Pacific Shipper articles from April 2006

Pacific Shipper archives from April 2006

History in the Making.
April 3, 2006... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall The Great Depression. Pearl Harbor. The House Committee on UnAmerican Affairs. Watergate. The big, dramatic moments in U.S. history were all recorded in the pages of Pacific Shipper. The events were always viewed...

Chronicling An Era.
April 3, 2006... BYLINE: Richard Knee An editor who hired me many years ago told me more than once that readers want news publications to have the same traits as their best friends -- consistent, reliable, trustworthy -- like the people you want to be with...

1920s: Coastwise Shipping Dominated.
April 3, 2006... In February 1926 when the first issue of Pacific Shipper was going to press, the global economy had not yet sunk into a widespread depression. George E. Martin, editor and publisher of the fledging weekly, wrote about economic matters on the...

1930s: Great Depression Hits Global Shipping.
April 3, 2006... As the economic crisis took hold around the world during the 1930s, shipping interests worked to find ways to survive -- something that not all carriers and shippers were able to do. The pages of Pacific Shipper included what might have been...

1940s: U.S. Merchant Fleet Goes to War.
April 3, 2006... For the shipping industry in the 1940s, the news was all about World War II -- even before Pearl Harbor as vessels were requisitioned by the military. For Pacific Shipper it was a decade with a lot of news to report but a time of financial...

1950s: Containerization Gets Started; U.S. Fleet Shrinks.
April 3, 2006... In the 1950s, the shipping industry was still recovering from the effects of World War II, and strong trans-Pacific trade helped speed the transition from military to commercial cargo. The earliest efforts at containerization were under way and...

1960s: A Decade of Protests.
April 3, 2006... During the 1960s, price competition by rail, truck and ocean carriers happened not on the sales route, but in Washington as companies legally challenged rate cuts or new services proposed by their competitors. In Pacific Shipper's pages, the...

1970s: Containerization Grows, Pay Gets Capped.
April 3, 2006... In the 1970s, containerization was no longer a novelty in the industry, and ports across the country rushed to build container terminals and buy needed cranes and other equipment. In Pacific Shipper's pages, the Asian market increasingly became...

1980s: Deregulation Resurfaces Surface Transport.
April 3, 2006... As deregulation of the air, rail and truck industries took hold in the 1980s, carrier lobbyists in Washington turned from protesting rate changes by their competitors to challenging the way federal agencies interpreted deregulation laws....

1990s: Industry Consolidation Hit Rail, Ocean Sectors.
April 3, 2006... During the 1990s, ocean carriers finally had to face deregulation -- something that other sectors had experienced more than a decade earlier. As intermodal volumes grew, Pacific Shipper focused more on surface transportation and all-water...

2000s: Challenges Tempered with Rising Profits.
April 3, 2006... Early in the new century, life changed as fast as the planes that flew into the World Trade Center. The new focus on security, a West Coast port shutdown in 2002, severe port congestion and rail capacity problems and new environmental...

20th Century Name Game.
April 3, 2006... Recent mergers and acquisitions in the ocean carrier industry aren't signs of a new trend. Industry consolidation of ocean carriers, trucking companies, railroads and airlines has been going on for decades. Many of the company names listed in...

Costs Sink Green Project.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall A.P. Moller, parent company of Maersk Line and APM Terminals, has decided it doesn't want to operate another terminal property at the Port of Los Angeles -- at least one with costly environmental features attached to...

Trucker Killed at Port of Seattle Box Terminal.
April 7, 2006... A driver was run over by a truck and killed at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 46 container facility. "As the trucks go through the gate, it sometimes gets really busy, and it is stop-and-go," said Mick Shultz, port spokesman, in a news...

Investment Opportunities Abound in Asia.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Although it appears investors have eyes only for China, trade officials say other Asian nations also offer tremendous investment opportunities. U.S. commercial attaches from throughout Asia addressed the annual...

New World Alliance Adjusts Trans-Pacific Schedules.
April 7, 2006... The New World Alliance announced changes in its trans-Pacific-U.S. West Coast services designed to broaden its global coverage and service frequency. The alliance -- APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, and MOL -- said the following deployment...

Pacific Shipper Sailing Schedules Change.
April 7, 2006... This week in Pacific Shipper, we have changed some vital information in the carrier schedule listings. We will be replacing the Cargo Specification Service Codes that follow the vessel name with two vital pieces of data. Appearing first...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 7, 2006... The photo caption on Page 119 of last week's issue should have read, "The Port of Longview has been chosen to handle most of GE's wind tower shipments."

North American Ports Vie to Handle Southern California's Overflow.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Yvonne Smith One such port is Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Located 500 miles north of Vancouver and 50 miles south of Ketchikan, Alaska, the port has been handling breakbulk cargoes such as lumber and steel since 1977 and grain...

Trident Seafood Adds Ocean Beauty to Its Catch.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Trident Seafood Corp. is acquiring Ocean Beauty Seafoods' fish-processing assets for an undisclosed sum, the companies announced late last month. The deal will create the largest salmon-processing company in...

Cold Supply Chain a Hot Market.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman Some of the hottest logistics markets today are in the cold supply chain. New technologies, coupled with shipper demands and changing transportation patterns, are boosting the profile of the $15 billion-a-year...

Container-Scanning System Gets Favorable Reviews.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson An experimental container-scanning system testing at two Hong Kong terminals received enthusiastic approval from three members of the Senate, but Department of Homeland Security officials said late last month that the...

Senate Confirms Allen As Head of Coast Guard.
April 7, 2006... The Senate last month confirmed Vice Adm. Thad Allen as commandant of the Coast Guard. Allen succeeds Commandant Adm. Thomas Collins, who is retiring. Allen was a high-profile choice by President Bush, having led relief and recovery...

Tsa Takes First Steps on Twic Deployment.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson The Transportation Security Administration is seeking qualified bidders as a first step in implementing the long-delayed Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC. The TSA's request was posted on...

Harbor Trucking Companies Ponder Rate Increase.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Shippers and ocean carriers that rely on harbor truckers to shuttle their containers to and from seaports were in a panic at this time last year because they feared that a national driver shortage would make it...

Hyundai Fortune Fire Stresses Importance of Insurance.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo The March 21 fire on the Hyundai Fortune off the coast of Yemen reminded shippers of the importance of dependable insurance coverage for their freight. Importers and exporters with comprehensive insurance...

Canadian Pacific's Financial Officer to Resign.
April 7, 2006... Michael T. Waites, Canadian Pacific Railway's chief financial officer, has resigned and Brian W. Grassby, the company's comptroller, will serve as interim financial officer, the railroad said late last month. Waites plans to step down on April...

Dhl to Boost Asia-Pacific Rates.
April 7, 2006... Rates for DHL Express in the Asia-Pacific will increase by an average of 4 percent on May 1. Citing major infrastructure investments in the region, DHL said it will recoup only a percentage of the extra operating costs through an increase...

Diesel Price Jumps 5.2 Cents.
April 7, 2006... The average price of a gallon of diesel jumped 5.2 cents during the last week of March to $2.62, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on April 3. With oil prices rising to more than $67 a barrel, the retail sector is feeling...

Goldman Sachs Group's Uk Terminal Bid Rejected.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Associated British Ports, the U.K.'S largest terminal operator, has rejected as "wholly inadequate" a $4 billion takeover offer by a Goldman Sachs-led consortium. The U.S. investment bank and its partners must...

Hanjin Shipping to Order Four 4,300-Teu Container Ships.
April 7, 2006... Hanjin Shipping has signed a $256.4 million contract with Samsung Heavy Industries to build four additional 4,300-TEU container ships. They will be of the same capacity and type as four vessels ordered last November, and will be deployed on...

Yang Ming Replaces Hyundai in India-China Service.
April 7, 2006... Yang Ming Lines has replaced Hyundai Merchant Marine in the three-carrier China-Straits-India service. The remaining partners -- Evergreen Marine Corp., Samudera Shipping Line and Yang Ming -- have upgraded and strengthened the service by...

Eu, Us Protest China Auto Parts Tariffs.
April 7, 2006... In a rare joint complaint, last month the U.S. and the European Union threatened to take China to the World Trade Organization for imposing tariffs on car parts that raise costs for manufacturers. The tariffs force foreign carmakers to buy...

Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker.
April 7, 2006... Somali pirates seized an oil tanker last month shortly after it had unloaded its cargo of fuel at a southern Somalia port, an official and witness said on March 31. The pirates made no demands immediately after hijacking the United Arab...

Stein: Expectations High for Wco Private-Sector Group.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson For those who think the Private Sector Consultative Group will be the lapdog of the World Customs Organization, think again. "This group is not a rubber stamp," said Renee Stein, who was elected chair of the...

Paccar Accelerates Hybrid Vehicle Programs.
April 7, 2006... Bellevue, Wash., truck maker PACCAR is targeting a goal of 30 percent improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency for selected medium-duty trucks over the next seven years by using hybrid technology the truck manufacturer said last month. ...

Ups Chief: Transportation Infrastructure Failing the Nation.
April 7, 2006... Mike Eskew, UPS's chief executive, recently warned that the U.S. is taking a chance with its future by neglecting its infrastructure. Describing the nation's roads, ports, railroads and airports as the backbone of global trade, he said,...

Yang Ming Plans to Buy China Logistics Firm.
April 7, 2006... Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. said recently that it plans to buy a stake in a Chinese logistics company. Yang Ming wants to buy the 16.7 percent stake in Yangtze River Logistics Co. from Shanghai-based regional air carrier Yangtze River...

Ssa Gets 2005 Logistics Services Award from Toyota.
April 7, 2006... SSA Marine last month received Toyota Logistics Services' first annual Logistics Services Award for "Distinction in Quality Service and Performance" for 2005. The company is a subsidiary of Carrix Inc., the largest U.S.-owned, privately...

China Policy Debate Heightens Prior to Hu Jintao Visit.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: William Armbruster Chinese President Hu Jintao's impending visit to the U.S. is spurring a flurry of diplomatic activity. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez visited Beijing a month ago to discuss ways of reducing Washington's...

Singapore Joins Us Ports Initiative.
April 7, 2006... Singapore agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Mega Ports Initiative, which seeks to place monitors in major ports around the world in a bid to prevent radioactive materials from falling into the wrong hands, a report by Channel News Asia said...

Hawaii Expanding Trade Horizons.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Richard Knee Cargo statistics for the Port of Honolulu show that Hawaii continues to depend heavily on the U.S. mainland for life's daily necessities and for the state's livelihood. Measured in tons, foreign exports and imports...

Container Ship Charter Rates on the Rise.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Container ship charter rates are rising again following a nine-month decline as carriers hire tonnage for longer periods amid confident forecasts of continued double-digit growth in cargo volumes on key trade routes....

Congress to Debate Tariff Measure.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Janet Plume Trade tensions between the U.S. and China could escalate as Congress debates a proposed bill to levy a 27.5 percent tariff on all U.S. imports from China. At issue are what U.S. critics call China's "currency...

Nol: Feu Volume Up.
April 7, 2006... Neptune Orient Lines reported that container volume for the four weeks from Feb. 11 to March 10 increased 20 percent year-on-year, and 6 percent year-to-date. Volume in the most recent period reached 156,200 FEUs, compared with 129,800 a...

S&P Puts Kansas City Southern on CreditWatch Negative.
April 7, 2006... Standard & Poor's Ratings Services placed its "B-minus" ratings on Kansas City Southern's preferred stock on CreditWatch with negative implications. The corporate credit rating is "BB-minus" with a stable outlook, S&P said. Kansas City...

Boeing Gets $4 Billion Order from Aircraft Lessor.
April 7, 2006... The Boeing Co. and GE Commercial Aviation Services announced an order for 30 firm and 30 option Boeing Next-Generation 737s worth approximately $4 billion at list prices. Included in this agreement is the first extended range 737-900ER order by...

New Cranes Arrive at Seattle.
April 7, 2006... Four gigantic, fully assembled container cranes arrived at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 18 on April 2 after steaming from Shanghai aboard the Zhen Hua 1, a specially built heavy-lift ship designed for hauling cranes and other cargo-handling...

Port of Los Angeles Funds Greenbelt, Mitigation Projects.
April 7, 2006... The Port of Los Angeles will spend $3.1 million in community aesthetic mitigation funds to design and build a Wilmington Youth Sailing Center and an additional $5.2 million to create a greenbelt on North Gaffey Street in Northwest San Pedro....

Bnsf Closes 3,000th Grade Crossing since 2000.
April 7, 2006... BNSF Railway recently announced a major safety milestone, the closure of its 3,000th grade crossing, at Belle Plaine, Kan. "BNSF has always put a high priority on grade crossing safety, and we are proud of this significant achievement," said...

Crowley Christens New Atb Tank Vessel.
April 7, 2006... Crowley Maritime Corp. last month christened the first of six new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge tank vessels that the company will take delivery of over the next two-and-a-half years. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Pacific...

California's Central Valley Becomes Distribution Center Option.
April 7, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Retailers with distribution needs that encompass the huge California market have traditionally had to choose whether to locate their import facilities near the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex to serve Southern...

Breckenridge Takes Helm of 11th Coast Guard District.
April 7, 2006... The U.S. Coast Guard appointed a new commander for the 11th Coast Guard District during a change-of-command ceremony at Coast Guard Island. Rear Adm. Kevin J. Eldridge, who retired after 32 years of service, was relieved by Rear Adm. Jody A....

Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Receives National Award.
April 7, 2006... C.J. "Mike" Walter was chosen by President Bush's Business Advisory Council as a 2005 Businessmen of the Year award winner. Walter is a harbor commissioner for the city of Long Beach and assistant to the president for community relations...

Lipscomb Joins Port of Los Angeles As Security Adviser.
April 7, 2006... Paul Lipscomb, a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service and former assistant federal security director for the Department of Homeland Security, joined the Port of Los Angeles' Police Reserve Unit as a special adviser to Port Police Chief...

Boxing Security.
April 13, 2006... When 22 Chinese nationals stowed away in a cargo container aboard a China Shipping vessel that arrived at the Port of Seattle this month, it underscored once again -- as if there was still a need for additional underlining -- the vulnerability...

Salvor Tows Hyundai Fortune to Port.
April 13, 2006... The Hyundai Fortune was towed last week to the Port of Salalah, Oman, following a fire that heavily damaged the 5,551-TEU ship. Salvor SvitzerWijsmuller said on its Web site that a convoy was under way and departing the waters off Yemen...

China Cosco Reports Double-Digit Growth in Revenue, Profit, Teus.
April 13, 2006... China Cosco Holdings last week reported that its 2005 revenue surged nearly 22 percent to $4.9 billion and that its wholly owned container shipping subsidiary, China Ocean Shipping Co., moved 4.5 million TEUs, an increase of 19.7 percent over...

Canada Plans to Mirror Us C-Tpat Rules.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Courtney Tower Canada plans to mirror U.S. Customs' newly upgraded Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, which makes motor carriers responsible for verifying supply-chain security measures taken by their upstream customers....

Toy Story -- Hong Kong and Mainland China Dominate U.S. Market.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto A strong holiday season aided the toy industry last year, but it was not quite enough to make full-year results in this segment exactly stellar, with sales and profits at the big U.S. toymakers either down or flat....

Us Toy Giants Report Flat Results.
April 13, 2006... U.S. toy giant Mattel's worldwide sales last year were $5.2 billion, up 1 percent from 2004. Hasbro's results were slightly better, up 3 percent to $3.1 billion. On a regional basis, Mattel's full-year gross sales were down 2 percent in...

Toy Industry Association Announces Top Toys.
April 13, 2006... The Toy Industry Association kicked off the 103rd American International Toy Fair in February with the sixth annual T.O.T.Y. (Toy of the Year) Awards, held in New York City. The February event honored the year's "greatest and most creative...

Mad Cow Talks Continue.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall Attempts by U.S. officials to reopen key Asian markets to U.S. beef took some zigs and zags in early April. On April 7, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced a national animal identification system designed to...

Rates for Fresh Veggies to Increase in Trans-Pacific.
April 13, 2006... The carriers of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said they will raise rates for chilled "vegetable all kinds" by $300 per 40-foot container and $240 per 20-foot container on May 5. The carriers said rates on chilled vegetables...

Aapa Praises Senate Panel Security Funding Increase.
April 13, 2006... The American Association of Port Authorities praised the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for approving the fiscal 2006 Emergency Supplemental Appropria-tions bill, which would result in a big boost in security funding for U.S. seaports....

Basham: No Big Changes at Customs.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson If he receives Senate confirmation as the next commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, W. Ralph Basham sees "no need for a dramatic change of course" for the agency. "Rather, as you have told me, the next...

Koch Warns on Attempts to Limit Foreign Investment in Us Ports.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The head of the World Shipping Council recently termed "myopic" congressional efforts to limit foreign ownership in U.S. port terminals. Chris Koch, president and chief executive of the liner group, told the...

Wal-Mart's Inventory Pullback Hits Entire Supply Chain.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: William B. Cassidy A multibillion-dollar inventory correction at the world's largest retailer is rattling shippers and carriers by cutting into shipments and earnings. Wal-Mart's latest attempt to curb inventory, cutting as...

China: A Growth Market for Imports from Us.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo China will continue to dominate Asia's trade with the U.S. for the foreseeable future, but its voracious appetite for raw materials and components will generate substantial opportunities for imports as well as...

Yang Ming Reorganizes Company Structure.
April 13, 2006... Yang Ming, which has expanded its fleet in recent years along with increases in operating revenue, is reorganizing its company structure "to meet the consistent expansion of its business scope." The moves took effect on April 1. Yang Ming...

Ipo for Greek Box Ship Owner.
April 13, 2006... Goldenport Holdings, a Greek container ship and bulk vessel operator, has become the first pure shipping stock on the main London stock exchange with an initial public offering that raised around $105 million. The carrier canceled an...

Qantas to Raise $400 Million Through Bond Sale.
April 13, 2006... Australia's Qantas Airways is looking to raise $400 million worth of unsecured debt, an airline statement said. Peter Gregg, the airlines' chief financial officer, explained that funds were being raised through a Rule 144A/Regulation S...

Gain for Global Airfreight.
April 13, 2006... International freight traffic was up 5.4 percent in February, while international passenger traffic rose 6.8 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association. International freight traffic climbed 5.3 percent for the first...

Dalian Port Co. Plans Initial Public Offering.
April 13, 2006... Dalian Port Co. is launching a $240 million initial public offering in Hong Kong, with the listing planned for April 28. The company, which is based in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, plans to sell 840 million shares, or 30 percent of...

Spanish Group in Hostile Bid for Baa.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Bruce Barnard Grupo Ferrovial, the Spanish construction and services group, this month launched a hostile 8.75 billion euro (US$15 billion) all-cash offer for BAA, the world's largest airports operator. BAA, which owns seven...

FedEx Freight Increases Rates.
April 13, 2006... FedEx Freight this month an-nounced a 5.95 percent general rate increase, effective April 24. The rate hike by the LTL carrier follows a 5.5 percent rate increase announced recently by LTL carrier Con-Way Transportation. FedEx Freight...

Up Intermodal Train Speed Down 21 Percent since 2002.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: John Gallagher Union Pacific Railroad is making big money off more intermodal volume, but operating statistics show its trains are taking longer to reach customers. Large and small customers are feeling the impact of the...

Avion Orders Four Boeing 747 Converted Freighters.
April 13, 2006... Avion Aircraft Trading ordered four 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighters, which will be operated by Avion Group's subsidiary, Air Atlanta Icelandic. The first of the 747-400 BCFs is scheduled for redelivery by Boeing in August 2007. Air...

Ups Expands Asia Air Services.
April 13, 2006... UPS this month began direct air service from Shanghai to Europe, and added three new flights connecting Shanghai to the U.S. and a new flight between Qingdao and Inchon, Korea. "UPS now flies to more points in China than any other U.S....

Hong Kong Shipper Sees Need for Logistics Innovations.
April 13, 2006... Creative logistics is a new buzzword in the world of transport as increasingly cut-throat competition is forcing industry players to look for new value-added services to expand their businesses, according to the managing director of Hong...

Taiwan's March Exports Increase 7.1 Percent.
April 13, 2006... Taiwan's exports, which drove a pickup in the economy in the final quarter of 2005, grew less than expected in March. Overseas sales rose 7.1 percent from a year earlier to $17.7 billion, after growing 14 percent in the first two months,...

Hong Kong -- Ever-Friendly to Business.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: Richard Knee Although it has been under Mainland China's control for nearly nine years, Hong Kong has maintained its status -- by some estimates at least -- as the most business-friendly place in the world. In fact, the...

Us-Korea Trade Deal Could Spur Free-Trade Pact with Japan.
April 13, 2006... BYLINE: William Armbruster Passage of a free-trade agreement with South Korea could pave the way for the U.S. to negotiate a similar deal with Japan, said Peter Friedmann, Washington council for the Coalition of New England Companies for...

Sinotrans Guangdong to Invest $68.7 Million on Port Upgrade.
April 13, 2006... Sinotrans Guangdong plans to invest $68.7 million to upgrade the facilities of Jiujiang port, the company announced. The project will encompass the introduction of new business lines and IT systems, the purchase of new loading equipment and...