September 2005

Be sure to check our Late Breaking News page throughout the week for transportation news, fuel price updates and related stories affecting our industry and the world.

Final Newsletter Notice Effective 9/16/05
SHIPMENTS NOT COMPLYING WITH WOOD PACKING RULE MUST BE RE-EXPORTED

For more information contact us at M. E. Dey or visit http://cbp.customs.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml

Alcoholic Beverages:
Imported Natural Wine

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has issued a temporary rule, effective August 24, 2005, which implements new certification requirements regarding production practices and procedures for imported natural wine. This rule includes a new requirement which requires importers to submit copies of certifications to TTB for use in enforcing the relevant labeling provisions.

Importers of natural wine must have a certification from the producing country. The rule requires, except as otherwise provided, an importer of natural wine to have an original or copy of a certification from the producing country stating that the practices and procedures used to produce the imported wine constitute proper cellar treatment. The certification must be from a governmental or government-approved entity AND it must include the results of a laboratory analysis of the wine. In addition, it must be in the possession of the importer at the time of release of the wine from customs custody but it is not required to be presented as part of the customs entry process. The certification may cover multiple importations provided that the wine in each case is of the same brand and class or type, was made by the same producer, was subjected to the same cellar treatment, and conforms to the statements made on the certification.

Exemptions: natural wine produced before January 1, 2005; natural wine imports that are of a personal, non-commercial nature; commercial samples

NS Expands the“1 or 3” Free
Time Storage Program

Norfolk Southern will expand the “1 or 3” free time storage program to twelve additional terminals on Monday, September 19^th. The new terminals, in addition to BethIntermodal which is already utilizing this program, are:

Albany, NY - Atlanta, GA - Austell, GA - Ayer, MA - Baltimore, MD - Charlotte, NC - Croxton, NJ - Erail, NJ - Harrisburg, PA - Jacksonville, FL - Morrisville, PA Rutherford, PA

This storage program ties terminal free time to Norfolk Southern’s service performance and offers the following free time on all domestic shipments:

If the load is grounded within three hours of our published scheduled availability, free time will be the day of notification plus the following one day
If the load is grounded later than three hours after our published scheduled availability, free time will be day of notification plus the following three days

Charges: Once the free time expires on units at these terminals, standard storage charges will apply. Note this program only applies to NS rail storage and will not impact standard per diem or REZ-1 charges.

World Wide Web: www.nscorp.com/intermodal

O n t h e W e s t C o a s t

Container Volumes Up at West Coast Ports

Oakland Port Reportedly to Set Night Hours

Port Congestion - Los Angeles and Long Beach

C h i n a

China - U.S. textile talks fail - official

Textile Group Calls for Permanent China Safeguard, Other Measures

S e c u r i t y

Wisconsin Lab Works on Post-Bar Code Tech

MADISON, Wis. - Alfonso Gutierrez smiles as boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese tagged with tiny chips zip around a conveyor belt and pass under a reader that instantly displays information about the product.

"It's going fast," said Gutierrez, who heads a new university research lab dedicated to helping businesses deploy the technology that could one day replace the bar code.

A computer chip on the back of a label is
used at a University of Wisconsin-Madison
lab for research into RFID technology.

Photo byAndy Manis, AP

CBP Announces New Procedures for Sealing Inspected Containers
10 Aug 2005, ST&R

CBP has announced that, effective August 9, only high-security bolt seals compliant with International Organization for Standardization Publicly Available Specification 17712 (ISO/PAS 17712) will be used by CBP officers to seal containerized cargo after they have inspected it. If a carrier then chooses to fasten an additional seal, the high-security bolt seal installed by CBP must not be removed, replaced, or manipulated in any way.

Good News

What's Online

United Nations Resolutions

The International Day of Peace, established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly, was first inaugurated on the third Tuesday of September, 1982. Beginning on the 20^th anniversary in 2002, the UN General Assembly set 21 September as the now permanent date for the International Day of Peace.

http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

Railroad Boasts "Love" for Truckers BNSF Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

CBP OKs Electronic NAFTA Certificates

Customs tests FTZ e-reportng

You can now check the status of your regular (tourist) U.S. passport application online, using your last name, date of birth, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.

Latest International Travel Warnings Available Online

Warnings provide current information to American travelers about areas of concern overseas. Additional travel updates are available as they are issued by the State Department at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/

S e m i n a r s

Gov. Jim Doyle's Trade Mission To Central Europe

Czech Republic and Poland November 8-16, 2005

http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/IE/IE-CentralEuropeMission.html

Eyefortransport Events http://www.eyefortransport.com/

September 28, 2005: Value Stream Mapping

Location: Waukesha County Technical College Campus, 800 Main Street, Pewaukee WI

http://www.icewi.org/event.shtml

September 19 - 20, 2005 - NCBFAA Government Affairs conference
Contact: www.ncbfaa.org

The 18th annual Update 2005 Conference on Export Controls and Policy
will be held on October 24-25, 2005 at the Renaissance Hotel, Washington DC.

http://www.bxa.doc.gov/SeminarsAndTraining/Update2005.htm

Chicago, IL - Upcoming IBT Seminars
Date	Seminar Details
11/9/2005	Export Documentation & Procedures Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30AM to 4:00PM	Info	Sign Up
11/10/2005	Letters of Credit - Export & Import Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30AM - 4:00PM	Info	Sign Up
11/11/2005	International Logistics: Ocean & Air Transportation Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM	Info	Sign Up
11/14/2005	Tariff Classification Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30AM to 4:00PM	Info	Sign Up
11/15/2005	NAFTA Rules of Origin Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30AM to 4:00PM	Info	Sign Up
11/16/2005	Import Documentation Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30AM to 4:00PM	Info	Sign Up
11/17/2005	Audit Compliance Marriott Suites O'Hare - Chicago, IL 8:30 - 4:00	Info	Sign Up

September 13, 2005

International Business at the Dane County Regional Airport

Program Overview: In this lunch program, David C. Jensen, deputy airport director of the Dane County Regional Airport, will discuss the airport's connection to international business and trade. Specifically, Mr. Jensen will share information about current import and export users, future plans, including the Foreign Trade Zone, and how terrorism is affecting airport operations.

Location: Robert B. Skuldt Conference Room Dane County Regional Airport 4000 International Lane Madison, Wisconsin. directions

Schedule: 11:00 a.m. - Registration 11:30 a.m. - Lunch and program 1:00 p.m. - Adjourn

Cost: $12 for members of the Madison International Trade Association $18 for non members. The registration fee includes lunch; sandwiches (vegetarian options will be available), chips, fruit, cookies and beverages will be provided.

To Register: To simplify registration for monthly meetings, we have moved to an e-mail registration process and we accept payment at the door on the day of the event. To register, please send an e-mail to Jill Carmichael, membership director for MITA, at jcarmichael@johnsonbank.com by Wednesday, September 7. If you will need a vegetarian sandwich, please include that information in your message.

Co-sponsors: UW-Madison Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)

UW-Madison Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE)

For more information: Please contact Kathleen Rehberg at (608) 846-9310 x243 or krehberg@capitolwhse.com

MWTA and CSCMP Panel Discussion Thursday, September 15, 2005
Radisson Hotel 2303 N. Mayfair Road Wauwatosa, WI

Registration Form More Information Click for Map

Event Schedule: 5:30 p.m.–Social 6:15 p.m.–Dinner 7:00–8:30 p.m.–Presentation

Growing in the Global Economy October 6, 2005

Wisconsin Club 900 W Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 271-7510
Event Schedule: Dinner Meeting Program I: Impact of Sarbannes-Oxley
Program II: Wisconsin: Competing and Mary Burke, WI Secretary of Commerce

http://www.mwta.com/Events2.asp

Trade Fairs in China 2005

http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/upcomingshows.html

Click for printable newsletter (7 pages)

Website of the Month

Totally Absurd Patents
Why didn't I think of that?

Ever heard of the motorized ice cream cone? How about a 12 gauge golf club? Or a toilet snorkel? Believe it or not, these are actual inventions that are registered with the U.S. Patent Office. And these are just the tip of the iceberg!