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| FMC proposes OTI reforms |
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Friday, May 17, 2013
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The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) this week voted a proposed reformation of the rules governing ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), both domestic and foreign. Under the proposed rule, licensed OTIs, which include non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs) and freight forwarders, would have to renew their licenses every two years. Currently, OTIs have no requirement to renew once they have been granted a license. They only need a qualifying individual (QI) for the l...
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| Postal group signs deal with Amber Road |
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
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The Kahala Posts Group (KPG), an alliance of 10 postal administrations around the world, has signed a deal with the global trade management solutions provider Amber Road aimed at increasing their competitiveness in the international delivery market. KPG member organizations include the Australian Postal Corp., China Post Group, Correos y Telégrafos SAE, Groupe La Poste, Hongkong Post, Japan Post Co., Ltd., Korea Post, Royal Mail Group, Ltd, Singapore Post Limited and the U.S. Po...
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| Senate approves water infrastructure bill |
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
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The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill by a vote of 83 to 14 that sets the stage for Congress to appropriate money for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to spend on maintenance of harbors and inland waterways, and for deepening and other water-related projects. Congress has not passed a WRDA law since 2007, which has put a freeze on new projects that industry groups insist are necessary to maintain efficient commerce and trade.&...
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| NTSB: Reduce legal limit to hinder drunk truck drivers |
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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After a year-long review of substance-impaired driving in the trucking industry, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued recommendations for reducing the legal alcohol driving limit; ramping up the use of interlock devices; and beefing up penalties for non-compliance. According to a NTSB report, the new legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers should drop from .08 to .05. While the American Trucking Associations commended the progress on these measure...
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| U.S. civil nuclear trade mission to China, Vietnam |
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez will lead a civil nuclear trade policy mission to Vietnam and China, May 17-23. Representatives from 18 companies, law firms, and industry associations will join U.S. government officials on the mission, which will make stops in Hanoi, Vietnam; and Beijing and Ningbo, China. Sánchez “Vietnam and China are both steadily expanding their nuclear power programs, which presents abundant opportunities fo...
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| Washington Notebook: British leader discusses trade deal with Obama |
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
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Preparations for upcoming negotiations between the United States and European Union on a transatlantic free trade and investment agreement were on the agenda Monday when U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron visited the White House. The United States and European Union enjoy the world's largest economic relationship, accounting for a third of total goods and services trade, and half of world output. Trade supports 13 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Each day an ...
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| Spanish version of U.S. trade finance guide released |
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Thursday, May 09, 2013
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The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration has released a Spanish language version of its Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters . The guide was created specifically to help U.S. small and midsized businesses overcome one of their major export challenges, how to get paid from export sales, thereby helping turn their export opportunities into actual sales, the department said. “Since the publication of its first edition in 20...
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| WTO picks Brazilian diplomat as new boss |
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Wednesday, May 08, 2013
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The World Trade Organization on Tuesday finalized its selection for the next director general to replace Pascal Lamy, whose term ends Aug. 31. Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo of Brazil was picked, making him the first diplomat from Latin America to lead the WTO, which was set up in 1995. Nine countries presented candidates for the post in December 2012, and it had recently come down to Azevêdo and Mexico’s Herminio Blanco. Azevêdo, a Brazilian career diplo...
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| Washington Notebook: Commerce Department trade update |
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Tuesday, May 07, 2013
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Trade finance association to support NEI. The Finance, Credit and International Business Association (FCIB) and the U.S. Commercial Service of the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase awareness in the U.S. business community, particularly among small and midsized businesses, about exporting and the tools and resources our organizations provide to help them succeed. The FCIB and ITA have previously collabo...
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| Business groups push Senate to act on WRDA |
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Friday, May 03, 2013
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Thirty-four national trade associations representing port authorities, water carriers, retailers and other shippers, the construction industry and unions, along with dozens of state-level business groups, signed a letter this week urging members of the U.S. Senate to support quick passage of the Water Resources Development Act. The Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee unanimously approved the bill in late March and forwarded it for Senate consideration. It spells...
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| Electronic shippers seek ‘repairable’ claim |
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Friday, May 03, 2013
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The Basel Action Network (BAN), a group opposed to the international dumping of toxic waste in developing countries, has condemned recent lobbying efforts by computer and other electronic equipment manufacturers for trade exemptions to export e-waste. “The proposed exemptions would allow untested or non-functional electronic waste, often containing toxic lead, cadmium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, to be considered a non-waste and subject to free-trade in many circum...
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| Allegretti to chair American Maritime Partnership |
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Thursday, May 02, 2013
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Allegretti The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), a trade organization for the U.S. shipping industry, said Thomas Allegretti has been elected as its new chairman. Allegretti is president and chief executive officer of the American Waterways Operators, a trade group for the tug and barge industry. He succeeds James Henry, chairman and president of the Transportation Institute, who will serve as AMP’s vice chairman. “It is an honor to serve ...
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| NCBFAA protests Customs plan for disciplining brokers |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America has come out against a U.S. Customs proposal to improve due process procedures for suspending a broker's entry-filer code, saying that going after the code is a back-door way of trying to take away a broker's license and is unconstitutional. Customs and Border Protection has been frustrated for years with the amount of time it takes to deactivate filer codes for problematic brokers. In a Notice of Pro...
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| Forwarders support foreign NVOs using NRAs |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America said it strongly supports extending exemptions pertaining to non-vessel-operating common carrier negotiated rate arrangements (NRAs) to foreign-based, unlicensed NVOs as well as U.S.-licensed companies. The association said the continued existence of NVO rate tariff publication no longer serves a useful purpose because shippers don't use them and they are able to conduct business with NVOs through the ...
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| Executive moves |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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Tim Lovain was named vice chairman and chairman-elect for the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC). Lovain has been involved in the coalition for 12 years, serving on its board and helping its efforts with Congress and federal agencies. The board consists of 16 members representing the geographic and organizational diversity of CAGTC and works toward advancing the nation’s freight network. CAGTC was established in 2001 to raise public an...
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| Obama taps Charlotte mayor as next DOT head |
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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President Obama has named Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to succeed Ray LaHood as secretary of transportation. Foxx must now be confirmed by the Senate before taking his post. LaHood, who has served as transportation secretary since 2009, announced in late January that he would resign his post as soon as a successor was confirmed. In a letter to DOT employees at the time, LaHood noted his successes over the previous four years. The contentious pilot fatigue rulin...
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| Chemistry Council lends support to class action rail suit |
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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A federal appeals court will soon rule on whether an antitrust case against four railroads that allegedly engaged in price-fixing can be tried in the courts as a class action suit. Dakota Granite Co., Zinifex Taylor Chemicals and 11 other shippers brought a suit against BNSF, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific in 2007. The plaintiffs alleged the carriers illegally imposed surcharges from 2003 to 2008. In that case, the judge allowed for a class-action su...
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| Analysis: Florida's deep-dredge projects face new hurdles |
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Monday, April 29, 2013
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Two South Florida ports, Miami and Port Everglades, are prime examples of the dysfunctional approach in the United States for improving the waterborne transportation system. Projects undergo a series of congressional approvals and feasibility studies that easily can take longer than a decade to complete before dredging even starts. Cargo interests worry the Army Corps of Engineers' slow bureaucracy and the paucity of congressional appropriations for increasing ...
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| Qatar proposes permanent ICAO move |
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Monday, April 29, 2013
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Officials with the International Civil Aviation Organization are currently negotiating a new lease for their headquarters in Montreal, but another suitor has emerged. Qatar has proposed that ICAO make Doha the permanent seat of the organization, starting in 2016. Qatar’s offer, according to ICAO’s rules, must be considered by the organization’s 191 member states at the next assembly, which will take place on Sept. 24. Moving the organization to Qatar will req...
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| Freight execs tie tax reform, infrastructure to environmental gains |
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Friday, April 26, 2013
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Industry leaders concurred during testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the freight transportation industry is doing a lot to make fleets greener, but said Congress could help reduce air pollution by making it easier to adopt clean energy systems and get infrastructure projects completed that reduce congestion. Fred Smith, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of FedEx Corp., suggested a reduction in corporate tax rates would help companies ad...
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| Debate over shipping and food aid heats up |
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
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The debate over reform of U.S. food-aid programs heated up yesterday with a leading organization of U.S.-flag shipowners saying a proposal by the Obama administration to allow more purchasing of food abroad and eliminating requirements that it be carried on U.S. merchant ships would “dismantle an effective tool of American diplomacy.” James L. Henry, chairman of USA Maritime, said in a statement “so-called food aid reformers point to U.S. ocean carriers as the primary exam...
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| FAA work reductions continue to slow air traffic |
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's rolling furlough of 15,000 air traffic controllers is into its fifth day and continues to slow air traffic in the United States. Department of Transportation officials insist the workforce reductions will not compromise safety because controllers are spacing planes further apart so they can manage traffic with fewer on-duty personnel. The trade association representing passenger carriers, as well as cargo airline...
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| Executive moves |
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
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Pacer International/Ocean World Lines has appointed Al Benki to senior vice president of international logistics in the United States and Europe. He formerly served as the company’s senior vice president of international logistics for Asia and Europe. Taking Benki’s place in Asia is Danny Yang, who will serve as managing director for Asia. Benson Chua has become Pacer International/OWL’s managing director in China, while Andrew Luk continues to manage t...
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| Evans, Osigna appointed to TIACA leadership posts |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Swiss WorldCargo’s top cargo executive, Oliver Evans, has been elected to serve as chairman of The International Air Cargo Association, replacing Michael Steen, chief commercial officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. Enno Osinga, the cargo head at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, will join Evans as his vice chairman. The appointments come with a two-year term. The two were elected during TIACA's annual general meeting, held prior to the agency's executive summit in Dallas...
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| Unions, shipowners say some governments not investigating casualties |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Shipowners and seafarers' unions have joined forces to express concern at flag states’ failure to submit maritime casualty reports as required under international conventions. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 80 percent of the world merchant fleet, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents seafarers’ unions worldwide, have made a joint submission to the International Maritime Organization commenting on the apparent f...
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| Executive moves |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Geoff Turner, president and chief executive officer of Choptank Transport, was elected chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association. “TIA will continue to be the premier organization providing superior leadership in Washington, quality educational programs and a long list of services to support our members both small and large. I look forward to working with all of our members," Turner said in a statement. Globe Express Services has appointed Regina Cro...
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| FAA furloughs kick in, reducing airport capacity |
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Monday, April 22, 2013
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Shippers should expect delays receiving air cargo moving through major airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York after the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday began to furlough air traffic controllers as promised to make good on forced budget cuts that hit the entire government in March. Critics said the Obama administration is using the reductions in air traffic control hours to...
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| U.K. eager for benefits of transatlantic trade deal |
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Monday, April 22, 2013
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The U.K. ambassador to the United States said last week his nation is hopeful for a quick commencement and conclusion of trade negotiations between the United States and European Union. The so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnerships (TTIP) would bring free trade benefits to the two biggest trading blocs in the world. President Obama announced an intent to pursue the pact during his State of the Union address earlier this year. “We were delighted that ...
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| ICAO, TIACA to collaborate on air cargo issues |
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Friday, April 19, 2013
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The International Air Cargo Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. standard-setting body for international regulation of the aviation industry, on Thursday cemented their burgeoning relationship by agreeing to regularly consult on security and other issues to advance the air cargo industry. Officials for the two organizations signed a Declaration of Intent in Dallas during TIACA's annual Executive Summit, which was attended by about 180 people...
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| White paper outlines benefits of produce traceability initiative |
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Thursday, April 18, 2013
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RedLine Solutions, a provider of inventory and supply chain traceability systems, has released a new white paper, “Beyond Traceability: The Benefits of the PTI” about the supply chain impacts of the Produce Traceability Initiative. Written by one of the primary architects of the PTI, Gary Fleming, the white paper details crucial supply chain and operational efficiencies that companies can gain by implementing the PTI and its ancillary tools. “Most companies fail to...
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| Concern over rush to renew TWIC cards |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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Concern about whether the Transportation Security Administration will be able to efficiently handle the renewal of large numbers of Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) expiring this year was raised Tuesday by Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., at a hearing of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Coast Guard and maritime transport subcommittee. “I don’t know if I am misinformed, but I was told that we actually have no plan moving forward ...
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| Supreme Court hears arguments in L.A. drayage truck case |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in the American Trucking Associations' ongoing challenge to the Port of Los Angeles to impose a comprehensive licensing scheme on trucks hauling freight in and out of the port. A transcript of the argument can be read here. "We believe it is clear that in 1980 Congress established that trucking should be shaped by the competitive market, rather than government regulations," said ATA Deputy Chief Counsel Richard Pi...
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| Congressmen say food aid reforms threaten U.S. fleet |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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Members of Congress yesterday blasted plans by the Obama administration to modify food aid programs to allow more local and regional purchasing of food, citing negative effects on both farmers and the U.S. merchant marine. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Coast Guard and maritime transport subcommittee, noted the budget for the Maritime Administration is being increased 3.6 percent over the current year, but s...
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| U.S. agrees to let Japan enter TPP talks |
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Monday, April 15, 2013
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The United States and Japan on Friday announced they had reached agreement on Japan's participation in negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Japan last month signaled its willingness to join the TPP and would become the 12th nation in the talks once approved by the current partners. As the world's third largest economy, it's participation would make a Pacific Rim trade bloc extremely powerful, accounting for nearly 40 percent of global GDP...
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| Atlanta looks to Miami for cargo volume |
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Monday, April 15, 2013
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To increase their cargo presence, officials at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have their sights set on attracting Latin American carriers, perhaps even convincing some to leave their standard hub, Miami International Airport, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Bob Pertierra. He pointed out recently in comparing the two cities and their prospects for growth, Atlanta has 15 Fortune 500 companies, while Miami has only one. “When you lo...
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| GSF launches safety campaign |
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Monday, April 15, 2013
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The Global Shippers’ Forum said it has begun a campaign to enhance safety in the maritime transport supply chain. “While the vast majority of shippers comply with the rules, it is a regrettable fact that instances of mis-declaration and poor standards of loading and securing take place. Much of this is down to a lack of understanding of the rules and packing and securing know-how," GSF said. The forum has launched a series of "hands on" and easy-to-u...
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| Canadian shipowners concerned about EPA permit |
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Friday, April 12, 2013
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The Canadian Shipowners Association has expressed concern that the vessel general permit published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month could threaten the commercial viability of its members' ships and impact the operations of the industries they serve . EPA on March 28 issued a final vessel general permit regulating discharges from commercial vessels to replace the 2008 permit due to expire on Dec. 19, 2013. The new vessel general permit (VGP...
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| IATA restructures regional operations |
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Friday, April 12, 2013
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The International Air Transport Association is slimming down its regional operations and creating a new Airports, Passengers and Cargo Services division as part of an organizational restructuring meant to better address the needs of member airlines. “IATA is changing to deliver even greater value to its members," Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO, said in a statement."Strengthening our regional structures where we are closest to our members will help us to understand ...
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| Truckers seek clarity on Panama Canal expansion's impacts |
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
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With the completion of the Panama Canal upgrade two years away, greater cooperation is needed by all stakeholders to ensure the transportation industry can handle the increased freight flow, according to Phillip Byrd, president and chief executive officer of Bulldog Hiway Express. Byrd testified Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on behalf of the American Trucking Associations. When complete, the Pa...
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| Proposed 2014 Army Corps budget 'potpourri' for ports |
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
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President Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2014 includes $4.8 billion in gross discretionary funding for the Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program, offset in part by a proposal to cancel $100 million in unobligated carryover of funding appropriated prior to fiscal year 2013. Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, said the budget “continues the administration's emphasis on maintaining the nation's waterborne transportation system, red...
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| Transatlantic trade coalition formed |
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
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Leading U.S. business organizations announced the formation of the Business Coalition for Transatlantic Trade (BCTT) on Capitol Hill Wednesday, outlining the key benefits of a wide-ranging trade deal between the United States and European Union. The deal, dubbed the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), was first highlighted by President Obama during his State of the Union speech in February. Members of the coalition include the U.S. Chamber of...
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| U.S.-flag shipping interests reject proposed food aid changes |
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
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USA Maritime, a group representing U.S.-flag shipping interests, is protesting a recommendation in President Obama's 2014 budget that the Food for Peace program be significantly altered, saying it could greatly reduce the amount of cargo moving on U.S.-flag ships. “USA Maritime is severely disappointed that the Obama administration has moved forward with this misguided proposal to effectively eliminate the long-standing and successful Food for Peace program,” said James L....
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| ILA members approve new 6-year contract |
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013
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The International Longshoremen’s Association said its members overwhelmingly approved a new, six-year master contract. The contract covers some 14,500 workers at 14 ports that handle containerized cargo along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The settlement ends more than a year of negotiations between employers, represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) and ILA. With the assistance of the offices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliatio...
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| Hong Kong dockworkers to meet with mediator |
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Tuesday, April 09, 2013
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Unions representing Hong Kong dockworkers will hold talks with two contractors and mediators from Hong Kong’s Labor Department on Wednesday , according to a report from Radio Television Hong Kong . The broadcaster’s Website said port operator Hongkong International Terminal (HIT), a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings, has indicated it will sit in on the talks between workers and the contractors that employ them. The South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed sour...
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| CBP promises continuity in face of budget cuts, personnel changes |
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Thursday, April 04, 2013
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Importers, exporters and other members of the trade community can expect continuity at U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the wake of the retirement of Commissioner David V. Aguilar on Sunday, Allen Gina, assistant commissioner for international trade, said Wednesday in a Webcast to members of the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT) at their annual conference in Rhode Island. Deputy Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski has become the acting commissioner, a...
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| Infrastructure money needed for Europe, shippers say |
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Thursday, April 04, 2013
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In its annual report, the European Shippers Council reiterated that the European government needs to safeguard the 32-billion-euro infrastructure allowance that’s part of the Connecting Europe Facility in the 2014-2020 budget. ESC hopes the budget will be resolved soon and finalized this sometime this year. The council stressed the importance of the government allocation, saying there’s a total need for 250 billion euros in transportation funds by ...
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| USDA program to boost egg product exports |
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Wednesday, April 03, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration, has developed a program to certify processed eggs and egg products for export, providing new opportunities for U.S. food exporters. "Today's announcement will open new markets for U.S. egg products, generating additional economic benefits and more jobs across rural America,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a statement. The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) wi...
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| ICAO: Move away from state-owned aviation |
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Friday, March 29, 2013
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Member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization agreed to press forward for liberalization of air carrier ownership and control, enhanced air cargo liberalization and a focus on minimizing air transport taxes during last week’s air transport conference. Representatives decided to press for a move away from state ownership of airlines and airports. Members get together once a decade for the worldwide conference to discuss the organization’s...
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| Government policy clouds outlook for port volumes in 2013 |
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Friday, March 29, 2013
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Walter Kemmsies, chief economist of Moffatt & Nichol, said Thursday he is forecasting import cargo volumes in the peak season this year could be 5 percent higher than in 2012, but cautioned the economic outlook is cloudy because of government policy uncertainty. One of several speakers at the Port of Long Beach’s annual Pulse of the Port Peak Season Forecast , Kemmsies indicated 2013 GDP growth forecasts range between 0.4 percent and 4.4 percent. As a result import cont...
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| Multilateral e-air waybill adopted |
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
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The International Air Transport Association and International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA) have approved the standard for the multilateral electronic air waybill, making bilateral agreements between airlines and freight forwarders unnecessary. Airlines and forwarders can now enter into a single agreement with their respective agencies that permits acceptance of e-air waybills from the other party. Trials for the multilateral standard began in October, an...
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| Air charter group names Coe chairman |
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
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The Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) has elected Tony Coe, owner of Aviation Complete Ltd., as its new chairman. The association, based at the Baltic Exchange in London, represents the interests of air charter brokers, aircraft operators, airports, aviation lawyers and others in the global air charter industry. Coe has been in the aviation industry since 1973, when he joined cargo operator Tradewinds Airways as an operations officer. He has worked extensively ...
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| Update: Virginia governor to review VPA's decision against privatization |
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
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The Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to restructure the state-owned operating company, Virginia International Terminals, instead of outsourcing cargo and vessel-handling operations at the Port of Virginia to private terminal management firms, the VPA said in a statement. But the issue of whether to give operating rights at the port to a private company will not be fully settled until Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell weighs in. Sta...
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| Ag groups press U.S. to welcome Japan in TPP talks |
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
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A coalition of food and agricultural organizations and companies on Tuesday urged the United States and other countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to quickly welcome Japan into talks on the sweeping trade deal. Japan recently announced its intention to join the TPP negotiations, which currently include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. The latest round of talks were held in mi...
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| ICAO to help Indonesia with air emissions |
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
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The International Civil Aviation Organization has started an environmental project with the Indonesian government to improve the sustainability of Indonesian air transport. ICAO's technical cooperation bureau will help the government devise a long-term plan to combat carbon emissions while also focusing on immediate changes to lower the spread of greenhouse gases. The agreement is all part of ICAO's goal to help member states create a cleaner, more sustai...
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| Analysis: Eyes on VA port as it decides today on new business model |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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Many eyes in the maritime industry Tuesday will be on Norfolk, Va., where the Virginia Port Authority's Board of Commissioner's is scheduled to vote on whether to pursue negotiations with one of two private bidders for a long-term management contract to operate the state-owned port facilities. U.S. ports in the past decade have frequently entered long-term leases for individual terminals giving private companies operating freedom for decades at a time in exchange for some ...
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| Ex-Im Bank, California trade group join forces |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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The U.S. Export-Import Bank has entered a marketing partnership with the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA), a non-profit organization in northern California, to help small and midsized exporters enter overseas markets. The so-called City/State Partners program contract will connect Ex-Im Bank's products and services to MBITA's network of entrepreneurs and financial institutions in the counties around San Francisco and its ports. Members of M...
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| U.S. supports Boeing plane exports to El Al |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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The U.S. Export-Import Bank has authorized more than $190 million in financing to support the export of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft to El Al Israel Airlines. “This transaction will help ensure that El Al has a modern and efficient fleet that can meet the growing demands of their customer base,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman Fred P. Hochberg, in a statement. “Ex-Im has a long and productive history of working with El Al, dating back to 1960.” The National Association of Man...
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| Washington Notebook: Tax reform could limit financing tool for ports |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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An Obama administration proposal to cap benefits enjoyed by buyers of tax-exempt bonds as part of a broader deficit-reduction strategy could harm the ability of U.S. port authorities to finance new infrastructure projects, experts say. Tax-exempt bonds are a traditional way for municipalities and states to pay for public works projects and spread the cost over time. Issuers like bonds because they generally have a low interest rate and buyers benefit by not having to p...
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| Hawaii legislators seek exemption from Jones Act's build requirement |
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Friday, March 22, 2013
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Five members of Hawaii’s state legislature last week introduced resolutions (H.R. 119 and H.C.R. 150) calling on Congress to enact legislation to change the Jones Act so that ships operating between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico do not have to be built in the United States. Lead sponsor State Republican Rep. Gene Ward noted in a press release that foreign-built vessels are allowed in the domestic Guam trade, and said an exemption for cruise ships put in pl...
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| Bill to eliminate rail antitrust exemptions introduced |
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Friday, March 22, 2013
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A recently introduced bill in the U.S. Senate aims to eliminate antitrust exemptions in the rail industry, which according to the American Chemsitry Council, provides railroads with “unique government protections that help shield them from free markets and competition.” Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and David Vitter, R-La., introduced the bill Thursday. If passed into law, the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act would, the senators say, eliminate a “captive shipping”...
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