Pacific Shipper articles from March 2006

Pacific Shipper archives from March 2006

Hold the Applause.
March 2, 2006... Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin my opening statement, I'd like to congratulate you on showing leadership and holding this hearing." The first time I heard that statement, I was a naive 22-year-old covering my first congressional...

Overnite Becomes Ups Freight.
March 2, 2006... Overnite Corp. has been rebranded as UPS Freight, as parent UPS expands its services in the small-package and ground delivery sectors. Overnite, a less-than-truckload and truckload carrier, was acquired by UPS from Union Pacific in August...

Port of Tacoma Completes Property Transfer.
March 2, 2006... The Port of Tacoma last month transferred to Pierce County a 10-acre forested and aquatic parcel on the upper Puyallup River near the town of Orting, Wash. The move is an example of how the port's environmental programs are enhancing the...

Senate Panels Told 'no Red Flags' Found in Dp World Ports Deal.
March 2, 2006... Ted Bilkey, chief operating officer of DP World, told a Senate committee that his company's takeover of P&O's port operations poses no threat to U.S. security and said criticism of the approval process is unwarranted. In one of several...

Coast Guard Cleared Dubai Ports Deal.
March 2, 2006... The Coast Guard said DP World's $6.8 billion deal to acquire P&O does not pose a security risk to U.S. ports, refuting earlier statements by congressional leaders quoting the agency's classified assessment. "What is being quoted is an...

Container Slots Stack Up on Trans-Pacific.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall When the Manulani departed from Shanghai on Feb. 22 for Long Beach, Matson Navigation officially sailed beyond the smooth waters of the U.S. Jones Act trades and entered the more competitive world of global shipping....

Second Coalition Joins Suit over Truck Driver Rules.
March 2, 2006... Four trucking groups last week joined a suit filed by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association to review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's latest version of rules governing how many hours each day and week truck...

Usps Eyes Changes in Routes, Facilities.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: Angela Greiling Keane The long-anticipated redesign of the U.S. Postal Service network is moving ahead with details emerging about potential transportation changes. The redesign, led by Paul Vogel, USPS vice president of network...

Us Bans French Poultry.
March 2, 2006... Officials in France confirmed reports that an outbreak of avian flu had spread and that a cat had tested positive for the disease. Following that announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service...

Japan Opens Market to Fresh Us Potatoes.
March 2, 2006... Japan has decided to end its decades-old ban on fresh potatoes imported from the U.S. "Japan's decision is welcome news for U.S. potato growers," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns late last month at a meeting of the National Potato...

Chinese Ya Pears Back on Us Market Shelves.
March 2, 2006... The first shipment of Ya pears from China has passed port of entry inspection, and trade to the U.S. has resumed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS suspended imports of Ya...

Boeing, New Breed Logistics Link Up for 787 Parts Deliveries.
March 2, 2006... Boeing Co. has hooked up with a North Carolina supply-chain management company, New Breed Logistics, for logistics services supporting the final assembly of Boeing's new aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. New Breed will open a new facility in...

Political Volume Stays High on Ports Deal.
March 2, 2006... The political storm over the acquisition of P&O Ports by DP World refused to abate in Washington, D.C., the last week of February. But the U.S. controversy did not ignite a similar debate in other parts of the world. Politicians of both...

Evergreen to Invest in Guangzhou.
March 2, 2006... Steve Lin, chairman of Evergreen's EVA Airways Corp. of Taiwan, said his company plans to invest in Guangzhou, the capital city of China's Guangdong province. The pledge was made during a recent business trip to the southern province where...

Dgx Gets Iso Certification in Australia and New Zealand.
March 2, 2006... DGX, the international division of the Dependable Group of Companies, which includes DHX -- Dependable Hawaii Express, received approval for ISO 9001:2000 certification for worldwide air and ocean transportation at its Australian and New...

SembLog Starts Operations in Guangzhou.
March 2, 2006... Sembawang Express (HK) Ltd., SembCorp Logistics' wholly owned subsidiary, has set up a new subsidiary, SembLog Guangzhou Warehousing Services Co., to provide bonded warehousing and other related services in China. SembLog Guangzhou has its...

Cosco Corp. Revenue Jumps 650 Percent.
March 2, 2006... Cosco Corp. posted record revenue and profit in fiscal year 2005, with rev-enue surging 650 percent to $535.9 million, while the group's net profit was up 150 percent to $98.5 million. The big increase in revenue was fueled by strong...

India to Boost Infrastructure Spending.
March 2, 2006... India's central government plans to increase investment in ports, roads and power plants to help boost annual economic growth to 10 percent and challenge China as the world's fastest-growing major economy. Spending will rise 11 percent to...

Hanjin Shipping to Open Bangkok Office.
March 2, 2006... Hanjin Shipping is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia through the opening of an office in Bangkok, Thailand. The move is in line with plans to add more direct sales organizations in Europe and Asia amid rising cargo volumes in...

Nol to List Stock in China Logistics Venture.
March 2, 2006... Neptune Orient Lines last month said its joint-venture company in China, CMA Logistics Co., is seeking a listing on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. CMA Logistics proposes to offer 55 million shares to...

Schenker and StarTrans Form Joint Venturee.(Company Profile)
March 2, 2006... Schenker last month entered into a joint venture with Asia-Pacific airfreight specialist StarTrans International of Hong Kong. Schenker is expected to take over as the majority partner in the joint venture. With approximately 500 employees...

FedEx, Austrade Sign Accord.
March 2, 2006... FedEx Express and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) are working together to strengthen trade ties between Australia and the U.S., after signing a two-year alliance agreement to that effect. A statement issued on behalf of FedEx last...

New Port in Busan Opens to Slow Traffic.
March 2, 2006... The first phase of the Pusan Newport project opened with great fanfare on Jan. 19 and with good cause: It's a key cog in South Korea's strategy to become Northeast Asia's logistics and trade hub during the next five to 10 years. So far,...

Us Pledges Help with Security in Straits of Malacca.
March 2, 2006... The U.S. has pledged to help combat the threat of piracy and terrorism in the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Details of the cooperation will be planned after Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore sign a pact in...

Seoul Plans Monorail Debut in 2008.
March 2, 2006... A monorail will debut in southern Seoul in 2008 to serve as an alternative mode of transportation and as a tourist attraction. The district office of Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, last month announced a plan to invest 200 billion won (US$205...

New Service Screens Blacklisted Traders.
March 2, 2006... JPMorgan Chase Vastera, a provider of trade management software, last month an-nounced the availability of its Restricted Party Screening and Resolution Services. The new service combines managed trade services with technology to help...

Collusion Course: Air-Cargo Price-Fixing Probe Hits Asian Operators.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Is it collusion on surcharges, or just following and matching the market leaders' moves? It's a tough case to prove either way, but a global probe into possible air-cargo price fixing has the potential to...

Former Egl Executive Guilty of Fraud on War Shipments.
March 2, 2006... A former Eagle Global Logistics executive last month pled guilty to inflating invoices by $1.14 million in fraudulent war-risk surcharges for military cargo shipments from Dubai to Baghdad, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of...

Caac Says China Will Loosen Grip on Airfreight Industry.
March 2, 2006... The Civil Aviation Authority of China last month said it would loosen control of the mainland's airfreight industry as part of moves to promote free competition among domestic carriers, starting by simplifying procedures relating to the...

Vietnam Enters the World Market.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: William Armbruster When Rich Hiller, vice president of Trans-pacific Trade Manage-ment for MOL, visited Vietnam last September for a firsthand look at one of the world's fastest-growing container markets, he came away so impressed...

Us-Mediterranean Trade: A Steady Flow of Commerce.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: Richard Knee While it can't rival the more populous Far East as a trading partner, the Mediterranean region nonetheless provides a steady flow of commerce to and from the U.S. Vessel space, however, is tight, at least on the...

Port of San Francisco Builds on-Dock Rail for Breakbulk.
March 2, 2006... January storms caused navigational problems for vessels headed up the Sacramento River. Instead of waiting to traverse the river to the Port of Sacramento, one vessel discharged some breakbulk cargo at the Port of San Francisco's general cargo...

Alameda Corridor Sees Volume Increase in 2005.
March 2, 2006... The volume of containers moved along Southern California's Alameda Corridor increased to 3.8 million TEUs, a 20-percent increase compared to 2003, the railway line's first full year of operation. More than 17,000 freight and passenger...

Saint Lawrence Seaway Sets Opening Dates.
March 2, 2006... The St. Lawrence Seaway's navigation season will open on March 23 for the Montreal-Lake Ontario section and on March 21 for the Welland Canal section connecting lakes Ontario and Erie. The U.S. Soo Locks will open on March 25, the Great...

Dan-Gulf Moves Back to New Orleans.
March 2, 2006... Project cargo carrier Dan-Gulf Shipping has returned to its offices in New Orleans after a six-month evacuation to Houston. Dan-Gulf President Niels Busse has rented a temporary office in the former Stewart Enterprises building at 110 Veterans...

Port of Portland Back in the Black.
March 2, 2006... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto For the first time in about a year, the Port of Portland's monthly cargo and container totals showed increases nearly across the board. Total tonnage handled at the Columbia River port in January was up 28.2...

Crowley Maritime Announces Promotions.
March 2, 2006... Crowley Maritime Corp. has announced a series of appointments and promotions as it responds to opportunities in its trade lanes. Jay Brickman was named vice president of government services, a new position at the Jacksonville-based company,...

Cpr's Ritchie to Retire.
March 2, 2006... Canadian Pacific Railway has become the third major railroad in the past several months to announce leadership changes. Chief Executive Rob Ritchie will retire following the railroad's annual meeting on May 5. President and Chief Operating...

Ryder System Appoints Cfo.
March 2, 2006... Ryder System has named Mark T. Jamieson as executive vice president and chief financial officer. The provider of transportation and supply-chain management solutions said Jamieson will succeed Tracy Leinbach, who previously announced plans...

Poda Joins Alliance.
March 2, 2006... Alliance Shippers Inc., one of North America's largest independently owned providers of global logistics and transportation services, announced that Greg Poda, a 20-year industry veteran with extensive airfreight experience, joined the...

Liberty Joins Bender Group.
March 2, 2006... Transport and 3PL veteran Chris Liberty has joined Bender Group as its vice president of sales and marketing on a global basis. In addition to a having a thriving consulting practice, Liberty has worked for APL Logistics, FedEx, TNT and...

Marching Backward.
March 9, 2006... During a recent discussion about the DP World acquisition of P&O Ports, a colleague said to me, "Your politics stink!" To which I promptly but lamely replied, "Well, your politics stink, too!" It was all in fun and just another in the...

Crane-Bearing Ship Heading for Portland, Seattle.
March 9, 2006... Five huge cranes are sailing to the Pacific Northwest. The Port of Portland's third post-Panamax crane left Shanghai aboard the Zhen Hua 1 on Feb. 23. The ship will stop in Seattle to deliver four other cranes before arriving at Portland's...

Port Analyst Says Dp World Deal won't Fly in Us.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Acknowledging that Dubai's takeover of U.S. terminals owned by P&O will make no difference to port security and political realities will eventually block completion of the deal, said Curtis Spencer, president of IMS...

Congestion Could Stifle Us Ports by 2010.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Mongelluzzo Recent operational improvements should keep congestion at bay for the next few years, but the U.S. port and intermodal networks could be overwhelmed with cargo by 2010. "The question is not if, but when, the...

Ships Infested with Asian Gypsy Moth Will Be Ordered to Leave Us Waters.
March 9, 2006... Ships infested with the Asian gypsy moth will be ordered to leave U.S. waters under updated guidelines from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Ship inspection guidelines, along with vessel alert lists, were issued by the...

In the All-Water Mix.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The growing popularity of all-water routes from Asia to the U.S. is raising two big questions this year: Can the Panama Canal squeeze out enough extra capacity to handle the new services? Or will the capacity crunch...

Ata Asks Epa to Curb California Rules.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Bill Carey Complying with California performance standards for diesel engines used to cool refrigerated trucks would cost the trucking industry up to $1.4 billion in retrofitting or replacement costs, the American Trucking...

Us Agrees to Import Mangoes from India.
March 9, 2006... The U.S. and India have re-solved a 17-year-old trade disagreement that will permit fresh mangoes from India to be sold in the U.S. within 18 months. The two countries resolved long-standing issues regarding potential pests and diseases...

Fda Issues Guidelines for Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables.
March 9, 2006... The Food and Drug Admini-stration has issued whatit calls a draft guidance document for producers of fresh-cut produce. The proposed procedures, outlined in the FDA's Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and...

Wal-Mart Walks on the Wild Side with Sustainable Fish Policy.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Bill DiBenedetto Wal-Mart's recent agreement on fresh and frozen fish purchasing practices is an effort to improve an image that has taken a beating recently on various trade, employment, retailing and environmental issues, and...

Vietnamese Shrimp Exporters Challenge Us Tariffs.
March 9, 2006... All 54 Vietnamese shrimp exporters who have sent shipments to the U.S. since July 2004 are challenging anti-dumping tariffs levied against them by the U.S. Commerce Department. All 54 have officially asked Commerce to reconsider the duties...

Bill Would Block Dp World Deal, Require 100 Percent Cargo Screening.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: R.G. Edmonson The furor surrounding the DP World acquisition of P&O Ports and that company's terminal operations at six U.S. ports has spawned a flurry of legislative measures on Capitol Hill, including a proposal that would block...

Sens. Murray, Collins Push GreenLane Cargo Security Bill.
March 9, 2006... Debate over the pending takeover of six U.S. port terminals by DP World has focused fresh attention on port security and a measure introduced in November by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, known as the GreenLane...

Shippers Wary of Ec Cargo Security Proposal.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach The European Shippers Council said it welcomed a recent proposal by the European Commission for a voluntary security scheme for road, rail and inland waterway-based movement of freight. But the Brussels-based...

Accenture Unveils Container-Tracking Technology.
March 9, 2006... Accenture Technology Labs announced that it has developed a prototype for a new container security technology. Unlike other initiatives, including those involving radio-frequency identification tags and readers, Accenture's is based on...

Dp World Deal Hits More Complications.
March 9, 2006... The DP World bid to take over the U.S. ports operations of P&O took another political twist after the Jerusalem Post reported last week that the company supports an Arab boycott against Israel. The news came as Edward Bilkey, DP World's...

S&P Creates Gulf Cooperation Council Indices.
March 9, 2006... Standard & Poor's this month announced daily index publication for each of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states and released a GCC Composite Index along with three new domestic indices for Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. "The move is in response...

Mol and 'K' Line Launch Asia-Mexico West Coast South America Service.
March 9, 2006... MOL and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line) an-nounced details of the new Asia-Mexico-west coast South America container service called New Andes, which will be launched next month. The new weekly service will operate with nine 2,000-TEU...

Us, Colombia Finalize Trade Agreement.
March 9, 2006... The United States and Colombia this month concluded talks on a free-trade agreement. The announcement was made by U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Jorge Humberto Botero, Colombia's minister of trade, industry and tourism. ...

Singapore and Panama Sign Fta.
March 9, 2006... Xinhua news agency last week reported that Singapore and Panama have signed a free-trade agreement that strengthens bilateral ties between the two countries, according to a joint statement by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry and...

Zim's Revised Amp Service Includes Portland, ORE., Call.
March 9, 2006... Starting next month, vessels deployed on Zim's AMP service will call at East Mediterranean ports as opposed to those in the Adriatic as they do currently. The new rotation will be: Piraeus, Kumport, Constanza, Haifa, Colombo, Singapore, Shekou,...

Kirby Increases Its Stake in Osprey Line.
March 9, 2006... Kirby Corp. of Houston increased to two-thirds its interest in Osprey Line, the container-on-barge feeder operator founded by Rick Couch. Kirby purchased Couch's 33 percent stake of the company for an undisclosed sum. In April 2004, Kirby...

Menlo Worldwide Malaysia Expands into New Industry Verticals.
March 9, 2006... Menlo Worldwide has launched a new business entity to serve Malaysia customers in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Operating as Menlo Worldwide (Malaysia), the company is supporting local clients with a wide range of logistics capabilities,...

Horizon Lines Gets S&P Upgrade.
March 9, 2006... Standard & Poor's Ratings Services revised its outlook on Horizon Lines Inc., a cargo shipping company based in Charlotte, N.C., to positive from stable. At the same time, the "B" corporate credit rating was affirmed. "The outlook revision...

Cp Railway to Close Ontario Intermodal Terminal.
March 9, 2006... Canadian Pacific Railway will close its container terminal in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on April 28 because of declining business in the local pulp and paper industry. "Terminal activity has been declining over the years, and last year it...

Qantas Scraps Thailand Air-Cargo Joint Venture.
March 9, 2006... Qantas put a joint-venture plan for a Bangkok-based Asian cargo airline on hold, because of high fuel prices and difficulties obtaining aircraft. In 2004, Qantas Airways and CTI Holding of Thailand signed a joint-venture agreement...

Iata Says Airfreight Traffic Recovered in January.
March 9, 2006... According to statistics re-leased by the International Air Transport Association, international freight traffic, bolstered by renewed strength in the global economy, continued its recent recovery with growth of 5.2 percent in January -- 3.2...

Northwest, Pilots Cut a Deal.
March 9, 2006... Northwest Airlines reached a tentative pay-cut deal with negotiators for the Air Line Pilots Association this month that might allow the bankrupt carrier to avert a potentially disastrous strike. The accord had to be approved by union...

Target Logistics Opens Facility in Boston.
March 9, 2006... Target Logistic Services, an international freight forwarder and logistics provider, opened a full service facility in Boston on March 1. The new facility offers complete forwarding services by air, ocean, rail and truck in addition to...

Businesses Try to Align Supply Chains with Corporate Growth Strategy.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: William Hoffman A recent survey of top level executives suggested that the talk about a shift from cost-cutting in supply chains toward top-line growth was mostly just that -- talk. "There is some struggle to get the supply...

Us, India Plan Wto Push.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Alan Field The United States and India agreed on March 2 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. On the...

Ustr Seeks Comment on Korea Free-Trade Pact.
March 9, 2006... The U.S. Office of the Trade Representative's Trade Policy Staff Committee is seeking comment by March 31 on issues surrounding the start of an environmental review of the proposed U.S.-Korea free-trade agreement. The committee is...

Great Wall Airlines Gets Approval for Cargo Services in and Out of China.
March 9, 2006... Great Wall Airlines has received approval from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) to operate cargo services in and out of China. Great Wall, incorporated in Shanghai, is a joint-venture cargo airline owned by...

Economists See Benefits from Proposed Korea-Us Trade Pact.
March 9, 2006... Korean economists said the proposed Korea-U.S. free-trade agreement will boost Korea's real gross domestic product by 7.8 percent, but they advised that Seoul should refrain from fully opening the local rice market. Lee Hong-shik, chief...

Port of Singapore to Double Teu Capacity.
March 9, 2006... Singapore, home to the world's busiest container port, plans to double the capacity of its port by 2018 and wants to continue its foreign expansion after a failed bid for Britain's P&O, according to news reports this month from the city-state....

Taiwan Ends Its Beef over Beef.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Richard Knee For a long time, Taiwan and other Asian nations followed Japan's lead on opening doors to U.S. beef. But not any more, at least in Taiwan's case. After Japan decided in mid-January to end its embargo, neighboring...

6th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference:ne.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Joseph Bonney Excess capacity could cause rates on eastbound Pacific container shipments to drop by double-digits this year, even as carriers' costs grow three speakers told The Journal of Commerce's 6th Annual Trans-Pacific...

Import Growth to Slow on Trans-Pacific.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Peter T. Leach Trans-Pacific import volumes will continue to grow, but at a slower pace, while freight rates will decline by 15 percent and container industry profitability will fall, perhaps to a loss, according to two industry...

Asian Economies Stay in Growth Mode.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Alan M. Field The Asia-Pacific region continues to play an increasingly significant role in global manufacturing, but it lags other regions when it comes to consumer spending. Between 2000 and 2005, the Asia-Pacific region...

Evergreen Chairman Says Industry Must Protect Environmente.
March 9, 2006... The transportation sector must step up and take a proactive role in protecting the environment, the head of a global container shipping company told attendees at the 6th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference. Chang Kuo-Cheng, vice group...

Bnsf Railway Executive Favors Tax Credit.
March 9, 2006... BYLINE: Joseph Bonney Matthew K. Rose, chief executive of BNSF Rail-way, 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. Speaking at...

Tacoma Tallies 12 Percent Increase in Teus for Month.
March 9, 2006... The Port of Tacoma, after handling a record 2.1 million TEUs in 2005, got off to a brisk start in January that helped to solidify its goal of handling 2.4 million 20-foot containers this year. For the month, the port moved 146,509...

Acquisitions Planned to Boost Clarke Road Transport.
March 9, 2006... Clarke Inc. announced this month that its board approved an increase in its investment in Clarke Road Transport Inc., its wholly owned trucking operation, by pursuing "appropriate acquisition opportunities." Clarke Road provides...