Maritime

Three companies operating grain export terminals in the Pacific Northwest – United Grain, Columbia Grain and Louis Dreyfus – said members of the ILWU rejected their last, best and final contract offer.

   The United States and Russia have agreed to an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Action Plan to improve IPR protection and enforcement.    The IPR Action Plan addresses priority areas including combating IPR infringement over the Internet and strengthening IPR enforcement.     “Agreement on the IPR Action Plan represents a significant step at a historic […]

The U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service director said the International Longshoremen’s Association and the group trying to negotiate a new contract with them, the U.S. Maritime Alliance, have agreed to meet before their current pact expires.

   Quality Distribution has appointed former U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration head Annette M. Sandberg to board director.    Sandberg has more than 20 years of public safety and law enforcement experience at federal and state government agencies. She ran the FMCSA from Aug. 1, 2003 to April 1, 2006. She also served as deputy aqdministrator […]

   It’s not much of a Christmas present, at least yet, but late Monday afternoon, the director of the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) said the International Longshoremen’s Association and the group trying to negotiate a new contract with them, the U.S. Maritime Alliance, have agreed to meet before their current pact expires on […]

TSA Executive Administrator Brian M. Conrad said the 15 liner shipping companies that are part of the discussion agreement “cannot afford another year in which expiring contracts and seasonally weak demand erode rate levels.”

APL said it will move its vessel operations in the Port of Oakland from a terminal operated by its affiliate Eagle Marine Services to the adjacent Oakland International Container Terminal, which is operated by SSA Marine.

A coalition of more than 100 trade associations has asked President Obama to help prevent a strike by the union, which posted a document on its Website briefing members on preparations for a strike to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 30.

The global third party logistics services provider has appointed Francesc Casamitjana as regional chief executive officer of its Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) business in the Americas, effective Jan. 1.

   Miami-based non-vessel-operating common carrier Econocaribe Consolidators has appointed John Kamada to manager for the U.S. West Coast region.    Based in Los Angeles, Kamada will be responsible for sales and operations in the Pacific region. Prior to joining Econocaribe, he developed full-containerload sales for Ocean World Lines.

Xun Wang, a former managing director of PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday released its final rule establishing general regulations to improve the traceability of livestock moving interstate.    “With the final rule announced today, the United States now has a flexible, effective animal disease traceability system for livestock moving interstate, without undue burdens for ranchers and U.S. livestock businesses,” said […]

   Third party logistics services provider SDV has set up a subsidiary in Norway extending its network to Scandinavia.    “SDV Norway AS is fully integrated into SDV’s global network and offers a complete range of services in international supply chain. The headquarters are located in central Oslo where ocean freight and industrial projects are […]