JoC Week articles from July 2003

JoC Week archives from July 2003

Unsettling developments.
July 28, 2003... How international trade stands in the political consciousness of the nation is a subject of more than passing interest to those who import, export and expedite that process whether as carriers, brokers, forwarders, lawyers or anyone else who...

Radar screen.(multiple articles)
July 28, 2003... While the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is increasing its use of gamma-ray and X-ray machines to inspect containers, the International Longshoremen's Association wants to make sure the machines are safe for dockworkers who work...

ILA, employers seek early contract. (The Week).(International Longshoremen's Association)(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... ILA, Employers Seek Early Contract: Top officials of the International Longshoremen's Association and employers at Atlantic and Gulf ports said they are committed to early settlement of a coastwide master contract to replace the one that...

Justice Department probing ILA. (The Week).
July 28, 2003... Justice Department Probing ILA: Federal prosecutors are considering an anti-racketeering lawsuit against the ILA. Seeking to deflect the controversy, Bowers told the union's quadrennial convention in San Juan that the ILA will establish a...

Astar asks DOT to halt investigation. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... Astar Asks DOT To Halt Investigation: Astar Air Cargo, formerly DHL Airways, asked the Department of Transportation to terminate its investigation into the all-cargo airline's ownership. Astar said the airline's July 14 sale rendered the...

Justice OKs Airborne deal. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... Justice OKs Airborne Deal: U.S. antitrust regulators have cleared the way for DHL Worldwide Express to acquire the ground operations of Airborne Inc. In effect, DHL will be buying all of Airborne except for its air subsidiary, which will be...

Matson names Andrasick to posts. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... Matson Names Andrasick To Posts: After more than a year as interim president and chief executive of Matson Navigation Co., James S. Andrasick will officially pick up those titles, effective Aug. 1. Andrasick will continue as executive vice...

Evergreen orders 10 ships. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... Evergreen Orders 10 Ships: The Evergreen Group ordered 10 post-Panamax vessels from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. The ships will each have a capacity of 6,724 TEUs, making them the largest vessels in the Taiwanese carrier's owned...

NOL sells tanker unit. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... NOL Sells Tanker Unit: Neptune Orient Lines completed the sale of its tanker unit, American Eagle Tankers, to Malaysia International Shipping Corp. for $445 million. AET operates 29 Aframax tankers and two very-large crude carriers,...

P&O Ports sells stake in Qingdao terminal. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... P&O Ports Sells Stake In Qingdao Terminal: P&O Ports has sold a 20-percent stake in the Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal at the Port of Qingdao in China to a joint venture for $60 million. The joint venture partners are APM Terminals, a...

Lufthansa Cargo opens terminal at JFK. (The Week).(Brief Article)
July 28, 2003... Lufthansa Cargo Opens Terminal At JFK: After 31 years at its original terminal, Lufthansa Cargo will occupy 176,000 square feet at a new $161 million Facility at JFK Airport, which was developed by Airis Corp. Lufthansa moves 30 percent of...

Better off as one? New realities lead NIT League and AAEI to consider merging. (Cover Story).
July 28, 2003... Four months ago, two of the oldest U.S. trade associations in the transportation and logistics industry quietly began discussing a closer association, perhaps even a merger. Officials of the National Industrial Transportation League and...

Worlds apart: the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe ocean container routes function differently from one another. (Container Shipping).
July 28, 2003... Reebok Ltd. ships footwear from its Asian manufacturing facilities to both the U.S. and Europe. It uses some of the same carriers on both routes, but it deals with them quite differently. In the trans-Pacific, Reebok's contracts cover at...

Why own? Container carriers increasingly turn to outside investors to buy and operate their biggest ships. (Container Shipping).
July 28, 2003... Ownership of new, large container ships is increasingly shifting to outside investors, as carriers resort to off-balance sheet financing to boost their bottom lines. Long-term time charters form the backbone of these ownership arrangements, a...

Next for security: air, rail and road: new advance manifest filing rules extend concept of 24-hour rule. (Customs).
July 28, 2003... Commissioner Robert C. Bonner had reason to be upbeat last week. His Bureau of Customs and Border Protection was in the home stretch of a year of intense regulatory activity that will profoundly affect the way companies move cargo across U.S....

Living with the dragon: once the favored site for overseas manufacturers, Southeast Asia is adjusting to life in China's shadow. (Special report: Asia logistics).
July 28, 2003... The rise of China as a manufacturing platform for the world is spurring a seismic shift in the economic structure of Southeast Asia--a region that was formerly the preferred investment area for companies seeking low-cost manufacturing...

No plans for celebration: a modest peak season is expected for trans-Pacific air cargo this year. (Special Report).
July 28, 2003... Freight forwarders and air-cargo carriers have modest expectations for the trans-Pacific market during this year's soon-to-arrive peak season, but unpredictability remains a strong factor in their thinking. "The common wisdom is that it's...

Building for the future: rapid growth and modernization is spawning new attitudes toward third-party logistics, especially in China. (Special report: Asia logistics).
July 28, 2003... Consolidation is the buzzword around Asian logistics these days, and there's plenty of evidence to show that it's needed--especially in China. "There are people delivering spring onions who now call themselves logistics experts," Stanley...

A bird's eye view: new security project will monitor U.S.-Canada trucks using GPS. (Supply Chain Security).
July 28, 2003... It's not your imagination. Cargo-security pilot projects are multiplying like rabbits. The latest is a privately funded initiative to test a track-and-trace system for trucks moving across the U.S.-Canada border using Global Positioning...

The ocean rules UPS doesn't like: petition to FMC shows how large logistics companies are expanding in the ocean arena. (Third-Party Logistics).
July 28, 2003... Since the Ocean Shipping Reform Act was implemented in May of 1999, important changes have occurred in the landscape of ocean container shipping--ones that were not anticipated when that law was written and passed. In particular, the...

Rail legislation advances: STB-FRA reauthorization bills are not expected, however, to get to the full Senate. (Rail).
July 28, 2003... The Senate Commerce Committee has approved legislation that would reauthorize the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration. However, both measures are expected to stall before reaching the Senate floor. The...

Busting bad breakbulk boats: an effort is under way to improve the quality of general cargo vessels. (Shipping Breakbulk).
July 28, 2003... When problems of vessel safety are raised, the focus is usually on oil tankers or dry bulk carriers. But concern is emerging over a lesser known culprit--the breakbulk ship. The issue of breakbulk vessel safety has drawn the attention of...

The technology port: high-tech seaport's next objective is radio-frequency identification. (Ports).
July 28, 2003... The Port of Wilmington, Del., is serious about technology. It pioneered a trucker identification card that is being developed into a national Transportation Worker Identification Card. It is a heavy user of bar-code technology. Now the port...

By the numbers.(Illustration)
July 28, 2003... AIR CARGO [GRAPHICS OMITTED] SPOTLIGHT: U.S.-JAPAN TRADE [GRAPHIC OMITTED] JOC-ECRI INDUSTRIAL PRICE INDEX The Journal of Commerce--Economic Cycle Research Institute Industrial Price Index (JoC-ECRI IPI) is a leading...

With James E. Devine Jr.: president of Distribution-Publications Inc. (Questions & Answers).(Interview)
July 28, 2003... Jim Devine is president of the Oakland, Calif.-based independent tariff publishing company Distribution-Publications Inc., an affiliate of General Steamship Agencies. DPI's 500-plus clients have demographics of 90 percent NVOCCs, 9 percent...

Technology is not a bad word. (Other Voices).
July 28, 2003... The International Longshoremen's Association and waterfront management, working together, have achieved significant progress in meeting the challenges they have faced in Atlantic and Gulf ports. Continued progress will be necessary to meet...

An historic juncture.
July 21, 2003... It is not every day in the world of international trade logistics, let alone every week, month or even year, that a historic turning point is signaled by some event or announcement. Arguably, APEs 1988 launching of the first container ship...

Radar screen.
July 21, 2003... Cargo-liability reform got a technical once-over last week when an "experts committee" of attorneys met in Vienna to review the legal language of the draft of an international treaty that could replace the 1936 Carriage of Goods by Sea Act...

Results of the JOC pulse.
July 21, 2003... RESULTS OF THE JOC PULSE OSRA will be changed to allow NVOs to sign confidential contracts: In one to three years 30% In four to six years 6% In more than six years 1%...

NIT League, AAEI consider merger. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... NIT League, AAEI Consider Merger: The National Industrial Transportation League and the American Association of Exporters and Importers have engaged in talks that could lead to a merger. Discussions began about four months ago. Peter Gatti,...

China deal will aid logistics firms. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... China Deal Will Aid Logistics Firms: A new free-trade agreement between Hong Kong and China will make it easier for Hong Kong logistics companies to operate on the mainland. The Close Economic Partnership Arrangement gives Hong Kong companies...

Hong Kong NVO fined $7.9 million. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... Hong Kong NVO Fined $7.9 Million: A Hong Kong-based non-vessel-operating common carrier has been assessed the largest fine levied by the Federal Maritime Commission in recent years. Hudson Express Lines, the operating name for Hudson Shipping...

Matson Christens new ship. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... Matson Christens New Ship: Matson Navigation Co. launched the 2,600-TEU Manukai, the carrier's first new ship since 1992. After completing sea trials in the fall, the Manukai will enter Matson's West Coast-to-Hawaii trade, where it will...

DHL Airways acquisition completed. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... DHL Airways Acquisition Completed: An investor group led by John Dasburg, chairman and chief executive of DHL Airways, has completed its $57 million acquisition of the cargo airline. The name of DHL Airways has been changed to Astar...

FedEx, UPS win Hong Kong Air rights. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... FedEx, UPS Win Hong Kong Air Rights: FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service were the big winners when the Department of Transportation tentatively awarded six airlines the right to operate all-cargo services between Hong Kong and other cities...

Sinotrans seeks 24-hour rate changes. (The Week).
July 21, 2003... Sinotrans Seeks 24-Hour Rate Changes: China's Sinotrans Container Lines has petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission to allow the company to lower rates on 24 hours' notice to match competitors' rates. Under the controlled-carrier act,...

Can trade bridge the gap? The Bush administration believes free trade can enhance the prospects for peace in the Middle East. (Special report: Mideast trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... The Bush administration's commitment to free trade is about to be tested in the Middle East. Although Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the reconstruction of Iraq continue to grab headlines, the long-term fate of the region rests almost as...

Ocean carriers get ready: the rebuilding of Iraq will boost demand for shipping services. (Special report: mideast trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... The shooting continues in Iraq, but the rebuilding is also getting under way. The U.S. Treasury Department estimates that spending for reconstruction of Iraq will total $60 billion over five years. That means increased shipping volume from...

Risky business: marine insurance rates in the Persian Gulf may fall if OPIC enters the risk-insurance market. (Special report: mideast trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... Shipping insurance rates in the Persian Gulf may decline significantly by the end of summer, with the anticipated entry of the Overseas Private Investment Corp. offering shipping and political risk policies. Shipping companies say...

The spoils of war: capacity tightens for air-cargo carriers even with reconstruction of Iraq just getting under way. (Special report: mideast trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... The news from the Pentagon that the U.S. will likely have to maintain its present level of forces in Iraq--about 145,000 troops--for up to four years is good news for the air-cargo industry, at least in one sense. As long as U.S. forces...

The laboratory opens for business: Operation Safe Commerce gets moving on 11 pilot projects. (Supply Chain Security).
July 21, 2003... The coffee beans are bagged, stowed in containers and shipped from Brazil to the Port of New York and New Jersey. Nothing complicated about that. But what can be done to ensure that terrorists haven't put something else into the container...

Coming: new batch of mega-ships: new ship orders indicate many lines still feel that bigger is better. (Container Shipping).
July 21, 2003... The universe is expanding, the prevailing theory of physics says, and so are container ships. A new study confirms the increasing dominance of ships with capacities unthinkable a decade ago. BRS-Alphaliner, a data service of Paris...

Sticking to script: trans-Pacific carriers insist ships are full as they seek to maintain 2003 rate increases. (Container Shipping).
July 21, 2003... Despite the growing number of large ships scheduled to enter service during the next three years (Story, page 26), carriers in the eastbound trans-Pacific trade are expressing little concern about the possible near-term effect on rates. ...

Derailing the Conrail Boyz. (Rail).
July 21, 2003... The recent bust of a gang that prosecutors say stole merchandise from moving freight trains in New Jersey shows that railroads continue to struggle with cargo theft while working to improve security against terrorism. The organized-crime...

Yellow + Roadway = ?: teamsters, shippers and analysts question long-term impact of Yellow-Roadway deal. (Trucking).
July 21, 2003... This is how the trucking world is: There are Roadway shippers and there are Yellow shippers, but not nearly as many shippers who use both carriers. Just like there are hockey fans and basketball fans, but very few rabid fans of both. ...

Insight into logistics practices: by sharing data on logistics performance, retailers can see how they measure up. (Logistics Strategy).
July 21, 2003... Every logistics manager itches to know how his or her company stacks up against its competitors. But finding out isn't easy. A logistics manager can't just call his counterpart at Brand X and ask prying questions about inventory levels,...

Nafta nears 10: the much-debated agreement may form the framework for the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. (Special report: North America trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... This fall and early 2004 will witness key 10th anniversary events surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement. Late November will mark 10 years since both houses of Congress approved the controversial three-nation free trade...

Working in tandem: U.S. and Mexican motor carriers join partnerships to circumvent border restrictions on operations. (Special report: North America trade and transportation).
July 21, 2003... Although U.S. truckers still cannot drive into Mexico and Mexican truckers can't carry freight throughout the U.S., dozens of U.S. and Mexican trucking companies have found ways to keep commerce flowing seamlessly across the busy southern...

Questions & answers: with Tony Scioscia, president APM Terminals North America.
July 21, 2003... Tony Scioscia, president of Charlotte, N.C.-based APM Terminals North America, the U.S. terminal business of A.P. Moller-Maersk, recently celebrated 40 years in the container shipping industry. His organization runs 13 container terminals,...

By the numbers.
July 21, 2003... [GRAPHICS OMITTED] CONTAINERIZED OCEAN TRADE In TEUs Loaded containers only Current January-Current month Imports month 2003 2002 % change Port of...

Can RFID prevent a terror attack? (Security Counsel).
July 21, 2003... I recently participated in Stanford University's Annual Global Supply Chain Symposium, sponsored by Dr. Hau L. Lee and the Stanford Global Supply Chain Forum. This year's theme was "Smart and Secure Supply Chains," which according to Dr....

Changing face of the NVO.
July 14, 2003... Ask just about anyone who really knows the container shipping business if the vision behind the 1998 Ocean Shipping Reform Act has been realized, and the answer has to be no. How could it be otherwise? By freeing container lines from the...

Radar screen.
July 14, 2003... Having agreed with Evergreen America Corp. on an initial contract covering four port captains and a port engineer, the International Longshoremen's Association is waiting to see whether the deal will be undone by a federal appeals court. The...

Correction.
July 14, 2003... Last week's article on ocean carrier portals omitted several members of the Inttra portal. Carrier members include: Alianca, ANL, CMA CGM, Columbus Line, Crowley American Transport, Deutsche Afrika Linie, Hamburg Sud, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk...

Evergreen, ILA agree on contract. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... Evergreen, ILA Agree On Contract: Evergreen America Corp. and the International Longshoremen's Association reached a collective-bargaining agreement covering four port captains and a port engineer at the company's Morristown, N.J., office....

Shenzhen tops 4.5 million TEUs. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... Shenzhen Tops 4.5 Million TEUs: China's southern port complex at Shenzhen handled more than 4.58 million TEUs in the first half of this year, a gain of 422,900 TEUs from a year earlier. Zhou Tianlin of the Shenzhen Communications Bureau said...

China expands textile, apparel volume. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... China Expands Textile, Apparel Volume: China could gain control of as much as 75 percent of the U.S. textile and apparel market once quotas are eliminated on Jan. 1, 2005, according to a new study by the American Textile Manufacturers...

European Court oks night flights. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... European Court OKs Night Flights: The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that night flights do not violate the rights of people living near London's Heathrow Airport. The ruling was a victory for air cargo and express carriers. The...

Intermodal agreement may be near. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... Intermodal Agreement May Be Near: Joni Casey, president of the Intermodal Association of North America, said industry factions are "80 percent of the way toward a solution" to the problem of how to assign responsibility for maintenance and...

Malaysian Port expands. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... Malaysian Port Expands: Malaysia's growing Port of Tanjung Pelepas plans to expand its container quays to 14 from six, with the first pair likely to begin operations early next year. A spokesman said the port will spend $324 million in the...

Crowley Logistics acquires 3PL. (The Week).
July 14, 2003... Crowley Logistics Acquires 3PL: Crowley Logistics, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Co., has acquired Apparel Transportation, which provides air, ocean and inland transportation services to apparel and textile shippers in the U.S. and Central...

CSI's phase 2: the container security initiative moves to expand beyond the 20 largest foreign ports. (World's Top Container Ports).
July 14, 2003... The Container Security Initiative is a child of Sept. 11 that is growing up quickly. Just 18 months after Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner announced CSI, the program has all but met its first goal, to persuade the...

European delight: a surge in trade from China bolsters ports in Europe--and continues to sway the balance of port power. (World's Top Container Ports).
July 14, 2003... A Year ago, European container ports, like much of the global transportation industry, were languishing in the post-Sept. 11 economic doldrums. Year-to-year volume growth was sporadic, at best. What a difference a year makes. Container...

The last laugh: in becoming one of Europe's largest container ports, Antwerp has silenced its critics. (World's Top Container Ports).
July 14, 2003... For years, critics and doomsayers predicted that the inexorable container boom would skip right over the Port of Antwerp. The odds certainly were stacked against the port, located 50 miles from the open sea behind a series of locks. The...

World's top 50 container ports: 2002 vs. 2001, in millions of TEUs. (World's Top Container Ports).
July 14, 2003... World's Top 50 Container Ports 2002 vs. 2001, in millions of TEUs A ranking developed through original research by The Journal of Commerce Rank Port Country 1 Hong Kong...

Shanghai surprise. (Perspective).
July 14, 2003... With a growing economy that has not been too badly hurt by SARS and the global recession, China's logistics industry is estimated to be growing at annual rates exceeding 30 percent, with domestic players leading the way in international...

The coast of inspections. (Cover Story).
July 14, 2003... According to the manifest, the 40-foot container is stuffed with apparel from China. Even though the bill of lading information was supplied to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection 24 hours before the container was loaded onto the ship...

Air cargo inspection bill: grounded: congress is not ready to require inspection of cargo in passenger jets. (Supply Chain Security).
July 14, 2003... When the House of Representatives passed a bill on June 24 to require inspection of all cargo moving on passenger planes, the aircargo industry was worried. Dave Brooks, president of the cargo division at American Airlines, called the bill...

Where's the money? Ports want federal aid to comply with security rules. (Supply Chain Security).
July 14, 2003... On the lower Mississippi River, more security means putting more patrol boats on the water, and training the law enforcement personnel to man them. That worries Joseph Accardo Jr., executive director of the Port of South Louisiana. The port,...

Smooth start for Lowenthal law: real test won't come until peak season, but first reports look good. (Ports).
July 14, 2003... When the California law took effect July 1 to fine marine terminals $250 for each trucker who had to wait at a terminal gate for more than 30 minutes, no one knew what to expect. Would terminals be socked with heavy fines? Would truckers get...

Nascent friction in US-China trade. (Trade Policy).
July 14, 2003... Tom Hopson, president of Five Rivers Electronics Innovations, a television manufacturer in Greenville, Tenn., says his company has cut production and laid off 1,000 workers. He blames imports from China, which are said to be enough to supply...

Billion-dollar bombshell: yellow's acquisition of Roadway will narrow shippers' LTL options. (Trucking).
July 14, 2003... Shippers' long-haul options in the less-than-truckload sector further diminished with Yellow Corp.'s blockbuster acquisition of Roadway Corp. last week. Counting Roadway's $140 million debt, the value of the equity-and-cash deal is $1.1...

Reservation of rights? ... Wrong! (On Insurance).
July 14, 2003... When shippers file an insurance claim, they can expect to receive a notice from their insurers, reserving the insurer's rights to defend the policyholder. Invariably these notices are sent by ordinary mail as initial acknowledgement that the...

By the numbers.
July 14, 2003... [GRAPHICS OMITTED] CONTAINERIZED OCEAN TRADE In TEUs Loaded containers only Current January-Current month Imports month 2003 2002 % change Port of Long...

With Charles Stewart Verdery Jr. Asst. secretary of homeland security. (Questions & Answers).
July 14, 2003... As the Department of Homeland Security continues to balance border security and trade facilitation, expect C. Stewart Verdery Jr., 36, to be at the fulcrum. Verdery was sworn in dune 25 to be assistant secretary for planning and policy to Asa...

C for collaboration--or control? (Other Voices).
July 14, 2003... The democratization of the Internet in the mid '90s fueled a wave of e-commerce portals that aimed to facilitate the shipping process. Some focused on providing public exchanges where cargo space could be auctioned, others on enabling...

Busy times for Zim.
July 7, 2003... The other day Shaul Cohen-Mintz received an envelope from the New York Police Department, containing a copy of his U.S. work permit. The tattered paper had been found somewhere in the debris of the World Trade Center. It "looked like it was...

Radar screen.
July 7, 2003... Air Cargo Exchange, the new Internet portal being developed by Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines and Qantas Airways, has been running a pilot program in Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore for several months. About 12...

Container charter rates keep rising. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... Container Charter Rates Keep Rising: Containership charter rates are close to all-time highs as carriers scramble to cope with demand for cargo space on routes linking Asia, Europe and North America. The daily hire rate for a 2,000-TEU...

Beatson joins Panalpina. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... Beatson Joins Panalpina: Panalpina has named David Beatson, former president of Emery Worldwide and Circle International, as the forwarder's chief executive for the U.S. and Canada. Beatson's selection follows a decision by Panalpina to...

Vastera to acquire GE customs unit. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... Vastera To Acquire GE Customs Unit: Vastera Inc., the international trade software developer, will acquire the General Electric unit that manages customs responsibilities for GE's business units. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. GE will...

South Carolina to spend $128 million on port. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... South Carolina To Spend $128 Million On Port: The South Carolina State Ports Authority announced a two-year, $128 million capital-improvement program at Charleston. The plan includes $92 million for major capital projects such as terminal...

Savannah posts record volume. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... Savannah Posts Record Volume: The Port of Savannah handled 1,38 million TEUs during the first 11 months of its 2002-03 fiscal year. It was a 32 percent increase over the year-earlier period and a record for a fiscal year at the port. The...

Chow named OOCL chief operating officer. (The Week).
July 7, 2003... Chow Named OOCL Chief Operating Officer: Philip Chow has been appointed chief operating officer of Orient Overseas Container Line. He was president of the carder's North America trade management unit and of OOCL (USA) Inc. In his new...