Maritime

Hyundai Merchant Marine said Thursday it will launch a new loop between Korea, China and the West Coast of North America this month.

Combined United States carload and intermodal cargo volumes continued their decline in September 2016, falling another 4.8 percent compared with the same 2015 period, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, Wash., is the latest in a long list of complaints against transportation and logistics service providers that have allegedly been misclassifying drivers as contractors instead of employees.

DHL Supply Chain has purchased a 100 percent stake in Carugate, Italy-based MIT Safetrans, which specializes in high value logistics services in the technology, pharmaceutical, banking and vending sectors, for an undisclosed price.

On a year-over-year basis, the sharp increase in limestone shipments from Canadian quarries was not enough to offset the drop in limestone shipments from quarries in the United States.

Situated in Washington state, the Port of Longview has become the first port in the United States to move wind turbine blades directly from a ship to on-dock railcars.

At 11:00 a.m. EST, the National Hurricane Center issued a public advisory that said the Category 3 hurricane was 55 miles north/northeast of Cabo Lucrecia, Cuba and about 105 miles south of Long Island, Bahamas.

The U.S. trade deficit surpassed analyst expectations in August, rising 3 percent from July to $40.73 billion as higher imports offset a gain in exports.

The hits just keep coming for the beleaguered South Korean ocean carrier as the 8586-TEU Hanjin New York dragged anchor and contacted the 4038-TEU MSC Claudia, causing 11 empty containers to fall overboard, according to Singapore’s The New Paper.

Retail sales in November and December are expected to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion, up from 3 percent growth in the same 2015 period, according to the National Retail Federation.

Transportation industry forecaster FTR said Class 8 truck orders – those used to move trailer loads of freight around the country – reached a preliminary 13,800 units in September, down 2 percent from August.

The 500-year-old postal service acquired California’s Golden State Overnight Delivery Service for $90 million.

DHL’s eCommerce Singapore division has introduced a “hybrid” shipping product called Parcel International Direct Australia aimed specifically at online retailers in Singapore looking to expand their business in Australia.

The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based third-party logistics provider opened a new global forwarding office in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Abu Dhabi Ports said that with the new vessel management system, vessels arriving at any commercial port in Abu Dhabi will be able to processes needed formalities and exchange unified digital information with the port community.

Brambles Ltd. appoints new CFO, while Port Manatee names senior business administration director and senior communications manager.

Meanwhile, The Federal Maritime Commission told American Shipper Tuesday that despite Hanjin no longer accepting bookings in the U.S., the commission hasn’t received any amendments to the CKYHE Alliance agreement since it was originally filed in 2014.

The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration last week issued a new railworthiness directive to owners of certain DOT-111 tank cars built between 2009 and 2015 that may have “substantial weld defects.”

The United States said it wants rapid enforcement of recent World Trade Organization decisions involving European subsidies for Airbus passenger aircraft and India’s local content requirements for solar panels.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America told U.S. Customs and Border Protection that it objects to requiring a toxic substances certificate for each chemical shipment import entry filed in the agency’s new computer system.