American Shipper articles from August 1997

American Shipper archives from August 1997

CSG, U.S. pressure SSEX. (Consultative Shipping Group; Shanghai Shipping Exchange)
August 1, 1997... China reportedly considering similar rate-setting bodies. Consultative Shipping Group to express concern. BEIJING China's controversial Shanghai Shipping Exchange has come under international pressure from the U.S. and the Consultative...

Japan harbor case goes down to wire.
August 1, 1997... FMC ready to impose sanctions if no progress shown. State Department "encouraged" by chance of agreement. WASHINGTON Though lacking evidence that Japan is doing anything to relax its port restrictions, the U.S. State Department says it...

DOT upholds Marad ruling on Lykes. (Dept of Transportation; Maritime Administration; Lykes Lines)
August 1, 1997... MarAd said ship transfer would have given "excessive" control to a non-U.S.-based company, CP Ships. WASHINGTON U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater has upheld the Maritime Administration's refusal to allow bankrupt Lykes Lines to...

Now comes APL's turn. (APL Ltd.)
August 1, 1997... Carrier seeks to transfer its ships, subsidies to new entity as part of sale to Neptune Orient Lines. WASHINGTON APL Ltd. has filed its request with the Maritime Administration to transfer the line's subsidies to an independent...

Tung seeks to reassure shippers. (Chee Hwa Tung)
August 1, 1997... Says Hong Kong will maintain "pre-eminent status as a maritime center." HONG KONG Chee Hwa Tung, the former shipping executive who now is Hong Kong's top government official, says no one in shipping should worry about repercussions from...

OMI to acquire Marine Transport Lines.
August 1, 1997... NEW YORK OMI Corp. has agreed to acquire Marine Transport Lines, a fellow U.S.-based bulk-shipping operator. The transaction, which the companies said they expect to complete next January, will divide the companies into international and...

EC proposes new air-transport rules. (European Commission)
August 1, 1997... Seeks to extend competition rules to air transport between EU and non-EU countries, including transatlantic alliances. BRUSSELS The European Commission is proposing two regulations to significantly change how European competition rules are...

Shipping reform bill awaits action.
August 1, 1997... Lott pledges Senate vote this year. Longshore unions want changes, persuade allies to delay action. WASHINGTON Reform of U.S. ocean-shipping regulation got a boost with the endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, but the bill...

Zip-code conference: ocean carriers seek common inland rates.
August 1, 1997... They're calling it a "zip-code conference," and it would be a first for the U.S. Six carriers operating between the U.S. and the Caribbean and Latin America have asked the Federal Maritime Commission to allow them to establish joint inland...

FMC presses Brazil investigation. (Federal Maritime Commission)
August 1, 1997... Talks fail to produce breakthrough. European nations support tough stance by FMC. WASHINGTON Bolstered by European support, the Federal Maritime Commission has stepped up an investigation into alleged discrimination by Brazil against...

Transatlantic VSAs seek exemptions. (vessel-sharing agreement)
August 1, 1997... Shipping lines ask European Commission to allow ocean and inland cooperation under competition laws. BRUSSELS Sea-Land Service, P&O Nedlloyd, OOCL and Maersk Line have asked the European Commission for individual exemptions allowing them...

Should shippers deal direct with carriers?
August 1, 1997... FreightForward Europe thinks everything revolves around forwarders. But shippers and airlines don't want to be treated as mere satellites. The large European forwarders within the FreightForward Europe association have a high opinion of...

3rd parties, banks learn new steps. (partnerships between banks and third-party logistics companies)
August 1, 1997... Mellon Bank forms alliance with third-party logistics provider. Venture offers trade finance along with other logistics services. After years of trying not to step on each other's toes, bankers and third-party logistics firms are learning to...

TARES: inland players go intercontinental. (Trans Atlantic Rail Express)
August 1, 1997... Trans Atlantic Rail Express venture of U.S. and European inland operators aims to provide "one-stop-shopping" intermodal services on both continents Inland intermodal operators around the world have tended to focus within their domestic...

Carrier is liable for $500 in crane loss. (court case involving Global Transport Services)
August 1, 1997... P.T. Keraton Selaras (Keraton) imports and operates heavy machinery and construction equipment in Indonesia. In 1994, Keraton purchased a mobile truck crane for $275,000 in the U.S., and asked a freight forwarder, Global Transport Services, to...

Legally binding. (law firm Holland & Knight LLP's acquisition of Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens)
August 1, 1997... Florida-based Holland & Knight law firm takes over Haight, Gardner, acquires marketing position in New York. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to witness the combining of Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens with Holland & Knight LLP. If...

Admiralty 'boutiques' still thrive. (maritime law offices)
August 1, 1997... Can 'boutique,' or 'niche,' maritime law offices compete with a mega-firm offering clients 'one-stop shopping'? Yes, say managing partners at several smaller admiralty firms in New York. "Clients get more bang for their buck with a small...

P&O Nedlloyd chooses Grand Alliance. (P&O Nedlloyd Container Line)
August 1, 1997... Decision could trigger reshaping of Grand and Global Alliances. Industry watches for next move by Neptune Orient Lines. After nine months of study, P&O Nedlloyd Container Line has ended the speculation and announced that it will throw its...

Piracy hurts Brazilian trade.
August 1, 1997... BIMCO warnings to Brazilian port officials fall on deaf ears. BAGSVAERDVEJ, DENMARK Ocean carders and shippers are not the only ones prospering from increased trade in Brazil. Pirates have reportedly stepped up their attacks on merchant...

15,000-page opening chapter. (CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Conrail)
August 1, 1997... CSX, Norfolk Southern ask STB to approve sale, breakup of Conrail. Predict savings, improved service. WASHINGTON The Surface Transportation Board has begun consideration of the 15,000-page application by CSX and Norfolk Southern for...

Intermodal advice for policy-makers.
August 1, 1997... UNCTAD report says transport and customs rules should be simple, clear conditions for multimodal transport. GENEVA A modern and efficient transport system can be achieved through the introduction of a "trade and transport facilitation...

No glamor, no glory. (freighter pilots)
August 1, 1997... Freighter pilots are often the forgotten link in the air-cargo logistics chain. Holding a steaming cup of coffee, Larry Branstetter watches a group of husky forklift operators put the last pallets of cargo onto the Boeing 747-100 freighter,...

KLM quits cargo tariff conference. (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
August 1, 1997... Claims IATA's tariff-setting no longer serves function. IATA says tariffs support interline services. GENEVA KLM Royal Dutch Airlines wants its freight rates to be set by the market. The Amsterdam-based carrier's cargo division has...

New Zealand skies open. (Air New Zealand)
August 1, 1997... Air New Zealand braces as bilateral agreement allows competitors to enter the U.S./New Zealand market. LOS ANGELES Open skies may mean turbulent skies for Air New Zealand, which expects increased competition as a result of the new U.S./New...

OASIS on the horizon. (Operational and Administrative System and Import Support)
August 1, 1997... Agency employs computer technology to clean up image as 'an inefficient agency with a poor attitude.' NEW YORK Customs brokers and importers will soon have a new way to file information electronically with the U.S. Food and Drug...

DCL moves into import field. (Direct Container Line)
August 1, 1997... Big export NVO begins handling imports of less-than-containerload cargo, but on a limited scale. CARSON, CALIF. After years of handling only U.S. exports, Direct Container Line says customer demand has pushed the company into the business...

Walking textbook on duty drawback.
August 1, 1997... John Eberlein started in the business 67 years ago, has watched the practice evolve. NEW YORK When John G. Eberlein Jr. finished high school, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. So he went to work in downtown New York for...