Thursday forming an interagency task force to coordinate the government’s advocacy on behalf of U.S. firms competing for public contracts in foreign countries.
AIG will sell 80.1 percent of its International Lease Finance Corp., an aircraft lessor with 200 airline clients in 80 countries, to a Chinese-led investor group for $5.28 billion. U.S. and Chinese regulators still need to approve the deal.
The U.S. government expressed its irritation with Russia over the country’s new requirement that U.S. beef and pork shipments be tested and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine. “The United States is very concerned that Russia has taken these actions, which appear to be inconsistent with its obligations as a member of […]
Officials at MNX, a global express air courier service, see opportunity in the sluggish air cargo market and uninspiring economy. Chief Executive Officer Scott Cannon said while 2012 has been unkind to the air cargo industry in general, it has been a very good year for MNX. As the final touches on a year […]
The airline’s cargo operation experienced growth among its 13 freighters in 2012, seeing a 19-percent increase in activity in boarding figures for the first nine months of the year when compared to 2011’s figures.
Capes Shipping Agencies, a Norfolk, Va.-based ships agency and bulk coal freight forwarder, has expanded its operations in New Orleans, Houston and Portland, Ore., through a joint venture with Southport Agencies, a ships agency based in New Orleans. The joint venture, called Capes Southport Agencies, will focus on servicing coal, petroleum coke, and […]
National Foreign Trade Council President said in a blog entry Friday that U.S. trade negotiations with the European Union are paralyzed by “fear of failure.” He noted that while U.S.-EU negotiations have significant high-level political support, that enthusiasm hasn’t trickled down to negotiators. But he said there is a compelling motivation for the […]
FPS network member Sinergy Cargo has opened a 105,000-square-meter cargo terminal in Arquata Scrivia, Italy, near the Genoa port. The new terminal encompasses 10 units spanning 20,000 square feet each and five cereal silos. Large truck parking areas and 2.5 kilometers of rail sidings connected to the national rail system are also part […]
Contract talks resume today between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and its employers, represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), in Delray Beach, Fla. Shipper groups are urging the two sides to stay at the bargaining table to reach an agreement, with some saying Hurricane Sandy had added new urgency to the need to reach […]
In 1909, explorer Ernest Shackleton left behind bottles of 1896 Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky during an expedition in Antarctica. After being found in 2010, the whisky was flown to New Zealand for thawing and then three bottles were shipped to Scotland, where distillery Whyte & Mackay analyzed the liquor for mass […]
A wide group of U.S. companies are urging the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and its employers to “make every attempt possible at reaching agreement on a new contract” when they begin meeting once again next week.
Hoping to clear a muddied path forward for the airline industry and to handle the logistical hardship coming for the world’s air navigation systems, the International Civil Aviation Organization has outlined a 15-year air navigation strategy for the global airline business. Member states and industry organizations put together a revised Global Air Navigation […]
Last year, global cargo volumes finished at 29.6 million tons. Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Brazil, India and Egypt are predicted to be the fastest-growing cargo markets.
“It still remains to be seen whether appropriate solutions will ultimately address our concerns for express-parcel deliveries in Europe,” said Joaquin Almunia, EU commissioner responsible for competition, in a speech.
Arnold Transportation Services, a division of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, has acquired Fort Worth, Texas-based LinkAmerica. The deal is expected to be completed in January. The two companies, which will now employ more than 1,800 drivers and boast a fleet of 1,400 trucks, will conduct business under the Arnold banner. According to a U.S. […]
The New World Alliance will tweak the rotation of three of its transpacific services in the next two weeks, according to an advisory from NWA member MOL. The rotation changes affect the alliance’s PS1, PS2, and SAX services, which are all predominantly operated by NWA member APL. The PS1 service will drop […]
The cause of a deadly accident between a car carrier and small containership off the coast of Rotterdam Wednesday night was still not formally known, but suspected to be caused by human error, according to a report by Reuters. Meanwhile, the death toll from the collision between between the 3,000-unit car carrier Baltic […]
The Brazilian government on Thursday indicated it will invest $26 billion into its congested ports network to make them more efficient and maximize the country’s economic growth potential. Probably the most significant aspect of the announcement, made by President Dilma Rousseff, is that port licenses will be granted to the group that offers […]
In an effort to improve service, reduce costs and lower their environmental impact, Patrick Donahoe, postmaster general of the U.S. Postal Service, and UPS Chief Executive Officer Scott Davis have announced a partnership between the two operations. The program, which is titled “Blue and Brown Make Green,” will allow the companies to better utilize […]
A small, but significant, number of companies have moved some production back to the United States or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America because of concerns with long supply chains.
The cloud-based supply chain software provider GT Nexus said this week they have been selected by the carmaker Renault SA to provide a cloud supply chain platform that will support the company’s growing expansion into international markets. GT Nexus has conducted a successful live pilot covering the spare parts export supply chain from […]
The transportation management software providers RedPrairie and JDA Software Group said this week they have received clearance from German anti-competition authorities to proceed with their planned merger this year. The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) granted clearance under the German Act Against Restraints of Competition, in connection with the previously announced transaction, in […]
After showing steady increases in package volumes each holiday season since 2005, FedEx officials are predicting that 19 million packages will move through the company’s networks on Monday, setting a new one-day volume record. If correct, Monday’s activity will be a large increase over last year, when on Dec. 12, the company handled […]
Third party logistics services firm UTi Worldwide reported profit of $10.5 million in the third quarter ending Oct. 31, compared to $28.5 million in the third quarter last year. Revenue was $1.13 billion in the third quarter, a decrease of 10.7 percent from $1.26 billion in the same period last year. Net revenues […]
These restrictions include the broad use of “non-transparent and discretionary import licensing requirements that have the effect of unfairly restricting U.S. exports,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said.
The Port of Seattle Authority’s commission this week approved a 25-year plan that seeks to grow traffic at the city’s port and airport and create 100,000 new jobs while reducing the port’s environmental footprint. The port authority said its “Century Agenda” seeks to grow annual container volume to more than 3.5 million TEUs. […]
The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed the 2012 Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal Act by a vote of 92-4, clearing the way for U.S. companies to take full advantage of Russia’s recent entrance into the World Trade Organization. Once signed by President Obama, the United States will grant Russia permanent normal trade relations […]
Four men were charged with making illegal exports of carbon fiber from the United States to Iran and China, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday. Carbon fiber has a variety of uses, including in gas centrifuges that enrich uranium and in military aircraft and strategic missiles. The four individuals charged are Hamid Reza […]
COSCO said that on Dec. 4 it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. and an order for two VLCCs, with an option for two more. According to the agreement, COSCO and CSIC will deepen their cooperation in shipbuilding technology, logistics, and transportation. “The signing of the agreement will […]
The Busan Port Authority (BPA) and global container terminal operator PSA International signed a memorandum of understanding Friday designed to stoke cooperation towards a long-term strategic partnership between the two organizations. BPA and PSA said they’ll seek to find opportunities to work more closely to realize mutual benefits in South Korea’s Port of […]
American Trucking Associations applauded Reps. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee for calling for a pilot program to require drug testing of hair samples for truck drivers in the United States. The proposed bill would require the Transportation Department to develop a pilot program to test the viability of hair testing on […]
“Puerto Rico’s economy remains in a prolonged multi-year recession, during which time domestic container volumes to the island have contracted sharply,” said Richard Rodriguez, head of the liner’s Puerto Rico service.
The line next month will offer two new services from Manzanillo, Mexico, to the west coast of Central America as part of a restructuring of its service to the region.
The U.S. Justice Department said Markos Baghdasarian, manager of Delfin Group USA LLC, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the District of South Carolina to charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by making illegal exports to Iran. In addition, he made false statements and failed to obtain the […]
An L.A. port official said the huge size of the two ports – their terminals, workforce, railroad infrastructure and large number of truckers – give them a great deal of “cargo bandwidth,” which should help quickly end the backlog.
APL Logistics said Thursday it has released a version of its SeeChange shipment tracking tool for mobile devices. SeeChange Lite allows customers to secure tracking capability from Apple, Android and Blackberry mobile and handheld devices in a free, downloadable app version. “SeeChange Lite is a step towards enhancing our suite of value-added […]
A Bahamian-flagged car carrier has sunk off the coast of Rotterdam after an overnight collision with a small containership, with at least four crew members reportedly dead and seven more missing. The Baltic Ace was en route from Zeebrugge to Kotka, Finland, when it collided with the Cyprus-registered Corvus J in the North […]
Hyundai said it will increase all refrigerated cargo rates by $1500 per unit on Jan. 1. The rate increase will apply across the board to all commodities from the U.S. and Canada to Asia including the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Far Eastern Russia. The South Korean carrier said it “must increase […]
Pegasus TransTech, a developer of data management software for the transportation industry, said Thursday it has released a cloud-based version of its TRANSFLO document management and workflow product for trucking companies TRANSFLO DMS is designed to allow carriers to automate time-critical business processes such as accounts payable and receivable, vehicle maintenance, and recruiting. […]
