Pacific Shipper articles from August 2008

Pacific Shipper archives from August 2008

A crack appears.
August 4, 2008... A question long asked sotto voce in Southern California is this: Why is the Natural Resources Defense Council willing to jeopardize its goal of cleaning the air to carry political water for the Teamsters union? The multipart answer to why...

ILWU, PMA reach labor agreement.
August 4, 2008... The tentative contract reached late on July 28 by negotiators for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association promises six years of peace and stability at West Coast ports, beginning immediately. ...

Hanjin Shipping posts 20 percent profit growth.(Financial report)
August 4, 2008... Hanjin Shipping last week reported that its second-quarter net profit increased 20 percent from a year earlier on higher freight rates. Net profit reached 77 billion won ($76.5 million) in the April-June period, compared with $63.3 million...

Pilots file lawsuit to block DHL-UPS deal.
August 4, 2008... The Air Line Pilots Association has filed a lawsuit against DHL in an effort to block the express carrier's plans to turn its U.S. air transport business over to UPS. The union representing pilots at Astar Air Cargo last week filed suit...

Alaska senator indicted.
August 4, 2008... Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee, was indicted on July 29 on seven charges of making false statements in financial disclosure forms, the Justice Department said. ...

Earthquake shakes Long Beach port.
August 4, 2008... An earthquake shook downtown Los Angeles on July 29 and forced the evacuation of the port administration building at the Port of Long Beach. The moderate quake, measured at a magnitude 5.4, shook the harbor at about 11:40 a.m. local time,...

Living on the edge.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto It's a mixed bag of good and bad for ports in the Pacific Northwest this year: Containers are generally down or flat, export and project cargo -- mainly in the form of wind energy shipments are up -- but terminal...

NRDC outlines further legal strategy.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: STEPHANIE NALL If the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach lose a round in a lawsuit filed by the American Trucking Associations, they can expect more litigation to follow -- this time from environmentalists.   The...

Cargo grows at Redwood City.
August 4, 2008...     The Port of Redwood City handled 1,487,064 metric tons of cargo in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. It was the port's third-highest volume and a 4 percent increase from the year before. The growth followed two...

San Francisco signs deal with Metro Ports.
August 4, 2008... The Port of San Francisco has concluded a five-year terminal-management agreement with Metro Ports for the operation of the Pier 80 omni cargo terminal. The 70-acre facility has four deep-water berths, four shore-side gantry cranes with...

Three years on: PierPass handles 9 millionth off-peak truck.
August 4, 2008... The PierPass off-peak program to reduce terminal congestion at Southern California ports has diverted more than 9 million truck trips from peak daytime traffic since the program's start three years ago. PierPass, a non-profit company...

CARB presses on with emissions rules.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: BILL MONGELLUZZO The California Air Resources Board has approved regulations requiring vessel operators to burn low-sulfur diesel fuel rather than high-sulfur bunker fuel within 24 miles of the coast. This is CARB's second...

TSA to hike inland fuel fees.
August 4, 2008... Ocean carriers in the eastbound Pacific intend to increase the inland fuel surcharges they assess to cargo owners for the rail and truck legs of intermodal moves. The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, which is comprised of 15 lines...

Sinotrans profit doubled in first half.
August 4, 2008... Sinotrans Shipping said its first-half net profit rose 231 percent from a year earlier to $90.82 million on strong growth in its dry bulk and container shipping businesses. The Chinese company said revenue rose 79.5 percent to $234.41...

Global trade talks collapse.
August 4, 2008... Negotiations for a global trade agreement collapsed on July 29 after marathon talks failed to break a stalemate over farm subsidies. "We were so close to getting this done," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab told reporters at World...

Former SAS Cargo executive pleads guilty in cargo price-fixing probe.
August 4, 2008... The Justice Department last week announced that the former top-ranking official in the U.S. for SAS Cargo pled guilty to charges of illegally fixing air cargo prices and faces six months in jail. The plea made Timothy Pfeil the second cargo...

Horizon Lines posts decline in profit.(Financial report)
August 4, 2008... Horizon Lines, the largest U.S.-flag carrier, reported net income fell 25 percent to $7.2 million on revenue of $331 million for its second quarter, which ended on June 22. The Charlotte-based company also cut its profit forecast for the...

Kolkata seeks transshipment rate hike.
August 4, 2008... The Kolkata Port Trust asked India's Tariff Authority for Major Ports to fix new of rates for transshipment containers handled at the eastern gateway hub. The move follows a similar application by the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru, the...

Customs delays ACE manifests for six months.
August 4, 2008... New ocean and rail manifest processing software for the Automated Commercial Environment will be delayed six to nine months, according to Louis Samenfink, executive director of the Customs and Border Protection cargo systems program office. ...

Peters releases transportation funding plan.
August 4, 2008... U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters wants to give state and local governments more power to address highway and transit congestion, and called for a renewed federal focus on maintaining and improving the interstate highway system. ...

Coalition presses Senate on water ballast bill.
August 4, 2008... A coalition of Great Lakes interests last week called on the Senate to pass tough federal water ballast standards held up by environmentalists. The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, an association of shipping lines, labor organizations,...

Beef shipment arrives in South Korea.
August 4, 2008... Finally, there's an answer to the old "Where's the beef?" query: A 1.5-ton shipment of U.S. bone-in beef arrived in South Korea last week, the first such shipment since 2003. The shipment arrived by aircraft at Incheon Airport and passed...

USDA issues interim country-of-origin labeling rules.
August 4, 2008... The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week issued an interim final rule for the mandatory country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, program that takes effect on Sept. 30. The rule covers muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), lamb,...

Arizona grows up.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: Richard Knee The word "port" might seem anomalous in landlocked cities such as Tucson and Nogales. But a surge in logistics activity in those and other Arizona locales gives them quasi-port status in just about every way...

Crossing into efficiency.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: DAVID BIEDERMAN Companies transporting goods to and from Mexico know there's more than one fence being constructed on the U.S.-Mexican border. As the United States moves ahead with plans to erect 700 miles of fencing along the...

Getting bigger.
August 4, 2008... BYLINE: BILL DIBENEDETTO Sinotrans Group's pending merger agreement with China Yangtze Transportation Group will make China's leading logistics services provider even more dominant while helping to unify the country's fragmented inland...

Yangtze box traffic reaches record.
August 4, 2008... Container traffic on the Yangtze River, China's leading inland transportation corridor, surged to a record 5.54 million TEUs last year, due mainly to increased domestic trade. That was a jump of 38 percent compared to the river's box...

Tacoma port promotes Adamson, names three new managers.
August 4, 2008...         Martyn Adamson Tri Howard Lisa Rozmyn Steve DeRose The Port of Tacoma this month promoted Martyn Adamson to director of information technology. In his new position, Adamson...

Oakland promotes Sinkoff, Castleberry.
August 4, 2008... The Oakland Board of Port Commission-ers has named Richard Sinkoff director of environmental programs and planning. He will lead the port's new environmental division, which was created to ensure the highest standards of regulatory compliance...

Rick A. Rude, maritime attorney, dies.
August 4, 2008... Rick A. Rude, an attorney who spent most of his career representing cargo interests in the Jones Act domestic offshore trades, died July 12 of a heart attack. He was 59. Mr. Rude, who lived in McLean, Va., was a solo practitioner based in...

Balkanize me.
August 11, 2008... Calling the transportation funding plan issued late last month by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters on behalf of the Bush administration a "new, different and better approach" simply doesn't wash - or do much of anything to inspire the...

Nationwide container fee may be in US future.
August 11, 2008... A national container fee may be the most equitable means available for the United States to raise the billions of dollars needed to build freight infrastructure, a congressional hearing held last Monday in Long Beach was told. The House...

San Diego challenges ballot initiative.
August 11, 2008... Harbor commissioners at the Port of San Diego unanimously voted last week to file a lawsuit to keep an initiative off the November ballot that would allow hotels, restaurants, a sports venue and such at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in San...

California Senate approves container fee.
August 11, 2008... The California Senate has approved an infrastructure and environmental mitigation bill that will levy a $30-per-TEU charge on containers moving through the ports of Los Angeles and  Long Beach and a $12.50-per-TEU fee on containers moving...

Transportation eyes McCain.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: Ari Natter Introducing Mary Peters in the Senate after her nomination to be transportation secretary, Sen. John S. McCain referred to his fellow Arizonian's former career as a hog butcher. "She made her living by cutting pork,"...

Concession process slow in Southern California.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall   Long Beach has received 12 applications for port trucking licenses. Concession applications for new port trucking licenses are starting to trickle in at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, despite...

States to sue EPA over emissions.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo If you thought the International Maritime Organization had settled the controversy over vessels' stack emissions, think again. Five states and New York City have served notice that they intend to sue the...

Factories slap on fees.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: JOHN BOYD The use of special transportation surcharges, once a seemingly temporary action by a few big freight shippers, is spreading through the industrial economy.  More manufacturers are rapidly adding charges for...

Where was that made?
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: R.G. EDMONSON   Customs is trying to simplify its procedures for determining country of origin. Customs and Border Protection has proposed a rule that would change the way importers determine the country of origin for...

Truckload's tighter capacity.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: JOHN GALLAGHER Truckload carriers aren't ringing up stellar profits, but as the second half of 2008 shifts into gear, there are signs that once plentiful capacity is drying up with higher rates following close behind. USA...

House Democrats urge foreign cargo screening.
August 11, 2008... Democrats on the House Home-land Security Committee have served notice that the Transpor-tation Security Administration will establish a system to screen all cargo carried on passenger aircraft that includes flights arriving from foreign...

House bill would end cross-border trucking.
August 11, 2008... The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has sent to the House floor legislation to end a year-long pilot program that allowed long-haul Mexican trucks to operate on highways in the United States. Democrats and Republicans...

Byrd prepares stimulus bill with transportation funds.
August 11, 2008... A $24 billion "stimulus supplemental" package being crafted in the Senate will contain nearly $5 billion for infrastructure and other transportation-related funding, according to Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate...

'Emerging' Asia's growth seen holding firm.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: ALAN M. FIELD During the last four decades, growth rates of Asia's "emerging nations" have exceeded those in industrialized nations by an average of 4 to 5 percent. But as economic growth rates deteriorate in the U.S. and Europe,...

China's actions to clear the air muddle supply chains.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto China is discovering that clearing the air of harmful pollutants for the Beijing Olympics is a marathon, not a sprint, no matter how many factories are idled or vehicles are taken off the roads. But international...

Southeast Asia's lure.
August 11, 2008... BYLINE: Richard Knee With labor costs in China rising and trade friction with that country continuing, U.S. manufacturers are reportedly looking increasingly to Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, as a place to set up shop. Shipping...

West Coast box volume down in June.
August 11, 2008... Hampered by the weak economy and cargo diversions during longshore contract negotiations, container volume through West Coast ports in June declined 4.6 percent from the same month last year. The poor performance dragged down cargo volume...

Choreographed fountain unveiled in Los Angeles.
August 11, 2008... The Port of Los Angeles at the beginning of the month unveiled its $14 million, black granite fountain that shoots water from 40 jets, while programmed to a variety of music. The fountain was installed near the cruise terminal as part...

'K' Line ships return to Portland.
August 11, 2008... The first "K" Line vessel to call at the Port of Portland since December 2004 arrived Wednesday, restoring direct export service from the Columbia River region to Japan.   Direct service to Japan will benefit the region's growers....

Houston authorizes Bayport project bids.
August 11, 2008... The Port of Houston Authority Board of Commissioners has approved the advertising and receipt of proposals for a Bayport terminal maintenance and repair building. Houston hopes to capitalize on the demand for all-water service from Asia...

Global Insight appoints three senior executives.
August 11, 2008... Global Insight, Waltham, Mass., a company that provides economic and financial analyses and forecasts, appointed three new senior executives to its trade and transportation management group. Paul Bingham, who has served the company since...

Panama Canal Railway promotes Kenna.
August 11, 2008... Thomas H. Kenna assumed the role of president and director general of the Panama Canal Railway Co., effective July 1. He replaced David L. Starling, who left the company to assume the posts of president and chief operating officer of Kansas...

Benge joins Tacoma as contracts manager.
August 11, 2008...   Alyce Benge The Port of Tacoma has hired Alyce Benge as contracts manager, responsible for the management and oversight of construction contracts, including the financial and legal compliance of all port contracting activities....

What are we thinking?
August 18, 2008... It seems incredible, but there is still some debate going on over whether our economy is in a recession. I think it's safe to say our financial state isn't robust. We're in a downturn, and people are concerned about their jobs and if pink slips...

Trade deficit shrinks.
August 18, 2008... The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in June to $56.8 billion as exports of goods and services increased more rapidly than imports, the Commerce Department announced last week. The results reflected a 4.1 percent decline from May's revised...

Market slumps for box ship charters.
August 18, 2008... The yearlong slide in container ship charter rates is accelerating as slower cargo growth on key trade routes and weakening liner freight rates dampen ocean carriers' demand for capacity. Hire rates for all ship sizes are retreating with...

Key House leader watching EU liner shift.
August 18, 2008... The chairman of the House Coast Guard and Transportation subcommittee said Congress would be watching closely to see whether the European Union's abolition of rate-setting conferences creates a need for changes in U.S. shipping regulation. ...

Diesel price declines.
August 18, 2008... The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel at retail outlets fell 14.9 cents to $4.353 for the week ended Aug. 11, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The retail price followed crude prices back down to levels not...

Has San Diego been decked?
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: STEPHANIE NALL Longshore workers, truck drivers and visitors to the Port of San Diego might not have to settle for a hot dog at a lunch wagon much longer. If a group of San Diego developers have their way, simply going upstairs...

Engines the size of a house.
August 18, 2008... A shipment of windmill blades and engines arrived last week at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, marking the beginning of a shipping program that will mean more business for the Port of San Diego. The engine parts are described by the...

Sealed, but no kiss.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The first shoe has dropped, and the other may not be far behind. Customs and Border Protection has published a Federal Register notice advising that by Oct. 15, all import containers must have security seals that...

Illegally harvested wood targeted.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Consider the wooden button on a shirt, blouse or coat - did it come into the U.S. illegally? Or how about the kids' wooden alphabet blocks - were they made from illegally harvested lumber? Suddenly those...

Manufacturers, legislators urge 10+2 test.
August 18, 2008... The National Association of Manufacturers joined with a bipartisan group of 20 legislators in urging the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a pilot program on the proposed 10+2 rule. In January, Customs and Border Protection...

Intermodal traffic declines.
August 18, 2008... Intermodal container traffic declined 3.2 percent in the most recent reporting week, making progress for U.S. rail traffic difficult. U.S. railroads carried slightly more tonnage than during the same week a year ago in fewer cars and intermodal...

NOL, Hamburg group advance in Hapag-Lloyd bidding.
August 18, 2008... Neptune Orient Lines has confirmed that it is one of the two known bidders that have been invited to continue into the next phase of bidding for Hapag-Lloyd Container Lines. The other known bidder is a consortium of German interests led by...

No rally in sight for US box volumes.
August 18, 2008...   The Port of Savannah is expected to buck the trend and show an increase this year. U.S. containerized imports are projected to decline 4 percent this year, dragged down by the overall weak economy and reluctance by consumers to...

Surface trade dips.
August 18, 2008... U.S. surface trade with Canada and Mexico was valued at $74.1 billion in May, down 0.3 percent from April, although that was 6.8 percent higher than in May 2007, according to the Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics....

Border standoff.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: ARI NATTER Anyone who thought the Department of Transportation might have been chastened by attacks on its cross-border trucking program can think again. With a barely disguised slap at Congress, the DOT set aside the...

Warehouse management on demand.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: BILL DIBENEDETTO   Web-based software applications allow small warehouses to use management software. If the latest Web technology and software can link people quickly and easily through social networking sites such...

Preparation urged for 'green' initiative.
August 18, 2008... Warehouse operators in California and the domestic trucking lines that serve them are urged to prepare now for implementation of state greenhouse gas regulations that will require a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The...

Truck strike ends at Cochin.
August 18, 2008... Truckers at India's Port of Cochin on Aug. 8 ended a three-day strike following negotiations between port officials, terminal authorities and union leaders. Unionized drivers were protesting delays at the DP World-managed container...

OOCL begins feeder operation between Singapore, Indonesia.
August 18, 2008... Orient Overseas Container Line has started a dedicated feeder service between Singapore and Surabaya,  Indonesia. The service, the Surabaya Feeder Service, uses one 1,200-TEU vessel. It will operate on a weekly rotation and also serve...

India's TCI buying ships.
August 18, 2008... Transport Corp. of India Ltd., the country's leading integrated supply-chain and logistics solutions provider, said it plans to invest about $47.5 million in trucks and ships over the next two years. Out of this, around $30 million will be...

Chennai to issue tender for box terminal project.
August 18, 2008... India's Port of Chennai announced it will soon issue a new tender for its proposed deep-water container terminal project, originally estimated to cost $780 million. The move follows the authority's decision to review tender conditions to...

NYK opens Russia office.
August 18, 2008... Japanese carrier and logistics services provider NYK Group has opened a representative office in St. Petersburg, Russia. The company said the new office will promote logistics, liner, car transport, harbor, and bulk and energy transport...

Carriers reduce capacity Down Under.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: PETER T. LEACH   Hamburg Sud is a player in the alliance serving the region. Container ship routes to and from Australia and New Zealand are unique among U.S. trade lanes in several ways. Not only do they consist of...

South Korea's hub credentials.
August 18, 2008... BYLINE: Richard Knee As South Korea touts its location as a Northeast Asia logistics hub, the aim is to draw not only cargo but also bunkering activity and investment dollars. And at least one business broker - an Internet-based...

Clean-trucks hearing set for Sept. 8.
August 18, 2008... A hearing on the motion by the American Trucking Associations for a temporary restraining order blocking the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach from implementing the concession requirements in their clean-trucks programs will be held on Sept....

PierPass hits 9 million mark.
August 18, 2008... In its first three years, PierPass diverted more than 9 million trucks from peak daytime traffic at Southern California ports, the non-profit company said. Terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach say the program,...

Canada boosts shore power.
August 18, 2008...   Vancouver port officials want to require vessels to turn off their engines while in port. Canada has invited its port authorities and terminal operators to submit applications that will put them in the running to receive funds...

Metro Vancouver sees container growth.
August 18, 2008... Container traffic increased 4 percent in the first half of the year at Port Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, bucking an overall trend in which total cargo volumes declined 5 percent. Data released by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority...

Richard Hollingsworth dies.
August 18, 2008... Richard Hollingsworth, head of the Gateway Cities Partnership economic development corporation, died in Long Beach earlier this month after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Mr. Hollingsworth, 55, was an executive with two international...

Kuehne names successor.
August 18, 2008... Kuehne & Nagel executive chairman Klaus-Michael Kuehne, 71, said he will step down from his position on the Swiss forwarder's board of directors on Oct. 1. At that time, he'll recommend Karl Gernandt, 48, as his successor. The move will be...

Martin to head Waterways Council.
August 18, 2008... The Waterways Council has hired Cornel J. Martin as its next president and chief executive. He will assume the posts at the end of December. In the meantime, he will work alongside R. Barry Palmer, current president and chief executive, who is...