JoC Week articles from January 2007

JoC Week archives from January 2007

Feeling the pinch.(steel and lumber industry, supply and demand, import trends)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY ALAN M. FIELD Imports of steel and lumber have been moving in different directions. Overall demand for steel remains brisk for most types of products, and 2007 is shaping up as a strong year. By contrast, U.S. demand for...

AmeRussia Shipping Co.(Company overview)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Rick Shannon President While we have specialized in breakbulk shipping for many years in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, we have found one of the greatest challenges to be the failure of multipurpose vessel...

Amsterdam, Port of.(capacity, growth, infrastructure)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Hans Gerson Managing director www.amsterdamports.nl The growing trend in intercontinental trade of breakbulk and rolling stock will intensify short-sea activities with dedicated ships for conventional cargo and ro-ro....

BalTerm.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Trip Bailey President www.balterm.com The two most important challenges facing the breakbulk industry in 2007 will be maintaining and expanding marine terminal facilities, and, for Northeast ports, becoming more...

Baltimore, Port of.(capacity, growth)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: F. Brooks Royster III Executive director www.marylandports.com As more ports respond to the growth in container traffic throughout the world, there is a strong temptation to reduce acreage available to ro-ro, project,...

Baton Rouge, Port of.(Port of Greater Baton Rouge, forecasts, growth, government funding)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Jay Hardman Executive director www.portgbr.com The year ahead looks very positive for the Port of Baton Rouge and for maritime activity on the Mississippi River within the port region. There are new projects in the...

BBC (USA) LP.(skill personnel shortage)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Rider Griswold President www.bbcusa.net One of the biggest issues we will face in the project business in 2007 and in the foreseeable future is finding sufficient, skilled personnel. This was a main topic at Breakbulk...

BDP Project Logistics.(SAFE Port Act, Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, forecasts, challenges posed to ports in regulatory compliance)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Dennis Devlin Director, global projects and energy www.bdpprojects.com One of the biggest challenges in 2007 will be dealing with the myriad of regulatory changes enacted to enhance security, such as the SAFE Port Act...

Brownsville, Port of.(port management, infrastructure challenges, operational service)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Donna Eymard Interim port director www.portofbrownsville.com One of the major challenges in 2007 will be the infrastructure; we need to focus on offering superior terminal and operational service to be competitive. ...

Canadian National Railway.(transportation industry)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: E. Hunter Harrison President and chief executive www.cn.ca 2007 will bring a more balanced supply-demand environment for transportation in North America. Following several years of strong economic growth, the...

Celtic Marine Corp.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Michael O'Connor President and chief operating officer www.celticmarine.com Challenges facing the breakbulk and project-cargo industry this year include those related to the worldwide fleet. There are too few ships with...

CIS Navigation Inc.(Commonwealth of Independent States)(project-cargo sector )(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Milena Dimitrova Vice president, freight coordination www.cisnav.com As one of the areas with the most dynamic development in the past few years, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States have presented logistics...

Clipper Elite Carriers.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Michael J. Kraefting Deputy director www.clipper-elite.com In an ever-changing and growing freight market, carriers are challenged with continuous demand for improved services. Over the past year, carriers have been...

Coil-Tainer Ltd.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Michael J. Smolenski President and chief executive www.coil-tainer.com The biggest challenges I see facing the breakbulk and project-cargo shipping industry during 2007 are stability in rates because of a lack of...

Consolidated Steamship Agency.(transportation industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: John O. Bomer IV President www.usacsacma.com All indications point to an exceptional year for the energy-related project business in West Africa for 2007. The volume of business in the last three years has increased as...

Corpus Christi, Port of.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: John LaRue Executive director www.portofcorpuschristi.com There are two equally important challenges confronting the breakbulk and project-cargo shipping industry in 2007. One is the condition of port infrastructure,...

DHL Global Forwarding.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Gerd Warkus Director, business development www.dhl.com Global energy project-cargo contractors hold backlog orders amounting to billions of dollars and face a dilemma of manpower and transportation availability. Projects...

Eagle Maritime Consultants Inc.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Jake Koshy President www.eaglemaritime.com The art of prognostic analysis through the ages has shown us the futility of predicting the future. But we persevere and take successes and failures in stride. 2007 is here, so...

Fluor Corp.(construction industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Robert Prieto Senior vice president www.fluor.com The engineering and construction industry will continue to address two key trends in 2007, each of which will have profound impact on commerce and infrastructure's...

Fullen Dock and Warehouse.(shipping industry)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Lanny Chalk Terminal manager www.fullendock.com We've had quite an increase in container cargoes at Fullen Dock and Warehouse in recent years, so I would say that's a big challenge and threat to breakbulk in 2007. ...

Galveston, Port of.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Steven M. Cernak Port director www.portofgalveston.com As we continue to adjust to meet the demands that the global economy places upon us, the challenges that a port authority faces for all types of cargoes is...

Georgia Ports Authority.(shipping industry)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Doug J. Marchand Executive director www.gaports.com In an industry in which, for many, container is king, we should never lose sight of breakbulk's historic impact on the evolution of transportation. I've read some media...

Hamburg, Port of.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Juergen Sorgenfrei Chairman www.hafen-hamburg.de/en/ Containerization continues to claim a larger share of ports' overall volumes. At Hamburg, containerized cargoes now account for 97 percent of all volume. This rate of...

Intermarine LLC.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Roger Kavanagh President and chief executive www.intermarineusa.com While many of the logistics managers in the project transport industry are working with traditional expectations for transport availability, we have...

Jumbo Shipping.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: F.B. Bedford Director www.jumboshipping.com The greatest challenge to the industry during 2007 may not happen at all; if it occurred, it would be some dramatic re-jig of the geopolitical paradigm in the Middle East, such...

Longview, Port of.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Kenneth B. O'Hollaren Executive director www.portoflongview.com The breakbulk markets of 2007 will bring a continuation of 2006-type imports, particularly wind energy and power projects to the United States. Coupled with...

Mallory Alexander International Logistics.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Neely Mallory III President www.mallorygroup.com The secret word in breakbulk this year will be "trucking." Shippers face no single greater challenge throughout 2007 than tight trucking capacity. The shortage of...

Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport.(shipping industry)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Donald R. Allee Executive director and chief executive www.shipmspa.com My observations at this time last year were purely dedicated to the effects of a natural disaster on a commercial seaport. The primary subject of my...

Nordana Line (USA) Inc.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Steen Obst President www.nordanausa.com The breakbulk market remained strong during 2006. All indications within the oil and gas, energy, mining and industrial sectors in four major areas of the world - China, India, the...

North Carolina State Ports Authority.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Thomas J. Eagar Chief executive www.ncports.com Breakbulk cargo long has faced challenges presented by the existence of containerized cargo. Decades ago, breakbulk shipping lost ground as commodities began to convert to...

Norton Lilly International.(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: H. Winchester Thurber IV Senior vice president, liner www.nortonlilly.com Security, in my opinion, will be the most important issue the breakbulk industry faces in 2007. With the tremendous amount of project cargo that...

Orion Marine Corp./ConFlo Lines.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Peter K. Schauer Chief executive www.orion-marine.com This highly specialized and sophisticated segment of shipping had been all but relegated to the history books in recent decades. There are not many veterans left who...

Port Everglades.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Phillip C. Allen Port director www.broward.org/port That the building industry in Florida and the Caribbean continues to move at a fast pace, requiring a steady demand for construction products, is good news for the...

Port Freeport, Texas.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: A.J. "Pete" Reixach Jr. Executive port director www.portfreeport.com With a marked upswing in shipments of breakbulk and project cargoes, shippers of such goods are facing challenges in finding appropriate available port...

Rickmers Group.(shipping industry)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Bertram Rickmers Chairman www.rickmers.com Since 2003, the breakbulk, heavy-lift and project shipping industry has been on an upswing. This will continue in 2007 and last for some years. Massive investments...

Saga Forest Carriers.
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Paul Prefontaine General manager www.sagafc.com With time-charter markets remaining strong and shipping rates continuing to rise, we find it increasingly difficult to maintain service levels for North American forest...

Schenker USA Projects.(Schenker und Company AG)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Bill Christ Manager www.schenker.com It is a safe bet for the coming years that with the known increase in global construction and engineering projects, breakbulk cargo volumes will continue to outpace the capacity of...

Sea Star Line LLC.(and its services)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Frank Peake President and chief executive www.seastarline.com Sea Star Line has built a reputation as a leader in the Puerto Rico breakbulk market. This important segment is of great importance to Sea Star, and we take...

South Carolina State Ports Authority.(Brief article)(Column)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Bernard S. Groseclose Jr. President and chief executive www.port-of-charleston.com Breakbulk shipping will see opportunities for growth in some commodities, but will face challenges with the availability of specialized...

Tampa, Port of.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: Richard Wainio Port director and chief executive www.tampaport.com The outlook for breakbulk and project cargoes remains strong through 2007 fueled, in particular, by continued growth in Asian demand. The major challenge...

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: John Felitto Senior vice president, commercial www.2wglobal.com There are two major challenges facing the commodity segment (breakbulk and project cargo) of the ocean shipping industry in 2007. The first and most...

Squeeze play.(managing breakbulk shipments)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY JANET PLUME Whenever conversations turn to breakbulk cargo these days, the common denominator is capacity constraints. It's common knowledge that the breakbulk fleet of multipurpose and specialized heavy-lift vessels has been...

Heavy lifting.(shipping industry and managing breakbulk shipments)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH If you're a breakbulk shipper, this year's message is simple: Reserve your shipping space early. Although new multipurpose ships are starting to flow into the global breakbulk markets and freight and charter...

Supply chain of command.(Transportation Command outsourcing contracts for logistics)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL DIBENEDETTO Outsourcing is alive and well in the Department of Defense. Despite opposition, the U.S. Transportation Command plans this year to award a long-term contract to a single commercial logistics coordinator for...

Three-phase implementation.(Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative )(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... The Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative will be implemented in three phases: -- Phase I will cover 18 Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Distribution Center depots in the continental U.S. and is scheduled for completion 22...

A race against time.(marine cargo handling and its services)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH New terminals and cranes. On-dock rail. Larger container yards. As shippers demand more all-water services to deliver Asian cargoes to U.S. customers, ports on the Atlantic Coast are scrambling to complete...

Year of the EIR.(environmental impact report on ports)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach won't break ground on any major expansion projects this year, but don't be fooled: 2007 is shaping up as a watershed year for the ports' long-term growth. This will...

Build green, or don't build.(tranportation industry and environmental impact regulations)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Shipping lines, terminal operators and railroads are so anxious to secure regulatory approval to expand their Southern California operations that they appear ready to adopt any environmental requirement, no matter how costly - as long as...

First in line.(Los Angeles and Long Beach port projects)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Los Angeles and Long Beach port projects scheduled for environmental impact reports in 2007, with estimated costs. LOS ANGELES l Enlarge TraPac terminal to 251 acres, lengthen the berth and build an on-dock railyard at the only Los...

Cogsa or Carmack?(Altadis USA Inc. accused by Sea Star Line and American Trans-Freight)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON On March 27, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could affect the terms under which a shipper may be compensated for cargo that's been lost or damaged in transit. Altadis USA v. Sea Star...

Unions sue over 'kit ships'.(American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations sued Coast Guard and Aker Philadelphia Shipyard )
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON In Ron Ault's mind, this is a David vs. Goliath battle. The AFL-CIO's Metal Trades Department has pitted itself against the U.S. Coast Guard and Aker Philadelphia Shipyard over the meaning of "U.S.-built" in the...

Signs of the future.(Horizon Lines L.L.C. installed radio frequency identification equipment from Identec Solutions)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH Knowing exactly where a shipment is from origin to delivery has long been a goal of many shippers. A radio-frequency identification system that Horizon Lines is using in its Alaska service could be a turning...

Europe turns to 'Plan B'.(World Trade Organization trade negotiations with United States and United Kingdom)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY ALAN M. FIELD European Union officials have long been staunch supporters of multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization. But with the WTO's Doha Round stalled, the EU is showing more interest in...

DCs bloom in the UK.(distribution commerce)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY WILLIAM HOFFMAN An island on the western periphery of a major continent might seem an unlikely logistics hotbed - unless it's a major consumer market. Europe may be tilting toward the east as nations from the Baltic states to...

Learning curve.(Bill DeWitt talks about the career in business logistics)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY WILLIAM B. CASSIDY Bill DeWitt's problem isn't getting students to pay attention in class - it's getting them into his classroom. It's a logistics problem of sorts, which is fitting, as DeWitt runs the logistics,...

Secure Freight or data overload?(Department of Homeland Security scanning containers before being loaded into ships)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY W. SCOTT GOULD In November, the Department of Homeland Security announced the start of six pilot projects to scan containers at foreign ports before they are loaded on U.S.-bound ships. Radiological detection and imaging data...

With Joseph A. Dorto, Virginia International Terminals.(Interview)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH In November, the Department of Homeland Security announced the start of six pilot projects to scan containers at foreign ports before they are loaded on U.S.-bound ships. Radiological detection and imaging data...

War, peace and logistics.(Transportation Command and Department of Defense's outsourcing contracts for logistics)
January 29, 2007... BYLINE: BY JOSEPH BONNEY Corporate logistics managers can identify with Col. James Lovell. The Air Force officer is point man for the U.S. Transportation Command's effort to contract out much of its domestic freight transportation to a...

RADAR SCREEN.(INTTRA Inc. formed subsidiary OceanSchedules.com)(Maersk Line lost its market share)(International Longshoremen's Association accused for corruption)
January 29, 2007... Inttra unveils Web site for carrier schedules Inttra, the ocean carrier Web portal, is extending its business in a new direction. The company has formed a subsidiary, OceanSchedules.com, a Web site that enables shippers not only to search...

The human factor.(labor availability problem at distribution centers)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO When companies seek sites for distribution centers, they look for road and rail connections, access to seaports and land costs. Site-selection committees pay comparatively little attention to another important...

Upstairs, downstairs.(strategies of real estate developers, construction of distribution centers)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO When developers seek sites for distribution centers, they look for wide-open spaces where everything can be laid out efficiently on a single level. The model works well, as long as ample acreage is available....

Cautious outlook.(industrial real estate market)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY DAVID BIEDERMAN The Top 25 Industrial Owners directory is based on data and rankings compiled by National Real Estate Investor Magazine. Rankings are as of Dec. 31, 2005, and reflect the total amount of industrial space owned...

Go or no go?(implications of US. Customs and Border Protection codes and messages)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON First, there's the 1C message. Customs and Border Protection is telling you, the terminal operator, that a container may be released into U.S. commerce - absent any other holds on it. Then there's the 1H message...

Bayport ready to open.
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO It's been a long time coming, but the Port of Houston is about to get some badly needed space for container handling. The first phase of the Bayport Container Terminal will open next month. Bayport is...

Different paths to same goal.(cargo security measures of New Zealand Customs Service)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON It's hard to imagine terrorists sneaking a weapon of mass destruction into a container of New Zealand apples, but New Zealand is taking no chances. Perishables dominate the country's trade with the U.S., and to...

Hoping for a better year.(economic growth of Puerto Rico)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY ALAN M. FIELD Political gridlock - Puerto Rico had it in spades last year. A budget dispute between the legislature and Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila shut down the commonwealth's government for two weeks last spring, putting 95,000...

Island of Little Sun.(shipping industry trends, Puerto Rico, industry forecasts, sales, demand)(Industry overview)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH With their commonwealth's economy in gridlock for months, the normally mall-crawling Puerto Rican consumers tightened their belts and all but cut back on spending. Vessel operators in the U.S.-Puerto Rico trade...

New era in trade facilitation.(Customs and Border Protection's 7th Annual Trade Symposium, opening address of commissioner Ralph Basham)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY WILLIAM G. "JERRY" PECK I recently attended Customs and Border Protection's 7th Annual Trade Symposium, held in the spacious and fitting confines of the Ronald Reagan International Trade Building in Washington. Praise is...

Seller's market ahead.(pricing, truck load shipping, supply and demand trends)(Report)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY JOHN GALLAGHER Truckload shippers may want to take advantage of cut-rate prices while they can. Available capacity and pricing leverage are expected to swing back toward the carriers in 2008. In the meantime, however,...

Herder of cats.(Al Pierce of Asia North America East-bound Rate Agreement)(Biography)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY BARRY HOROWITZ In January 1991, I became Nike's director of international transportation. Within weeks, I met a man who would have significant influence on our program and who has been a leading personality in our industry for...

With John P. Smirnow, Pisani & Roll.(Interview)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO John P. Smirnow is of counsel to the Washington law firm of Pisani & Roll. One of his areas of specialty is this year's changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Q. What is the...

Hopefully, a solution to chassis disputes.(regulations on chassis usage, challenges to shipping industry)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER TIRSCHWELL Malcom McLean is lionized as the founder of container shipping, but many in the industry will never forgive him for one of his less celebrated legacies - the practice of steamship lines furnishing the wheeled...

Black and white.(prison inmates serving lunch for the governor of Mississippi)
January 22, 2007... BYLINE: BY JOSEPH BONNEY The governor sat at the head of the table. The silverware gleamed, the china was immaculate, and the waiters wore starched white jackets. If you didn't know, you'd never guess that lunch was being served by...

RADAR SCREEN.(with failed Doha round of World Trade Organization talk, European Union focus on bilateral trade agreements, International Organization for Standardization security standard reviewed, India, China urged for financial system reform)
January 22, 2007... With Doha Round stalled, EU takes a different tack With the Doha Round of World Trade Organization trade talks in trouble, the European Union is putting more emphasis on bilateral and regional trade agreements. Unlike the U.S., which has...

THE WEEK.(CMA-CGM acquires Cheng Lie Navigation Co., Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach hits record volume, Transpacific Stabilization Agreement forecasts on demand, capacity growth)
January 22, 2007... TSA Predicts Strong Demand: The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said it expects strengthening market conditions in the world's major trade lanes to absorb most excess capacity in 2007. The discussion agreement of 11 carriers said that...

THE WEEK.
January 15, 2007... Maersk Revamps Asia-Europe Service: Maersk Line will deploy its largest ships in its Asia-Europe network, which will be revised in April with more direct calls and faster transit times. The carrier will deploy the 10,000-TEU-plus Emma Maersk,...

Feast or famine.(intra-Asia container market trends, growth, demand, capacity)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY PETER T. LEACH Largely out of sight on the other side of the world from the U.S. and Europe, the intra-Asia container market has become the world's largest by volume and is growing even faster than the trans-Pacific or...

New road in Vietnam.(US congressional approval of trade relations with Vietnam, implications for international trade)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY WILLIAM ARMBRUSTER Congressional approval of permanent normal trade relations with Vietnam is the final step on a long road toward closer economic ties between the U.S. and the Southeast Asian nation where American troops...

TWIC two-step.(rules for Transportation Worker Identification Credential)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON The one sure thing is that the federal government is publishing final rules for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Members of the port and maritime community may see the TWIC rules as the end of...

Scan-all is back.(safety and security measures for containers ships set to US from foreign ports)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY R.G. EDMONSON New year, new Congress, same old song. Democrats in control of the House have again raised the notion that all containers should be scanned at foreign ports before they're loaded aboard a U.S.-bound ship. Trade...

Where are the alternatives?(Terminal Operators Conference-Americas)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: GARY FERRULLI It was more than interesting to take part in a recent professional conference with a focus on ports and terminals. My background and experiences were more on the commercial side of the business, even though I...

Banking on visibility.(survey, shipping industry, global supply-chain problem)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY ALAN M. FIELD When Aberdeen Group recently surveyed companies with more than $1 billion, it found that 79 percent said their top global supply-chain problem is getting accurate, timely shipment information. That means it's...

On dangerous ground.
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY DAVID BIEDERMAN Jim Latta sat at his desk and added up the costs of renewing his Class A commercial drivers license and hazardous materials endorsement. There was a $58 federal fee, a $24 FBI fee and a $58 HME renewal fee from...

Short arm of the law.(implications of new anti-pollution rule on energy use of ships)
January 15, 2007... BYLINE: BY BILL MONGELLUZZO An industry group says California is stretching its jurisdiction too far with a new anti-pollution rule that forces ships to burn low-sulfur marine distillate fuel within 24 miles of the state's coast. ...