RADAR SCREEN.(briefs)

Exports a head-haul? Don't bet on it

Agricultural exporters who convened in San Francisco this month criticized carriers for removing capacity in the Pacific because imports are languishing. With U.S. exports to Asia booming, some shippers have been unable to book space on outbound vessels for weeks at a time. Exporters say it's time for carriers to expand their capacity in the Pacific based on export demand. Ed Zaninelli, vice president of the westbound trans-Pacific trade at OOCL, said this wouldn't happen because export cargoes are heavy, preventing carriers from filling the vessels, and westbound rates are low compared to eastbound freight rates. "If the eastbound …