Maritime

The ocean carrier has added a new port call at Singapore, and an additional vessel to its weekly Mashariki Express service.

The United States on Thursday requested dispute settlement consultations at the WTO challenging China’s imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on more than $3 billion in exports of American-produced automobiles.

   The ocean carrier Maersk Line has added a sixth vessel to its weekly Horn of Africa service between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and East Africa, increasing roundtrip voyage time from 35 days to 42 days.     Transit times in both directions on the service have been increased by a few days, now […]

GM called it “one of the largest logistics agreements in the European automotive industry to date” and said it would allow it to reduce costs and focus its internal resources more on core automotive business.

   The ocean carrier Maersk Line has once again added a 12th vessel to its weekly FEW2 service between Asia and West Africa, increasing roundtrip voyage time from 77 days to 84 days.     Transit times eastbound from West Africa to Asia on the FEW2 have increased by about seven days as vessels slow steam […]

   The Japanese Shipowners’ Association said a decision by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to delay planned toll hike for three months does not go far enough.    In a letter, JSA said the relief “is very marginal and does very little to obviate the cost penalties to the shipping industry which will apply if the […]

   The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is investing 1.4 billion Malaysian Ringgit ($441 million) over the next three years to accommodate larger ships, according to an article in the Malaysia Star newspaper.    The article, which was reproduced on the port’s official Website, said the port will invest in new cranes, electrifying existing rubber-tire […]

   The U.S. Transportation Command (Transcom) has announced Universal Service Contracts that it estimates could be worth about $6 billion to 22 U.S.-flag shipping companies over a three-year period.    They are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price contracts for both international ocean transportation and intermodal distribution services.    The Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation asked carriers to offer per-unit prices (for […]

U.S.-flag shipping advocates are expressing alarm over a provision in the surface transportation bill passed by Congress last week that they say could result in a third less food aid cargo being transported on U.S.-flag vessels.

   The Obama administration on Monday announced the outcome of its 2011 Annual Review of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a 36-year-old trade preference program under which the United States provides duty-free treatment to many imports from developing countries.    Based on the administration’s review of various issues and petitions related to eligibility of […]

   FedEx Corp. said Tuesday it has completed the acquisition of Tatex, a French business-to-business express transportation company.    The company said the purchase “represents the latest step in the company’s strategy to sustainably grow in Europe.”    It said the acquisition will give FedEx access to a nationwide domestic ground network which carries 19 […]

“Shippers, manufacturers and transportation companies must remain aware of the increased security risks during the upcoming holiday weekend,” said Dan Burges of FreightWatch International.

   Klaus-Michael Kuehne, honorary chairman of forwarder Kuehne+Nagel and the largest investor in the container carrier Hapag-Lloyd, believes the other leading German container carrier, Hamburg Süd, would be an ideal merger partner for Hapag-Lloyd.    Kuehne floated the idea of a combination of the two carriers in an interview with Germany’s Wirtschaftswoche magazine.    Kuehne said […]

   Phil Cowan has returned to shipping accountant and consultant Moore Stephens as head of corporate finance.    He was most recently group chief financial officer of V.Group Ltd. and chairman of V.Ships Capital. He was responsible for a number of V.Ships’ acquisitions and led the V.Ships’ team that managed the sale of V.Group to […]

   ChemLogix, a provider of chemical industry transportation management, technology, and supply chain consulting services, has promoted Ed Hildebrandt to senior vice president of business development.    “Ed has been with ChemLogix since our beginning and his contributions have helped make us into the successful company we are today. His contributions will be key in […]

   Inchcape Shipping Services has set up a new regional team for its Europe and North Africa operations.    ISS recently reduced its world operation from eight regions to four, including a separate office for Japan. The Europe and North Africa operations team is the first of the four regional teams to be announced.    […]

   Horizon Lines, a U.S. domestic ocean shipping company, was recognized by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for its safety record, as well as for the rescue earlier this year of three stranded sailors by the Horizon Reliance.     CSA recently presented six Horizon Lines vessels and their crews with the 2011 Jones F. […]

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has created a new Website to provide importers with information about the commodity import approval process for plants and plant products and give them the opportunity to consult with the agency on risk assessments as they are being drafted.     “We are doing this […]

The order comes on top of an early FedEx annoumcement to buy 27 new B767s for delivery between fiscal 2014 and 2018. It also plans to purchase another 24 B777s to add to the 19 long-range B777 planes it operates today.

   A judge in Longview, Wash., declared a mistrial Friday after six jurors could not reach a verdict in a trial involving Robert McEllrath, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.    McEllrath was charged with a misdemeanor after 300 union members and their supporters blocked a train last September during protests over plans to […]