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| U.S-Canada begin truck pre-inspection pilot |
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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The United States and Canada on Monday began a limited demonstration program at the Blaine, Wash.-Surrey, British Columbia port of entry for pre-inspecting U.S.-bound trucks in Canada instead of on the U.S. side of the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced. The first phase of the pilot program is designed as a "proof of concept" to determine the viability of assigning CBP officers to Canadian border facilities to pre-inspect trucks, drivers and car...
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| Executive moves |
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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Tay Yoshitani , chief executive officer of the Port of Seattle, and Phil Washington , general manager of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver, were appointed to the Washington-based Eno Center for Transportation’s board. Eno’s board also held elections for officers. Lillian Borrone , chairman; Mort Downey , secretary; and David Plavin , treasurer, were all re-elected to their positions for a one-year term. DSV Road Ltd. has appointed Jesper Hansen as...
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| Ag fee 'galling' to Canadian truckers |
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Monday, June 17, 2013
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The Canadian Trucking Alliance has voiced concerns over the cross-border trucking fees collected by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and is worried they may soon increase. Truckers pay a fee of $5.25 to the U.S. agency every time they cross the border, according to the alliance, and a recent study that shows the fees aren't generating enough revenue could lead to a larger fee. The fees are assessed whether or not the carrier is carrying ...
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| Nicaragua canal targets big ships |
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Monday, June 17, 2013
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Developers proposing to build a new canal across Nicaragua are targeting operators of large ships that will not pass even through the new set of locks being build at the Panama Canal. "It has become imperative to develop and construct a wider and deeper interoceanic canal to support bigger load weight and generate greater efficiency," said Wang Jing, the chairman and chief executive officer of HKND Group, in a statement posted on his company's Website . Last w...
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| Truckers celebrate C-TPAT reporting changes |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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Canadian and U.S. truckers have complained about punitive measures following C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) security breaches, and the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to make suspension or removal from the program not immediate. The department has also published a document outlining the measures it will take when security breaches occur. Carriers had been concerned about the lack of transparency involved in security-b...
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| Supreme Court strikes down parts of clean truck program |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) in the group’s effort to turn back the Port of Los Angeles' efforts to regulate the drayage trucking industry. In 2007, the port created a Clean Truck Program that required trucking companies operating at the port to enter into concession agreements. The concession agreements made a number of requirements on drayage companies including these five: that they be emplo...
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| Bill to end Port NY/NJ fee advances |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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A bill to halt shipping fees charged by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was approved Thursday by the New Jersey Senate Transportation Committee. “Imposing a fee on ocean carriers was a step in the wrong direction," said State Sen. Bob Gordon. He added the fee placed the port at a "competitive disadvantage." In 2011, the port authority instituted a cargo facility charge (CFC) on all waterborne cargo, including empty containers. The fee is $4.95 for 20-f...
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| New airport slated for Toronto area |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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The Canadian government has unveiled plans for a new airport, among other developments, at the federally-owned Pickering Lands site outside of Toronto. The new airport will replace Buttonville Municipal Airport, which is to be redeveloped as a mixed-use site. “There will be land for an airport, there will be urban and industrial development and there will be considerable green space on these lands,” said Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty said in a statement. "We...
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| GAO checks in on nation's bridges |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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Last year, one in four of the more than 607,000 bridges that dot the United States was deemed deficient and is either racked with structural issues or is so obsolete it isn't suitable for traffic. In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office found there has been some improvement to bridge safety — the number of deficient bridges has decreased in the past decade — but there are still funding issues. And the overall funding picture is murky at best. &nb...
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| Food aid hearing targets U.S.-flag shipping |
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
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Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday in a hearing the requirement that half of U.S. food aid be move on U.S.-flag vessels is an ”impediment to an effective, efficient program. ” “Decades ago, this cargo preference was seen as a way to ensure a reserve of ships and crew for the U.S. Navy in times of war. But by restricting competition to the few U.S.-flagged ships still sailing—the majority of which do not meet the ...
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| TIGER funds dispersed for Global Terminal facility |
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Transportation is distributing money awarded last June in the fourth round of TIGER grants. The City of Bayonne, N.J., and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey received an $11.4 million grant on May 22 that will be used by Global Marine Terminals as part of its $350 million expansion and renovation. The TIGER funds will go to the purchase of two double-cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes capable of loading and unloading double-stack ...
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| FMC reviews 13 OTI license applications |
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 13 ocean transportation intermediary license applications and changes for review. The FMC received a non-vessel-operating common carrier license application from Marine Bulk Freight Forwarding, Huixquilucan, Mexico (Moises S. Leon, president). The agency received NVO/ocean freight forwarder license applications from Daisy Mae Concepcion, Orange, Calif. (Daisy Mae Concepcion V. Taleon, sole proprietor); John S. Kim a...
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| FAA searching for unleaded jet fuel |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is asking fuel producers worldwide for help in transitioning the aviation industry to unleaded fuel. The administration is seeking a way to replace the current 100 octane low-lead fuel for most of the general aviation fleet by 2018. Parties have until July 1, 2014, to submit proposals. By September 2014, the FAA will choose 10 participants for phase-one laboratory testing. Two fuels from this first phase will move on t...
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| Delaware River deepening about 60% complete |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) said a project to deepen the Delaware River shipping channel from 40 feet to 45 feet is now about 60 percent complete. PRPA said in late May work was completed on "Reach D," an 11-mile stretch of the river. “After years of discussions and hurdles, it’s wonderful to finally see steady progress on this critical project,” said PRPA Chairman Charles G. Kopp, in a statement. “A deeper shipping channel will allow us to welc...
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| TIGER requests exceed available funding |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday that the fifth round of TIGER grants is oversubscribed once again, with 568 applications from around the country seeking more than $9 billion for infrastructure projects for a program that only has $474 million in available funding. The deadline for public and private entities to submit applications was June 3. States, local governments, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, transit agencies and other grou...
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| Corpus Christi port moves ahead on rail yard |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The Port of Corpus Christi has awarded a $12.6 million contract to low bidder Haas-Anderson Construction to build a new interchange rail yard at the west end of the inner harbor, the port authority announced Tuesday. Rail traffic at the Texas port has more than doubled during the past five years. The Nueces River Rail Yard will include an 8,000-foot long track that can hold a 110-car unit train, six railcar siding tracks about 4,000 feet in length with enough space for mor...
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| EU paves way to Single European Sky |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The number of flights in the European Union are predicted to increase by 50 percent in the next 20 years, and the European Commission has taken action today to jumpstart its Single European Sky solution to this pending capacity issue. The commission recently proposed updating the Single European Sky regulations and amending rules governing the European Aviation Safety Agency. The proposals, which are grouped under the name, SES2+, are to lead to better safety and oversight, enh...
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| Environmental groups sue over LA rail terminal |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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Enviornmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court challenging plans to build the Southern California International Gateway railyard project . NRDC complained the project "violates the California Environmental Quality Act and the state and federal Civil Rights Acts, and will increase cancer rates, chances of children developing asthma, and add to chronic air pollution plaguing the region." &nb...
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| Temporary I-5 bridge to open next week |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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Construction crews working to repair the collapsed Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Washington plan to finish a temporary structure by next week, allowing traffic to once again traverse the river. The bridge collapsed into the river May 23 when a passing truck with an oversized load struck critical support posts. The crews put the finishing touches Monday on the first of two temporary spans over the river and have started work on the second one. Accordin...
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| Washington Notebook: Senate committee approves Commerce, DOT appointees |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Monday unanimously approved the nominations of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to be secretary of transportation and Penny Pritzker to be secretary of commerce. Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., was announced as the new chairman of the Commerce subcommittee on surface transportation and merchant marine infrastructure, safety and security, previously held by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died June 3. Sen. Richard ...
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| EU makes progress on rail system |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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The Transport Council of the European Commission has adopted a general approach to rail interoperability throughout the European Union, removing administrative and technical barriers to the “Fourth Railway Package.” The European Parliament will vote on the proposal in November. The entire railway package, adopted Jan. 30, calls for measures to open up the constricted railroad market, promote better quality and efficiency among operators, and link the continent toget...
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| TNT to lay off Italian workers |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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TNT Express plans to layoff 850 workers in Italy and combine its smaller operations in the country into larger outposts at strategic locations. The moves, which are part of the company’s "Deliver!" reorganization program, will affect 20 Italian facilities. Service levels and network connectivity will not be affected by the downsizing, company officials said. TNT Express is also planning on investing in depot sorting and IT at the remaining facilities. ...
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| MSP ships will be hit by sequestration |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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Ships in the Maritime Security Program (MSP), under which operators of 60 U.S.-flag ships receive a $3.1 million stipend to offset higher operating costs, such as employing U.S. mariners on ships in foreign trade, will only get about 75 percent of their normal monthly stipend in August and none in September because of the effect of sequestration on the federal budget, said Paul N. Jaenichen Sr., deputy maritime administrator at the U.S. Maritime Administration. Jaenich...
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| Nicaragua leaders push Panama Canal alternative |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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The Associated Press is reporting that a concession to build a canal across Nicaragua will be considered by the country's legislature this week . The AP quoted Rene Nunez, president of Nicaragua's National Assembly, as saying a Chinese company, HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment, is working with the Nicaraguan government on a $40 billion project that would provide an alternative to the Panama Canal. Nunez said the company will use funds from investors around the worl...
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| AP: EU to approve Delta-Virgin deal |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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According to an Associated Press report, EU regulators are poised to approve Delta Air Lines’ purchase of a 49-percent stake in Virgin Atlantic without conditions. Delta purchased the stake in Virgin last December for $360 million, and officials from both carriers have been waiting on the necessary regulatory approvals from the U.S. Department of Transportation and European Commission. Last month, news agencies reported the commission would likely rule on the deal by June 20.&nb...
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| Europe, Israel sign air agreement |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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European and Israeli officials have signed a comprehensive air transport agreement, allowing carriers to fly between the countries on a limited basis. Current restrictions on flights will be eased over the next five years, and by 2018, both will enjoy unfettered access to each other's airports. “Israel is a key partner for the EU, and today's agreement is very important for further strengthening the overall economic, trade and tourism relations between Israel and th...
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| FMC reviews 5 OTI license applications |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received five ocean transportation intermediary license applications and changes for review. The FMC received a non-vessel-operating common carrier license application from CFR Rinkens, Paramount, Calif. (Maximiliaan Hoes, manager). The agency also received NVO/ocean freight forwarder license applications from Sig Global, Gardena, Calif. (James J. Oh, president); Super You Global, Palo Alto, Calif. (Hu Wang, chief execu...
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| ICS: Green regulations could cost $500 billion |
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Thursday, June 06, 2013
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Masamichi Morooka, the chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said this week that new legislation to protect the environment could potentially cost the shipping industry $500 billion between 2015 and 2025. “As many companies struggle to survive during the difficult years ahead, we must persuade governments to avoid placing yet more straws that risk breaking the shipowner’s back — and the straws to which I refer are the impending costs of environmental legislat...
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| Researchers to explore differential speed limits |
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Thursday, June 06, 2013
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The Michigan Department of Transportation has awarded a Wayne State University professor with a one-year, $175,000 grant to study differential speed limits on highways. In Michigan, Indiana and other states, differential speed limits have long been thought to reduce crashes. Trucks need a lower speed limit than cars, officials reasoned, because it takes them longer to stop due to their size. But the presence of differential speed limits has its detractors, and the Michigan DOT h...
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| Chairman: Collaboration key for global air cargo group |
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Wednesday, June 05, 2013
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As the new chairman of the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG), Oliver Evans wants to build on the momentum created over the past two years and pave a clear path forward toward conquering new challenges. Evans, chief cargo officer of Swissport International Air Lines, assumed his new role when he recently took on the chairman position at The International Air Cargo Association. Atlas Air's Michael Steen served as the first GACAG chairman. GACAG, formed in 2011,...
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| Air New Zealand drops price-fixing challenge |
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Wednesday, June 05, 2013
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Air New Zealand has dropped its challenge against the New Zealand Commerce Commission and will plead guilty to price-fixing charges. The carrier had kept up its case while, over time, 10 carriers involved in the commerce commission’s investigation, which began in December 2008, pleaded guilty to fixing prices and surcharges on cargo shipments to the country. Most recently, Cathay Pacific Airways, Thai Airways and MASkargo admitted fault, paying $9.6 million in total for their c...
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| Washington Notebook: DOT selects experts for Freight Advisory Committee |
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Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday named 47 professionals from industry, academia, labor, safety advocacy and government to its inaugural Freight Advisory Committee, which will provide advice and recommendations for improving the national freight transportation system. Its first order of business will be to help the department create a national freight transportation strategy, as required by last year's MAP-21 surface transportation law. The DOT said it sought to ...
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| FMC publishes OTI reform rule notice |
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Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) last week published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule regarding Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTI) in the Federal Register , potentially changing the way OTIs are licensed and financially regulated. The proposed rule, first put forward in mid-May , also requires foreign non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs) to establish U.S. offices. The notice in the Federal Register , published May 31, starts a 60-day notic...
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| Sen. Lautenberg dead at 89 |
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Monday, June 03, 2013
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Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who served five terms in the Senate, has died at age 89 from viral pneumonia, his office announced Monday. Lautenberg was the last remaining World War II veteran serving in the Senate. Lautenberg served on the Commerce, Science and Transportation; the Environmental and Public Works; and the Appropriation committees, all of which play key roles in transportation policy and funding. He was chairman of the Commerce subcommittee on surface transportati...
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| Railroads, shippers spar over competitive switching |
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Monday, June 03, 2013
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The American Association of Railroads (AAR) and National Industrial Transportation League (NIT League) last week sparred over proposed changes in railroad regulation. The AAR, which represents the country's "Class 1," or largest freight railroads, last week claimed they "could lose revenue up to 80 percent of their entire annual capital budgets if a forced competition scheme" proposed by the NIT League was adopted . The comments from the railroad association are in ...
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| U.S., Canada to coordinate modernization of border facilities |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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U.S. and Canadian homeland security, transportation and economic development officials signed a roadmap Thursday to guide both countries in coordinating investments in customs facilities, bridges and other infrastructure along their shared border. The U.S.-Canada Border Infrastructure Investment Plan is the latest initiative under President Obama's and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Beyond the Border declaration in 2011 to work on a shared approach to security and economic comp...
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| 47-foot Jacksonville harbor project out for public review |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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The 47-foot Jacksonville harbor navigation project draft report was approved by the Army Corps of Engineer's assistant secretary for civil works on May 17 and was officially released Thursday for a 60-day public comment period. The tentatively selected plan calls for dredging the Florida port's harbor channel to a depth of 47 feet, two feet deeper than the National Economic Development plan released by the Corps. The plan was approved based on the positive net benefits...
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| NJ bill targets independent contractor trucking |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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The New Jersey Senate on Thursday approved by a vote of 21-17 a bill, called the Truck Operators Independent Contractor Act, which its sponsors say would prevent trucking companies from misclassifying truckers as a way of avoiding workers’ rights laws and the employer responsibilities, including unemployment and Social Security contributions. Under the bill, “drayage,” or short-distance truckers and parcel delivery drivers could not be classified as “independent contractors,” un...
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| Canadian house passes rail arbitration rule |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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The Canadian House of Commons passed the Fair Rail Freight Service Act, which encourages shippers and railroads to negotiate service agreements and gives shippers access to an arbitration process if no agreement is reached. The Canadian Transportation Agency will serve as arbiter when needed and will have the authority to mete out a fine of up to $100,000 for violations of arbitrated agreements. Officials say this new rule will encourage collaboration and boost efficiency i...
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| Europe to build unified transport network |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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European officials from all branches of government have agreed on a plan to develop a multi-modal, single-market transportation structure by 2030. The agreement must now be approved by the European Parliament Plenary and Council. Financing for the significant, multi-decade project will largely come from member states, although officials anticipate there will be some federal monies available. This core transportation network will unify European roads, ai...
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| FMC reviews 17 OTI license applications |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 17 ocean transportation intermediary license applications and changes for review. The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier license applications from All International Solutions, Gardena, Calif. (Alexis F. Robin, president); and Trans Atlantic Shipping of Connecticut, East Hartford, Conn. (Robert Boateng, president). The agency received NVO/ocean freight forwarder license applications from Atlas...
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| Port charge faces possible challenge in NJ legislature |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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A $4.95-per-TEU fee implemented by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in March 2011 that is already the subject of a complaint before the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission faces a new challenge in the New Jersey state legislature. The port authority implemented the Cargo Facility Charge in 2011 to help pay for road and rail infrastructure, as well as security at the port. (There is also a $1.11 charge on automobiles and 13 cents per metric ton on other cargo.) &nb...
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| Don't increase truck weight limits, group says |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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Truck sizes and weight limits should not be increased as a result of the Department of Transportation’s weight-limit study, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Officials from the organization made their thoughts clear during the DOT’s first public information session Wednesday in Washington on its comprehensive truck size and weight limits study, an analysis required by the MAP-21 bill. Three additional input sessions are planned. Attend...
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| Panama Canal offers just-in-time transit slots |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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The Panama Canal Authority said it will offer a just-in-time service to a limited number of ships that will allow them to have a more efficient transit. Two just-in-time service slots per day will be offered to regular vessels (under 27.74 meters or 91 feet in beam) without transit restrictions, with a maximum of one just-in-time service slot per direction. The allocation of these service slots will be determined by the order the requests are received. The...
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| CORRECTION: Walmart's fines for improper waste disposal |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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In yesterday’s story on Walmart’s environmental fines, the retailer actually paid $81.6 million in the latest federal case concerning violations to the Clean Water Act, bringing its recent penalties paid in both state and federal court to $111 million.
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| Wal-Mart fined for improper waste disposal |
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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Wal-Mart Stores has pleaded guilty to illegally disposing of hazardous materials at its U.S. retail stores and will pay $81 million for its six negligent violations of the Clean Water Act, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In a related case, the company pleaded guilty in Missouri to disposing of pesticides that had been returned by customers in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. All in all, the company pleaded guilty in three cri...
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| Law firm files suit against car carrier operators |
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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An antitrust litigation firm based in Houston said it has filed a nationwide class action law suit against some of the world’s largest vehicle shipping companies, alleging price fixing of car carrier services. Susman Godrey filed the vehicle carrier case May 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Car buyers who shipped vehicles manufactured overseas to the United States allege that the defendants conspired to fix shipping prices...
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| ICAO signs agreement with Canada |
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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The International Civil Aviation Organization has signed a new agreement with Canada to keep the agency in its Montreal home through November 2036. The current agreement, signed in 1996, would have expired in 2016. “ICAO is very grateful to Canada and the local Quebec and Montreal governments for their continuing efforts to facilitate the work of our organization and its diplomatic missions,” ICAO's secretary general, Raymond Benjamin, said in a statement. “Montreal is the third...
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| U.S.-Saudi Arabia sign bilateral air service agreement |
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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The United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signed an Open Skies air transport agreement that will expand commercial service for shippers and travelers, following a transition period, the U.S. State Department said. The agreement will permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other’s territory. It will also eliminate restrictions on how often carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. The ...
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| ICAO, Air Transport Action Group fight carbon emissions |
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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Promoting best practices, supporting new strategy development and encouraging research are just some of the ways to reduce global emissions, according to a recently signed document between the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Air Transport Action Group. Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, ICAO council president, and ATAG’s Paul Steele signed the joint statement agreement at the fourth ICAO Symposium on Aviation and the Environment. The document offers six key actions neede...
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| Washington Notebook: 787 meets new battery standards, returns to skies |
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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Japanese airline ANA resumed flights over the weekend with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the first time since problems with the plane's lithium batteries led the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation authorities to ground the model from commercial service earlier this year, Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for commercial airplanes at Boeing, wrote in a blog post on the company's Website Monday. On May 20, United Airlines, the only U.S. carrier w...
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| FAA aids Dutch Caribbean |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has signed an agreement with the Netherlands to coordinate airspace between the United States and Dutch-controlled Caribbean islands. The agency will also install FAA air navigation services and facilities in the area, share safety information and other data, and provide technical assistance on an as-needed basis. The FAA already provides air navigation services in the San Juan Flight Information Region, which is adjacent to Netherlands a...
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| NTSB issues report on Delta Mariner accident |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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An accident last year that occurred when the Foss ship Delta Mariner struck the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge in Kentucky was caused by the reliance of the vessel’s bridge team on the independent contract pilot who provided incorrect navigational direction, said a report released earlier this month by the National Transportation Safety Administration. NTSB said contributing factors included the failure of deck officers on the vessel to use all available navigation tools to verify t...
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| Bridge collapses on major U.S.-Canada link |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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A bridge on Interstate-5, the major U.S. West Coast highway, collapsed into the Skagit River on Thursday evening. The bridge, north of Seattle, is the major artery for vehicles moving to and from Vancouver and other locations in Western Canada. The Seattle Times reported the bridge is used by an average 70,000 vehicles per day, 12 percent of which are trucks . Sean McNally, press secretary for the American Trucking Associations, said those appeared to be 2007 estima...
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| Executive moves |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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Americold, a temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics provider to the food industry, appointed Jed Milstein to executive vice president and chief human resources officer, and Jeff Hogarth to senior vice president for Asia-Pacific. Milstein joins Americold after serving as executive vice president of human resources for TransCentra, a billing and payments provider. Prior to this, he was the head of HR for Cerberus Operations and Advisory Co. Hogarth, a 23-yea...
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| EU Parliament: Proceed with U.S. free-trade talks |
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
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Members of European Parliament are in favor of starting talks toward the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free-trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, but warn they must be kept apprised of the discussions. In a resolution voted on Thursday, members also said any agreement must protect Europe’s cultural and audiovisual services market, and provide EU firms with access to U.S. public procurement markets. American restrictions on EU suppl...
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| Concerns about U.S. Merchant Marine aired at hearing |
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Challenges facing the U.S. Merchant Marine, including the loss of potential food aid cargo because of changes planned by the Obama administration to food aid programs, were highlighted during a hearing by the U.S. House's Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Tuesday. Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said “unfortunately, over the last 35 years, the number of U.S.-flagged vessels sailing in the international trade has dropped from 850 to less th...
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| EU adds 37 million euros to fight piracy |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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The European Union will contribute 37 million euros ($47.6 million) to the Program to Promote Regional Maritime Security, which will boost the fight against piracy in Eastern and Southern Africa. The money will be used to develop the legal system in the affected countries, strengthen financial oversight systems that could prevent the flow of money to pirates, share expertise and training, and provide security support. Anti-piracy awareness campaigns will also be set up in Somal...
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| Association to certify truckers against trafficking |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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The Truckload Carriers Association and Truckers Against Trafficking have teamed up to educate and train truckers on how to recognize and report sex trafficking, a crime that has been reported in every U.S. state. TCA will now start giving tests to truckers around the country so they can become a Certified Trucker Against Trafficking. The test is being given without any costs to the trucker and is based on a video viewable here . The organization will also pro...
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| Washington Notebook: Virginia transport politics, Commerce's export awards |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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Va. Gov. McDonnell signs landmark transportation bill. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell last week signed the breakthrough transportation funding bill passed by the General Assembly in March. The "Virginia's Road to the Future" bill, the first comprehensive transportation funding plan in 27 years, provides an additional $3.5 billion in funding by 2018 for new road and bridge construction, mass transit, rail and other needs, along with several reforms to improve project development. &...
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