ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTY ORDERS IN
PLACE AS OF FEBRUARY 16, 2006, BY COUNTRY
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T R A N S P O R T A T
I O N
Panama
set for US$5.25BN canal expansion
(Source: Maritime
Global Net) April 25, 2006
PANAMA Canal
Authority (ACP) has announced that, as expected, it is
recommending the building of a new lane along the Panama Canal
that will double capacity at an estimated cost of US$5.25bn. The
ACP says the expansion "will be paid entirely by users of the
Canal through a graduated toll system".
The
recommendation was formally put to the Panamanian government in a
set-piece ceremony yesterday. ACP chairman Ricaurte Vasquez
submitted the proposal to President Martin Torrijos at a Town Hall
meeting in Panama City.
Dr Vasquez said:
"Today is an historic moment for the Panamanian people and the
global shipping and maritime industry. After several years of
analyzing and reviewing hundreds of studies and projections, we
are recommending the expansion of the Panama Canal. Our vision is
clear - this project will be for the benefit of the people of
Panama and world trade. Panama's geographic location is its
destiny - we aim to be at the centre of global trade and become a
great maritime hub. The time is right and the time is now."
eyefortransport
(4/26/2006)
Three new shipping services
launched by CKYH, OOCL and Senator Lines
The CKYH
Alliance plans to launch a new Asia-US East Coast service in July,
OOCL will start a new Gulf-India-Straits service next month, and
Senator Lines’ new Asia-Mediterranean service will begin next week.
The
CKYH Alliance
(COSCON, K-Line, Yang Ming Line, and Hanjin Shipping) will deploy a
total of eight Panamax 4,000 TEU containerships (two each) to jointly
operate the new AWE (All Water Express)-5 service on the Asia-US East
Coast trade.
This is
the fifth CKYH loop between Asia and US East Coast ports. CKYH will
start to offer direct calls in Houston and Miami from Asia. The
service will also provide one of the shortest transit times (22 days)
from Shanghai to Savannah in the industry.
The CKYH
Alliance plans to launch the service by deploying KYH vessels first
from the beginning of July. COSCON will phase in its vessels from Q4.
The
AWE-5 port rotation will be: Hong Kong > Yantian > Shanghai > Ningbo >
Savannah > Miami > Houston > Hong Kong.
Orient Overseas Container Line
(OOCL), in co-operation with Simatech Shipping, will launch a new
weekly service linking the Middle East to India, Pakistan and
Singapore / Malaysia, called the Gulf-India-Straits Service (GIS).
Commencing on May 10, 2006, the new GIS service will be served with
four 1,000 TEU containerships, with a port rotation of Singapore >
Pasir Gudang > Port Kelang > Nhava Sheva > Karachi > Jebel Ali >
Bandar Abbas > Jebel Ali > Mundra > Cochin > Singapore, for a 28-day
roundtrip.
Senator Lines,
in collaboration with K-Line and Yang Ming, will expand its seventeen
regular services to include a further link with Asia, with its new
Asia-Mediterranean Express (NMX), starting at the beginning of May.
The
first westbound sailing will be the San Pedro Bridge from Shanghai on
May 1st; the first eastbound sailing will be the YM Hiroshima from
Genoa on May 4th.
A total
of seven 3,500 TEU container ships will run weekly departures to link
the industrial centres of Asia and the Mediterranean on the following
rotation: Genoa > Fos > Valencia > Port Said > Singapore > Hong Kong >
Shanghai > Ningbo > Xiamen > Kaohsiung > Yantian > Singapore > Jeddah
> Port Said > Genoa.
Senator
Lines plans to extend its north-south services this year, and to
expand its operations in the Middle East.
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E X P O R T
Wisconsin Exports Soar Above National Average
http://commerce.wi.gov/newsletter/2006/april/exports.html
Wisconsin exporters set a
record in 2005 by shipping nearly $15 billion worth of products to
other countries. State exports grew by 17.45 percent over the previous
year and totaled $14,923,486,505. Wisconsin's growth rate exceeded
that of the country as a whole by nearly 7 percent. Total U.S. exports
grew by 10.57 percent and amounted to $904,379,818,171. Only ten
states posted larger total dollar value increases in their exports
than Wisconsin.
Of
Wisconsin's top 20 export destinations, 16 posted double digit growth
rates. Likewise, of the top 20 product categories, 16 also experienced
double digit growth. Almost half of Wisconsin's exports stay within
North America, however, state firms are able to compete successfully
in many parts of the world. Wisconsin is a major producer of capital
goods that are in demand around the world as manufacturers in other
countries seek to upgrade their facilities and increase their
productivity.
Canada
continues to be the #1 international destination for Wisconsin
products. Our northern neighbors purchased $5,237,727,730 worth of
state products, up 7.85 percent over the previous year. Among the 50
states, Wisconsin ranks 10th in exports to Canada. Industrial
machinery accounts for nearly 40 percent of Wisconsin exports to
Canada. More machinery is shipped to Canada than total exports to
Mexico, the state's #2 export destination.
Exports
to Mexico grew by 25.24 percent and totaled $1,333,042,573. Electrical
machinery grew by 68.17 percent and accounts for 27.5 percent of those
shipments. The category continues to be dominated by miscellaneous
battery components. Industrial machinery grew by 16.7 percent and
accounts for 18.57 percent of the total. Exports of paper were down
9.85 percent while vehicles were up 22.51 percent.
Japan
posted an 11.42 percent increase in purchases from Wisconsin,
reversing a 23.5 percent decline in 2004. Scientific and medical
instruments account for 38.97 percent of Wisconsin exports there and
grew by 5.03 percent. Exports of industrial machinery grew by 18.23
percent and electrical machinery by 43.81 percent.
Wisconsin's exports to China grew by 15.51 percent. Industrial
machinery exports there grew by 11.49 percent. Over a third of this
category is comprised of parts for construction equipment, office
machines, and engines. The #2 category of Wisconsin exports to China
is medical and scientific instruments. Wisconsin is the #2 state for
exports of both X-ray equipment and non-electrical surgical and
medical devices.
If the
25 countries of the European Union were counted as a single export
destination, they would rank #2 for Wisconsin shipments. Exports to
the EU grew by 24.08 percent and totaled $3,180,755,977. Ranked
individually, the United Kingdom is #5, up 24.27 percent. Germany is
#6, up 19.32 percent. France is #8, up 13.73 percent. Belgium is #9,
up 13.55 percent. Wisconsin exports to the EU are dominated by
industrial and electrical machinery and scientific and medical
instruments. Vehicle exports, the #4 category grew by 67.67 percent
and cereals, the #5 category, grew by 75.34 percent.
Excel
spreadsheets showing Wisconsin exports from 1996-2005 by
product categories and by
destinations are available on-line at the Department of Commerce
website.
-- Stanley Pfrang
Railroads on track to
revival
Freight boom benefits
Chicago; tie-ups show infrastructure needs
By Greg Burns
Tribune senior correspondent March 27, 2006
As a 1 1/2-mile-long
freight train rumbled past a towering stack of green containers marked
"China Shipping" last week, Neil Doyle, aboard his CenterPoint
Properties helicopter, swooped in for a closer look.
"That line right there is L.A. to Chicago," he told a pair of Wal-Mart
executives riding with him just above one of the world's busier train
yards in far southwest suburban Elwood.
After generations of job cuts, consolidation and retrenchment, an old
industry is growing anew. Railroads have become hot properties,
hauling not only the familiar cargo of coal, grain and domestic
products but also the mountain of goods pouring into California ports
from Asian factories.
Huge investments in tracks, locomotives, electronic switches and
sprawling facilities such as the Elwood hub at the former Joliet
Arsenal suddenly make good sense as demand surges and railroad stocks
soar.
Chicago stands to reap benefits. Railroads practically created the
city in its early days, and it remains the point where East meets West
and all six major freight lines come together before heading off
again.
An estimated one-third of U.S rail cargo, from corn to clothing, flows
through the tangle of track that covers the map of Chicago and its
collar counties like spaghetti--creating notorious traffic jams along
the way. Trains that take two days to arrive from California might
take another two to go a few miles through the Chicago bottleneck.
The industry's boom underscores the need for better infrastructure,
but it also raises questions about how much taxpayers should chip in.
An ambitious public-private plan that targets the worst of Chicago's
train-track entanglements got only a fraction of the federal funding
its boosters expected in last year's pork-laden transportation bill.
While the project would help the public by shortening commuting times,
improving safety at intersections and reducing exhaust emissions, the
$1.5 billion cost presents a big barrier.
"Railroads are the primary economic beneficiaries," said John Gates,
retired co-chairman of CenterPoint, which is developing the Joliet
Arsenal site. "It's a difficult project for the public sector."
For years, the railroads have threatened to divert traffic from the
area to avoid its congestion, but those threats ring hollow in the
face of recent investments confirming Chicago's status as the
centerpiece of the nation's rail system.
In a matter of months, CSX Corp. is expected to announce plans for
another big hub in southern Cook County, industry sources say. That's
on top of Union Pacific's giant new hub in Rochelle, Ill., and
less-conspicuous local projects undertaken by other lines as well.
At the Joliet Arsenal site run by BNSF Railway Co., which includes the
old Burlington Northern and Santa Fe lines, expansion continues on a
vast scale.
Last week, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez toured the facility,
telling a hometown crowd, "You've got a great advantage." He also
voiced confidence in the economy despite the loss of manufacturing
jobs in the face of overseas competition.
"This is the future," said Gutierrez, former chief executive of
cereal-maker Kellogg Co. "It's all about trading with the rest of the
world. This is the best example I can think of."
Construction expands facility
Outside the warehouse where he spoke, construction hummed at a 3.4
million-square-foot Wal-Mart distribution center slated to open this
summer. At the rail yard surrounding it, BNSF expects to handle
800,000 containers this year, up from 275,000 in 2004. It might do a
million next year, said John Clement Jr., the railroad's senior
manager of hub operations.
"We are ahead of the growth," he said. "We know what's coming. We're
going to spend the money so we can be there for ourselves and our
customers."
The Association of American Railroads expects that this year the major
freight lines will invest a record $8.2 billion in new track, buying
equipment and improving infrastructure, up more than 20 percent from a
strong 2005.
It's a historic shift after many decades when railroads couldn't make
enough money to cover their cost of borrowing it, which discouraged
capital spending in one of the more capital-intensive businesses.
"My railroad for the first time in maybe half a century will earn its
cost of capital," noted Chicagoan Robert Krebs, retired chief
executive of BNSF. "It's a vibrant company now."
Though some believe the current railroad boom represents the peak of
an economic cycle, others see a longer-term change. After 90 years,
the railroads finally have run out of excess capacity. That in turn
has restored their ability to raise rates, according to James
Valentine, a research analyst for Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley.
"These positive trends in pricing and better returns are likely to
continue for years, maybe decades," Valentine said.
Because "all roads lead to Chicago," he added, the region will get a
generous slice. "It should receive a disproportionate benefit from the
railroads' resurgence."
To a degree, the industry owes today's recovery to a drastic
deregulation plan implemented a quarter-century ago.
The 1980 Staggers Rail Act came in the midst of severe financial
troubles for the industry.
The government had prevented railroads from setting their rates,
closing unprofitable tracks and consolidating networks. Service was
terrible, and long-haul truckers gained market share.
Deregulation went hand-in-hand with additional consolidation. Major
freight lines once numbering in the dozens combined into the mere
half-dozen left today. Employment plunged from 458,000 when Congress
approved Staggers to 165,000 as of 2005.
That difficult period left scars, including strained relations with
workers and ultracautious management.
Over time, the railroads have increased efficiency by adopting
so-called intermodal systems, which enable freight to move from point
of origin to distribution destination without being removed from a
trailer or giant container. It is more reliable and cheaper than
transport over long stretches of highway.
Demand for the coal used to fuel power plants grew as well, and grain
shipments remained a steady and important source of railroad profits.
The promise of continued growth makes straightening out Chicago's rail
network all the more urgent. But the region's $1.5 billion
public-private plan lost its political champion with the retirement in
January 2005 of Rep. William Lipinski, a Chicago Democrat known for
his transit clout. Just recently the plan suffered another blow when
Canadian National Railway Co. withdrew from it.
Because none of the plan's initial construction projects would benefit
its line, CN could not justify putting up money for it, a spokesman
said. It might rejoin later, he added.
Indeed, the plan is far from dead. The $100 million in federal funding
it managed to obtain, coupled with support from the other five
railroads, has paid for mapping, surveying and engineering work in
anticipation of eventual funding.
Yet it could be stuck in neutral for some time.
Not a priority
"The state has higher priorities, the city has higher priorities, the
railroads individually have higher priorities, and it's still needed,"
said Jim LaBelle, deputy director at Metropolis 2020, a civic group
backing the measure.
Meantime, out at the Joliet Arsenal site, BNSF's Clement is doing what
he can to keep up with demand. He is adopting electronic systems for
speeding the flow of some 2,500 trucks that visit the facility each
day, using a software program designed specifically for rail-yard
management. Also on the way: global positioning system technology for
tracking the thousands of containers piled high on the sweeping
expanse of blacktop Clement calls "the parking lot."
The other railroads are on the move too. CSX expects to add 3,500 to
its 30,000-plus workforce this year, said spokeswoman Kim Freely. It
is increasing capacity by adding 10,000-foot sidings every 15 miles or
so on its Chicago-to-Florida run, which will enable slower trains to
pull over as needed. Freely confirmed that CSX is looking for a new
intermodal site south of the city but declined to elaborate or comment
on timing. It has two such sites in the Chicago area.
One emerging threat: Re-regulation. Some coal and chemical shippers,
feeling burned as the railroads flex their newfound power to raise
freight rates, have started complaining to Congress. It's a struggle
that has flared on and off for more than 150 years, and it could flare
anew as these old companies continue shifting into a higher gear.
gburns@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006,
Chicago Tribune
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S E C U R I T Y
Implementation of a Mandatory
Secure Internet Portal
April 21, 2006
U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) Customs-Trade Partnership Against
Terrorism (C-TPAT) program announces the upcoming implementation
of a new C-TPAT Internet Application and Communications Portal.
The C-TPAT Security Link Portal will be a significant advancement
in the evolution of the C-TPAT program. It will enhance and
improve the processing and communication for all C-TPAT
participants and certified C-TPAT members.
The C-TPAT
Security Link Internet Portal will be mandatory for all eligible
C-TPAT Participants. The Security Link Portal will be available in
May 2006. Specific implementation and access information will be
provided to all current C-TPAT participants.
Questions and Answers
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/commercial_
enforcement/ctpat/implement_portal/portal_qa.xml
"Non-C-TPAT importers have their shipments stopped by CBP for
enforcement examinations six times more often than C-TPAT
importers, and four times more often for trade-compliance
issues. That's measurable. That has a large financial impact
on these companies. It allows them to be more productive with
the timeliness issues."
Todd
Owen, acting executive director for cargo
and security conveyance for CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Explosive
Detector Dog
'Rocky' Nominated for Paws to Recognize Tribute
Washington, D.C. — U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Deborah J.
Spero announced that Rocky, a four-year-old chocolate Labrador
retriever mix, and CBP Canine Officer Eva Lingenfelter were selected
from over 1,100 CBP canine teams to represent CBP in the Paws to
Recognize tribute to working dogs.
Rocky is an explosive detector dog at the Port of Los Angeles. Rocky's
route to CBP was like many that are part of the force. Unable to keep
him, Rocky's owner consulted with the Lake Erie Labrador Retriever
Rescue. To the benefit of all Americans, the Rescue recommended Rocky
for the life of a Customs and Border Protection detector dog.
"Rocky follows in the footsteps, or maybe I should say 'paws prints'
of some very prestigious CBP canine teams," Spero said. "The CBP dogs
are great assets in our arsenal against drugs, smuggled illegal
aliens, and all other illegal and prohibited items."
The three previous CBP candidates, Jacko, Trouble, and Crazy Joe, were
all voted 'Top Dog' winners. "All of the dogs nominated in this
competition are impressive and deserving of this award for the service
they do; however, Rocky has a very explosive personality and should do
well in the competition," Lingenfelter said.
After graduating from a 15-week course at the Canine Enforcement
Training Center, in Front Royal, Va., in December 2003, the team
headed to their duty station in California. Rocky works now searching
for explosives in a variety of environments such as cargo, luggage,
buildings, passengers, trains, aircraft, and land and sea containers.
On an average day, Rocky screens thousands of international
passengers, as well as thousands of pieces of checked and hand-carried
luggage and cargo.
The Paws to Recognize program showcases the valuable contributions
that thousands of professionally trained service dogs make in our
daily lives. The winner of the competition will be announced in a "top
dog" awards ceremony at their hometown in September.
There are more CBP canine enforcement detector dog teams working to
keep our country safe than any other law enforcement agency. At a time
when homeland security is a major national and international concern,
CBP's elite and highly trained canines are in the forefront of
protecting our country. CBP detector dogs receive specialized
training to detect and alert to odors, such as humans, narcotics,
chemicals, explosives, currency, or agricultural items.
At U.S. borders and checkpoints, CBP canines can screen a vehicle in
seconds and do a thorough exam in minutes. Even a cursory search by a
CBP Officer would require at least 20 minutes. These dogs are also
able to check packages in a fraction of the time needed by mail
examiners – saving time, money, and people. CBP canine officers and
Border Patrol agents use these dogs to combat terrorist threats at our
nation's borders, interior checkpoints, land ports, seaports,
international airports, and international mail facilities, as well as
to interdict illegal immigrants and contraband.
For more information on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Canine
Enforcement Program, visit our Web site at www.cbp.gov. Choose
"border security" located at the top and then choose "canines" in the
left column.
U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency
within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the
management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and
between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping
terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing
hundreds of U.S. laws.
Photographs are available on the CBP web site at
www.cbp.gov
Please visit the
following web site to vote for your favorite CBP Canine -
http://www.pedigree.com/PTR/2006/bio_rocky.asp
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W E B S I T E S
H O L I D A Y S E V E N T S
Thailand
May 01 National Labour Day
May 05 Coronation Day
May 12 Substitution for Wisakha Bucha Day
May 13 Leo Holiday
China
Offices closed from 1, May to 7, May, and will resume to work
on 8, May
Hong Kong
Holiday only on 1, May, and will resume to work on 2, May
1 May 2006 Labour Day
5 May 2006 Buddha’s Birthday
31 May 2006 Tuen Ng Festival
Japan
A
National Holiday - most business are closed from the 3rd (Wednesday)
through the 7th (Sunday) of May
Normal operations will resume on the 8th (Monday)
"The Box That Changed The World"
Book launched.
April 11, 2006 |
THE US-based
Containerization & Intermodal Institute has launched a book on
containerization with proceeds being used to support intermodal
industry educational outreach programmes.
"The Box That
Changed the World" an illustrated history book, tells how this
simple commercial innovation "has completely transformed world
trade".
The book is
available for order at
www.containerization.org and
was released on April 26, 2006, exactly 50 years to the day the
first container-carrying vessel, the Ideal X, sailed from Newark,
NJ, for Houston, Texas.
It has more
than 170 historic photos- many not seen before and not easily
obtained, as many important shipping industry archives were lost
in the World Trade Center in September 2001.
Order
here
(Maritime Global Net)
https://www.cbizmedia.com/promo/subscribe.cfm?code=9806A0F37E8417556BF67CFA1475BA12
ACE Monthly Newsletter (March 2006)
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/about/modernization/news_0306.ctt/news_0306.pdf
ACE Monthly
Newsletter for March 2006 gives up to date information on
e-manifest status at the various ports throughout the United
States.
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Gas Map - A map of gas prices
across the United States
Now you can see what gas
prices are around the country at a glance. Areas are color coded
according to their price for the average price for regular
unleaded gasoline.
TIP:
Right click on the map for more information about each county (parrish/borough)
or zip.
http://gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
Business Development Trip to Mexico
Is your company
benefiting from three years of double-digit export growth to
Mexico? Wisconsin exports last year were up 25 percent, on top of
35 percent and 10 percent growth in 2004 and 2003 respectively. If
you would like to expand your sales in Mexico, consider joining us
for a Business Development Trip to Mexico City and Guadalajara,
capital of Wisconsin Sister-State of Jalisco, in autumn 2006.
Wisconsin's trade office in Mexico City will arrange business
appointments for you with pre-qualified prospective
representatives, distributors or clients. You will have the
opportunity to travel with other local exporters, sharing
expertise, and learning best practices. Companies in the hardware
or restaurant/hotel equipment sectors can also plan to visit the
Expo Ferretera or Abastur show during the Mission.
For more information about this
Business Development Trip please contact Susan Dragotta, ph: (262)
691-5147,
susan.dragotta@wisconsin.gov.
May 19-27, 2006
Australia Trade Mission
Sydney and Melbourne
Whether you already are in Australia or are considering expanding
your business into this important market, this regional trade
initiative can help you achieve your objectives. This Mission is
sponsored by the Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG). Member
State’s include: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Council‘s mission is to
encourage and facilitate environmentally responsible economic
growth. Toward this end, the Council and its member States assist
small and medium-sized companies enter new markets and expand
exports. The Council maintains trade offices in seven foreign
markets including Sydney, Australia. Click
here for more information.
http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/IE/IE-CGLGAustraliaMisssion.html
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