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| Washington Notebook: U.S.-EU trade talks to start next month |
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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U.S-EU free trade negotiations. The United States and European Union announced during the G-8 Summit in Ireland that they would begin formal trade negotiations the week of July 8 in Washington. U.S. and European Commission officials have been making preliminary plans for talks since the beginning of the year and the announcement follows final approval in recent days from the European Parliament. Completion of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is expe...
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| Executive moves |
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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Tay Yoshitani , chief executive officer of the Port of Seattle, and Phil Washington , general manager of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver, were appointed to the Washington-based Eno Center for Transportation’s board. Eno’s board also held elections for officers. Lillian Borrone , chairman; Mort Downey , secretary; and David Plavin , treasurer, were all re-elected to their positions for a one-year term. DSV Road Ltd. has appointed Jesper Hansen as...
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| Ag fee 'galling' to Canadian truckers |
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Monday, June 17, 2013
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The Canadian Trucking Alliance has voiced concerns over the cross-border trucking fees collected by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and is worried they may soon increase. Truckers pay a fee of $5.25 to the U.S. agency every time they cross the border, according to the alliance, and a recent study that shows the fees aren't generating enough revenue could lead to a larger fee. The fees are assessed whether or not the carrier is carrying ...
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| Truckers celebrate C-TPAT reporting changes |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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Canadian and U.S. truckers have complained about punitive measures following C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) security breaches, and the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to make suspension or removal from the program not immediate. The department has also published a document outlining the measures it will take when security breaches occur. Carriers had been concerned about the lack of transparency involved in security-b...
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| Supreme Court strikes down parts of clean truck program |
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Friday, June 14, 2013
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) in the group’s effort to turn back the Port of Los Angeles' efforts to regulate the drayage trucking industry. In 2007, the port created a Clean Truck Program that required trucking companies operating at the port to enter into concession agreements. The concession agreements made a number of requirements on drayage companies including these five: that they be emplo...
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| Food aid hearing targets U.S.-flag shipping |
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
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Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday in a hearing the requirement that half of U.S. food aid be move on U.S.-flag vessels is an ”impediment to an effective, efficient program. ” “Decades ago, this cargo preference was seen as a way to ensure a reserve of ships and crew for the U.S. Navy in times of war. But by restricting competition to the few U.S.-flagged ships still sailing—the majority of which do not meet the ...
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| EU paves way to Single European Sky |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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The number of flights in the European Union are predicted to increase by 50 percent in the next 20 years, and the European Commission has taken action today to jumpstart its Single European Sky solution to this pending capacity issue. The commission recently proposed updating the Single European Sky regulations and amending rules governing the European Aviation Safety Agency. The proposals, which are grouped under the name, SES2+, are to lead to better safety and oversight, enh...
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| Environmental groups sue over LA rail terminal |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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Enviornmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court challenging plans to build the Southern California International Gateway railyard project . NRDC complained the project "violates the California Environmental Quality Act and the state and federal Civil Rights Acts, and will increase cancer rates, chances of children developing asthma, and add to chronic air pollution plaguing the region." &nb...
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| G20 lagging behind in trade, study finds |
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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Of the 20 nations in the G20, a group that has pledged to roll back protectionist trade measures, only Canada ranks among the top 20 trade markets in the world, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Open Markets Index . The biennial index, which was created to follow up on open-trade pledges by governments, ranks 75 countries according to openness to foreign investment, trade-enabling infrastructure, trade policy and overall trade openness. The countries are ...
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| MSP ships will be hit by sequestration |
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Monday, June 10, 2013
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Ships in the Maritime Security Program (MSP), under which operators of 60 U.S.-flag ships receive a $3.1 million stipend to offset higher operating costs, such as employing U.S. mariners on ships in foreign trade, will only get about 75 percent of their normal monthly stipend in August and none in September because of the effect of sequestration on the federal budget, said Paul N. Jaenichen Sr., deputy maritime administrator at the U.S. Maritime Administration. Jaenich...
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| Washington Notebook: DOT selects experts for Freight Advisory Committee |
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Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday named 47 professionals from industry, academia, labor, safety advocacy and government to its inaugural Freight Advisory Committee, which will provide advice and recommendations for improving the national freight transportation system. Its first order of business will be to help the department create a national freight transportation strategy, as required by last year's MAP-21 surface transportation law. The DOT said it sought to ...
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| Executive moves |
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Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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NOL Group, the Singapore parent of the liner company APL, has appointed Tom Behrens-Sørensen to its board of directors. Behrens-Sørensen’s career included a 30-year tenure at A.P. Moller-Maersk, where he held several senior leadership roles. NOL said he led Maersk's expansion into China from 1994 through 2009. Based in Beijing, Behrens-Sørensen is a co-founder of the European Union Chamber of Commerce and of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China. He has been...
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| Commerce finds subsidized Asian shrimp imports |
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Friday, May 31, 2013
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The U.S. Commerce Department has found shippers of certain frozen shrimp in China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam receive government subsidies, while those in Ecuador and Indonesia do not. In its China investigation, Commerce preliminarily determined that the sole respondent, Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. and its cross-owed affiliates, received a subsidy rate of 5.76 percent. All other producers and exporters in China have also been assigned a preliminary s...
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| Port charge faces possible challenge in NJ legislature |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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A $4.95-per-TEU fee implemented by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in March 2011 that is already the subject of a complaint before the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission faces a new challenge in the New Jersey state legislature. The port authority implemented the Cargo Facility Charge in 2011 to help pay for road and rail infrastructure, as well as security at the port. (There is also a $1.11 charge on automobiles and 13 cents per metric ton on other cargo.) &nb...
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| Don't increase truck weight limits, group says |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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Truck sizes and weight limits should not be increased as a result of the Department of Transportation’s weight-limit study, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Officials from the organization made their thoughts clear during the DOT’s first public information session Wednesday in Washington on its comprehensive truck size and weight limits study, an analysis required by the MAP-21 bill. Three additional input sessions are planned. Attend...
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| U.S. gains upgraded ‘mad cow’ risk classification |
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
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The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has upgraded the United States’ risk classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow” disease, to negligible risk. “This is a significant achievement that has been many years in the making for the United States, American beef producers and businesses, and federal and state partners who work together to maintain a system of interlocking safeguards against BSE that protect our public and animal health,” sai...
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| ICAO signs agreement with Canada |
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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The International Civil Aviation Organization has signed a new agreement with Canada to keep the agency in its Montreal home through November 2036. The current agreement, signed in 1996, would have expired in 2016. “ICAO is very grateful to Canada and the local Quebec and Montreal governments for their continuing efforts to facilitate the work of our organization and its diplomatic missions,” ICAO's secretary general, Raymond Benjamin, said in a statement. “Montreal is the third...
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| ICAO, Air Transport Action Group fight carbon emissions |
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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Promoting best practices, supporting new strategy development and encouraging research are just some of the ways to reduce global emissions, according to a recently signed document between the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Air Transport Action Group. Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, ICAO council president, and ATAG’s Paul Steele signed the joint statement agreement at the fourth ICAO Symposium on Aviation and the Environment. The document offers six key actions neede...
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| Food aid reform may be revised |
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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President Obama's plans to overhaul food aid by allowing more regional and local purchase of food may be revised because of congressional opposition. An article appearing in on the Website of the Roll Call newspaper on Friday said there is concern by members of Congress from both parties that the planned changes would hurt U.S. farmers and U.S. shipping companies. The newspaper said Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., is working on a smaller package of changes to the food aid program.
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| Bridge collapses on major U.S.-Canada link |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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A bridge on Interstate-5, the major U.S. West Coast highway, collapsed into the Skagit River on Thursday evening. The bridge, north of Seattle, is the major artery for vehicles moving to and from Vancouver and other locations in Western Canada. The Seattle Times reported the bridge is used by an average 70,000 vehicles per day, 12 percent of which are trucks . Sean McNally, press secretary for the American Trucking Associations, said those appeared to be 2007 estima...
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| Executive moves |
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Friday, May 24, 2013
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Americold, a temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics provider to the food industry, appointed Jed Milstein to executive vice president and chief human resources officer, and Jeff Hogarth to senior vice president for Asia-Pacific. Milstein joins Americold after serving as executive vice president of human resources for TransCentra, a billing and payments provider. Prior to this, he was the head of HR for Cerberus Operations and Advisory Co. Hogarth, a 23-yea...
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| U.S. targets trade buildup in Latin America |
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank last week wrapped up a seven-day trip to Latin America to help drum up business for U.S. companies engaged in infrastructure planning and construction with a speech at the American Chamber of Commerce Panama where she highlighted the importance of trade relations with the Central American nation. Twenty companies specializing in project management, transportation, energy and water resource infrastructure accompanied Blank on her ...
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| Concerns about U.S. Merchant Marine aired at hearing |
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Challenges facing the U.S. Merchant Marine, including the loss of potential food aid cargo because of changes planned by the Obama administration to food aid programs, were highlighted during a hearing by the U.S. House's Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Tuesday. Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said “unfortunately, over the last 35 years, the number of U.S.-flagged vessels sailing in the international trade has dropped from 850 to less th...
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| Association to certify truckers against trafficking |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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The Truckload Carriers Association and Truckers Against Trafficking have teamed up to educate and train truckers on how to recognize and report sex trafficking, a crime that has been reported in every U.S. state. TCA will now start giving tests to truckers around the country so they can become a Certified Trucker Against Trafficking. The test is being given without any costs to the trucker and is based on a video viewable here . The organization will also pro...
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| Washington Notebook: Virginia transport politics, Commerce's export awards |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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Va. Gov. McDonnell signs landmark transportation bill. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell last week signed the breakthrough transportation funding bill passed by the General Assembly in March. The "Virginia's Road to the Future" bill, the first comprehensive transportation funding plan in 27 years, provides an additional $3.5 billion in funding by 2018 for new road and bridge construction, mass transit, rail and other needs, along with several reforms to improve project development. &...
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| Florida Gov. Scott's budget favors ports |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
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Gov. Scott The budget signed Monday by Florida Gov. Rick Scott includes a record $278 million for development of the the state's 15 seaports. Port directors applauded Scott for making ports and trade a priority of his economic agenda. Florida is providing $112 million toward the $181 million cost of dredging the Port of Miami's main channel from 42 to 50 feet, including $77 million for the federal share of the project at Scott's direction. The governor has also committed t...
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| FMC proposes OTI reforms |
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Friday, May 17, 2013
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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...
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| Postal group signs deal with Amber Road |
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
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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...
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| Senate approves water infrastructure bill |
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
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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.&...
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| NTSB: Reduce legal limit to hinder drunk truck drivers |
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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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...
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| U.S. civil nuclear trade mission to China, Vietnam |
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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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...
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| Washington Notebook: British leader discusses trade deal with Obama |
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
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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 ...
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| Spanish version of U.S. trade finance guide released |
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Thursday, May 09, 2013
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The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration has released a Spanish language version of its Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters . The guide was created specifically to help U.S. small and midsized businesses overcome one of their major export challenges, how to get paid from export sales, thereby helping turn their export opportunities into actual sales, the department said. “Since the publication of its first edition in 20...
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| WTO picks Brazilian diplomat as new boss |
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Wednesday, May 08, 2013
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The World Trade Organization on Tuesday finalized its selection for the next director general to replace Pascal Lamy, whose term ends Aug. 31. Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo of Brazil was picked, making him the first diplomat from Latin America to lead the WTO, which was set up in 1995. Nine countries presented candidates for the post in December 2012, and it had recently come down to Azevêdo and Mexico’s Herminio Blanco. Azevêdo, a Brazilian career diplo...
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| Washington Notebook: Commerce Department trade update |
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Tuesday, May 07, 2013
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Trade finance association to support NEI. The Finance, Credit and International Business Association (FCIB) and the U.S. Commercial Service of the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase awareness in the U.S. business community, particularly among small and midsized businesses, about exporting and the tools and resources our organizations provide to help them succeed. The FCIB and ITA have previously collabo...
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| Business groups push Senate to act on WRDA |
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Friday, May 03, 2013
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Thirty-four national trade associations representing port authorities, water carriers, retailers and other shippers, the construction industry and unions, along with dozens of state-level business groups, signed a letter this week urging members of the U.S. Senate to support quick passage of the Water Resources Development Act. The Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee unanimously approved the bill in late March and forwarded it for Senate consideration. It spells...
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| Electronic shippers seek ‘repairable’ claim |
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Friday, May 03, 2013
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The Basel Action Network (BAN), a group opposed to the international dumping of toxic waste in developing countries, has condemned recent lobbying efforts by computer and other electronic equipment manufacturers for trade exemptions to export e-waste. “The proposed exemptions would allow untested or non-functional electronic waste, often containing toxic lead, cadmium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, to be considered a non-waste and subject to free-trade in many circum...
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| Allegretti to chair American Maritime Partnership |
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Thursday, May 02, 2013
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Allegretti The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), a trade organization for the U.S. shipping industry, said Thomas Allegretti has been elected as its new chairman. Allegretti is president and chief executive officer of the American Waterways Operators, a trade group for the tug and barge industry. He succeeds James Henry, chairman and president of the Transportation Institute, who will serve as AMP’s vice chairman. “It is an honor to serve ...
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| NCBFAA protests Customs plan for disciplining brokers |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America has come out against a U.S. Customs proposal to improve due process procedures for suspending a broker's entry-filer code, saying that going after the code is a back-door way of trying to take away a broker's license and is unconstitutional. Customs and Border Protection has been frustrated for years with the amount of time it takes to deactivate filer codes for problematic brokers. In a Notice of Pro...
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| Forwarders support foreign NVOs using NRAs |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America said it strongly supports extending exemptions pertaining to non-vessel-operating common carrier negotiated rate arrangements (NRAs) to foreign-based, unlicensed NVOs as well as U.S.-licensed companies. The association said the continued existence of NVO rate tariff publication no longer serves a useful purpose because shippers don't use them and they are able to conduct business with NVOs through the ...
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| Executive moves |
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
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Tim Lovain was named vice chairman and chairman-elect for the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC). Lovain has been involved in the coalition for 12 years, serving on its board and helping its efforts with Congress and federal agencies. The board consists of 16 members representing the geographic and organizational diversity of CAGTC and works toward advancing the nation’s freight network. CAGTC was established in 2001 to raise public an...
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| Obama taps Charlotte mayor as next DOT head |
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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President Obama has named Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to succeed Ray LaHood as secretary of transportation. Foxx must now be confirmed by the Senate before taking his post. LaHood, who has served as transportation secretary since 2009, announced in late January that he would resign his post as soon as a successor was confirmed. In a letter to DOT employees at the time, LaHood noted his successes over the previous four years. The contentious pilot fatigue rulin...
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| Chemistry Council lends support to class action rail suit |
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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A federal appeals court will soon rule on whether an antitrust case against four railroads that allegedly engaged in price-fixing can be tried in the courts as a class action suit. Dakota Granite Co., Zinifex Taylor Chemicals and 11 other shippers brought a suit against BNSF, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific in 2007. The plaintiffs alleged the carriers illegally imposed surcharges from 2003 to 2008. In that case, the judge allowed for a class-action su...
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| Analysis: Florida's deep-dredge projects face new hurdles |
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Monday, April 29, 2013
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Two South Florida ports, Miami and Port Everglades, are prime examples of the dysfunctional approach in the United States for improving the waterborne transportation system. Projects undergo a series of congressional approvals and feasibility studies that easily can take longer than a decade to complete before dredging even starts. Cargo interests worry the Army Corps of Engineers' slow bureaucracy and the paucity of congressional appropriations for increasing ...
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| Qatar proposes permanent ICAO move |
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Monday, April 29, 2013
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Officials with the International Civil Aviation Organization are currently negotiating a new lease for their headquarters in Montreal, but another suitor has emerged. Qatar has proposed that ICAO make Doha the permanent seat of the organization, starting in 2016. Qatar’s offer, according to ICAO’s rules, must be considered by the organization’s 191 member states at the next assembly, which will take place on Sept. 24. Moving the organization to Qatar will req...
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| Freight execs tie tax reform, infrastructure to environmental gains |
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Friday, April 26, 2013
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Industry leaders concurred during testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the freight transportation industry is doing a lot to make fleets greener, but said Congress could help reduce air pollution by making it easier to adopt clean energy systems and get infrastructure projects completed that reduce congestion. Fred Smith, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of FedEx Corp., suggested a reduction in corporate tax rates would help companies ad...
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| Debate over shipping and food aid heats up |
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
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The debate over reform of U.S. food-aid programs heated up yesterday with a leading organization of U.S.-flag shipowners saying a proposal by the Obama administration to allow more purchasing of food abroad and eliminating requirements that it be carried on U.S. merchant ships would “dismantle an effective tool of American diplomacy.” James L. Henry, chairman of USA Maritime, said in a statement “so-called food aid reformers point to U.S. ocean carriers as the primary exam...
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| FAA work reductions continue to slow air traffic |
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's rolling furlough of 15,000 air traffic controllers is into its fifth day and continues to slow air traffic in the United States. Department of Transportation officials insist the workforce reductions will not compromise safety because controllers are spacing planes further apart so they can manage traffic with fewer on-duty personnel. The trade association representing passenger carriers, as well as cargo airline...
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| Executive moves |
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
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Pacer International/Ocean World Lines has appointed Al Benki to senior vice president of international logistics in the United States and Europe. He formerly served as the company’s senior vice president of international logistics for Asia and Europe. Taking Benki’s place in Asia is Danny Yang, who will serve as managing director for Asia. Benson Chua has become Pacer International/OWL’s managing director in China, while Andrew Luk continues to manage t...
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| Evans, Osigna appointed to TIACA leadership posts |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Swiss WorldCargo’s top cargo executive, Oliver Evans, has been elected to serve as chairman of The International Air Cargo Association, replacing Michael Steen, chief commercial officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. Enno Osinga, the cargo head at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, will join Evans as his vice chairman. The appointments come with a two-year term. The two were elected during TIACA's annual general meeting, held prior to the agency's executive summit in Dallas...
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| Unions, shipowners say some governments not investigating casualties |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Shipowners and seafarers' unions have joined forces to express concern at flag states’ failure to submit maritime casualty reports as required under international conventions. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 80 percent of the world merchant fleet, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents seafarers’ unions worldwide, have made a joint submission to the International Maritime Organization commenting on the apparent f...
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| Executive moves |
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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Geoff Turner, president and chief executive officer of Choptank Transport, was elected chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association. “TIA will continue to be the premier organization providing superior leadership in Washington, quality educational programs and a long list of services to support our members both small and large. I look forward to working with all of our members," Turner said in a statement. Globe Express Services has appointed Regina Cro...
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| FAA furloughs kick in, reducing airport capacity |
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Monday, April 22, 2013
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Shippers should expect delays receiving air cargo moving through major airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York after the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday began to furlough air traffic controllers as promised to make good on forced budget cuts that hit the entire government in March. Critics said the Obama administration is using the reductions in air traffic control hours to...
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| U.K. eager for benefits of transatlantic trade deal |
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Monday, April 22, 2013
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The U.K. ambassador to the United States said last week his nation is hopeful for a quick commencement and conclusion of trade negotiations between the United States and European Union. The so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnerships (TTIP) would bring free trade benefits to the two biggest trading blocs in the world. President Obama announced an intent to pursue the pact during his State of the Union address earlier this year. “We were delighted that ...
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| ICAO, TIACA to collaborate on air cargo issues |
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Friday, April 19, 2013
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The International Air Cargo Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. standard-setting body for international regulation of the aviation industry, on Thursday cemented their burgeoning relationship by agreeing to regularly consult on security and other issues to advance the air cargo industry. Officials for the two organizations signed a Declaration of Intent in Dallas during TIACA's annual Executive Summit, which was attended by about 180 people...
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| White paper outlines benefits of produce traceability initiative |
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Thursday, April 18, 2013
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RedLine Solutions, a provider of inventory and supply chain traceability systems, has released a new white paper, “Beyond Traceability: The Benefits of the PTI” about the supply chain impacts of the Produce Traceability Initiative. Written by one of the primary architects of the PTI, Gary Fleming, the white paper details crucial supply chain and operational efficiencies that companies can gain by implementing the PTI and its ancillary tools. “Most companies fail to...
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| Concern over rush to renew TWIC cards |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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Concern about whether the Transportation Security Administration will be able to efficiently handle the renewal of large numbers of Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) expiring this year was raised Tuesday by Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., at a hearing of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Coast Guard and maritime transport subcommittee. “I don’t know if I am misinformed, but I was told that we actually have no plan moving forward ...
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| Supreme Court hears arguments in L.A. drayage truck case |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in the American Trucking Associations' ongoing challenge to the Port of Los Angeles to impose a comprehensive licensing scheme on trucks hauling freight in and out of the port. A transcript of the argument can be read here. "We believe it is clear that in 1980 Congress established that trucking should be shaped by the competitive market, rather than government regulations," said ATA Deputy Chief Counsel Richard Pi...
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| Congressmen say food aid reforms threaten U.S. fleet |
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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Members of Congress yesterday blasted plans by the Obama administration to modify food aid programs to allow more local and regional purchasing of food, citing negative effects on both farmers and the U.S. merchant marine. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Coast Guard and maritime transport subcommittee, noted the budget for the Maritime Administration is being increased 3.6 percent over the current year, but s...
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| U.S. agrees to let Japan enter TPP talks |
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Monday, April 15, 2013
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The United States and Japan on Friday announced they had reached agreement on Japan's participation in negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Japan last month signaled its willingness to join the TPP and would become the 12th nation in the talks once approved by the current partners. As the world's third largest economy, it's participation would make a Pacific Rim trade bloc extremely powerful, accounting for nearly 40 percent of global GDP...
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