Florida Shipper articles from July 2008

Florida Shipper archives from July 2008

Some economic benefits of NAFTA for the US and Mexico.
July 2, 2008... BYLINE: HEIDI SOMMER Prior to the 1980s, high import tariffs and quotas characterized Mexico's international trade policy, along with restrictions on foreign investment and ownership. But following a severe economic crisis in the early...

Jacksonville port dredging in line for funds.
July 2, 2008... The Jacksonville Port Authority may be $9 million closer to completing the current phase of channel deepening in Jacksonville harbor. Congressman Anders Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville, said he secured the funding through a House appropriations...

The war on socks.
July 7, 2008... Congressman Robert Aderholt wants the sock makers of DeKalb County, Ala., and the city of Fort Payne to know that he is not resting on the Bush administration's promise to defy the CAFTA free-trade accords and restrict the import of socks from...

Made in North America.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: Rick Eyerdam Surveys say: Manufacturers rate Mexico with China Meanwhile, investors are fleeing Asia North American manufacturing executives responding to a recent Deloitte LLP survey responded with surprising support for...

Mexico fact box.
July 7, 2008... Population: 109,955,400 (July 2008 est.). Age structure: (2008 est.)0-14 years: 29.6 percent (male 16,619,995/female 15,936,154); 15-64 years: 64.3 percent (male 34,179,440/female 36,530,154);65 years and over: 6.1 percent (male...

Customs to modernize NAFTA crossings.
July 7, 2008... U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on June 23 that it is planning construction work to improve 39 major entry points along the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico over the coming months. This includes implementation of radio-frequency...

Ports and carriers coalition under consideration.
July 7, 2008... Representatives from cruise lines cargo shipping, the Florida Ports Council and intermediaries met with labor, legislative and governmental representatives from the state's 14 deep-water seaports in a closed-door session at Port Everglades on...

Consumer safety inspectors needed in 72 cities.
July 7, 2008... If you are wondering why there is suspicion about the quality of medical and food products imported into the United States or grown in our agricultural areas, the reason might be that the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug...

New bill seeks standards for container security.
July 7, 2008... A new Senate bill recently introduced would increase port security by establishing minimum standards for all containers entering the U.S., according to the bill's sponsors. The bill was introduced at a recent media briefing by Frank...

'Rotterdam Rules' to replace Cogsa for cargo liability.
July 7, 2008... The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law has accepted a new international agreement governing ocean carriers' liability for damage to cargo at sea or during inland transportation under a carrier's through bill of lading. ...

TIACA appoints Presti as Washington lobbyist.
July 7, 2008... The International Air Cargo Association has appointed Sue Presti to represent its interests before regulatory authorities and legislators in Washington, as of Aug. 1. During the last 13 years, Presti has served as executive director of the...

CMA CGM announces appointments.
July 7, 2008... Lynn Carden Fitzgerald was named corporate controller for CMA CGM (America) LLC. She will be in charge of general accounting, tax, accounts payable, financial systems, cash management and facilities management. In addition, Diane Mendez...

Econocaribe increases sales staff in Baltimore, Charlotte, Los Angeles.
July 7, 2008... Econocaribe consolidators recently augmented its Maryland, North Carolina and California sales teams with the addition of Birte Rice, Mark Wyatt and Doreen Holm. Econocaribe's Northeast Regional Manager Giancarlo Jaramillo said, "Adding...

Crane fails at Port of Belize.
July 7, 2008... On Sunday June 22, the crane that loads and offloads cargo ships at the Port of Belize broke down, leaving the Carib Mariner with half its freight still onboard, according to newspaper reports. A backup crane reportedly was not available so...

Trade deficit widens in Costa Rica.
July 7, 2008... Costa Rica's trade deficit expanded nearly 95 percent from the end of May 2007 to the same period this year, from $1.2 billion to $2.3 billion, according to the Central Bank of Costa Rica. The imbalance comes even as exports have increased...

Mexico trade and logistics hand off at the border.
July 7, 2008... When Arab terrorists attacked the U.S., one of the most long-term victims was the Mexican and U.S. trucking industry, which had been promised easy access to the U.S. market across the nations of the North American Free Trade Agreement. ...

In Exxon Valdez case, Supreme Court orders reduced punitive damages.
July 7, 2008... The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to reduce the amount of punitive damages that had been awarded in the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill case, but left unanswered the question of a shipowner's liability for the actions of the ship...

Scan-all's great debate.
July 7, 2008... BYLINE: R.G. EDMONSON Congress wants all U.S.-bound containers scanned by 2012. Some say it can't be done, but the latest technology may indicate otherwise. In Sen. Frank Lautenberg's opinion, Congress has to keep up the pressure...

Port of Palm Beach hires Almira from Port Everglades.
July 7, 2008... The Port of Palm Beach, operating with an acting port director for two months, has selected Manuel "Manny" Almira as its new executive director. Almira has a strong reputation for attracting and retaining new cargo business while an...

Miami issue veto hurts Port Manatee.
July 7, 2008... The business incentive zone for Port Manatee advocated by Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash died when Gov. Charles Crist vetoed a transportation bill to punish Miami legislator Marco Rubio. The Port Manatee component of the vetoed...

Tampa welcomes commissioners.
July 7, 2008... The Tampa Port Authority Board of Commissioners empaneled William A. "Hoe" Brown and Stephen W. Swindal in June, following their appointment to the port commission on May 21 by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Brown, 50, is a real estate...

Port Everglades's security update.
July 7, 2008... Broward Sheriff's Office Lt. Donald McCuaig has been named facility security officer for Port Everglades and will be responsible for day-to-day security operations at the port. He can be reached at 954-468-0167, or at the Security Operations...

Pension plan.
July 14, 2008... The Miami Dade County Commission on July 1 stretched local ordinances and state laws to end a terminal operating agreement with APM Terminals and grant a new, no-bid lease to Terminal Link LLC, Miami (TLM). No commissioner asked why other...

Worry in the air.
July 14, 2008... BYLINE: RICK EYERDAM The golden goose is grounded In Haiti, they are growing beets in the backyard and declaring a minor victory. In Belize, a cargo crane breaks, and fruit rots on the dock. In the Bahamas, the skies were...

EU adopts guidelines for liner data-sharing.
July 14, 2008... The European Commission announced on July 1 it has adopted the long-awaited guidelines that will govern the maritime transport sector following the repeal of the liner industry's exemption from antitrust regulation on Oct. 17. The...

US, allies won't allow Iran to block shipping.
July 14, 2008... The United States and its allies will not allow Iran to block shipping of crude oil in the Persian Gulf. "They will not be allowed to close it (the Strait of Hormuz)," Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet told a media...

Maersk suspends busy Asia-Europe service to save fuel.
July 14, 2008... Maersk Line on July 30 announced it will suspend one of its Asia-Europe services this month in a bid to control operating costs in the face of rising fuel bills. The world's largest ocean container carrier said the move to suspend the AE5...

Jaxport races the clock, MOL ship.
July 14, 2008... Subaqueous, the dredge firm hired in a no-bid deal by the Jacksonville Port Authority in March to dredge the port's mission-critical turning basin, has been replaced by Manson Construction to complete the job before the July 17 arrival of the...

USAID debuts new storm-prediction tool.
July 14, 2008... U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator Jacqueline E. Schafer recently announced the introduction of NextStorm, a new tool for severe weather prediction she said will be useful in developing countries. This new tool...

St. Kitts wins award for most improved among regional ports.
July 14, 2008... The St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority has been awarded the Novaport Cup by the Port Management Association of the Caribbean. The Novaport Cup is given to the St. Kitts facility for being the most improved performer among regional...

EU drops sanctions against Cuba.
July 14, 2008... The 27 foreign ministers of the European Union have voted unanimously to drop the remaining symbolic sanctions against Cuba - whose largest trading partner is the EU.According to a recent Global Insight Perspective, the decision removes a major...

Evergreen selects agents.
July 14, 2008... Evergreen has appointed new Caribbean region agents who will start work on July 16, according to a press release from the company. The agencies are: * Servicios Navieros y Portuarios S.A - In charge of cargo to/from Santo Tomas de Castille...

Puerto Rico extends cruise incentives, seeks more flights.
July 14, 2008... Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila recently announced a law to expand his administration's Cruise Incentive Program, which allocates $10 million a year for the development of Puerto Rico's maritime industry. Puerto Rico Tourism Co. also...

China to provide loan for Antigua airport terminal.
July 14, 2008... Officials from the Export-Import Bank of China visited Antigua recently to sign a concessionary loan agreement for a new power generation plant and other developmental projects, including the V.C. Bird International Airport Terminal. David...

Spirit Airlines fined for Cuba payments.
July 14, 2008... According to a report by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Treasury Department, Spirit Airlines has been fined for making several money transfers to the Cuban government without U.S. permission. Spirit Airlines was fined a total of...

Port of Miami gets new CMA CGM terminal.
July 14, 2008... BYLINE: RICK EYERDAM Inspector general says no-bid deal "may" be legal The Miami-Dade County Commission, sitting as the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami Port Authority, on July 1 voted to cancel its lease agreement with APM Terminals and...

Antillean returns to its Miami River home.
July 14, 2008... Antillean Marine Shipping Corp. has moved it operations back to its long-standing Miami River terminal, according to Chief Operating Officer Sara Babun. Faced with a program of dredging on the Miami River with ship capacity limited by...

A.R. Savage & Son unifies brand.
July 14, 2008... A.R. Savage & Son Inc. a Tampa company that provides ship's agency, charterer's agency, ocean freight forwarding, terminal, rail and transloading services as well as consulting services, announced that it will unify its operating companies...

Discovery Cruise Line redefines Freeport charges.
July 14, 2008... Discovery Cruise Line spokeswoman Yanick Toussaint recently announced concern by the ferry and cargo service about a threatened strike by residents of Freeport, Grand Bahamas. "Discovery Cruise Line deeply regrets the need to join with...

IDB: Caribbean hardest hit by food and energy price shocks.
July 14, 2008... Rising food and oil prices are hitting the Caribbean more than any other region in the Western Hemisphere, Inter-American Development (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno told the Caricom Heads of Government conference on July 3. The IDB...

Trinidad's inflation rate rises to 10 percent.
July 14, 2008... Trinidad's rate of inflation rose to 10 percent on a year-on-year basis in May, from 9.3 percent a month earlier. The increase was led by food prices, which rose by 21.8 percent in May from 19.5 percent in the previous month. On a monthly...

Guyana wants rice trade protected.
July 14, 2008... Henry Jeffrey, Guyana's minister of foreign trade and international cooperation, is seeking support for a special exemption at the World Trade Organization for rice. He said the proposed cut of the most-favored-nation rate for rice would...

New chairman for Grand Bahama Port Authority.
July 14, 2008... The board of directors of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited and Port Group Ltd. announced recently its expansion, with the appointment of Erik Christiansen and Felix Stubbs as directors. The board announced that Christiansen has been...

Rotkirch named head of Grand Bahama Shipyard.
July 14, 2008... Carl-Gustaf (Calle) Rotkirch, a 32-year maritime industry veteran, has been named chairman and chief executive officer of the Grand Bahama Shipyard Ltd., effective Aug. 1, according to a statement from the company. Rotkirch will oversee...

The end is near.
July 18, 2008... The Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division's new Foreign Trade Regulations require electronic filing of all export declarations. The regulations will bring an end to all of the paper shipper's export declarations, known as SEDs - and make the...

Fighting supply-chain fraud.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: WILLIAM HOFFMAN  Data-driven supply chains may be more vulnerable to insider fraud; experts suggest 'holistic' security The same information technologies that help shippers manage global supply chains could make them more...

Cargo theft on the rise.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: WILLIAM B. CASSIDY Cargo cops urge shippers to upgrade security Few people have the work ethic of cargo thieves. They work nights. They work weekends. They're on the job when you're not. They'll even travel halfway across the...

Supply-chain fraud rising; pharmaceuticals at risk.
July 18, 2008... A report by the New York risk consulting firm Kroll says supply-chain fraud risks are on the rise because of global growth and increased outsourcing. Kroll said the pharmaceutical industry is one sector that has encountered significant problems...

Some can share in air cargo surcharge settlement.
July 18, 2008... Airfreight customers of any air cargo carrier may be eligible for a share of an $85 million settlement in the ongoing air cargo surcharge litigation, according to the attorneys at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. A U.S. court has given...

House passes ship pollution bill.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: R.G. EDMONSON A bill to reduce air pollution from ships in port or sailing close to shore has passed Congress, and will be go to President Bush for his signature. The House recently passed the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act...

Intermodal rail declines.
July 18, 2008... Intermodal rail traffic declined 4.5 percent to 229,676 units in the week ending on June 28 as Midwest flooding caused major delays. Total estimated ton-miles were down nearly 1 percent to 34 billion as carloads and intermodal shipments...

Exports outpace imports.
July 18, 2008... The U.S. narrowed its trade deficit by 1.2 percent in May to $59.8 billion, compared with a revised figure of $60.5 billion in April, the Commerce Department reported this month. Exports increased 0.9 percent to $157.5 billion, up from...

Bahamas cuts taxes to attract developers.
July 18, 2008... During its 2008-2009 budget communication at the end of May, the Bahamas government announced a series of tax cuts, some of which are designed as an incentive to stimulate investment in the country. The tax cuts went into effect on July 1. ...

Crowley announces Santo Domingo agent.
July 18, 2008... Crowley Maritime Corp. announced that IRT y Asociados in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, will represent Crowley as its local logistics agent. The company will provide Crowley's logistics customers with a single point of access to freight...

Captain Morgan sailing to the Virgin Islands.
July 18, 2008... International wine, beer and spirits company Diageo PLC plans to build a $165 million facility on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands to produce its Captain Morgan rum. "When this plant is totally built out, it will be capable of producing...

Air cargo carriers increasing fuel surcharges.
July 18, 2008... Air cargo carriers continue to impose increased surcharges to counter the impact of rapidly climbing fuel prices. Effective July 14, Air France Cargo-KLM Cargo, American Airlines Cargo and NWA Cargo implemented surcharge hikes aimed at...

CSDs: Not ready for prime time.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: R.G. EDMONSON A new name, but the game's the same: Container security devices are now conveyance security devices - they can be applied to trailers as well as ocean containers. After Sept. 11, the CSD was touted as one of the...

10+2 ready.
July 18, 2008... Trade Tech, a supplier of Web-based supply chain and transportation applications, has developed an online application designed to meet Customs and Border Protection's new 10+2 rule's requirements. Known as Trade Security, the prototype...

How to find an export box.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: BILL MONGELLUZZO U.S. exporters have plenty of customers. What they need are containers. Export demand is growing by 20 percent a year, but shippers are losing sales because they have to wait three weeks or more for ocean carriers...

Drop in Asian imports hurts US exporters.
July 18, 2008... BYLINE: JOSEPH BONNEY  Widdows says ship capacity is the key issue Pacific Trans-Pacific carriers are praying for a recovery in the U.S. import trade. Ron Widdows says exporters should be, too. Why should exporters care about...

MOL makes Jaxport connection.
July 18, 2008... In the dead of night on July 8, the MOL Vision, not yet dressed in MOL colors, became the first MOL container vessel to call at Jacksonville when it berthed at the Blount Island terminal and unloaded 100 containers. The ship was greeted by...

Port Manatee Encouragement Zone still alive.
July 18, 2008... Despite reports to the contrary, including one in this magazine, the status of the proposed Port Manatee Encouragement Zone is not moribund. In fact, according to a statement from Port Manatee, "Efforts to formally enact the encouragement...

Miami lands former Hawaii cruise ship.
July 18, 2008... Norwegian Caribbean Lines has decided to place the Norwegian Sky into service from Miami following its two-month wet dock in the Bahamas. The Sky, which was once the Pride of Aloha in a brief Jones Act cruise effort in the Hawaiian islands,...

Sterling Casino quits Port Canaveral.
July 18, 2008... Sterling Casino Lines has ceased operations and planned to remove its Ambassador II gambling ship from Port Canaveral during the week of July 14, a decision that will cost 500 local jobs. In a fitting departure for the troubled service, the...