Year in Review 2006 - March.

March 6, 2006

* Ted Bilkey, chief operating officer of DP World, told a Senate committee that his company's takeover of P&O's port operations posed no threat to U.S. security and said criticism of the approval process was unwarranted.

* 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, rebutting earlier statements by congressional leaders quoting a classified assessment by the agency.

* The political storm over the acquisition of P&O Ports by DP World refused to abate in Washington, D.C., but the controversy did not ignite a similar debate in other parts of the world.

* Officials in France confirmed reports that an outbreak of avian flu had spread and that a cat tested positive for the disease.

* Japan decided to end its decades-old ban on fresh potatoes imported from the United States.

* The first shipment of Ya pears from China passed port-of-entry inspection, and exports to the U.S. resumed.

* Phase 1 of the Busan Newport project opened with great fanfare on Jan. 19 and with good cause: It is a key cog in South Korea's strategy to become Northeast Asia's logistics…