Florida Shipper articles from November 2008

Florida Shipper archives from November 2008

A real seasonal stimulus.
November 3, 2008... Infrastructure funding will remain a priority in a revived economic recovery package. "In terms of building infrastructure, that is something we all know we have to do," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said during an Oct. 13 press...

Sinking feeling.
November 3, 2008... BYLINE: PETER T. LEACH Shipping industry is already feeling the economic impact of the financial crisis The global economic downturn threatens to change the face of the container shipping industry, according to the Journal of Commerce,...

European Union and Caribbean.
November 3, 2008... The European Union has signed a wide-ranging trade deal with 13 Caribbean countries that will either attract investment, lower import tariffs and reduce poverty in the Caribbean or undermine the delicate and awkward growth of the Caricom Treaty...

HED: EU-Caribbean Economic Partnership Agreement Q&A.
November 3, 2008... The European Union and countries of the Caribbean region have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement. Here are questions and answers provided by the European Commission on the day of the signing. Why a new trade agreement between the EU...

3PL CEO survey sees modest growth prospects.
November 3, 2008... Conservative growth prospects and continued pricing pressures topped concerns in a new survey of 3PL chief executives, who cited rising fuel prices and a slow-growth economy as key challenges. "While nearly one-fourth of CEOs said that...

C-Air Brokers opens bonded warehouse.
November 3, 2008... C-Air Brokers and Forwarders Inc. opened a Customs bonded warehouse and container freight station just south of the Gratigny Parkway near Westwood. Bonded operations will be handed by Jean Pressa, manager of cargo, and Tony Ronconi,...

International trade may be headed for a new era.
November 3, 2008... BYLINE: PAUL BINGHAM   With the collapse of the World Trade Organization's Doha Development Round of trade negotiations in July, we may be headed to a more protectionist future with lower trade growth. While this may be the...

Miami ports have fumigation alternatives.
November 3, 2008... There is good news for perishable shippers and bad news for bugs in South Florida. Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami are the two principal terminals for perishables shipped into the Southeastern United States. More...

American Airlines Cargo begins paperless initiative.
November 3, 2008... American Airlines Cargo recently announced its participation in the U.S. launch of an air cargo industry e-freight initiative facilitated by the International Air Transport Association. IATA's e-freight program effectively eliminates the...

Manufacturers propose US-EU trade agreement.
November 3, 2008... John Engler, president of the National Association of Manufacturers called for an in-depth study of a proposed "Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area," which would bring together either the European Union and the United States or the EU and the member...

Remote ship scanning tested.
November 3, 2008... Battelle Memorial Institute is developing underwater imaging technology to electronically and remotely map the hulls of ships to detect weapons, mines and drugs. They call it a part of the global effort to protect ports. The Harbor Shield...

Customs changes penalties for late duty payments.
November 3, 2008... Customs and Border Protection announced that, effective immediately, it will begin collecting liquidated damages if importers using the Automated Commercial Environment fail to pay their monthly duties on time. The system allows importers...

Panama Canal traffic declines.
November 3, 2008... The number of transits by container ships passing through the Panama Canal declined slightly from 14,721 to 14,702 transits in the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, as did the total number of ships and tonnage. The number of transits by container...

Nassau to relocate cargo terminals.
November 3, 2008... With Bahamas tourism at an all-time low, the Ministry of Tourism is proposing a major overhaul of the Port of Nassau to make it more appealing to cruise line tourists, who make up 70 percent of the island nation's paying visitors. ...

Freeport, Bahamas, plans $300 million upgrade.
November 3, 2008... Raymond Jones, chief operating officer at the Freeport Container Port, recently told the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce that before year's end, the Freeport Container Port will begin a $300 million improvement program at the seaport and the...

Panama Canal suffers another bidding setback.
November 3, 2008... The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has extended the submission date for the proposals to build the new set of locks from December to March 2009. This is the second time the key financial proposals have been delayed. In July, the four...

Hill promoted at Port Everglades.
November 3, 2008... Port Everglades Director Phillip Allen has named Alan Hill, a 16-year veteran of the Broward County port department, as the new assistant director of business development. The business development division, under the direction of Carlos...

Tyndal elected to AAPA committee.
November 3, 2008... Steve Tyndal, Port Manatee's senior director of trade development and special projects, has been elected to a two-year term as secretary of the American Association of Port Authorities' Harbors, Navigation and Environment Committee. The...

Lundeen promoted at Port of Palm Beach.
November 3, 2008... The Port of Palm Beach District has promoted Thomas Lundeen to deputy director. He previously served as the port's director of engineering and maintenance. Lundeen now has to do both jobs as he assumes his new role. Lundeen has been...

Orlando's Kair appointed TSA assistant administrator.
November 3, 2008... The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has named Lee Kair as assistant administrator for security operations. Kair is the former Orlando International Airport federal security director. In his new position, he will oversee...

Rob Clapp awarded 2007 Thomas Crowley Trophy.
November 3, 2008... Rob Clapp, vice president of pricing and yield management for Crowley Maritime Corp.'s liner services groups, was awarded a 2007 Thomas Crowley trophy, the company's highest honor, at ceremonies in Jacksonville. "Rob is a 20-year Crowley...

Tampa port marketer wins business award.
November 3, 2008... Jim Pyburn, a marketer for the Tampa Port Authority, was recently awarded 2008 International Business Person of the Year by the Tampa Bay Organization for Women in International Trade. Pyburn is the port authority's trade development...

Cuba or the Caribbean allies.
November 10, 2008... I worked for two magazines in South Florida where the publishers opposed opening Cuba to U.S. commerce and visitors. In both cases, I was surprised because the publishers were otherwise liberal in their leanings and really wanted to tour Cuba....

Shift to overdrive.
November 10, 2008... BYLINE: PETER T. LEACH Vehicle and equipment exports offset container declines If there is any silver lining for the shipping industry in the clouds enveloping the U.S. economy, it's the increase in exports fueled by the weakness of...

Aftermarket logistics.
November 10, 2008... When money is tight, used vehicles are precious A discussion of automotive and vehicle logistics can take several courses. In the case of a new product, the supply chain of auto parts comes together at the manufacturer to make the product....

Survey says: Theft bad, green good.
November 10, 2008... Logistics companies see a green future where theft remains a major problem. That is the short version of the results of a recent study sponsored by Capgemini, in cooperation with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Oracle and DHL. ...

Infrastructure, freight costs key for South American export growth.
November 10, 2008... BYLINE: ALAN FIELD A 10 percent reduction in freight costs in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia and Jamaica would allow exports to the U.S. to soar 39 percent on average, according to a recent study conducted by the...

Ports face bond financing worries.
November 10, 2008... It is that time of the year when Florida ports wish they had a statewide authority to help bolster their financial status for issuing revenue bonds and when ports across the nation wonder if the current financial crisis is going to slow or stop...

Apparel importers face global uncertainties.
November 10, 2008... BYLINE: ALAN M. FIELD For apparel importers, there is an ironic upside to the global credit crisis: In credit-default swaps, derivatives and mortgage-backed securities, apparel executives have finally discovered complexity that outdoes...

USDA launches perishables database.
November 10, 2008... The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has launched a new, searchable database, known as FAVIR, for the fruits and vegetables import requirement. The FAVIR database allows customers to search...

Delta-Northwest Airlines merger approved.
November 10, 2008... The Department of Justice will allow a proposed merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines to proceed, potentially clearing the way for the creation of the country's largest airline. "The proposed merger between Delta and...

Bernuth blankets Bahamas.
November 10, 2008... Recognizing the opportunities offered in the Bahamas trade lane, Bernuth Lines has been expanding it services to the prosperous island chain and now sails four days a week from Port Everglades to Freeport. Bernuth also offers a weekly...

Carnival cancels 2009 Europe schedule.
November 10, 2008... Good news for the Caribbean islands: Carnival Cruise Lines has canceled its 2009 European summer schedule from Dover, blaming "current market conditions." Carnival Liberty, which was scheduled to move to Dover in spring 2009 for 12- and...

Costa Rica and Panama ratify free-trade agreement.
November 10, 2008... Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly has ratified a free-trade agreement with Panama to open up the commercial channels between the neighboring nations. According to data provided by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer), Costa...

Maersk cuts fuel surcharges.
November 10, 2008... Maersk Line announced plans to lower bunker surcharges on cargo shipped between the U.S., Canada the west coast of South America and the Caribbean. Effective Nov. 1, the surcharges will be $310 per TEU and $620 per FEU, down from $385 and...

APM Kingston wins award.
November 10, 2008... Kingston Container Terminal, operated by the Danish firm APM Terminals, has received the prestigious Container Terminal of the Year award in the Caribbean for 2008, from the Caribbean Shipping Association. This is the second time the KCT has...

Dominican deputies approve Caribbean-EU trade deal.
November 10, 2008... The Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic beat the Oct. 31 deadline and approved the Economic Association Agreement between the States of Cariforum and the European Community. According to a letter that President Leonel Fernandez...

US plans pilot program to bar unsafe imports.
November 10, 2008... Customs and Border Protection and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are introducing a new importer-participation pilot program to assure the safety of imported products. Companies that already participate in Customs' Importer...

MOL to resign from 2 discussion agreements.
November 10, 2008... MOL announced in October that it will resign from the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement and the Canada Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, effective Nov. 27.  "With the European Union's abolition of liner antitrust immunity, it...

TWIC activation resumes this week.
November 10, 2008... The original Oct. 31, 2008, compliance date for many port facilities was extended because of a power outage late last month at a Transportation Security Administration facility that has delayed the activation of some Transportation Worker...

FMC to seek changes in LA-Long Beach truck plan.
November 10, 2008... The Federal Maritime Commission said it would file a complaint with the U.S. District Court in Washington concerning certain elements of the Los Angeles-Long Beach clean-trucks programs that the commission believes could result in a reduction...

Milestones.
November 17, 2008... Today we present our first gender-neutral listing of the Florida Shipper Transportation Leaders and we do so with great pride. The era of separating leaders by gender has passed along with several other recent important milestones. Some...

Transportation leaders.
November 17, 2008... Florida Shipper recognizes five for excellence in leadership In a complex trade and logistics market such as Florida, leadership matters. Where change can be rapid and sometimes daunting, individuals with experience, wisdom and patience...

Mike Grandonico and Steve Ganoe.
November 17, 2008... Port of Dania, St. Johns ShipbuildingPutnam County, Fla. Leslie Warrick, another of our past Florida Transportation Leaders, nominated Mike Grandonico and Steve Ganoe, the two principals of G&G Shipping at the Port of Dania. She could have...

Horizon Lines downgraded.
November 17, 2008... Moody's Investors Service downgraded its debt ratings of Horizon Lines corporate family and probability of default, each to B2 from B1, senior secured to Ba2 from Ba1 and senior unsecured to Caa1 from B3. Moody's also changed the company's...

UPS plans cutbacks as volume, profit plunge.
November 17, 2008... Overnight air express traffic is in free-fall at UPS, dropping to its lowest level in six years. The nation's largest transportation company said the 9.8 percent decline in Next-Day Air volume in the third quarter was one reason net profit fell...

Seaboard sales up but earnings down.(Financial report)
November 17, 2008... Seaboard, the mid-American diversified international agribusiness and transportation company whose primary businesses are domestic pork production, commodity derivatives and cargo shipping, reported higher sales but lower profits in its...

Costs hit Trailer Bridge profit.(Financial report)
November 17, 2008... BYLINE: PETER T. LEACH Trailer Bridge reported that its profit dropped 90.6 percent to $34,000 in he third quarter ending on Sept. 30, compared to $365,000 in the year-earlier period. The Jones Act carrier's revenue increased 25.4...

Bringer Lines begins new service from Port Everglades.
November 17, 2008... Bringer Lines, a Miami-based air and ocean shipping company, is beginning a new service from Port Everglades to the Amazon region of Brazil with Japan's "K" Line."The Broward County Commission has long recognized the trade opportunities created...

SeaBridge Freight sets new service.
November 17, 2008... SeaBridge Freight has promised that it will begin its "marine highway" short-sea transportation service on Dec. 1, between the Port of Brownsville, Texas, and Port Manatee, Fla. It will operate a 600-TEU container-on-barge on a weekly rotation...

Creditors sue to force Eller bankruptcy.
November 17, 2008... Creditors of Eller Maritime Services, the Fort Lauderdale-based stevedoring company, have escalated a payment dispute by filing a petition that seeks to force the company into liquidation under Chapter 7 of the federal bankruptcy code. ...

Amerijet launches new Web site.(Website overview)
November 17, 2008... Amerijet International Inc. has launched a redesigned Web site, www.amerijet.com. The new site provides an Internet-based communications portal that allows its customers to obtain air, ocean and trucking quotes, reserve and book freight, and...

EU seeks cement cartel evidence.
November 17, 2008... Lafarge of France, the world's biggest cement maker, Holcim of Switzerland, the second biggest, German companies HeidelbergCement and Dyckerhoff, and Cemex of Mexico, the largest cement company in the Americas, are under investigation by the...

Transport eyes Obama's DOT.
November 17, 2008... The business world on Nov. 6 started batting around names of potential nominees to be transportation secretary amid reports that President-elect Barack Obama could start lining up his Cabinet choices as early as the following week. Rumors...

US, EU reach cargo-screening agreement.
November 17, 2008... The Transportation Security Administration has reached agreement with the European Union for screening air cargo on U.S.-bound passenger aircraft. The TSA said that under the agreement, the EU will establish screening procedures that are...

Vancouver port chief to retire.
November 17, 2008... The Port of Vancouver has begun a search to replace Capt. Gordon Houston, president and chief executive of Port Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, who is retiring. The Scottish-born Houston has served as president and chief executive at...

Voters approve resolution to protect Florida waterfront.
November 17, 2008... Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment designed to limit the ad valorum property tax increase imposed on businesses located on the waterfront. Marine industry leaders cheered the passage of Amendment 6, which now requires local...

Maersk cuts surcharges to South America, Caribbean.
November 17, 2008... Maersk Line reduced bunker surcharges on cargo shipped between the U.S., Canada and the west coast of South America. Effective Nov. 1, the surcharges are $310 per TEU and $620 per FEU, down from $385 and $770 levied earlier, the carrier...

Puerto Rico selects Fortuno.
November 17, 2008... The citizens of Puerto Rico have turned out Anibal Acevedo Vila and selected Luis Fortuno of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party as their next governor. Fortuno had been the non-voting delegate to Congress. Acevedo Vila has most...

Crowley acquires Customized Brokers.
November 17, 2008... Crowley announced the acquisition of Miami-based Customized Brokers, a customs clearance company specializing in refrigerated cargoes arriving by air and sea. Customized Brokers will remain an independent company, with its office in Miami, and...

Kingston terminal honored.
November 17, 2008... Kingston Container Terminal operated by the Danish firm APM Terminals, has received the prestigious Container Terminal of the Year award in the Caribbean for 2008, from the Caribbean Shipping Association. This is the second time that the KCT...

An opportunity to reconsider.
November 24, 2008... Cargo volume at the nation's major container ports declined again in October, and 2008 is now expected to be the slowest year for container traffic since 2004, according to the latest Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and...

California dreaming:.
November 24, 2008... West Coast is lab for terminal innovations From cargo terminal software that tracks the stacks of boxes and matches them with their location on container ships to green berths where cargo ships "cold iron" by plugging into giant electrical...

November is a cornucopia for Florida ports.
November 24, 2008... BYLINE: Rick Eyerdam November has been eventful for Florida's ports as new terminal agreements were made, some were reset and new projects were begun. The biggest terminal agreement was completed on Nov. 11 in Korea, where Hanjin...

TraPac brings APS Technology to Jaxport.
November 24, 2008... Trans Pacific Container Service Corp. will employ several APS Technology Group terminal automation solutions at its new container terminal at Dames Point in Jacksonville, Fla. TraPac was founded in 1987 by MOL and deploys APS technology at...

New 'tarpless' container fumigation at Port Everglades.
November 24, 2008... Shippers and consumers have made the "tarpless" fumigation system at the Port of Miami so popular that a new patented "tarpless" fumigation system is now available at Port Everglades. Fumigation is required to eliminate insects from fruits...

Wastepaper woes.
November 24, 2008... BYLINE: BILL MONGELLUZZO U.S. wastepaper exports collapse, robbing carriers of a key backhaul As Chinese manufacturers raced to fill their orders before the government shut factories to clear the air for the Beijing Olympics, their...

DHL cancels US network.(Company overview)
November 24, 2008... UPS, FedEx battle Post Office for parcels The world's largest national economy is not large enough, it appears, for three private parcel carriers.  DHL's announcement two weeks ago that it will scrap its domestic air and ground...

DHL defines UPS linehaul.
November 24, 2008... DHL said it still hopes, and plans, to have UPS handle its air transport linehaul in the U.S., but there will be far less volume under DHL's international-only focus. The company estimates it will have only about 100,000 shipments a day...

For sale: one airport, duty-free.
November 24, 2008... DHL's withdrawal from service within the U.S. could end one aviation-industry oddity in the country. As part of its purchase of Airborne Express in 2003, DHL parent Deutsche Post took title to the Wilmington Air Park, the largest privately...

Bahamas' Atlantis resort drops 800 employees.
November 24, 2008... Signs that the resort bubble has burst for Bahamas became very evident on Nov. 10 when the Atlantis resort in Nassau, the largest private employer in the Bahamas sent home 800 employees. The cuts represent about 10 percent of the work...

CMA CGM to 'optimize' Caribbean-South American loops.
November 24, 2008... CMA CGM Group recently announced "the optimization of its services operated in partnership with Hamburg S'd and Hapag Lloyd on the North Europe, Caribbean and west coast of South America routes."  In a statement, the line said that...

DHL promises priority to shipments to US.
November 24, 2008... International shipments to the U.S. will continue to be delivered to 100 percent of the ZIP codes where the company currently delivers, according to a recent statement from DHL following the announcement that it will suspend domestic U.S....

Marad: Higher fuel costs can benefit short-sea.
November 24, 2008... The domestic maritime industry will benefit from higher oil prices because of the greater fuel efficiency of vessels over trucks and trains, according to a new study sponsored by the Maritime Administration. The report, released on Nov....

Customs' 10+2 filing rule could come by month's end.
November 24, 2008... Customs and Border Protection's long-awaited importer security filing rule is likely to be published by the end of November, officials said. The rule reached a major milestone on Nov. 6 when the White House Office of Management and Budget...

LA, Long Beach delay clean-trucks fee.
November 24, 2008... The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., did not begin collecting a $35-per-TEU clean-truck fee on Nov. 17 as previously announced, and there was no announced date for collection to begin. Collection of the fee, an integral part of...