Regulatory

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   The Senate voted 78-20 to pass a bill to renew the U.S. Export Import Bank's charter for another three years and raise its lending cap from $100 billion to $140 billion.    The Coalition for Employment through Exports (CEE) and National Foreign Trade Council applauded the passing of H.R. 2072 (Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011) reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank.    John Hardy, president of CEE, said, “with the extension of the charter expiring at the end...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   For the European Union, all public sector buyers will be required to do their procurement electronically by 2016, according to a new deadline.    The European Commission set the 2016 deadline because it believes that some 100 billion euros of the current 2 trillion euros spent annually on procurement can be saved in the European Union by mandating that companies use e-procurement tools.    Activities covered under the guidelines include posting all contrac...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received six license applications and changes for review.    The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier/ocean freight forwarder license applications from NC Freight & Logistics, Miami (Lorenzo J. Colina, member); and Rockin Boxes Global, Valencia, Calif. (Omar Cantos, vice president).    The agency also received license change requests for qualified individuals from Data Freight, Inglewood, Calif. (Edison Chen, manag...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

   The U.S. Export-Import Bank announced Monday that U.S. business aircraft and helicopters manufacturers will benefit from a new process to assess credit risks and expedite foreign-buyer financing.    The bank hopes the new process will further facilitate the country’s exports of U.S.-made business aircraft.    “Ex-Im Bank understands that business-aircraft transactions require specialized knowledge and experience but has limited resources to meet the growing demand for ex...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

   The European Union Naval Force has attacked pirate bases in Somalia for the first time.    In a press release, EU Navfor said it "conducted an operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline." Broadcaster BBC said EU forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of Haradhere and destroyed several boats.    The attack followed a March 23 decision by the Council of the European Union to allow the EU Naval Force to take disruption act...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Rep. Hahn wants more policy focus on ports.    Members of the congressional PORTS Caucus are scheduled to meet with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood next month to press the connection between port investment and economic growth, Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., told a pro-freight audience last week at the annual conference of the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors on Capitol Hill.   The PORTS Caucus, founded by Hahn last fall, has about 65 members.    "We re...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

   The U.S. Coast Guard said it's monitoring salvage efforts on the 900-foot container ship MSC Idil after an explosion that occurred on Friday.    The ship was about 60 miles north of Puerto Rico, in transit to Barcelona, Spain when the explosion happened. The Coast Guard said it has not been on the ship, but was told the likely cause involved welding.    The Coast Guard cutter Key Largo is on scene with the MSC Idil ready to provide any rescue assistance, while monitoring...

Monday, May 14, 2012

   The United States on Friday asked the World Trade Organization to establish a dispute settlement panel to decide U.S. claims regarding India’s restrictions on imports of various U.S. agricultural products, including poultry meat and eggs.    While India asserts that its measures are aimed at preventing entry of avian influenza, the United States claims India’s measures are inconsistent with the science, international guidelines, and standards India has set for its own domestic indu...

Friday, May 11, 2012

   The U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday reported that exports of goods and services from the country in March were up 2.9 percent from February to reach a record $186.8 billion.    Record highs were seen in U.S. exports of both total services ($54.1 billion), and goods ($132.7 billion), with record levels of exports of industrial supplies ($44.3 billion) and capital goods ($44.4 billion). U.S. goods and services exports year-to-date through the first quarter of 2012 were up 8.2 p...

Friday, May 11, 2012

   Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano has formally notified Congress that her department will postpone by two years the mandate that all inbound ocean containers be scanned for hidden nuclear weapons or other terror-related contraband at foreign ports by July 2012.    The 9/11 Recommendations Act that required the 100-percent inspections included authority for the secretary to waive the deadline under certain conditions.    In a May 2 letter to the House and Senate Homelan...

Friday, May 11, 2012

   The federal government is easing rules requiring railroads to install positive train control (PTC) equipment, saving the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.    The Department of Transportation said under the revisions announced Thursday railroads will no longer have to conduct risk analyses to obtain approval to not install PTC or take other costly risk mitigation measures on an estimated 10,000 miles of track that will not carry passenger trains or toxic-by-inhalation (TIH) ...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   Axway, which develops cloud-based software, has announced Nathan Associates has picked the company’s business-to-business integration (B2Bi) service to run a single window pilot program.    The pilot is being put into place by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The goal of the single window is to reduce the time needed to process import and export documents, allowing businesses to operate more efficiently. ASEAN also said it expects the program to b...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   As part of a multipronged effort to streamline compliance requirements, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will open two more industry-focused units aimed at centralizing the import process for trusted shippers, one for automotive and aerospace in Detroit and one for petroleum, natural gas and minerals in Houston.    Customs officials made the announcement Thursday in Long Beach, Calif., during the agency's annual Trade Symposium, which is being held on the West Coast for fir...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday voted to advance a bill that directs the Department of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on gaps in port security and how to address them.    The "Gauging American Port Security Act" was introduced by Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., who has taken an active interest in port issues since winning a seat in a special election last year. She is the founder of the PORTS Caucus on Capitol Hill.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 11 license applications for review.    The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier license applications from Four Points Ocean, Woodbridge, N.J. (Joseph Felitto, president); Senderex Cargo, Los Angeles (Roger C. Anderson, chief executive officer); and Worldwide Cargo Services, Lawrence, N.Y. (Scott Halfon, treasurer).    The agency received NVO-ocean freight forwarder license applications from DTS World Carg...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   U.S. and European Union customs officials have finalized an agreement to treat qualified shippers in their respective supply chain security programs as equivalent to their own, but a wide range of technical details must still be worked out before low-risk companies can enjoy reduced fees and inspection levels for ocean freight.    Under the agreement signed last Friday, Customs and Border Protection will recognize voluntary participants in the EU's Authorized Ec...

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   Retailers on Tuesday advised the House Committee on Natural Resources' subcommittee on fisheries, wildlife oceans and insular affairs that several significant compliance challenges have emerged from the 2008 Lacey Act Amendment that deserve attention from Congress.    The law requires importers to provide to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service details such as the genus, species and country of harvest for products that include wood m...

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) has voiced concern over a pending EU regulation that requires independent validation of agents involved in air cargo shipments to Europe.    The law is an amendment to the EU security regime for air cargo and mail and went into effect Feb 1. It requires an airline to validate agents in third-party countries on all shipments into Europe.    “Simply put, there seems to be a gap between the expected cap...

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday said Direct Resource Inc. has agreed to pay the government $450,000 to resolve allegations that it falsely claimed payment in violation of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), which prohibits the sale of products to federal agencies from countries that do not have a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States.     The Columbus, Ohio-based company allegedly knowingly sold products from China, a country that does not have such an agr...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   The Maritime Administration has posted guidance for shipments financed by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, as the House of Representatives is expected to take up Wednesday a bipartisan proposal for continued bank funding.    MarAd describes its standard procedures for facilitating Ex-Im Bank cargo on U.S.-flag vessels, certification of U.S.-flag vessel non-availability, and reconsideration of the agency's determinations.    In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011,...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday shutdown Judson Mobley Logging, a small Georgia-based motor carrier that hauled logs, because of unsafe operating practices.    The agency said investigators found multiple violations of drug and alcohol testing procedures, driver qualifications and vehicle maintenance rules, and declared the company "an imminent hazard to public safety."    The enforcement action followed the discovery that Judson Mobley...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) will hold a seminar on safety at sea in Washington May 21.    The seminar, titled “Environmental Intelligence in Maritime: Safety at Sea” will feature discussions of shipboard safety, piracy, and an update on issues for seafarers and will begin at 3 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington.    Panelists will include Coast Guard Vice Adm. Brian Salerno; Michael Bohlman of Horizon Lines; Benjamin St...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   A group of House lawmakers told President Obama not to compromise on the country’s “Buy American” procurement policies during Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement talks.    Under the proposed TPP framework, individual states and the federal government would be required to bring existing and future domestic policies into compliance with the agreement. One of the 26 TPP chapters specifically covers government procurement policy.    “Failure to conform our...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to remove the remains of a Civil War-era vessel that remains an obstacle to a major harbor deepening project for the Port of Savannah.    The Corps of Engineers will spend an estimated $14 million to remove the Confederate ironclad warship Georgia and its ordinance, which was reportedly scuttled in December 1864 just before Union General Sherman’s arrival in the port city. The vessel never fired a shot during the war and essentially ser...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   China’s new five-year plan for its solar industry threatens to further incapacitate U.S. domestic and world market share, an industry group warned.    "The Chinese government launched a trade war against the U.S. domestic industry, took over the leadership of the largest American industry trade association and began driving U.S. solar manufacturing pioneers out of business," said Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America, the largest U.S. solar manu...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   The FBI last week made arrests in what it said was “the largest takedown in U.S. history involving cargo theft."    Eleven people were indicted.    John V. Gillies, special agent in charge for FBI Miami, said the theft involved more than $100 million, including $80 million worth of pharmaceuticals and "dealt a major blow to this Miami-based criminal organization."    Operation Southern Hospitality, as the investigation was dubbed, targeted individuals invol...

Friday, May 04, 2012

   The Swiss forwarding and logistics company Panalpina said it had a 40.4 million Swiss franc ($44.1 million) loss in the first quarter because of provisions for antitrust fines from Switzerland and European Union, compared to a 34.9 millon Swiss franc (CHF) profit in the first quarter of 2011.    Panalpina has decided to appeal the European Commission’s decision to the European General Court. “We believe the amount is not justified, which is why we are going to appea...

Thursday, May 03, 2012

   Amber Road, formerly Management Dynamics and a provider of global trade management systems, has released a study on U.S.-based mid-market companies' export compliance challenges and found they are increasingly at risk of violating federal regulations.    Of the 150 companies surveyed, 23 percent do not screen for restricted parties prior to engaging overseas customers. For those that did perform this screening, 30 percent make checks manually using sp...

Thursday, May 03, 2012

   Seven chief executives from the solar power industry on Wednesday announced the formation of an association to expand global trade in their companies' products.    Global Solar Council members will engage policymakers worldwide to demonstrate the importance of a supportive policy and trade environment, which will enable the ongoing development of competitively‐priced solar energy, driving job creation and economic growth.    “Through its members, the Global Solar Council ...

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 15 license applications and changes for review.    The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier license applications from Falcon Maritime and Aviation, Jamaica, N.Y. (Richard A. Shelala, president); Lorden International, West Covina, Calif. (Larry Lee, treasurer); Schooner Lines Co., Leola, Pa. (James Madden, chief operating manager); and Webgistix Corp., Las Vegas (Joseph Aldo Disorbo, president).    The agency r...

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

   Members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Apparel Coalition on Tuesday lauded a group of 15 U.S. senators who sent a letter to President Obama urging him to push for modern and flexible rules in the TPP, a multilateral trade agreement being negotiated among a cadre of Pacific nations.    The senators asked the administration to abandon a push for the so-called “yarn-forward” rule of origin, saying it restricts textile and apparel trade among TPP partners.    The bipartisan...

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

   Zepol Corp., a trade intelligence company based in Edina, Minn., has released its newest trade data tool, ComplianceIQ, to help U.S. importers comply with government import regulations.    The tool bridges multiple import-compliance datasets in a unified interface in hopes of bringing as much information to the customer as possible for specific Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes.    Zepol said users can view product classifications, search by binding rulings...

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

   More than a dozen industry associations has asked the Obama administration to include sugar as part of the comprehensive free trade negotiations between the country members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.    “We believe that for purposes of the TPP, all products and subject areas should be on the negotiating table regardless of any less-than-comprehensive free trade agreements that may already exist among two or more of the parties. In particular, sugar should not be excluded fro...

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

By Eric Kulisch U.S. GDP slows to 2.2%    The U.S. economy grew 2.2 percent in the first quarter, down from the 3 percent output of goods and services in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary figures from the Commerce Department.     Personal consumption and exports were the strongest contributors to Gross Domestic Product. Exports of goods and services increased 5.4 percent in first quarter, compared with an increase of 2.7 percent in the fourth quarter.    &nbs...

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

   Two key trade associations representing domestic shipping companies, labeled in a civil antitrust lawsuit last month as "co-conspirators," say they have not been accused of any wrongdoing and were mentioned in the lawsuit only because some of their members were named as defendants.    The complaint against Sea Star Line, Crowley and related companies operating in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade, was filed last month by Kraft Foods Group and The Kellogg Co.   &nbs...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   Dozens of shippers, including some of the largest and best known companies in the United States, filed five new antitrust lawsuits in April seeking damages from carriers Sea Star Line and Crowley over a price-fixing conspiracy in the trade between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico.    The latest suits are by shippers that have opted out of earlier class action settlements.    The complaints also contain allegations about not only Sea Star and Crowley, but also Horizon Lin...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   The U.S. Export-Import Bank on Friday announced a three-year renewal of its Short-Term Africa Initiative (STAI) that provides export-credit insurance for U.S. exporters selling to 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, up to a program limit of $100 million.    The initiative is renewed through March 31, 2015.    The bank also anticipates expanding the availability of its export financing in three sub-Saharan African countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Ex-Im Bank's b...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, worried that planning for a rail intermodal center to support more port-related cargo and economic growth is taking longer than anticipated, on Friday asked CSX Transportation to consider a site within city limits instead of suburban locations that face political opposition or excessive development costs.    The freight railroad wants to build an intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) south of the city to combine international ...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   Both support and concerns about looming requirements for the use of ultra-low sulfur fuel by ships were aired Thursday during a meeting of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.    Chris Koch, president and chief executive officer of the World Shipping Council, told the subcommittee his organization supported amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, as adopted by the International Maritime Organization, which he said “will result in significant impr...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security will add 16 persons - four individuals and 12 companies in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates - to its Entity List for providing materials used to produce improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and used against U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.    The persons who were added to the Entity List have been determined by the federal government as a threat to U.S. national security or foreign p...

Friday, April 27, 2012

   Opponents of dredging the Port of Miami's main shipping channel to 50 feet will withdraw petitions seeking to block the project after Miami-Dade County officials agreed to contribute $2.3 million to support environmental programs aimed at protecting and restoring Biscayne Bay, the county announced Thursday.     The deal, which must still be approved by the Board of County Commissioners at its May 1 meeting, will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to move ahead with c...

Friday, April 27, 2012

   The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said this week that a Colorado-based medical equipment manufacturer will pay $126,000 to settle charges that it knowingly shipped medical devices to Iran through the United Arab Emirates.    The company has also been charged with failing to provide documents in response to two subpoenas from the office during its initial investigation.    According to the OFAC statement, the matter was not voluntarily disc...

Friday, April 27, 2012

   The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security on Thursday said Ping Cheng and Prime Technology Corp., both of New York state, agreed to $125,000 fines and two-year denial of export privileges for each to settle allegations that they conspired to violate Export Administration Regulations (EAR).    The two-year denial period will be suspended as long as neither commits additional export control violations during the two year period, BIS said. The violations involve ...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   U.S. citizens applying to become customs brokers should be able to obtain their licenses in a quarter of the time it now takes once U.S. Customs completes a nationwide rollout of a new system for processing their applications.    Licenses are being approved in less than three months compared to the normal nine to 12 months under a pilot program underway at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Chicago's O'Hare airport, Brenda Brockman Smith, the agenc...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   Two Taiwanese nationals were charged Wednesday with allegedly seeking to export sensitive U.S. military technology to China, including drone aircraft, spy planes and stealth technology related to F-22 fighter planes.    The plot was uncovered when federal agents investigating the smuggling of counterfeit goods such as cigarettes, boots and handbags, also discovered plots to smuggle drugs into and sensitive defense articles out of the United States.    Hui Sheng Shen,...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   UPS pilots on Tuesday filed a petitioner's brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging the Federal Aviation Administration's exclusion of cargo operations from new rules governing pilot duty and rest requirements.    "The FAA acted contrary to Congress' mandate when the agency published new pilot duty and rest rules in December excluding a vast and growing segment of U.S. commercial aviation – cargo,” said William Trent, general counsel for the Independe...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   The U.S. Air Force has spent roughly $1 billion over seven years for a logistics management system which has gone belly up, according to recent statements from officials.    The Air Force is now trying to parse out systems that can be salvaged and develop a lesson plan for future investments to prevent repeat failures. It said its investment in the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), which provides a range of logistics and management services for its operations, will be ex...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received eight license applications and changes for review.    The FMC received non-vessel-operating common carrier license applications from Chartwell Navigation, Belle Mead, N.J. (Kenneth T. Carr, president); and USA Tomcargo Corp., Miami (Hector A. Parra, president).    The agency received NVO-ocean freight forwarder license applications from Choiceone Logistics, Medley, Fla. (Trina M. Gomez, president); and Yuexin Global Logis...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a $550,000 grant to Terminal Fluvial Andalucía, S.A. (Andalucia River Terminal or "TFA") for a feasibility study to determine the technical and financial viability of a new inland river port along Colombia’s Magdalena River.    The feasibility study will also include the preparation of preliminary design documents for the river port. TFA, a subsidiary of Grupo Puerto de Cartagena (GPC), plans to build and operate an inland riv...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission will take steps to begin the process of modernizing regulations for non-vessel-operating common carrier and ocean freight forwarder licensing, registration, and proof of financial responsibility when it meets next month, FMC Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky Jr. said Tuesday at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's conference in Hollywood, Fla.    “I want to hear from you because right now we...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   Crowley said its Titan Salvage unit has been awarded a contract to remove the Costa Concordia wreck from Giglio Island in partnership with the Italian firm Micoperi.     The work will begin in early May, subject to final approval from the Italian authorities. The job is expected to take about 12 months.    Removal of fuel from the ship was completed on March 24, more than two months after the Jan. 13 disaster which killed 32 people and injured scores of ot...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The United States has intervened in a lawsuit against Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of Japan and three of its U.S. subsidiaries for knowingly misrepresenting the country of origin on import documents presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.    The suit alleges that Toyo misrepresented Japan and Mexico as the countries of origin for its colorant carbazole violet pigment No. 23 (CVP-23) imports to avoid paying U.S. antidumping a...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its Global Engagement Report, detailing the many activities and strategies the agency is currently using to transform itself from a domestic to a global public health agency.    Specifically, the report describes steps FDA is taking to ensure that imports of food, drugs, medical devices, and other regulated products meet the same rigorous standards for safety and quality as those manufactured domestically.    “As our wor...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday confirmed a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow” disease, in a dairy cow from central California.    “The carcass of the animal is being held under state authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed,” said USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford in a statement. “It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   iCargo, a pan-European cargo and logistics project partly funded by the European Union, has officially launched its three-and-a-half-year framework program with the first focus on reducing emissions and facilitating load combining.    The “Intelligent Cargo in Efficient and Sustainable Global Logistics Operations” project has a goal of improving real-world logistics operations and problem resolution with a focus on the EU, though systems and recommendations can be easily applied el...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   Kuwait-based logistics company Agility said on Tuesday it has filed a $225 million breach of claims suit against the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, adding the agency breached the terms of a contract, according to a Reuters report.    The logistics company, which built its reputation on the back of a number of contracts with DLA before being indicted by the U.S. Justice Department for fraud in November 2009, said in a statement U.S. government officials employed by DLA and the...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The Port of Long Beach has been selected to apply for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to replace the highly congested Gerald Desmond Bridge.    The bridge lacks capacity for current and projected traffic, including trucks that serve the Southern California port, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday.    The Port of Long Beach project was one of five picked to submit a loan application, which the Transporta...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   States, local governments and non-profit organizations can apply for up to $20 million worth of grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help programs aimed at replacing older diesel engines with cleaner alternatives.    The EPA on Friday opened the fiscal year 2012 application process for the Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA). Another $9 million in funding will be available through state environmental programs, it said.    Late-model diesel en...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   foodcareplus, an Antwerp-based logistics services provider specializing in food products, has joined with Nova Fresh Logistics to deliver an all-in-one logistics offering for the seafood industry.    Nova Fresh Logistics is involved in the food supply chain and part of Belgium-based Nova Natie Group.    The companies said the joint service will cover shipping, handling, and distribution of seafood, while offering complete cost control and regulatory compliance. ...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   The U.S. House of Representatives passed another 90-day extension of the surface transportation bill last week, which would provide funding for road building and transportation programs through the end of the fiscal year.    The current three-month extension lasts through June.     So why move on another extension before the existing one nears expiration? Well, for one thing, it provides a little bit of certainty to state transportation planners that money will ...