JoC Week articles from March 2006

JoC Week archives from March 2006

Next time.
March 27, 2006... It's taken a month of political foolishness and misinformed commentary, but the Dubai ports uproar is mercifully fading from public attention. Now it's time to do like they do in Hollywood--start thinking about a sequel. There's certain...

Trans-Pacific slot use to drop this year.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Shippers will only use about 85 percent of the container capacity available on trans-Pacific trade lanes this year, the weakest utilization rate since 2001, according to Mark Page, research director of Drewry Shipping Consultants in London....

Box charter rates continue to slide.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Container ship charter rates continue to fall from last year's peaks and will likely continue to decline as more new ships enter the market this year and next. The index of prices tracked by London ship broker Howe Robinson has dropped 42...

Los Angeles backs off free-time reduction.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... The Port of Los Angeles was scheduled to reduce free storage time for containers by one day this summer, but port executives have changed their minds. Los Angeles planned to reduce free time on imported containers to three days from four to...

Southern California ports lose market share.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... The diversion of trans-Pacific services to Oakland and the Pacific Northwest since the port congestion problems in late 2004 in Los Angeles-Long Beach has taken a toll on the Southern California share of West Coast container volume. According...

Results of the JoC pulse.
March 27, 2006... Results of the JoC Pulse Has airfreight been affected by airlines' financial problems? A little 40% Somewhat 30% A lot 21% Not at all 9%

Long Beach increases environmental incentive.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Vessel operators that voluntarily reduce their speed as they approach the Port of Long Beach will turn their efforts to reduce air pollution into cash. The Long Beach Harbor Commission has approved a reduction in dockage fees for operators...

SSA's dilemma--sell or buy?(SSA Marine)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... SSA Marine, the biggest U.S.-owned container terminal operator, said it is considering selling or acquiring cargo terminals. The announcement came less than two weeks after political opposition forced Dubai-based DP World to drop plans to...

PierPass to raise peak fees.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... PierPass To Raise Peak Fees: The PierPass fee paid by shippers who move their containers through Los Angeles-Long Beach during peak traffic hours will increase on April 3 to $50 per TEU. The current fee is $40 per TEU. The fees, paid by cargo...

UPS probes Supply-Chain unit.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... UPS Probes Supply-Chain Unit: UPS said it is investigating possible violations of federal law at its Supply Chain Solutions unit. The Atlanta-based company said in a regulatory finding that it notified the Justice Department and Securities...

FedEx profit surges 35 percent.(THE WEEK)
March 27, 2006... FedEx Profit Surges 35 Percent: Strong holiday-season volumes, fuel surcharges and rate increases spurred a 35 percent jump in fiscal third-quarter profit at FedEx Corp. Net income rose to $428 million in the quarter ended Feb. 28 from $317...

Portland reveals details of Zim deal.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Portland Reveals Details Of Zim Deal: The Port of Portland, Ore., expects Zim Integrated Shipping Services to move 450 to 500 containers a week through the port when its new service begins in May. The annual total, approximately 25,000 boxes,...

EU firm on Doha deadline.(European Union firm on Doha deadline.)
March 27, 2006... EU Firm On Doha Deadline: The European Union's top trade negotiator said he remained committed to an end-of-April deadline sol by the World Trade Organization's 149 members to reach detailed agreements on how to open their markets. The...

Russia seeks US nod to join WTO.(World Trade Organization)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Russia Seeks US Nod To Join WTO: Russian and U.S. envoys met as part of Moscow's latest attempt to win Washington's clearance to join the World Trade Organization. Moscow's chief negotiator presented new proposals to break a deadlock over...

'White-hot' market: growth of big-box chains and containerized imports create a boom in distribution centers near seaports.(Cover story)
March 27, 2006... When George Powers seeks sites for import distribution centers, the first place he looks is near large U.S. seaports. "That's where the cargo is," said Powers, president of American Port Services, a third-party logistics provider that serves...

Green day: ocean carriers and terminal operators are incorporating environmentalism into their business models.(SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINER SHIPPING)
March 27, 2006... When Chang Kuo-Cheng, vice group chairman of Evergreen Group, delivered the keynote address to the annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference in Long Beach this month, he did not discuss commercial issues such as supply, demand and freight...

Trading places: shippers bask in the glow of falling rates, little congestion.(SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINER SHIPPING)
March 27, 2006... Shippers, rejoice! The nirvana you have been seeking for the last few years is arriving on schedule. Ocean freight rates are falling, and port congestion delays have been fended off for the time being. Steamship companies have ordered so many...

Top 50 container lines: imports, 2005 vs. 2004, in TEUs.(SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINER SHIPPING)(Table)
March 27, 2006... Top 50 Container Lines Imports, 2005 vs. 2004, in TEUs Rankings of container carriers in U.S. import trade lanes Carrier Website World, U.S. Market Imports Imports Percent...

Top 50 container lines: exports, 2005 vs. 2004, in TEUs.(SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINER SHIPPING)(Table)
March 27, 2006... Top 50 Container Lines Exports, 2005 vs. 2004, in TEUs Rankings of container carriers in U.S. export trade lanes Carrier Website World, Market Exports Exports Percent Rank U.S....

BRS-Alphaliner's top 50 global container fleet operators: as of March 17, 2006.(SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINER SHIPPING)(Table)
March 27, 2006... Total liner trade TEU capacity is near 9.4 million TEUs, with almost 8.5 million TEUs of capacity on 3,669 fully cellular active ships. The top 50 fleet operators hold a 90.6 percent share of the container liner market, of which 49.5 percent...

We're not in Kansas any more, Toto.(INTERMODAL INSIGHTS)
March 27, 2006... A new intermodal route is being called the Kansas City Bypass, only it doesn't go through Kansas. I'm referring to the rail route from the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas to Laredo, Texas, on the Mexico-U.S. border. The line is operated by...

New ships for Horizon: vessels for Pacific service will reduce average age of active fleet to 20 years.(DOMESTIC SHIPPING)
March 27, 2006... For several years, the question has hung over Horizon Lines: When and how will the domestic ship line update its aging fleet? This month Horizon provided an answer by announcing plans to charter five 2,800-TEU ships to be delivered by...

Fading star: the dry-bulk market remains strong by historical standards but is softening as demand has eased.(SPECIAL REPORT: BULK SHIPPING)
March 27, 2006... The supernova that hit the oceanborne dry-bulk trades in the last few years is beginning to cool. What touched off the explosion was, of course, the white-hot Chinese demand for imports of iron ore, coal and other bulk commodities to fuel the...

Rocky relationship: a 10-year-old plan to deepen the Delaware River has fallen victim to bistate politics.(PORTS)
March 27, 2006... One would think that deepening the Delaware River channel would be a no-brainer. The river ports in and around Philadelphia have the land to expand that other ports in the U.S. Northeast sorely lack. And it won't be long before larger...

Looking for trouble: companies use benchmarking to help manage risks of increasingly complex supply chains.(MANAGING RISK: BENCHMARKING)
March 27, 2006... Remember when more than 15 million bottles and cans of Coca-Cola beverages in Belgium were recalled in 1999? Or the recall of millions of Firestone tires in 2000'.) Those incidents are viewed as epic lapses in quality control. They also can...

Consolidation helps EGL: crane reports increased business in wake of mergers, acquisition of rival forwarders.(EGL Inc.)
March 27, 2006... Consolidation is creating opportunity for EGL Eagle Global Logistics as anxious shippers send business to the forwarder, pushing up profit and revenue. James Crane, EGL chief executive, told analysts this month that shippers "are very...

RFID becomes more active: battery-powered RFID tags with memory gain popularity as prices drop, reliability improves.(radio-frequency identification technologies)
March 27, 2006... Not all radio-frequency identification technologies are created equal. "Passive" RFID tags contain no battery or other on-board power source; their limited information is stored in the chip and communicated to supply-chain managers only when...

Air cargo.(BY THE NUMBERS)
March 27, 2006... Traffic and capacity International freight Percent change from same month previous year International freight Freight ton-kilometers Percent change by carrier, grouped by carriers' base of operations [GRAPHICS...

Containerized ocean trade.(BY THE NUMBERS)(Table)
March 27, 2006... CONTAINERIZED OCEAN TRADE In TEUs Loaded containers only January-Current month Current Imports month 2005 2004 % change ...

U.S. foreign trade.(BY THE NUMBERS)(Table)
March 27, 2006... U.S. FOREIGN TRADE In millions of dollars, via all modes of transportation to/from the U.S. January-December Imports 2005 2004 % change Total ...

Rail cargo.(BY THE NUMBERS)(Table)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... RAIL CARGO Weeks 1-10 ending March 11, 2006 Loadings, in Units 2005 2004 % change Intermodal-total 2,239,423 2,145,405 4.4% Trailers ...

Spotlight: United Arab Emirates.(BY THE NUMBERS)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... The U.A.E. had the fourth-highest trade surplus in goods with the U.S. last year at $7 billion, exceeded only by the Netherlands ($11.6 billion), Australia ($8.4 billion), and Hong Kong ($7.4 billion). U.S. exports to the U.A.E. in 2005...

JOC-ECRI industrial price index.(BY THE NUMBERS)
March 27, 2006... The Journal of Commerce--Economic Cycle Research Institute Industrial Price Index (JoC-ECRI IPI) is a leading indicator of inflation rates. The index is based on prices of a broad assortment of raw materials used in industrial production. The...

Take steps toward real port security.(OTHER VOICES)
March 27, 2006... If there is a silver lining to the DP World debacle, it is this: Congress is focused on improving "port security." But we must be careful what we wish for. Congress killed a deal that had nothing to do with port security on the grounds that...

With Michael Schmitz: World Customs Organization.(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)(Interview)
March 27, 2006... This week, the World Customs Organization's Private Sector Consultative Group will have its first meeting in Brussels. The WCO created the committee to channel industry opinions and advice on the WCO's Framework for Security and Trade...

Transportation policy: progress or inertia?
March 27, 2006... The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which handled about 13 million TEUs in 2004, will grow to 59 million TEUs by 2020, according to the Department of Transportation. The Port of New York and New Jersey, which handled 4.4 million TEUs in...

Looking at TWIC.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)
March 20, 2006... Remember TWIC? The Transportation Worker Identification Credential is back in the spotlight. For three years, the federal government has been working to design a biometric security card that can be used interchangeably at any U.S. port. The...

Mergers won't give carriers more pricing power.(RADAR SCREEN)
March 20, 2006... The consolidation of container lines is likely to continue but that doesn't necessarily mean the lines will enjoy more pricing power. Raymond Maguire, managing director of UBS in London and head of the investment bank's transport research,...

Terminals worry carriers will extend free time.(RADAR SCREEN)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Ever since marine terminal congestion slowed port operations at Los Angeles and Long Beach in the fall of 2004, shipping lines have been serious about enforcing contract terms that limit to four days the free storage time for imported...

IPO seeks to fund logistics investments.(initial public ofering)(Gregory Burns opens Global Logistics Acquisition Corp.)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Gregory Burns, former research analyst at Lazard Freres and JPMorgan, has formed Global Logistics Acquisition Corp., a company that plans to invest in logistics providers. GLAC raised almost $90 million last month in an initial public...

Correction.(RADAR SCREEN)(Correction notice)
March 20, 2006... It is Journal of Commerce policy that articles contain original reporting and fully attribute any material from another source. This policy was violated in a Jan. 23 article about Puerto Rico. A freelance writer copied a quotation and other...

Results of the JoC pulse.(RADAR SCREEN)
March 20, 2006... Results of the JoC Pulse Should U.S. port development be tied to stricter environmental standards? Yes 88% No 12%

TSA foresees rate increases.(Transpacific Stabilization Agreement)
March 20, 2006... TSA Foresees Rate Increases: The 11 carriers of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said several factors could combine to help boost freight rates this year. The carriers, which operate in the eastbound Asia-U.S. trade, said capacity...

BNSF plans California upgrades.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. to increase the capacity)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... BNSF Plans California Upgrades: BNSF Railway said it will spend more than $100 million to expand intermodal capacity in California. The railroad has allotted $26 million to expand parking and container stacking capacity at its Hobart...

US, UAE postpone free-trade talks.(THE WEEK)
March 20, 2006... US, UAE Postpone Free-Trade Talks: The U.S. and United Arab Emirates delayed free-trade talks in the wake of Dubai's decision to back out of a deal to acquire P&O's terminal and stevedoring operations at more than 20 U.S. ports. A spokesman...

Zim to call at Portland.(Zim Integrated Shipping Services )(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Zim To Call At Portland: It's official: The Port of Portland's yearlong effort to attract a trans-Pacific container service is over. Zim Integrated Shipping Services has agreed to call at the Oregon port's Terminal 6 container facility,...

US stiffens penalties for cargo theft.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... US Stiffens Penalties For Cargo Theft: Cargo theft is getting increased attention as part of the federal government's renewal of the Patriot Act. The anti-terror legislation increases prison terms to three years for anyone convicted of...

Cargolux orders freighters.(contracts with Boeing Co.)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Cargolux Orders Freighters: Cargolux has ordered two Boeing 747-400 freighters for delivery in 2007 and 2008. The new freighters, with a total value of $450 million, will bring the Luxembourg-based cargo operator's fleet to 16. The carrier...

Trailer Bridge earnings jump.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Trailer Bridge Earnings Jump: Trailer Bridge posted fourth-quarter net income of $2.8 million, up 42.5 percent from $1.9 million a year earlier. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based tug-barge operator's net income for the full year was $7.8 million,...

A roar from Congress: lawmakers consider a pile of legislation introduced in response to the DP World controversy.(Cover story)
March 20, 2006... Like a bear stirring itself out of hibernation, Congress is stirring to look at unresolved issues of port, maritime and supply-chain security after being prodded awake by the proposed acquisition of U.S. port assets by DP World. Like the...

Beware the hard-liners: industry leaders fear reports of security lapses will lead to a government-only approach to supply-chain security.(SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY)
March 20, 2006... Just when U.S. importers thought they had developed a level of trust and cooperation with government agencies over security and customs procedures, it could be undermined by the crush of recent events. The political firestorm that forced...

Let the bidding begin: Marine Terminals Corp. says it's interested in P&O's U.S. facilities.(Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co.)
March 20, 2006... Now that DP World has been pushed into agreeing to let an American entity take over the U.S. assets that were part of its acquisition of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co., who are possible buyers? No U.S. terminal operator...

Changes ahead for PierPass: higher fees, additional shifts are considered for program to encourage off-hours trucking at Southern California ports.(PORTS)
March 20, 2006... When the PierPass program was launched last July to keep marine terminal gates open on weeknights and Saturdays at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, there was concern about whether enough longshoremen and truck drivers would be...

Shortsighted on short-sea?(MOVING RIGHT ALONG)
March 20, 2006... It's been said that vision without a plan is simply a hallucination. To many in our industry, the Maritime Administration's support for short-sea shipping is such a vision. The following questions may help stimulate an informed discussion of...

Needed: shippers: short-sea shipping requires support from cargo interests.(SPECIAL REPORT: SHORT-SEA SHIPPING)
March 20, 2006... A textile mill in Fall River, Mass., trucks containers of upholstery fabric to the Port of Jacksonville, Fla., for loading aboard a ship to Brazil. The problem, said Richard Armstrong, is that delays on Interstate 95 mean the container often...

Railroads seek tax credits.(RAIL)
March 20, 2006... Since gaining their freedom from stifling economic regulation a quarter-century ago, U.S. railroads have been wary of too much federal involvement in their business. That's beginning to change as railroads struggle to handle fast-growing...

Taking inventory: Congressional bill would allow states to tax warehoused goods.(SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT)
March 20, 2006... The warehousing industry is concerned that legislation aimed at helping businesses avoid double taxation may cause just that for shippers--double their taxes. The Business Activity Tax Simplification Act is backed by the financial...

Fear and loathing in America.(OTHER VOICES)
March 20, 2006... After four years of crying wolf and playing Chicken Little, administration officials, security experts, hardware vendors, consultants, and some members of the Congress and media indicate surprise at the public outcry over the attempted...

Air cargo.(in numbers)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Traffic and capacity International scheduled services Percent change from same month previous year [GRAPHIC OMITTED] International freight Freight ton-kilometers Percent change by carrier, grouped by carriers' base...

Spotlight: U.S. imports.(in numbers)(Table)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Marsha Salisbury, research editor, msalisbury@joc.com, tel. (973)848-7024 Autos, Trucks and Parts Top 5 U.S. import trading partners In goods, in billions of U.S. dollars Percent ...

Containerized ocean trade.(in numbers)(Table)
March 20, 2006... Marsha Salisbury, research editor, msalisbury@joc.com, tel. (973)848-7024 CONTAINERIZED OCEAN TRADE In TEUs Loaded containers only January-Current month ...

U.S. foreign trade.(in numbers )(Table)
March 20, 2006... Marsha Salisbury, research editor, msalisbury@joc.com, tel. (973)848-7024 U.S. FOREIGN TRADE In millions of dollars, via all modes of transportation to/from the U.S. January-December ...

Rail cargo.(in numbers)(Table)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Marsha Salisbury, research editor, msalisbury@joc.com, tel. (973)848-7024 Weeks 1-92 ending March 4, 2006 Loadings, in Units 2006 2005 % change Intermodal-total ...

JOC-ECRI industrial price index.(BY THE NUMBERS)
March 20, 2006... The Journal of Commerce--Economic Cycle Research Institute Industrial Price Index (JoC-ECRI IPI) is a leading indicator of inflation rates. The index is based on prices of a broad assortment of raw materials used in industrial production. The...

With Jon DeCesare: WCL Consulting.(interviewed)(Interview)
March 20, 2006... Jon DeCesare is chief executive of WCL Consulting, a management consulting firm specializing in supply-chain management, warehousing and outsourcing advisory services. Before establishing WCL Consulting in 1985, DeCesare worked for 18 years...

Failure of leadership.
March 20, 2006... As the DP World story slid down a slippery slope from local dispute in Miami to skirmish in Washington to a full-blown turning point in national politics, a civics lesson unfolded unlike any l have experienced. This was (and remains) a...

Feast after famine.(Editorial)
March 20, 2006... This year promises to be a good one for breakbulk cargo. The rising demand for all kinds of energy, the emerging markets in developing countries the global outsourcing of manufacturing and the rebuilding of the hurricane-devastated central...

Future shock: the Chinese market has stabilized after a torrid stretch, but capacity constraints loom.(BREAKBULK)
March 20, 2006... The heat is off the China breakbulk trades. It's not that it's not hot, it's just that it's not sizzling the way it was a few years back. Significant volumes of project cargo are still being shipped to and from China, but carriers are...

Too much of a good thing? A bounty of business awaits carriers in the middle east. Some wonder if they can keep up.(BREAKBULK)
March 20, 2006... While sky-high fuel costs are bedeviling most everyone, one group of shippers and carriers is ready for business to take off precisely because of rising oil prices. Anyone involved in the project-cargo trades is looking at the Middle East...

Oasis or mirage? The Western African market is surging, but political unrest could threaten long-term growth.(BREAKBULK)
March 20, 2006... With energy prices at record levels, there's continued growth in shipments of breakbulk and project cargo to Angola and Nigeria, Africa's leading energy producers. For more than a year, there has been a sharp increase in demand for oil-and...

Southern comfort: heavy equipment and other project cargoes from the U.S. help South America meet China's demand for raw materials.(BREAKBULK)
March 20, 2006... In recent decades, U.S. imports from South America have consisted mostly of staple commodities such as beef from Argentina, wine and produce from Chile, and coffee and orange juice concentrate from Brazil. These cargoes created a strong...

Seeing the forest through the trees: Brazil seeks to triple Forest products exports as business soars.(BREAKBULK)
March 20, 2006... Forests have never been so lucrative for Brazil or its lumber and pulp businesses so successful. Exports of forestry products, including mechanically processed wood, paneling, laminates, plywood, wood pulp and doors, are expected to exceed $5...

Ocean carrier services in the breakbulk industry.(BREAKBULK)(Directory)
March 20, 2006... We assembled this directory, much as a reader might, seeking out carrier services, identifying Web sites and listing interesting facts. The directory lists 99 non-containerized general cargo carriers and ro-ro carriers--including...

Nobody rides free.(Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.'s Matthew Rose management and opinions)(Evergreen Group's Chang Kuo-cheng opinions and management)(Transpacific Stabilization Agreement's Albert Pierce opinions and management)
March 13, 2006... Matthew Rose would like to double the $2 billion a year his railroad is putting into capital improvements. Rose, chief executive of BNSF Railway, says the additional spending would help the carrier keep up with import-driven cargo growth. ...

Higher pay attracts truck drivers.(A.P. Moller-Maersk Line's Bridge Terminal Transport revenue increases)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... A.P. Moller-Maersk's trucking company, Bridge Terminal Transport, now works with more than 2,700 owner-operator drivers and has been adding to their ranks despite the nationwide driver shortage. Clark Brown, the company's president, said a...

Book to address infrastructure's vulnerability.(The Edge of Disaster by Stephen Flynn )(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Don't think supply-chain security expert Stephen Flynn has run out of scary book titles. Flynn's second book, "The Edge of Disaster," is in the works, to be published by Random House in early fall. In 2004, Flynn wrote "America the...

TWIC gets a boost from DP World flap.(Dubai Ports World acquiring P&O Ports)(Transportation Workers Identification Credential)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... The political battle over DP World's takeover of P&O Ports' U.S. terminals could be the thing to give traction to the Transportation Workers Identification Credential, said a senior Coast Guard officer waiting to testify before a House...

China to spend billions on inland transport.(says at the 6th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Although China has the most efficient ports in the world, its inland transportation and logistics remain antiquated and inefficient, Kenneth Tse, general manager of Yantian International Container Terminals, told the 6th Annual Trans-Pacific...

Results of the JoC pulse.
March 13, 2006... Do you agree or disagree with President Bush's handling of the DP World deal? Agree 51% Disagree 49%

Court foils Eller bid to stop DP World deal.(Eller & Co. appeal is rejected)(Dubai Ports World acquiring P&O Ports)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Court Foils Eller Bid To Stop DP World Deal: Britain's Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by Miami-based Eller & Co. to overturn a judge's approval of DP World's takeover of P&O. The ruling likely removes the last hurdle to the $6.8 billion...

BNSF chief touts investment tax credit.(THE WEEK)
March 13, 2006... BNSF Chief Touts Investment Tax Credit: Matthew K. Rose, chief executive of BNSF Railway, said he favors an investment tax credit that would encourage expansion of U.S. rail capacity to handle growth driven by rising trans-Pacific trade....

NY-NJ port tests container-tracking device.(Container Security Units is used to maintain security of ports)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... NY-NJ Port Tests Container-Tracking Device: New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the launch of a test program aimed at improving container security. The program is designed to...

US, India plan WTO push.(World Trade Organization)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... US, India Plan WTO Push: The U.S. and India agreed to cooperate on resolving the differences between developing and wealthy nations at World Trade Organization talks to reach a trade deal by the end of this year. Doha Round negotiators face...

Rail carloads declined in February.(THE WEEK)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Rail Carloads Declined In February: Carloads originating on U.S. railroads totaled 1.3 million units in February, off 2 percent. Originated intermodal units, however, increased 2.2 percent, to 904,473, according to the Association of American...