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 | US May Extend Mandatory Container Screening |
July 31, 2010 - New US proposals could extend the deadline for the controversial 100% scanning of containers at foreign ports of loading, and give terminals a choice of screening types. The 2010 Maritime Transportation Security Act would extend the deadline for mandatory scanning of all US-bound containers from 2014 to 2015. Crucially, it would also allow containers to be examined using non-intrusive imaging or radiation detection, rather than both.
Supply Chain Asia
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| WSC Assistance for Shippers in Europe
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July 31, 2010 - The World Shipping Council (WSC) has been helping forwarders and shippers prepare for new European regulation that require them to file documentation 24 hours before vessel loading. The new EU rules require the documentation of containerized cargo shipments that will arrive in European ports to be electronically filed with European customs authorities no later than 24 hours before vessel loading. This will apply to goods onboard ships in the EU for importation or transshipment or to stay on board the vessel enroute to another destination.
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Greek truckers end strike | |
Drivers return to work, but promise talks on industry revamp
August 4, 2010 - Greek lorry drivers have ended a week-long strike against plans to reform the country's haulage industry.
The drivers also agreed to re-open discussions with the government, after the army was mobilised to deliver fuel to key sites.
The drivers launched their strike after the government announced reforms to the industry to allow more competition, as required by an austerity programme demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
The government wants to increase competition by making it easier to enter the haulage market, which, it is hoped, will lower freight rates.
Currently, existing operating licences are sold-on at a high cost, but the government plans to begin issuing new licences at cheaper rates.
International Freight Weekly
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| Mercosur, Egypt to sign free-trade deal | |
Egypt trade minister says negotiations all but finished.
Brazil exports to Egypt at $1.53 billion in 2009.
Egypt is top wheat importer, Argentina large exporter (Recasts, adds quote, background)
July 30, 2010 - BUENOS AIRES - Mercosur, a South American trade bloc that groups big agricultural exporters Brazil and Argentina, will sign a free-trade deal with Egypt next week, the Egyptian trade minister said on Friday.
Egypt is the world's biggest importer of wheat and Argentina is among the leading global exporters of the grain, although it did not export wheat to the North African country last year, according to official data.
Mercosur's other full members are Uruguay and Paraguay, large exporters of beef and soybeans, respectively.
"We've analyzed and covered about 99 percent of what we were planning to cover, therefore I'm sure we'll be able to go through what's left in the next few days," Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid told reporters in Argentina, where a Mercosur summit will be held early next week.
Egypt is an important buyer of corn from Argentina, the world's No. 2 exporter of the grain.
Egypt's exports to Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, totaled $87.7 million in 2009, while its imports came to $1.53 billion, the Egyptian Trade Ministry reported.
Trade between the two countries covers the industrial, transportation, textiles, agriculture and fishing sectors.
By Karina Grazina; Eduardo Garcia; Todd Eastham
Reuters
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| India may merge port acts | |
August 3, 2010 - The country's shipping ministry is understood to be merging existing port legislations into a single comprehensive Act.
The existing port legislations involved are the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and the Major Ports Act, 1963, which rule over government-controlled major ports, private and non-major ports.
The merging exercise is already on paper and the report is being studied by the shipping ministry, Economic Times reports.
However, shipping secretary K Mohandas has stated there are many things to be ironed out. "These acts need substantial revision and we will have to come out with a new, comprehensive Indian Ports Act."
There have been similar attempts to change the rules governing the country's port sector as there has always been a need to revise the older regulations not in line with changing times and trade. There were amendments made on the Indian Ports Act as well as the Major Ports Act.
This possible consolidation covers both types of ports, which means that it needs to be passed by all state governments. "Given the political situation being what it is today, it could be a very difficult legislative exercise to get something like that passed," DT Joseph comments.
However, he feels that if conceptualised properly, the merger can be successful.
The shipping ministry sources were unavailable to shed more light on the merger efforts. However, the news source believes the existing Indian Ports Act 1908 and Major Ports Act 1963 will be cancelled if the legislation is enacted.
By Kristie Thong
Procurement Asia
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| Panama, Gulfport Sign Trade Development Pact |
Joint marketing to boost Asia trade at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports
August 2, 2010 - The Panama Canal Authority and the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport signed a memorandum of understanding Monday aimed at increasing all-water trade between Asia and the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts via the Panama Canal.
The agreement between Gulfport and the Panama Canal, which is renewable after five years, will allow for joint marketing ventures, information sharing and technological exchange.
The MOU is one of a number that the canal authority has signed with most of the ports on the East and Gulf coasts that are designed to ensure a larger flow of trade after the canal authority completes the third set of locks it is building.
By Peter T. Leach
The Journal of Commerce Online
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| India Averts Truck Strike | |
Union grants 10-day stay at request of Transport Ministry
August 2, 2010 - Unionized truckers in India delayed for 10 days a nationwide strike planned for Aug. 6, temporarily averting disruptions in the country's road transport sector.
The decision came after the Transport Ministry appealed to union leaders to allow time for further consultations on their demands.
"We will give the government a 10-day deadline to resolve our issues. The strike date is being deferred accordingly, but the government cannot test our patience any longer," the leaders said.
The All India Motor Transport Congress, representing more than 6 million truck operators, earlier issued the strike threat to press for a thorough review of toll rates, streamlining of taxes currently levied on diesel fuel and withdrawal of anti-dumping duty on imported tires.
Truckers' representatives said their operating overheads increased substantially in recent years because of new taxes and repeated hikes in fuel prices. "Over the last couple of years, a large number of transporters in Mumbai were forced to shut business after incurring huge losses," they said.
Meanwhile, local industry circles expressed deep concern at the adverse impact a prolonged strike could have on business and trade, and called on the government to take appropriate steps to resolve the impasse.
The union action, if it materializes, could also complicate the movement of containerized cargo to and from gateway ports since a sizeable portion of hinterland traffic is carried by long-haul operators.
The Journal of Commerce Online
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| Global trade on the increase |
But container volumes may decline over the next two years, says report
August 4, 2010 - Global container volumes will increase nearly 10%, with a slightly stronger recovery of 10.6% on the main east-west trades this year, before slowing over the next two years, according to the latest forecast from IHS Global Insight's World Trade Service.
World trade moved by all modes will grow 8.1% in 2010 and 6.9% in 2011, following a 7.2% decline in 2009, says the report.
According to Second Quarter Trends in World Economy and Trade, the strong growth in exports from the Far East to North America and Europe is due to restocking of inventories.
"While trade growth is projected into 2011 and beyond, the pace is expected to be slower than in 2010," says the report. World containerised trade increased 9.2% in the second quarter of 2010, but is projected to grow by only 6.8% in the same period next year.
International Freight Weekly
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| Gales force temporary closure of Port Botany | |
August 3, 2010 - Gale force winds have temporarily closed operations at Port Botany and Sydney Harbour.
The acting harbour master made the decision to cease all operations last night after winds reached 65 knots at Port Botany and 46 knots at Sydney Harbour, a Sydney Ports Corporation spokesman said.
"The acting harbour master is monitoring the situation to determine when the port will reopen," he said.
The closure may cause landside delays when operations resume as an oil tanker was due to arrive at Sydney Harbour last night along with a number of container ships in and out of Port Botany.
Lloyds List
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Port Gates Re-opened in Guatamala | |
August 4, 2010 - The principal ports in Guatemala have re-opened their gates this morning after a three-day strike involving workers protesting changes in local Customs requirements. The strike has been resolved and trucking has resumed. These workers had previously blockaded the entrance and exit gates so that cargoes were unable to enter or leave the main ports of Santo Tomas and Puerto Barrios. Seaboard's vessels continued to dock and discharge cargoes normally during the ordeal but we, along with other shipping lines, were unable to truck these containers outside of the port for a 72-hour period.
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Gulf shipping on the rise despite spill
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August 4, 2010 - Despite the significant environmental impacts from BP's 'Deepwater Horizon' disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions reports that Gulf trade levels remain fairly constant.
With double-digit growth since January 2010, monthly TEU volume in the Gulf ports dropped by 4.1 percent in April, but then resurfaced in May with a healthy eight percent gain from the previous year.
One hundred days after the disaster, inbound container shipments in the Gulf increased a modest two percent to 326,112TEU, while outbound shipments increased 13.1 percent or 497,927TEU year-to-date.
Of the three main ports closest to the explosion - New Orleans, Gulfport and Mobile - only Mobile's traffic decreased last May. TEU volume in the ports of New Orleans and Gulfport swelled by 27 percent and 31 percent respectively, in May, year-on-year, while TEU volume at Mobile declined 27.6 percent during the same month.
The lead Gulf port remains the Port of Houston. Its year-to-date volume of 544,585TEU is up 6.9 percent, handling 67 percent of containerised Gulf traffic, but down 6.0 percent when assessing traffic share for the five-year period ending 2009.
The port of New Orleans gained 2.0 percent during the past five years and in 2009, increased 12 percent in container traffic, primarily due to exports to Italy. The Port of Mobile's volume soared from 24,483 containers in 2005 to 87,649 containers in 2009; that is a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.6 percent.
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| Exporters asked to comply with global pest control norms | |
August 3, 2010 - The government today said that exporters who use wood packaging materials such as crates will have to comply with global norms on plant pest control, a move that will raise transaction costs.
"Export of goods including plant and plant products using wood packaging material shall be subject to compliance with International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM)-15," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification. ISPM-15 is an international trade regulation that aims to prevent the worldwide spread of plant pests and diseases through the use of specially-treated wooden packaging material.
"The ISPM compliance will increase the transaction cost, which is already very high in India," a trade expert said. At present, transaction costs account for 7-8 per cent of the value of exports.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has set up a task force for coming up with steps to bring down the cost. Wood packaging materials include pellets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases load boards, pellet collars and skids.
A part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Plant Protection Convention comes up with regulations in this regard through the cooperation of member governments of the UN.
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