Gulf Shipper articles from March 2008

Gulf Shipper archives from March 2008

Now, another Castro.
March 3, 2008... Ever since I began writing for The Journal of Commerce in 1987, U.S. ports around the Gulf have been hawking the potential for trade with Cuba once Fidel Castro was gone from power. Last month, Castro stepped down from his post as dictator...

Gulf's container export surge.
March 3, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR Carrier rankings shift and ports invest Shippers are fighting for export space on the Gulf's container carriers. The weak dollar, strong overseas demand and high bulk freight rates combined to send the Gulf's...

Econocaribe opens West Coast office.
March 3, 2008... Econocaribe Consolidators, a Miami-based, privately owned neutral ocean freight consolidator, is opening a new office in Southern California. The company has been in business since 1968. William Higgins, regional sales manager, will...

Subprime problems delay Galveston bonds.
March 3, 2008... The subprime mortgage meltdown has affected the Port of Galveston, which needs a guarantor to back $28 million in state funding, the Galveston Daily News reported. The port plans to use the $28 million for dock improvements and dredging. ...

Port of South Louisiana outlines infrastructure projects.
March 3, 2008... Port of South Louisiana officials recently met with newly appointed Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret to discuss needed infrastructure projects for the port. Executive Director Joel Chaisson explained key requirements,...

Port Arthur to handle cargo for refinery expansion.
March 3, 2008... French petrochemical company Total SA announced a $2.2 billion expansion to its Port Arthur refinery. This will in-crease the refinery's production by 3 mil-lion tons of low-sulfur diesel fuel per year, raising the refinery's total output,...

Port of Tampa imports new autos.
March 3, 2008... NYK Line's roll-on, roll-off vessel Seijin delivered 200 new Dodge Journeys to the Port of Tampa in February. The Journey is being built at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico, plant and will be loaded at Veracruz, Mexico, for shipment to Tampa. ...

Another feather in port's cap.
March 10, 2008... The sleepy little Port of Mobile is now officially an oxymoron. Alabama's incredible success in luring major manufacturers has placed the port on track to become one of the biggest container handlers in the Gulf of Mexico. The recent...

Mexico: Fusture US-Asia trade gateway.
March 10, 2008... BYLINE: RICHARD KNEE AND STEPHANIE NALL Government investing in new ports, highway and rail systems to attract cargo A good chunk of the cargo crossing into Mexico from the U.S. originates in Asia. And it's likely that a lot of Asian...

The road to Colonet.
March 10, 2008... BYLINE: BILL MONGELLUZZO Punta Colonet, a remote spot on the Mexican map, is being pitched as a future alternative to the congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Mexican government hopes to build a $4 billion container port and...

Schenker and BAX Global begin building facility at Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
March 10, 2008... Schenker Logistics and BAX Global Inc. began construction of a $20 million air cargo and freight logistics facility at International Commerce Park near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport late last month. BAX currently occupies...

Alabama State Port Authority may refinance variable-rate bonds.
March 10, 2008... The Alabama State Port Authority is concerned about potential increases in the interest rates it pays on about $60 million in variable-rate bond debt. Therefore, it has authorized Goldman Sachs & Co. as underwriter on a possible refinancing and...

Port Manatee's master plan emphasizes container shipping.
March 10, 2008... The Manatee County Port Authority approved the concepts presented in a new master plan for the port late last month. The plan emphasizes preserving the port's existing customer base while increasing its ability to handle container cargo. It...

New Orleans, Illinois ports sign pact.
March 10, 2008... The Port of New Orleans and Tri-City Regional Port District of southern Illinois recently signed a three-year marketing agreement covering waterborne commerce. Under the agreement, the Mississippi River ports will cross-promote the use of their...

Containerization & Intermodal Institute elects Cervenak president.
March 10, 2008... The Containerization & Intermodal Institute elected Joseph Cervenak president and Brendan R. McCahill Sr., chairman, for 2008. Cervenak is principal of Kemper-Joseph LLC, a strategy development and performance optimization consulting company...

Orion Marine names Logger projects manager.
March 10, 2008... Orion Marine has hired Christiane Logger as special projects manager, specializing in breakbulk and roll-on, roll-off shipments to the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and Africa. She will also serve as personal assistant to the chief...

Nalen wins safety award.
March 10, 2008... Signal Mutual Chief Executive Joe Roach presents Charlie Nalen, vice president of safety at Crowley, with Signal Mutual's first Safety Professional of the Year Award. The award honors safety employees at Signal Mutual-insured companies who have...

Biro joins Dan-Gulf Shipping.
March 10, 2008... Pam Biro recently joined Metairie, La.-based Dan-Gulf Shipping Inc. as manager of business development. She will be responsible for securing new business for Dan-Gulf's principal Caytrans BBC LLC. Dan-Gulf is managing agent for Caytrans BBC...

FAA faces record delays, air traffic controller shortage.
March 10, 2008... The Federal Aviation Administration is hitting some turbulence. Flight delays last year reached record highs, the agency's efforts to switch to a satellite based air traffic control system are flailing, and after nearly five months without an...

Three carriers combine Latin American services.
March 10, 2008... Hamburg Sud, Alianca and Costa Container Lines combined and upgraded their services between the east coast of South America and the north coast of South America, Central America, the U.S. Gulf and the Caribbean as of March 1. Officials...

Wallenius Wilhelmsen partners order vessels.
March 10, 2008... Wilh. Wilhelmsen and Wallenius Lines, joint operators of roll-on, roll-off specialist Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said they have placed orders for eight large new car and truck carriers with two South Korean shipyards. The partners in the...

Doing the import math.
March 17, 2008... U.S. importers soon will face a new set of compliance rules when filing data electronically 24 hours before any containerized cargo is loaded onboard a ship headed for the U.S. The "10+2" rules set by Customs and Border Protection are an...

Pilotage Fee Commission settles case.
March 17, 2008... BYLINE: PAUL T. ROSYNSKY Louisiana's Crescent Pilots and shippers find common ground When the Crescent City River Pilots Association proposed a $174 surcharge for every ship turn they conduct along the Mississippi River, shippers...

Ex-FDA official says agency suffers IT woes.
March 17, 2008... BYLINE: BILL MONGELLUZZO The Food and Drug Administration is in desperate need of greater funding and more inspectors, but a large increase in resources may provide little relief unless the beleaguered agency modernizes its computer...

Steel prices soar to match rising demand.
March 17, 2008... Leading steelmakers in China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to a 65 percent increase in the benchmark price of iron ore purchased from Companhia Rio do Vale Doce, the Brazilian mining conglomerate. China, which imports nearly half of...

Costa Rica granted delay for CAFTA qualification.
March 17, 2008... The United States and its five partners in the Central America Free Trade Agreement have agreed to provide additional time for Costa Rica to complete the legislative and regulatory steps required to join the accord, U.S. Trade Representative...

Consultant seeks input on Incoterms revisions.
March 17, 2008... The International Chamber of Commerce is revising the standard trade terms that define the points at which the costs and risks of transport are transferred from the seller to the buyer. The current set of terms is known as Incoterms 2000. ...

Crowley orders additional containers.
March 17, 2008... Crowley Maritime Corp.'s liner services group will acquire more than 1,500 new containers and related cargo-handling units this year. Included in the order are about 50 45-foot (102-inch-wide) containers with recycled, composite-material...

Caution built into rail budgets.
March 17, 2008... BYLINE: JOHN D. BOYD Rail freight activity may surge again when the economy pulls out of its current slump, but most major U.S. railroads are taking a cautious stance as they decide how much money to spend on capital improvements. ...

Kansas City Southern de Mexico to invest $200 million in Mexico.
March 17, 2008... Kansas City Southern de Mexico, one of three railroads owned by holding company Kansas City Southern, has announced plans to spend more than $200 million on capital investments in Mexico during 2008. The company said that it has already...

Port of New Orleans presents master plan.
March 17, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR The Port of New Orleans has unveiled a $1.04 billion master plan that will help it compete for an expected increase in Gulf container cargo and finish recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Gulf ports from Houston to Tampa...

Mississippi governor wants Port of Gulfport to expand south.
March 17, 2008... Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told the Biloxi Sun-Herald that the Port of Gulfport should expand southward rather than westward. An expansion to the south would extend the port's east and west piers farther into the Gulf of Mexico, while a...

Port of Lake Charles begins wetlands restoration project.
March 17, 2008... The Port of Lake Charles Board of Commissioners has approved a project that will create 300 acres of wetlands on nearby privately owned property using dredged material. The project will restore marshes that Hurricane Rita damaged. For...

Freeport plans dredging projects.
March 17, 2008... David Knuckey, engineering director at the Port of Freeport, told regional publication The Facts that the port is in the "formative stages" of two major dredging projects. One is a $35 million project to widen the jetty channel's navigable...

Five Louisiana ports create security council, hire planners.
March 17, 2008... Five Louisiana ports have joined forces as the Lower Mississippi River Port Wide Strategic Security Council, several New Orleans news sources reported. When the five ports -- Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish...

Port of Tampa Steel Conference has healthy turnout.
March 17, 2008... About 400 industry members attended the Port of Tampa's 19th annual steel conference, held Feb. 28-29. David Spooner, assistant secretary for import administration, was the keynote speaker. Tom Stundza, executive editor of Purchasing Magazine;...

High hopes.
March 24, 2008... Mediterranean Shipping Co.'s new west coast South America service out of New Orleans is good news for the beleaguered mid-Gulf port that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Port of New Orleans' biggest competitors -- Houston and...

Shipping's disappearing dollar.
March 24, 2008... BYLINE: William Hoffman As U.S. currency loses weight, shippers and carriers adjust to changing values in the supply chain As if global shippers, carriers and third-party logistics providers didn't have enough to worry about -- with...

Chambers joins Port of Houston.
March 24, 2008... The Port of Houston appointed Spencer Chambers as the new government relations department manager. He will oversee issues that include securing adequate appropriations for the Houston Ship Channel project, securing funds for transportation...

R. Adam McBride to lead Calcasieu River safety committee.
March 24, 2008... R. Adam McBride, port director of Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District, was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the Calcasieu River Waterway Harbor Safety Committee earlier this month. "Vessel activity in the Calcasieu River Waterway...

MSC adds New Orleans-South America service.
March 24, 2008... Mediterranean Shipping Co. (USA) announced the addition of a new direct service linking the Port of New Orleans with the west coast of South America, effective immediately. The vessel rotation for the new service will be: New Orleans,...

Houston launches new phase of Clean & Green program.
March 24, 2008... The Port of Houston Authority, Shell Oil and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership are joining forces in an advertising campaign called Clean & Green that educates the public about the connection between litter on the streets and litter in the Houston...

TWIC enrollment begins at Port of South Louisiana.
March 24, 2008... Waterfront workers, truckers and other employees at the Port of South Louisiana can now enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential program. Workers can enroll at four other Louisiana ports as...

Buried pesticide found at Port of Galveston.
March 24, 2008... Workers at the Port of Galveston recently uncovered about 8,000 gallons of pesticides in a buried railroad tank car, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle. The workers were digging a drainage pipe trench for a parking lot when the...

Government officials fight for transportation funding.
March 24, 2008... BYLINE: ARI NATTER After declaring the economic stimulus package signed by President Bush "a woefully inadequate plan," former New York Democratic Gov. Elliot Spitzer turned to Mary E. Peters for help. "Certainly sending consumers...

The Russians are coming.
March 31, 2008... SeverStal, the Russian steel company that lost out to Mittal Steel on its bid to buy Arcelor two years ago, has come full circle and is now buying the Sparrow Point Steel Mill in Baltimore County, Md. The Russians must see big potential for...

Out of the frying pan.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR Project cargo market is on fire The year started off "on fire" for project cargo carriers, said Ed Bastian, director of sales and marketing at BBC, and it looks like things are only going to heat up from here....

Packing it up and moving it out.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR Specialized companies vital to project market Moving massive pieces of project cargo from site to port, or vice-versa, is a tricky business. So is packing it for export. Specialists such as John Welch, a project...

Gulf ports rocking along.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR  Weak dollar, refinery projects boost project cargo Billions of dollars' worth of investments in refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals and other energy infrastructure will bring many massive pieces of...

Gulf ports rocking along:.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: JANET NODAR  Weak dollar, refinery projects boost project cargo Billions of dollars' worth of investments in refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals and other energy infrastructure will bring many massive pieces of...

Guns or oil?
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: HERBERT A. SAMPLE War needs dominate air project cargo space Oil prices continue to climb upward and the petroleum industry is expanding its search for new supplies and spending billions to move out-sized equipment to faraway...

Heavy-lift gorillas: The AN-225 and its relatives.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: HERBERT SAMPLE In the world of heavy-lift airplanes, there is only one 800-pound gorilla -- the AN-225. Tagging along are a few 600-pound gorillas and a bunch of smaller orangutans. The big boy is the one and only AN-225 Mriya,...

Project cargo and US-flag vessels.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: DAVID BIEDERMAN  Small part of the project cargo market In January 2004, the Industrial Challenger became the first U.S.-flag commercial ship to call at Iraq since Operation Desert Storm. The heavy-lift vessel, operated by...

Dow launches new specialized PR firm.
March 31, 2008... Jim Dow, who spent 20 years covering the international shipping industry as a writer and editor, has started a new public relations firm that specializes in representing companies in international trade services. The new agency targets...

West Coast Industrial Express appoints commercial coordinator.
March 31, 2008... Jake Swanson has been named commercial coordinator for the West Coast Industrial Express joint service operated by Industrial Maritime Carriers and Associated Transport Line. Swanson graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings...

De Scioli to head West Coast Industrial Express service.
March 31, 2008... Lou De Scioli, vice president of sales at Associated Transport Line, has additionally been named manager of the company's West Coast Industrial Express service that runs between the U.S. Gulf and the west coast of South America. Associated...

Port Manatee Propeller Club gives out awards.
March 31, 2008... The Port Manatee Propeller Club has honored Florida Department of Transportation District 1 Secretary Stan Cann with its highest honor as Maritime Person of the Year. Cann received the award based on his support of Port Manatee's infrastructure...

SEKO opens facility in Mexico.
March 31, 2008... Global freight forwarder and logistics provider SEKO has opened new offices and warehouse space in Mexico. The main office is located in Mexico City, but the company also has operations in Manzanillo, Veracruz, Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, Texas....

Against the grain.
March 31, 2008... BYLINE: BILL DIBENEDETTO While "buoyant" is a word often aptly used to describe the dry and liquid bulk segments of the shipping industry, the term might well be a kindler, gentler substitute for "volatile." This is especially true these...