Pacific Shipper articles from October 2006

Pacific Shipper archives from October 2006

Zen-Some in Canada.
October 6, 2006... Attendees at the first Canada-Asia Maritime Conference, produced by Commonwealth Business Media and sister publications The Journal of Commerce and Canadian Sailings, were treated with some Asian philosophic and poetic morsels during the...

Cosco Parent to Sell Shares for Vessel Purchases.
October 6, 2006... China Cosco Holdings, which controls China's largest container carrier, will offer 1.5 billion shares to raise $759 million for building and buying ships. In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, the Beijing company said it would...

Cosco Chairman Says Overcapacity Forecast Wrong.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The chairman of Cosco Americas Inc. said Tuesday that predictions of a massive vessel-capacity glut in the trans-Pacific trade have turned out to be wrong, but that all carriers...

Vancouver Box Project Gets a Boost.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The British Columbia Ministry of Environment has approved development of the Vancouver Port Authority's Third Berth container terminal project, bringing the port's major expansion...

Dhs to Get Tough on Terminal Operators in Security Enforcement.
October 6, 2006... Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said federal security officials will have "zero tolerance" for port terminal operators who violate cargo search requests. During a visit to Port Elizabeth, N.J., on Tuesday, Chertoff said his...

Rails Lift Intermodal Spending.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By John Gallagher Railroads are funneling more of their investment dollars into containers and trailers while their customers hope they don't end up buried in coal dust. The rail industry opened its wallet wider than ever in...

Conducting a United Front.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By John Gallagher Train conductors and engineers accustomed to fighting over technology that promises to increase railroad productivity at the expense of jobs are joining forces in what has become one of the most hostile labor...

Port Security Bill Passes after Returning to Its Roots.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By R.G. Edmonson The agreement reached by congressional conferees on a final version of the Security and Accountability Act for Every Port Act was anti-climactic. A coalition led by the Retail Industry Leaders Association was...

Tax Exemption Sought to Build Short-Sea Shipping.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By R.G. Edmonson For Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, it was an easy political calculation to make. A ferry service across Lake Erie between Cleveland and Port Stanley, Ontario, meant jobs for the region. One of the biggest...

Sizing Up Peters.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Angela Greiling Keane Mary Peters pledged to oppose changes in size and weight restrictions for trucks, one of the array of transportation issues thrown at her during her confirmation hearing before the Senate to become...

Congressman Warns That Twic Could Face Legal Hurdle.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By R.G. Edmonson Small businesses could raise a legal challenge to the Transportation Workers Identification Credential because the Department of Homeland Security did not accurately analyze its financial effect, Rep. Don Manzullo,...

Congress Shelves Wrda until after Elections.
October 6, 2006... A congressional conference committee has put completion of the Water Resources Development Act on hold until after the November elections. Leaders said a final version of the bill was close, but not close enough to be completed before Congress...

Us, Argentina, Canada Win Wto Agriculture Case.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Alan M. Field The World Trade Organization has ruled in favor of the U.S., Argentina and Canada in a case against the European Union's moratorium on approving agricultural biotech products and individual EU members' bans of...

Wto Probes Us Cotton Subsidies.
October 6, 2006... The World Trade Organization has started a formal investigation into whether the U.S. has complied with a ruling to scrap a series of illegal subsidies paid to U.S. cotton growers, according to trade officials. Washington had blocked Brazil's...

Canada-Us Softwood Trade Accord Delayed.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Alan Field The British Columbia Lumber Trade Council, Canada's largest forest industry group, won a one-month delay from the Canadian government in enacting the softwood trade pact with the United States. The accord was to take...

Four Ocean Carriers to Launch Service from Asia to East Coast.
October 6, 2006... Hanjin Shipping, "K" Line, Yang Ming and United Arab Shipping Co. announced a new weekly, fixed-day service starting at the end of November connecting Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka with the Mediterranean and the U.S. East Coast. The...

Tnt Again a Takeover Target.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Bruce Barnard Dutch mail and logistics company TNT has become the subject of renewed takeover speculation after the European Union's highest court ruled that the Netherlands is breaking the law by owning a "golden share" in the...

Washington State Leases Reefer Railcars.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Stephanie Nall Fruit and vegetable growers in Washington state have a new tool in marketing their produce: access to a refrigerated railcar fleet. The Washington State Department of Transportation has signed a lease...

Mobile Rfid Tracking Draws Nearer.(Company overview)
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By William Hoffman The day when logistics managers will use cell phones to track freight en route from China while barreling down a Manhattan avenue in the back of a taxi cab became closer with Motorola's $3.9 billion purchase of...

Indian State Eyes New Port.
October 6, 2006... The Gujarat Maritime Board has identified Sutrapada, a coastal belt within the Saurashtra region, as a potential greenfield site for construction of a multipurpose port. The maritime board is positioning Sutrapada as a port site because of its...

India Averts Port Strike.
October 6, 2006... India agreed to pay a bonus to port and dockworkers, averting a strike that threatened to paralyze operations at the nation's maritime hubs. The bonus, set at 17.5 percent of annual pay, is linked to certain productivity goals, according to...

Cochin Cuts Truck Charges.
October 6, 2006... The Port of Cochin has slashed container truck hire charges in a bid to make the southern Indian port more competitive with the country's other major ports. Per-trip charges will drop by $4.50 within the city limits, $6.50 within the state and...

Group Says China Not Meeting Wto Rules.
October 6, 2006... While making progress, China must continue to strive to fully meet its responsibilities under the World Trade Organization, including efforts to combat piracy and counterfeiting, said officials of the U.S. Council for International Business. In...

Shipbuilding Surges in China.
October 6, 2006... China's shipbuilding industry is on a roll. According to a survey by Research and Markets, China's total demand for ships will reach 31 million deadweight tons by 2010 and the annual average demand will exceed 6.2 million dwt. The survey...

India Integrator to Spend $100 Million.
October 6, 2006... Transport Corp. of India Ltd., the country's leading integrated supply-chain and logistics solution provider, plans to invest more than $100 million over the next four years in warehousing, trucking, information technology and shipping. In the...

Nicaragua Plans Canal for Mega-Ships.
October 6, 2006... Nicaragua, seeking to cash in on booming global trade with Asia, announced an $18 billion proposal to build a canal between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans that would accommodate ships too large to use the Panama Canal, Nicaraguan officials...

United Arab Shipping in German Logistics Venture.
October 6, 2006... United Arab Shipping Co. has formed a joint venture with its German agent, the Karl Geuther Group of Bremen. UASC is jointly owned by United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait. United Arab Shipping Agency Co....

Nyk Approves Acquisition of Belgian Ro-Ro Terminals.
October 6, 2006... On Oct. 2, NYK Line's board approved the takeover of two roll-on, roll-off terminals in Zeebrugge and Antwerp from PSA Corp. The Japanese carrier said the acquisitions are part of NYK's medium-term strategy to improve its port...

Adb Aids Colombo Expansion.
October 6, 2006... The Asian Development Bank will provide $225 million to help finance a four-year project to expand the Port of Colombo. Phase 1 of the project, to be completed in June 2008, includes the construction of breakwater and a container terminal...

Retired Port Police Officer Receives Purple Heart.
October 6, 2006... Harry E. Hunold, retired Los Angeles port police officer and a former U.S. Marine, was presented with the Purple Heart Medal of Valor at the Sept. 20 meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners. Commission President S. David...

Ncbfaa Hires Education Director.
October 6, 2006... The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association has named its second education director in a month. Jan Paul Miller will be responsible for bolstering the NCBFAA's education programs, including a new certificate program for ocean...

North Africa.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Richard Knee The ocean transit time from New York to Alexandria is often longer than that to Tunis, even though Tunis is closer. The reason: Egypt is the only northern African country that major liner shipping companies provide...

Can High Fuel Costs Revive FastShip?
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Peter T. Leach The concept of super-fast ships transiting the trans-Atlantic was announced with much fanfare in 1994 but never got into the water. Now, however, FastShip is again showing a glimmer of life. After more than...

Tariff Tangle Awaiting Shippers, Brokers.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By William Hoffman International shippers risk delayed shipments and higher duties if they and their customs brokers aren't ready for perhaps the biggest revision to the Harmonized Tariff System since it was implemented almost 20...

Tote and Tacoma Mark 30 Years of Partnership.
October 6, 2006... In 1976, the nation celebrated its 200th birthday. For the Port of Tacoma, another highpoint occurred during the nation's bicentennial: Port management and the local longshore work force convinced Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc. (TOTE) to move...

Tote-Tacoma Milestones.
October 6, 2006... * 1976: TOTE moves operations from the Port of Seattle to the Port of Tacoma's Terminal 7. * 1977: TOTE adds the Ponce-class steamship, Westward Venture, doubling its service to Alaska. * 1979: The Port of Tacoma builds a new terminal...

Port of Tacoma to Sponsor Alaska Conference.
October 6, 2006... The Port of Tacoma is the principal sponsor of the 2006 Alaska Conference to be held on Oct. 24 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Ed Engelhardt, the port's director of container terminal businesses, said conference...

Seattle Picks Miami Firm to Recruit New Port Chief.
October 6, 2006... The Seattle Port Commission has selected the firm of Spencer Stuart of Miami to find a successor to Mic Dinsmore, the port's chief executive who will leave the port early next year. Dinsmore has served in the port's top post for more than...

Cn: Prince Rupert Poses Short-Term Threat to Halifax.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Tom Peters Canadian National's president and chief executive acknowledges the new container terminal under construction at Prince Rupert could initially affect business at the Port of Halifax, but E. Hunter Harrison expects...

Canada's Western Ports Told to 'rebrand' Themselves.
October 6, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto Canadian transportation logistics professionals on Oct. 2 sent out a cry for better reliability, stability, cohesion and cooperation at all levels of government and across all transport industry modes as the...

Washington Marks Delivery of Oil-Spill Response Equipment.
October 6, 2006... Jay Manning, Washington state ecology director, joined local and state officials late last month on Salmon Bay near Puget Sound to mark the delivery of the first rapid-response oil-spill supplies due to arrive at 60 state locations -- ports,...

At Risk of An Attack of Confusion.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: Stephanie Nall I was in Oakland last week to hear port officials, state lawmakers, union members and state regulators sing the praises of Maersk Line and the environmental program it voluntarily took on. Earlier in the morning,...

Asia-Europe Freight Rates Rebound.
October 12, 2006... Freight rates in the Asia-to-Europe trade lane are beginning to rebound as European consumers continue to buy lower-cost Asian goods, according to a Bloomberg report last week. CMA CGM said it has raised rates on shipments from Asia to...

Nws Holdings to Develop, Operate China Rail Terminals.
October 12, 2006... NWS Holdings has signed an agreement with a subsidiary of China's Ministry of Railways, China Railway Container Transport Corp. and other joint-venture partners to set up a new enterprise, China United International Rail Containers Co. The...

Horizon Christens New Vessel.
October 12, 2006... The Horizon Hunter, the first of five 2,824-TEU capacity, 23-knot container ships to enter the Horizon Lines fleet next year, was named this month at a ceremony at the Hyundai Mipo shipyard in South Korea. Kimberly Raymond sponsored the...

Pippenger Hired to Head Portland Security Team.
October 12, 2006... The Port of Portland has hired Daniel Pippenger, former deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Portland, to lead its marine security team. Pippenger brings 24 years of Coast Guard marine security and law enforcement experience to the...

Zim Adds Vim to Portland Box Volume.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto Zim Integrated Shipping Services is engaged in a relatively quiet but extensive and aggressive expansion of its worldwide shipping services. Since the Israeli shipping line was privatized two years ago, it...

An Ultra-Low Experiment Maersk Completes Vessel Conversions to Burn Cleaner Fuel.
October 12, 2006... Take a barrel of crude oil and run it through a refinery. What can you get? Some spiffy jet fuel, a little high-octane gasoline for your neighbors' SUV, some home heating oil and maybe even some kerosene. At the end of the refining process,...

Bush Visits FedEx Facility.
October 12, 2006... President lauds economy, but Teamsters union blasts photo backdrop President Bush chose a FedEx Express facility within sight of the U.S. Capitol to deliver an upbeat forecast on the economy, but his choice of location sparked union...

Trans-Pacific Carriers Plan Squeeze Play on Rates.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill Mongelluzzo Baseball fans who see their teams drummed out of the playoffs this month -- as well as those whose teams failed to make it into the post-season -- are making that traditional plaintive cry of disappointment and...

Dot Outlines Plan for Pilot Project Allowing Mexican Trucks.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Angela Greiling Keane In its boldest statements yet about opening the U.S. border to Mexican trucks, the Department of Transportation laid out the backbone of its plan at a quasi-congressional hearing this month in Missouri. ...

Car Makers Want Steel Duties Terminated.
October 12, 2006... In an unprecedented move, the world's six largest automobile companies with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. jointly called on the U.S. International Trade Commission to terminate anti-dumping and countervailing duties on some steel...

Sinotrans Launches Express Services to Japan.
October 12, 2006... Sinotrans Group and Shanghai Pudong International Container Terminals recently signed an agreement to start running three new express services to eastern Japan. Under the deal, the two parties will jointly operate the services, which will...

Target Logistics Acquires New York Forwarder.
October 12, 2006... Carson, Calif.-based Target Logistic Services Inc., a domestic and international logistics provider, recently acquired Capitaland Express, a full-service international freight forwarder with offices in Albany, N.Y. Terms of the acquisition were...

'K' Line Upgrades Service to Vietnam.
October 12, 2006... Japanese ocean carrier "K" Line said it will restructure and upgrade the joint service it operates with Gemartrans from Hong Kong to Vietnam at the end of October. Loop 1, which is operated by "K" Line with one 450-TEU vessel, will have...

Usda to Keep Canadian Beef from Us Export Pipeline.
October 12, 2006... In a move designed to bolster U.S. cattle producers and export beef sales, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has changed the rules for exporting fresh and frozen boneless beef to Taiwan. The new...

England Logistics Plans Expansion.
October 12, 2006... England Logistics said it will double its work force to 400 over the next three years and build a new call center at its headquarters in Salt Lake City. Started in 1996, England Logistics is the wholly owned third-party logistics...

Asia's Cold Chain Gets Rfid System.
October 12, 2006... TNT has introduced a temperature-monitoring RFID solution for the life sciences industry, after completing Phase 1 of the company's RFID trials, conducted over eight months this year in Singapore. With an investment of S$500,000...

Rail Volume Jumps in September.
October 12, 2006... Carload and intermodal freight rose in September, boosted by gains in coal, grain and metals, the Association of American Railroads said. The AAR said the last three weeks of September were the three highest-volume intermodal weeks in the...

Short Lines Oppose Fuel Plan.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By John Gallagher Short-line railroads warn the Surface Transportation Board's backing of a mileage-based fuel surcharge system would unfairly target the nation's connecting railroads and lead to higher rates for shippers. ...

Stb Strikes Out on Collecting Rail Fuel Data.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By John Gallagher The Surface Transportation Board is striking out in its attempt to collect fuel surcharge information to monitor whether the railroads are using them to extract more profits from their customers. According to...

Customs to Play Ace in Revising in-Bond Cargo Import System.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By R.G. Edmonson Importers' ability to move cargo in-bond from a port of arrival to an inland port of destination is a love-hate affair, especially for Customs and Border Protection officials. The in-bond system is a...

Industry Fights Eu Ban on 45-Foot Boxes.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bruce Barnard Ocean carriers, shippers and ports are joining forces in a last-minute bid to persuade the European Union to scrap a controversial plan banning 45-foot containers. There are signs the European Commission, the EU's...

China Hits Eu Shoe Curbs.
October 12, 2006... Earlier this month, China threatened to retaliate after the European Union took what Beijing called illegal anti-dumping measures against imports of leather shoes. "The anti-dumping measures taken by the EU against Chinese leather shoes...

Hanjin Shipping Sets Up India Unit.
October 12, 2006... Hanjin Shipping has established a wholly owned local company in India. The new organization, Hanjin Shipping India Pvt. Ltd., commenced operations this month. Hanjin has invested approximately $900,000 in the new organization, which will...

Logistics Parks Envisioned for India Rail Freight Corridors.
October 12, 2006... The Indian Railway Ministry is looking to set up multimodal logistics parks as part of a larger freight corridor project. Such parks are being planned at 248-mile intervals along the freight corridor. Up to eight parks could be developed...

Port of Rewas to Get $650 Million Expansion.
October 12, 2006... Reliance Group, one of India's largest private-sector conglomerates, plans to invest more than $650 million in developing the Port of Rewas near Mumbai on the west coast of India. Reliance recently acquired a majority stake in the port and the...

Port of Mumbai Volume Up 15 Percent.
October 12, 2006... Traffic at the western Indian port of Mumbai increased 15 percent to 27.9 million tons in the six months ending Sept. 30, the port said in a statement. Details about the number of containers handled were not immediately available. In...

Nau Joins Eastern Car Liner.
October 12, 2006... Richard Nau has joined Eastern Car Liner (Americas) as logistics manager. ECL Americas is based in Long Beach. Nau, with more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry, comes to ECL Americas from Long Beach's Heavy...

Ronald Katims Named First Crowley Chair.
October 12, 2006... The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Crowley Maritime Corp. have appointed Ronald M. Katims as the first holder of the Crowley Chair in logistics and intermodal transportation. The Crowley Chair was established through a $2 million endowment by...

Crowley Honors Kattan De Jordan and Sweep.
October 12, 2006... Claudia Kattan de Jordan and Cal Sweep recently received Crowley Maritime Corp.'s highest honor. Kattan de Jordan, general manager, Honduras and Nicaragua, for Crowley Maritime Corp.'s liner services group, and Sweep, director of...

Vitarana, Yeager to Receive Connie Awards.
October 12, 2006... The Containerization & Intermodal Institute has chosen Anil Jay Vitarana, president of United Arab Agencies Inc., and Phillip C. Yeager, founder and chairman of Hub Group Inc., as the recipients of its 2006 Connie Awards. The recipients...

Aloha!
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Richard Knee While Hawaii continues to gain customers and vendors abroad, the U.S. mainland remains the dominant player in the Aloha State's trade. "We have some areas of growing (foreign) trade," said Pearl Imada Iboshi,...

China Pushes to Build, Modernize Its Transport Infrastructure.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto China is facing a massive infrastructure crisis but is spending billions of dollars each year to shore up its shortfalls. "China's global economy needs a global infrastructure," said Ken Lewis, minister...

Passport Requirement Delayed for Cross-Border Truckers.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Courtney Tower Truck drivers entering the United States will not be required to present passports or similar documents if they have an ID card issued under a U.S. expedited clearance program. Sea travelers also were granted...

McCarthy Gets Bayport Container Yard Contract.
October 12, 2006... The Port of Houston Authority awarded a $50.3 million contract to McCarthy Building Cos. to expand the Bayport container yard by 50 acres to a total of 110 acres over the next year as part of Phase 1 of the container terminal project. The...

Great Lakes Water Levels Cause Concern.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Alex Binkley The weatherman has some bad news for shipowners on the Great Lakes. Water levels, already close to if not below average, will decline steadily during the fall. David Fay of Environment Canada said it looks as though...

Trucker Unrest Again Simmers in British Columbia.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Courtney Tower The labor calm that came over the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, after a six-week walkout by truckers last summer may soon be shattered. Unrest is growing among the 1,000-plus owner-operators who walked...

Southern California Port Forecast Includes Box Records, No Congestion.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill Mongelluzzo Ports in the United States are handling record container volumes this month but should make it through the peak shipping season without any congestion, according to the October Port Tracker compiled by the...

Port of New Orleans Receives $3.2 Million for Katrina Damage.
October 12, 2006... The Port of New Orleans's primary property insurer has agreed to pay $3.2 million of the port's $20 million claim for damage from Katrina. The payment will allow the port to begin negotiating claims with its excess property insurer, Johnston,...

Port of Mobile Woos Maersk Subsidiary.
October 12, 2006... Fashion Express Service, which ships clothing from Central America, is considering a move to the Port of Mobile, Ala. The Maersk subsidiary has been operating out of Port Everglades, Fla., since Hurricane Katrina destroyed its New Orleans...

Vancouver Area Ports Agree to Recommend Merger.
October 12, 2006... BYLINE: By Bill DiBenedetto Leaders of British Columbia's three Lower Mainland gateway ports have agreed -- at least in principle -- to merge into a single entity. At the request of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, the chairs, board...

Sen. Murray Touts Passage of Port-Security Measure.
October 12, 2006... Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., this month visited the Port of Everett, Wash., to celebrate the passage of the SAFE Ports Act of 2006. The new legislation, which she cosponsored, provides the nation's ports with the resources, tools and knowledge...

There to Here.
October 19, 2006... The pace and volume of trans-Pacific trade and the emergence of China and India to drive that growth far into the future make it seem as if anything is possible in the Asia-Pacific business world. Well, maybe not. There's a nagging...