Products

   Non-vessel-operating common carrier Vanguard Logistics Services has started new services from Batam, Indonesia to global destinations.    Many Indonesian and multinational manufacturers operate on the small island of Batam, which is located 20 kilometers southeast of Singapore.    All less-than-containerload cargo from Batam is traditionally moved via small barges to Singapore's Pasir Panjang Breakbulk port. It is then relayed by open truck to Keppel District Park at Tan...

   Maersk Line made a profit of $204 million in the first quarter of 2013 compared to a loss of $599 million in the first quarter of 2012. It said the turnaround in the financial performance was achieved through lower costs, as revenue was unchanged at $6.3 billion in both quarters, and came despite price aggressiveness.    Financial results for the world’s largest container shipping company were reported Friday morning by the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, a conglomerate whose operations...

   AES Logistics and Aljex Software said Thursday the two companies have integrated AES Logistics rates into Aljex hosted software for quick access by Aljex users.    AES is a provider of transportation services and supply chain logistics including truckload, less than truckload (LTL), ocean and air cargo service. Aljex is a provider of hosted transportation management software for brokers, carriers and other transportation providers.    "Integration with AES provides sourci...

   The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) this week voted a proposed reformation of the rules governing ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), both domestic and foreign.    Under the proposed rule, licensed OTIs, which include non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs) and freight forwarders, would have to renew their licenses every two years. Currently, OTIs have no requirement to renew once they have been granted a license. They only need a qualifying individual (QI) for the l...

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday awarded a $122 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. for deepening the entrance to the Port of Miami to 50 feet, the company said.    Excavation is expected to commence in August and be completed in time for the opening of the expanded Panama Canal in 2015, which will enable 14,000 TEU container vessels to reach the U.S. East Coast from Asia via the Pacific Ocean.     Miami would become the third port on...

   A group of investors and stakeholders from more than 115 organizations have banded together under the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility to ask global shippers to ensure the safety and welfare of their workers and to ferret out supply chain abuses.    The group has called on shippers around the world to implement International Labor Organization standards at all their facilities and to pay attention to the United Nation’s framework on human rights responsibilities in bus...

   UPS today announced a new app for the iPad to let users easily track packages, find UPS shipping locations, and access UPS My Choice, all with enhanced mapping features.    The UPS app for iPad enables customers to track packages and find locations where they can send shipments. Additionally, the app allows users of UPS My Choice to access all of the features of the service including the ability to reroute or reschedule delivery. UPS My Choice Premium members can also view their d...

   The U.S. Export-Import Bank has authorized an approximately $500 million direct loan to finance the continued development of a Mongolian mine that, upon completion, will generate about 30 percent of the Mongolian GDP.    Additionally, Ex-Im Bank's financing will support about 2,000 U.S. jobs across the United States, according to bank estimates derived from Commerce and Labor department data.    The Oyu Tolgoi mine, which is located in the South Gobi region about 550 kil...

   Average global freight rates have fallen to a 15-month low, according to Drewry’s new online Container Freight Rate Insight which launched today.    Drewry said its global freight rate index fell 12 percent in April to reach its lowest level since February 2012, when container shipping was still recovering from the last ocean carrier price war. The index, which is a weighted average of freight rates across the 600 trade routes covered by Drewry’s Container Freight Rate Insight, rea...

   Governments in Belize, Central America and the Dominican Republic should create an environment that embraces an integrated, intermodal sea-land network, according to a recent report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).    A stronger supply-chain network would help push global trade forward and would also encourage trade exchanges between the countries in the region.    The two authors of the study, Amar Ramudhin and Don Ratliff, posit that a number of initiative...

   The Kahala Posts Group (KPG), an alliance of 10 postal administrations around the world, has signed a deal with the global trade management solutions provider Amber Road aimed at increasing their competitiveness in the international delivery market.    KPG member organizations include the Australian Postal Corp., China Post Group, Correos y Telégrafos SAE, Groupe La Poste, Hongkong Post, Japan Post Co., Ltd., Korea Post, Royal Mail Group, Ltd, Singapore Post Limited and the U.S. Po...

   The logistics information technology solutions providers Descartes Systems and Freightgate have both signed deals with NetSuite, a provider of cloud-based financials and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suites.    Descartes said it has signed a SuiteCloud Developer Network agreement, with the integration of NetSuite's SuiteCloud and Descartes' Logistics Technology Platform intended to enable customers to more effectively collaborate with their trading partners and carrie...

   Under the agreement, INTTRA will support APL’s global e-commerce growth strategy, as well as enhance its global customer service offerings.    INTTRA said more than 2 million container orders are initiated on the INTTRA platform each month, with a network of more than 64,000 companies, shipping to and from more than 130 countries.    “After two successful years with the INTTRA network, we are ready to expand our relationship,” said Seng Kwee Lim, director of global ...

   With the impending deadline for the Federal Motor Carrier Service Administration’s new hours-of-service regulations less than two months away, the outcome of the American Trucking Association’s legal challenge against the rule is still not clear.    The ATA argued against the HOS change before a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., on March 15, but unless a ruling comes down before July 1, carriers will nonetheless have to comply with the new law before knowing if it will be str...

   The White House on Wednesday welcomed growing exports for U.S. businesses, farmers, and ranchers on the first anniversary of the entry into force of the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement.    Via the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement, U.S. manufacturers have substantially increased their exports to the South American country.    In specific, U.S. exports of transportation equipment, petroleum and coal products, processed food, and computer and electronic products have risen t...

   Hapag-Lloyd said the rotation of the U.S. Gulf - South America East Coast Loop 1 (GS1) service is being revised.    Starting with the voyage of the ship Suape Express (1316N), the GS1 will replace the northbound call of Caucedo, Dominican Republic with Cartagena, Colombia. The first call in Cartagena will be on June 10.    The southbound call of Caucedo will continue.    The revised GS1 port rotation will be Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Cauced...

   The world's largest wholesale technology distributor Ingram Micro said this week it is opening a new facility in Costa Rica for its Ingram Micro Mobility mobile device lifecycle services and logistics solutions subsidiary.    The facility is designed to support Ingram Micro Mobility’s growing business in Latin America. Initially, the facility will be fully dedicated to supporting the company’s mobile device lifecycle services, specifically device recovery and technical repair. &nb...

   Rickmers Holding GmbH & Cie. KG, the parent of the Rickmers Group of shipping companies, intends to issue corporate bonds of up to 200 million euros ($258 million).    The Hamburg-based shipping company is looking to expand its containership chartering business in the face of declining interest by many traditional banks in the shipping industry and the collapse of the "KG" system of limited partnerships in Germany that were used to finance many ships in the past.   &...

   The Coast Guard has completed an environmental assessment of a plan by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to increase the clearance or "air draft" beneath the Bayonne Bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet and found no significant impact, meaning a permit can be issued so work can begin on the project.    Raising the roadway will allow larger container vessels to traverse the Kill Van Kull to reach terminals in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J. More big ships are expected to ca...

   DHL Supply Chain will invest 10 million euros ($12.9 million) in Vietnam over the next two years, hiring new staff, upgrading current infrastructure and building a new facility in North Vietnam.    The integrator began operations in the country in 2001.    DHL plans to hire 1,400 new workers in Vietnam, increasing its workforce by 170 percent. This new influx of employees will be added to an employment base that has already expanded by 800 workers in the past there years...

   The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill by a vote of 83 to 14 that sets the stage for Congress to appropriate money for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to spend on maintenance of harbors and inland waterways, and for deepening and other water-related projects.    Congress has not passed a WRDA law since 2007, which has put a freeze on new projects that industry groups insist are necessary to maintain efficient commerce and trade.&...

   Mark Ivey Sheppard, vice president for trade and development for the Alabama State Port Authority, died Tuesday at his home following a brief illness. He was 61 years old.    "Mark Sheppard’s sudden passing comes as a deep shock to our maritime and international trade community," said James K. Lyons, director and chief executive officer. "We are deeply saddened by Mark’s passing. He was a key member of our team and a good friend."    Recruited by the port authority in Feb...

   Heavy ice cover on the Great Lakes that stretched well into April slowed resumption of the region's limestone trade, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.    Shipments totaled only 1.8 million tons, a decrease of 28 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 21 percent off the month’s 5-year average.    Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 1.6 million tons, a decrease of 24 percent compared to a year ago, while loadings at Canadian quarries totaled 247,670 tons...

   C.R. England, one of North America's largest trucking companies, has appointed Sam Scott and Tracy Brown as new division presidents.    Scott has become president of the National and Regional Divisions, and Brown will assume the role of president of the Dedicated Division.    Scott has been with C.R. England since 2003, serving in various capacities at the manager, director and vice president levels in the company. In his most recent position, first as director, then vice...

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 13 ocean transportation intermediary license applications and changes for review.    The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier license applications from Feiliks Global Logistics Corp., Jamaica, N.Y. (Ami K. Wey, president); Hye Mi Express U.S.A., Torrance, Calif. (Kil Soo "Ben" Hur, president); and Sea Marine Transport, Huixquilucan, Mexico (Moises L. Sarabia, president).    The agency also received an NVO...

   The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), along with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), MAIZAR, representing Argentinian producers and the maize supply chain, and ABRAMILHO (Brazilian Association of Corn Producers) signed a memorandum of understanding this week to form an alliance of North and South American corn producers to collaborate to address key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image.    The organizations will operate under th...

   After a year-long review of substance-impaired driving in the trucking industry, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued recommendations for reducing the legal alcohol driving limit; ramping up the use of interlock devices; and beefing up penalties for non-compliance.    According to a NTSB report, the new legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers should drop from .08 to .05.    While the American Trucking Associations commended the progress on these measure...

   Hamburg Süd said revenues in 2012 were 4.8 billion euros ($6.17 billion), up 16 percent over 2011.    The German liner company said it handled 3.3 million TEUs last year, about 4 percent more than in 2011, which it said was “roughly in line with market growth.”    In a press release reviewing 2012, Hamburg Süd said “Europe-America and Far East services contributed in particular to this growth. Pleasing performance was seen, too, in some of the inter-Americ...

   Hapag-Lloyd had a net loss of 93.6 million euros ($120 million) in the first quarter 2013, an improvement over the net loss of 132.4 million euros recorded in the same period a year earlier.    “Liner shipping started 2013 on a higher level than in 2012. However, the competition remains extremely challenging. Rates have come under tangible pressure since April, especially on the important East-West routes, and competition is also becoming tougher on Latin America trades,” said Mic...

   The upward trend in cargo volumes at the Port of Virginia continued as the number of TEUs handled in April grew 5.7 percent when compared with the same month last year.    In April, the port handled 179,370 TEUs, an increase of 9,726 units compared with April 2012. Export TEUs tallied 96,261 and import TEUs were 83,109, an increase of 6.1 and 5.3 percent, respectively.    Year-to-date TEU volume is up 6.1 percent, an increase of almost 40,000 TEUs. Rail containers in Apr...

   Hapag-Lloyd has announced substantial rate increases and a peak season surcharge in the Asia-Europe trade.    They include: $1,000-per-TEU general rate increase on the Far East Westbound trade, effective July 1. This increase applies to shipments from East Asia (excluding Japan) to all North Europe and Mediterranean (excluding South and West Africa) destinations. Implementation of a peak season surcharge on cargo moving from East Asia (excluding Japan) to the Mediterranean of $650...

   FedEx Trade Networks has broken ground on an 83,000-square-foot facility at the Riverview Solar Technology Park in Tonawanda, N.Y.    The first wave of employees is set to move in near the end of this year.    FedEx is paying $5.2 million to build the 22-acre facility, which will include 55,000 square feet of office space. New York State has committed $2.56 million in tax credits to the project, and FedEx will receive another $1.9 million in tax relief from Erie County. ...

   Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez will lead a civil nuclear trade policy mission to Vietnam and China, May 17-23.    Representatives from 18 companies, law firms, and industry associations will join U.S. government officials on the mission, which will make stops in Hanoi, Vietnam; and Beijing and Ningbo, China. Sánchez    “Vietnam and China are both steadily expanding their nuclear power programs, which presents abundant opportunities fo...

   The Montreal Port Authority said the Canadian Coast Guard has authorized the passage of vessels up to 44 meters wide in the Quebec-Montreal section of the St. Lawrence navigation channel, which will allow post-Panamax vessels carrying 6,000 TEUs to reach Montreal.    Previously, the maximum width of ships allowed to travel in the channel without restrictions was 32.1 meters.    The change follows a study commissioned by the port authority and conducted jointly with the C...

   Cathay Pacific saw cargo activity fall 0.6 percent, year over year, to 123,805 tons in April as capacity ticked up by 1.5 percent.     So far this year, cargo tonnage has fallen 1.2 percent on a 3.2-percent capacity rise.    The Asian air carrier’s James Woodrow said the cargo market still hasn’t recovered from its “major dip” in April 2011. Two years, he added, is an unprecedented period of cargo malaise.    “While our tonnage last month was almost on a p...

   A half dozen container shipping lines say they will restructure their services between the Far East and South America east coast.    The Chilean carrier CSAV said the changes are being made "in view of continuous challenging trading conditions" in the trade.    It said that effective from July, CSAV, China Shipping, CMA CGM, Hamburg Süd, Hanjin and Maersk Line will restructure their services between the Far East and South America East Coast by launching three new joi...

   Total revenues at LATAM Airlines inched up 1.5 percent, year over year, to $3.4 billon on the strength of the carrier’s passenger revenues, while cargo revenues fell 3.2 percent during the first quarter.    As the group continues putting together the LAN and TAM businesses, it saw operating income shoot up 149.8 percent during the first quarter to $114.2 million as operating margin rose to 3.4 percent. Net income dropped 48.9 percent, year over year, to $42.7 million.   ...

   Yusen Logistics (Americas) will open a new 229,000-square-foot warehouse in Chicago on May 20 that will employ 170 people.    The warehouse will include 185,000 square feet dedicated to distribution and container freight station services, a climate-controlled area of 15,000 square feet, with separate freezer and refrigerated units totaling 3,000 square feet to accommodate the company’s growing perishables customer base.    The new facility is located near the cargo entra...

   Last month, Genesee & Wyoming’s consolidated carloads increased by 7.3 percent, year over year, to 157,700, with the company’s North American activity increasing by 6.4 percent.     Analysts at BB&T Capital Markets have anticipated a second-quarter carload result of around 472,000, an estimate which they now consider to be on the conservative side.    G&W’s best cargo during April came in the form of petroleum products, which shot up 69.9 percent, year o...

   This fall, Weiss-Rohlig will relocate its North American headquarters to an 87,975-square-foot facility currently under construction in Elk Grove Village, Ill.    Upon completion of the building, which is under construction by CenterPoint Properties, Weiss-Rohlig will initially lease 57 percent of the space.    The move will bring Weiss-Rohlig, currently based in Des Plaines, Ill., closer to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. - Jon Ross

   NYK Line (North America) has appointed Greg Meisenheimer to vice president of North America sales.    He started his career at NYK Line (North America) in 1990 as sales manager for Western region sales in the Los Angeles office. He progressed through various management roles until 2002 when he relocated to Hong Kong as NYK’s international sales manager. Upon returning to the Secaucus, N.J. headquarters in 2009, he became director of corporate sales and then senior director of sales...

   The Port of Long Beach is recirculating a draft environmental impact statement for a proposed grain export facility at Pier T on Terminal Island.    The public is being encouraged to comment on the EIR in writing or at a public hearing scheduled for June 5.    The grain transload facility proposed by Total Terminals International would receive railcars with 53-foot domestic containers full of grain and dried distillers grain with solubles, a byproduct of ethanol pro...

   The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has adopted a new arbitration program for disputes between shippers and railroads with clear liability limits.    Effective June 12, the rule change establishes when the parties would be ordered to participate in mediation.    Initially, Class I and II railroads were to be automatically enrolled in the arbitration program unless they specifically opted out of the program by application to the board. Class III rail...

   After a 0.2-percent decrease in March, U.S. import prices continued to fall, declining by 0.5 percent in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.    Export pricing also continued to decrease, falling by 0.7 percent in April after a 0.5-percent decrease a month earlier.    While consumer good imports rose by 0.3-percent in April, price drops on other non-fuel imports pushed the overall result to a 0.2-percent decline. Over the past year, nonfuel imports ha...

   CEVA has opened the 20,000-square-meter "City of Pharma," a healthcare warehousing and handling facility, in Stradella, Italy.    The area can be doubled in a short time to address future market demands, the company said.    The integrated logistics hub places many different companies from the same industry in one location. According to a press release, this configuration will allow CEVA to better respond to fluctuations in the market. City of Pharma takes an approa...

   Preparations for upcoming negotiations between the United States and European Union on a transatlantic free trade and investment agreement were on the agenda Monday when U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron visited the White House.    The United States and European Union enjoy the world's largest economic relationship, accounting for a third of total goods and services trade, and half of world output. Trade supports 13 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Each day an ...

   NOL, the Singapore-based parent of liner carrier APL, said Tuesday its first quarter operating losses fell 64 percent to $85 million, compared to the same period in 2012.    Operating losses for APL alone fell 59 percent to $101 million, while operating profits from APL Logistics grew 27 percent to $16 million.    The NOL Group had a $76 million net profit in the first quarter, a huge improvement over the $254 million it lost in the first quarter of 2012.    Li...

   The Port of Virginia set a record Saturday for handling the heaviest containership on the U.S. East Coast when the MSC Chicago sailed through the 50-foot channel with export cargo at a draft of 49 feet, according to the port authority.    Export cargo often consists of grains, waste paper, machinery and other heavy products that typically weigh more than imports of consumer goods, making it difficult for ocean carriers to fully load vessels with full containers in many ports....

   During the first quarter, DHL increased its revenues by 0.6 percent, year over year, to 13.4 billion euros ($17.4 billion), and before-tax earnings rose by 4 percent to 427 million euros ($553.9 million).    Net income increased by 45 percent, year over year, but net profits fell to 498 million euros ($646 million) from a total of 529 million euros ($686.2 million) during the first three months of 2012.    Frank Appel, DHL’s chief executive officer, noted these relativel...

Matsuda    David T. Matsuda, head of the Maritime Administration, plans to leave the agency at the end of the month.    In a memorandum sent to industry leaders to thank them for their assistance during his tenure, Matsuda said he "recently made the difficult decision to move on from my position at the Maritime Administration later this month."    He added: "Taking the helm as acting administrator will be Deputy Administrator Chip Jaenichen. He and the rest of our team are ...

   Old Dominion Freight Line expects daily tonnage to grow by 4.5 percent to 5 percent, year over year, during the second quarter, an affirmation of previous predictions.    Revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges, should rise by between 1.5 percent and 2 percent in the same time period, the less-than-truckload carrier said.    In the first quarter, Old Dominion saw total tonnage rise by 3.5 percent to 1,717 tons on 1.6-percent fewer working days. Revenue per h...

   YRC's proposal to acquire ABF in the middle of union negotiations is "unconscionable," according to James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.    The two parties reached a tentative, five-year contract agreement earlier this month after negotiating since early January, but no firm details of the contract have been officially released. According to the Teamsters for a Democratic Union, ABF was looking for a 6.5-percent wage cut and reductions i...

   SeaIntel Maritime Analysis says some carriers appear to be moving freight in the Asia-Europe trade lane at below the price of fuel.    In the most recent issue of its SeaIntel Sunday Spotlight newsletter, the company says it calculated the average bunker adjustment factor for the trade by averaging those of the top 15 carriers.    "When subtracting the BAF, which is there to compensate for the fuel costs, the base rate according to the Shanghai Container Freight Index dr...

   A third runway at London Heathrow Airport is the only way to prevent a cargo capacity crisis, according to Larry Coyne, CEO of Coyne Airways.    In a speech last week in London, Coyne said U.K. logistics firms are vulnerable to losing out on business to companies in mainland Europe if the capacity crunch is not addressed.    His speech came in reaction to the push for an airport on Thames Island in London, a proposal that calls for a two-runway airport with rail and seapo...

   United Arab Shipping Co. said an explosion Saturday morning in the engine room of its ship Asir, while en route from Suez to Jeddah, injured three officers.    The ship is adrift and the company has entered into towage contracts to move it to its destination in Jeddah.    Another UASC vessel, Jebel Ali, is providing standby assistance until the towing operations commence. Efforts are continuing to restore power to the ship, which has a capacity of 4101 TEUs, ac...

   Lloyd's List  reported China Shipping Group Chairman Li Shaode has confirmed the five 18,400-TEU ships his company has ordered will be deployed in a 10-year joint service with United Arab Shipping Co.    American Shipper was not able to confirm the report with UASC that it will order ships similar in size to those that China Shipping will acquire from Hyundai Heavy Industries. Strings operating between Asia and North Europe usually consist of 10 similar size ves...

   The Port of Seattle promoted Kurt Beckett to deputy chief executive officer with primary responsibility for port infrastructure development and internal operations.    The move will allow Tay Yoshitani, the port’s CEO, to focus on business development, attracting new shipping lines and air services to Seattle, and advancing policy issues central to the port’s competitiveness.    “We’re facing stiff competition from ports throughout North America,” Yoshitani said in a sta...

   Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, or TWIC cards, were described as a “joke” during hearings before the U.S. House of Representative’s Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee last week.    The hearings came as the Government Accountability Office issued a report that said  11 years after initiation of the program the Department of Homeland Security “has not demonstrated how, if at all, TWIC will improve maritime security.”    G...

   Non-vessel-operating common carrier CaroTrans said Monday it is expanding its network into the Baltic and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets, including services into Russia.    The first of what CaroTrans said will be “many future services” is a direct, weekly less-than container load (LCL) and full container load (FCL) export service from New York to Klaipeda port in Lithuania.    The first sailing of the service departed New York on April 22 with arr...

   The U.S. Department of Transportation made it official Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration will not furlough air traffic controllers or close 149 low-activity control towers at small airports to meet new budget requirements following recent congressional action.    The Reducing Flight Delays Act allowed the FAA flexibility to move money from its Airport Improvement Program to the personnel account to cover $637 million in planned cuts that would have required cont...