International

Although the number of new coronavirus cases in China is dropping, shipping lines are still canceling sailings in response to expected low demand.

“China has continued to embrace a state-led, mercantilist approach to the economy and trade, despite WTO members’ expectations,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in its annual report to Congress.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces Rick Cotton is under quarantine and some port authority staffers will be tested.

CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco writes about the ramping up of manufacturing in China, and the subsequent ramping up of cargo headed to the U.S. via ships.

XPO announces deal to buy the majority of Kuehne + Nagel’s U.K. contract logistics segment. The deal comes shortly after XPO announced plans to divest units.

The fake Oral-B toothbrush heads, which arrived at Philadelphia airport from Turkey, were likely made in “unsanitary facilities with substandard materials,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican trucking officials discuss cross-border goals; CBP finds $590,000 of meth in shipment of stone items; Mexican automotive industry’s 2019 foreign investment: $3.9 billion; Helion targets car and heavy-duty truck dealers around Dallas.

A forum on dual-trailer trucks, to discuss the economic benefits and road safety, was held in Mexico’s Senate Wednesday through Friday.

Steel giant working to restore normal operations “as quickly as possible” as trucking companies report disruptions in freight from Canadian facility.

Trucking company says the shutdown of the Saskatchewan facility from purported ransomware attack will have a “significant impact” on operations.

JAXPORT hosts seminar on the often misunderstood and misused International Commercial Terms.

Spin works with local governments to receive permits for using e-scooter shared mobility across city streets, rather than aggressive expansion by flouting city rules.

Airfreight demand from China is still lower than normal this time of year, but it is finally picking up as the coronavirus scare gradually subsides. The new dynamic is reflected in higher cargo rates.

The test in Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment will be the third between the Fish and Wildlife Service and relevant importers since May 2016.

Airlines are taking it on the chin from the coronavirus. To balance revenues with expenses, airlines are cutting schedules. Lufthansa and United Airlines have taken cost-cutting even further.

“In 2020 both governments expect to implement low-cost, high-impact strategies to simplify customs and immigration screening and reduce wait times,” the U.S. State Department said.

Brian Aoaeh explores the vulnerability of supply chains in an interconnected world that is threatened by a potential pandemic.

From small, medium to large, Drone Delivery Canada has an automated flying machine for multiple transport applications.

CEO of Canadian logistics software provider says China’s surprise recovery may signal a better prognosis for supply chains around the world.

The 2019 Protecting America’s Food and Agriculture Act provides funding to help Customs and Border Protection close a shortfall among its agriculture specialist ranks over the next three years.

Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest still expects the company will meet 2020 targets despite a significant hit from rail blockades.

project44 has introduced the industry’s first carrier onboarding service level agreement (SLA) that promises shippers a significant reduction to their time-to-value.

The UN Human Rights Council has developed a database identifying companies that conduct business with Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Baltimore terminal reduces working hours; Georgia ports brace for volume dive

Canadian transportation company puts its money to work after raising $230 million in U.S. IPO as it works to grow its logistics business.

Polaris Transportation Group will get access to more freight for its Canada-to-U.S. less-than-truckload business with the purchase of Toronto-area 3PL brokerage PRI Logistics.

American Association of Port Authorities says year-over-year cargo volumes in the first quarter could be down by at least 20%.

Misdeclared cargo blamed for container ship fires, including last year’s blaze on the Yantian Express.

“This exception ensures that the declaration requirement fulfills the intent of the Lacey Act while reducing the regulatory burden on importers,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Airlines are at the mercy of the coronavirus. About the only thing they can do is try to reduce operating costs and preserve cash flow until people are willing to start traveling again.

CEO John Babic says Canadian oil and gas services firm was trying to ride out a slowdown in spending in a struggling industry, but his lender ran out of patience.

China’s largest ecommerce company, JD.com, not ready to completely quantify coronavirus disruption.

A proposed $1.8 billion sale of U.S.-origin air defense systems is expected to open a pathway to increased exports to the South Asian economy.

Allied Air is buying some passenger airplanes and converting them to freighters. It’s cheaper than buying production freighters.

DHL has decided to close its StreetScooter electric vehicle business, plus household income rises, aluminum plant likely to close, and why Americans will love self-driving trucks.

CCM reorganizes executive team, STEMCO picks VP of sales and marketing, and Southeastern Freight appoints Orlando service manager.

Tomatoes imported from Mexico will begin undergoing tougher inspections at the border starting April 1. The increased inspections are part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s deal with Mexican growers to suspend its anti-dumping investigation into the produce.

“We’re a highly resilient industry even in the face of a potential pandemic,” Washington Trucking Associations official says even as intermodal carriers take hit from disruption of Chinese shipping to West Coast ports.

Passenger and freight traffic showed big declines this month in certain regions. Airports and airlines are moving to right-size operations to the downmarket caused by the coronavirus.

Mexico City-based Estafeta is one of the largest courier, express and parcel firms in the country. The company has around 6,700 employees and operates 30.5 million shipments per year.

The federal court affirmed an earlier decision by the Court of International Trade, despite a challenge from the American Institute for International Steel claiming the president overstepped his authority.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is moving rapidly to reduce costs and preserve cash flow as the coronavirus outbreak widens to more countries.  Three days after announcing a series of expense reductions, Lufthansa on Friday said group companies would reduce short-haul operations by up to 25% in the coming weeks, reduce long-haul flight schedules and park 23 […]

The National Treasury Employees Union tells House appropriators that Customs and Border Protection requires an additional 1,100 officers and staff to carry out its mission at the nation’s ports of entry.

Brian Aoaeh explores unforeseen shocks to global supply chains and global commerce.

Global market uncertainty weighed down Canada’s largest container port in second half of 2019.

Continued strength in northbound less-than-truckload pricing helps drive Canadian shippers’ freight costs in December, the latest results from the Canadian General Freight Index show.

Recent Volvo Truck innovations in the U.S., and a new truck line in Europe continue to focus on driver comfort and keeping vehicles and drivers productive.

Harbor commissions sign agreement to collaborate on common issues.

Unix Line admitted that its tanker, Zao Galaxy, illegally discharged oily bilge at sea while on route from the Philippines to California’s Port of Richmond in late January 2019.

SITA committed 9,256 violations of the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations between 2013 and 2018 by providing services from and transiting through the U.S. to blacklisted Syrian and Iranian airlines.

Purchase of Canadian port operations part of global strategy “to connect directly with customers to offer logistics solutions and remove inefficiencies in the supply chain to accelerate trade.”

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has the support of a majority of Canadian lawmakers even if some seem set on delaying ratification to score political points.

U.S. export licenses are required for numerous types of highly infectious diseases that are shared in the form of samples for medical research between labs around the world.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said most benefits of “Phase One” trade deal with China should be realized in 2020, despite commercial disruption from coronavirus.

Reported deal to let Canadian National quietly route some freight around protests gets high marks from director of trucking company hit hard by the disruptions.

The trade war between the U.S. and China caused companies to adapt supply chains and the transportation of their products. Darren Prokop writes about those changes and their impacts.

Democratic Senators Charles Schumer and Sharrod Brown say sanctions should target not only the responsible Russian government agencies and officials, but President Vladimir Putin.

Ecommerce is a competitive market, and companies need to provide a highly flexible delivery experience to retain their customers.

The Commerce Department wants to further restrict U.S.-origin items that could assist in nuclear and missile weapons development and diversion efforts in the two countries.

Bankrupt Celadon Group reveals employees in Mexico recently restarted operations of its transportation businesses after labor disputes. Court filings paint a murky picture of what’s happening at the Mexican subsidiaries — including Jaguar Transportation — and who is in charge.

Descartes will now serve an extended ecommerce customer base that is looking to enhance its direct-to-consumer fulfillment performance.

The nationwide retailer has become the first participant in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program, which aims to reduce foodborne illnesses from imports.

Ontario Provincial Police move to end blockades on a key stretch of CN’s rail network linking Toronto and Montreal after more than two weeks of protests that have disrupted Canada’s supply chain.

As risks surge and stocks plunge, a look at the key coronavirus issues and a rundown of FreightWaves’ coverage to date.

vHub’s trailing repositioning and sharing marketplace is designed to increase trailer utilization and revenue through a community-based rental platform.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: factories in Mexico feeling effect from coronavirus; Mexico seeks solution to controversial fuel standard; traffic congestion costs the trucking industry $75 billion annually; and metal recycling firm to build new plant near U.S.-Mexico border.

Deal to purchase bankrupt Celadon Group’s Mexican subsidiaries, including Jaguar Transportation, for $7 million would expand PAM Transportation Services’ footprint south of the border.

Canada’s prime minister calls two-week-long disruptions to country’s supply chains in protest of a gas pipeline ‘unacceptable and untenable’ as rail freight continues to shift to trucks.

Head of academic center sees spike in rates, or continued pain through the sector.

Higher margins from completed vehicles help offset hit from GM strike as Canadian auto manufacturer warns of potential impact of coronavirus.

Grupo HG Transportaciones’ new Cascadia trucks are equipped with Detroit DD13 engines and Detroit Assurance technology, aiming to increase driving safety.

Montreal-based Energy Transportation Group moving on loads of bulk commodities as nervous shippers lose patience with two-week disruption of Canada’s rail services from pipeline protests.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation ordered the revocation of export licenses linked to violators of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act.

Incident captured on video on Manitoba highway underscores high stakes and worsening tensions across the country as anti-pipeline protests severely disrupt Canadian supply chains.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at International Falls, Minnesota, discovered the illegal product in two 40-foot containers from China.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance calls for an end to disruptions to Canadian National’s network as it warns of effect on intermodal carriers and the broader industry.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added the Swiss-based oil brokerage arm of Rosneft Trading to the SDN List for its recent arrangements to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

The Artic Ocean may be the next area that sees the superpower nations “rubbing up” on each other in search of faster ocean passage and a new source of natural resources.

Logistics continues to adapt due to globalization and technological innovations. This article explores trends that may change logistics in 2020.

Companies that have been outsourcing and far-sourcing their supplies might now look to source closer to their assembly line to have flexibility during times of disruption.

Airbus warned that tariff increase on European aircraft would result in “more instability for U.S. airlines that are already suffering from a shortage of aircraft.”

USTR’s Bilateral Evaluation and Dispute Resolution Office will ensure China commits to “Phase One” trade obligations and provide forum for settling disputes involving the bilateral trade pact.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: project44 promotes freight visibility in USMCA era; Amazon leases 1 million-square-foot warehouse at DFW International Airport ; Mexico auto industry preparing for coronavirus impact; Port Houston container volume spikes in January. project44 promotes freight visibility in USMCA […]

Court orders pave the way for bankrupt Celadon to move forward with existing deals to sell two Canadian properties of Hyndman Transport for a combined C$16.25 million — with a portion set aside for former truck drivers and other personnel.

“We will continue to work with the FMC to make sure that outdated regulations do not prevent the marketplace from working at maximum efficiency,” said World Shipping Council President and CEO John Butler.

The Justice Department also said Huawei and its subsidiaries violated the RICO Act by stealing trade secrets and copyrighted works from six U.S. companies.

Canadian National begins “disciplined and progressive” shutdown of eastern network and plans to halt all transcontinental service in response to anti-pipeline protests as impact hits intermodal carriers.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to roll out a handful of new trade processing functions in the Automated Commercial Environment throughout the year.

Stock in Canadian transportation company trades more than 7% above offering price after CEO Alain Bedard rings opening bell on New York Stock Exchange.

Acquisitions and strong less-than-truckload performance help bring record revenue to Mullen Group’s trucking and logistics business and offset declines from its struggling oil services.

The Distilled Spirits Council is “gravely concerned” that an ongoing trade spat between the U.S. and EU will upend a decade-long increase in international sales.

Guest columnist Sri Laxmana writes about the impacts of IMO 2020.

Canadian e-commerce company sticks to measured approach to building out its U.S. fulfillment network after reporting nearly 50% jump in sales.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the trade dispute settlement body has overstepped its function and makes “erroneous interpretations” of World Trade Organization agreements.

Canada’s largest transportation company looks to raise nearly $200 million as it prepares to offer 6 million shares in the United States.

The District Court of Hawaii said Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE Ltd. will implement an environmental compliance plan for all of its 38 vessels calling U.S. ports.

Proceeds could give Canada’s largest transportation company more firepower to pursue acquisitions as it prepares to make a big leap into capital markets south of the border.

Canadian transportation company delivers impressive performance in weak freight market as it finishes 2019 with 20% increase in operating income on strength of its truckload and logistics businesses.

Shutdown of Trusted Traveler Program in New York state could slow trade moving to and from Canada.

President Trump directed the removal of sanctions against the Turkish defense and energy ministries on Oct. 23.