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S H I P P I N
G / S E C U R I T Y |
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Maritime industry to get web
and phone access
13-Jun-2007
GLOBAL - A new satellite service is designed to
promote ship operations efficiency, expand on-board business to
more closely reflect the home office, and boost crew morale.
more...
 GPA
designs bigger CNG ships
July 17, 2007
Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) Seattle, Washington is
providing the design for two additional versions of the Coselle
Compressed Natural Gas CNG carrier to Sea NG Corp. located in
Calgary, Canada.
more...
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Midsummer
optimism for ship operators
11-Jun-2007
Freight rates remain stubbornly high as this
year passes its mid-point and shippers continue to be frustrated
by a seemingly unrelenting upward trend, with experts citing
China's appetite for raw materials as the cause of an imbalance
for which the world consumer will eventually pay.
The demand for feeder vessels has remained
particularly strong with a significant number of small, 'new
players' being attracted to the industry, particularly in Asia and
the Middle East.
That trend is reflected in the number of ship
inspections and valuations that marine consultants are being
contracted to carry out.
Furthermore, in the tanker market, the
combination of demand and reduction of tonnage due to the ongoing
single-hull phase-out has kept rates high, and will continue to do
so for the foreseeable future, until the present building boom is
over.
Operators providing offshore
support in the oil sector are also enjoying unprecedented
revenues, fuelled by high oil prices and their effect on
exploration. This can be seen in the demand for support vessels,
with any previously mothballed tonnage having been long-since
re-commissioned.
Source: www.gulfnews.com
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New maritime crime hotline
THE ICC International Maritime Bureau
has launched a dedicated hotline for “seafarers, port workers,
shipping agents, shipyard personnel, brokers, stevedores and all
concerned parties” to report “any information that they may
have/seen/heard/known etc” relating to maritime crime and
security.
more...
The Senate and the
House of Representatives have approved legislation that will,
among other things, require radiation scanning of 100% of the
shipping containers bound for the United States prior to loading
on ships in foreign ports.
more...
US shippers see
chaos ahead if box scanning bill goes through
AMERICAN importers
see chaos ahead if a bill Congress passed last week becomes law
because it demands compulsory screening of all containers in
foreign ports before they embark for the US, reports The
Financial Times of London.
more...
Record peak not expected to jam
U.S. ports
Updated August 6, 2007
Bill Mongelluzzo / The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINE
LONG BEACH,
Calif. -- North American ports are gearing up to handle record
container volumes in August and again in October, but they
should make it through the peak shipping season without
experiencing any congestion problems, according to the latest
Port Tracker published by Global Insight and the National Retail
Federation.
more...
Importing trouble: Agriculture inspectors
look high, low to keep pesky pests out of U.S.
By SUSAN SALISBURY Palm
Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 22, 2007
MIAMI — So far
this year, inspectors at the
Port of Miami have found and intercepted almost 20 types of foreign insect
pests that have never been seen before in the
United States.
more...
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United
States, Central Asian countries Hold Third TIFA Council Meeting
07/17/2007
Washington, D.C. - Ambassador John K.
Veroneau, Deputy United States Trade Representative, hosted the third
annual meeting of the United States-Central Asian Council on Trade and
Investment (“Council”) today. more...
USTR Schwab to Attend
U.S.-African Trade Conference in Ghana
2007
AGOA Forum Will Highlight Growing U.S.-Africa Trade and Efforts to
Boost
African Economic Development
07/13/2007
Washington, DC – United States Trade
Representative Susan C. Schwab will participate in the 2007
U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Accra,
Ghana on July 18-19 where she will discuss ways to enhance two-way
U.S.-African trade and investment and the importance for African
countries of a successful outcome of the World Trade Organization Doha
Development Round. more...
Dubai Is Now
Third Largest Re-export Hub
11-Jun-2007
shipping-exchange
A surge in Chinese exports to Dubai has
boosted the Emirate's position as the third largest re-export hub in
the world after Hong Kong and Singapore, according to reports.
Average annual growth rate of imports from
China was 14 per cent from 1997 to 2005, while China's trade with the
UAE grew 31.5 per cent in 2006 to US$14.2 billion (US$1=RM3.40), the
Emirates news agency (WAM) reported Monday.
"Chinese government targets to double
Middle East trade - set to reach US$100 billion in 2010, up from
US$51.3 billion in 2005," said a report by Global Sources.
Trade through the Emirate represents 80
per cent of the UAE's Dh858.65 billion (RM1=Dh1.05) foreign trade
recorded last year, that is about 143.34 per cent of the country's
Dh599 billion GDP in 2006.
"The results of our China Supplier Survey
clearly show the Middle East is an increasingly important market for
the success of China's exporters," Global Sources chairman and CEO,
Merle A Hinrichs, said in a statement.
"Likewise, buyers in
the Middle East need to meet growing consumer demand for quality
products - and are turning more and more to quality China suppliers to
meet this demand," Hinrichs said.
Source:
www.bernama.com.my
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Nearly 2,000
Chinese officials confess wrongdoings
August 02, 2007
Nearly 2,000 officials have confessed their
wrongdoings since China's disciplinary watchdog urged officials to
own up to their misconduct on May 30, China's disciplinary
watchdog confirmed on Thursday.
The Central Commission for Discipline
Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China issued a set of
regulations targeting official corruption that took effect on May
30, urging officials who have traded power for money to confess
their crimes before the end of June in return for leniency.
During the one-month period, 1,790 persons
voluntarily reported their misconduct, involving 77.89 million
yuan (10.2 million U.S. dollars), Gan Yisheng, CCDI spokesman,
said at a press conference.
"Some of the officials have corrected their
mistakes and some are still under investigation since we need
check whether they have confessed all their wrongdoings," Gan
said.
He did not provide details on the penalties
that will be imposed on the officials who came forward of their
own accord.
Gan said the regulations were useful since they
laid the basis for the government to investigate cases involving
violation of party discipline and they also provided an
opportunity for those who had made mistakes to make corrections.
CCDI regulations have clearly stated government
will show leniency to those who confess their wrongdoings by
themselves within 30 days, he said.
Those who do not confess will be severely
punished, he stressed, saying they have already got some clues for
officials suspected of committing wrongdoings and will carry out
further investigations.
Source: Xinhua
Hong Kong
to Scan U.S.-Bound Goods for Radiation as Part of Secure Freight
Initiative
Friday,
July 27, 2007
Hong Kong
- The United States and Hong Kong today arranged to cooperate on
the Secure Freight Initiative, a joint effort of the Department of
Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the
Departments of Energy (National Nuclear Security Administration)
and State aimed at keeping radioactive weapons out of U.S.-bound
cargo.
more...
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China to make
export/import tax adjustments to balance trade – official
China's Ministry of Commerce will adjust export
and import taxes further as it seeks to achieve balanced trade, a
ministry spokesman said.
Asked if there will be further adjustments of
export tax rebates, spokesman Yao Shenhong said: 'We will further
improve import and export tax measures in the future to try to
balance our trade.'
Yao did not give details of any tax changes but
China has been slowly dismantling the export tax rebate regime in
recent years in a bid to bring down a trade surplus which is
already up 85 pct so far this year on 2006 at 85.72 bln usd.
Yao would not give an estimate for China's
full-year trade surplus saying that it would depend on the impact
of macroeconomic policies in the second half.
Asked about US Congressional moves to introduce
legislation seeking to punish China for alleged unfair trading
practices, Yao said: 'Politicizing economic problems won't help to
solve Sino-US trade problems.'
He added that recent attempts to introduce
countervailing duties on some Chinese imports are 'hard to accept'
for China.
Source:
www.forbes.com
Forwarders in
Japan cut fees for Asia-bound freight
11-Jun-2007 shipping-exchange
Freight forwarders in Japan are charging about
five percent less in fees for shipping goods to other Asian
countries than they did a year ago, the first drop in two years,
as the supply of cargo space has increased while exports are on
the decline.
The supply of cargo space has grown now that
airlines offer more flights to such destinations as China. But
exports have been decreasing, as shipments of auto parts and
components for flat-panel televisions are no longer growing as
fast as they did a year earlier.
The volume of exports handled by air forwarders
fell a third straight month in April, according to the Japan
Air-Cargo Forwarders Association.
Consequently, fees for large-lot shipments from
Tokyo to Singapore are now hovering at around US$1.4-$2.64 per kg.
But customers are ending up
paying more overall because forwarders have raised fuel
surcharges. Information from major forwarders shows that they have
passed increases in airlines' fuel surcharges on to 90-95 percent
of customers through negotiations.
Source:
www.cargonewsasia.com |
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T R A D
E M I S S I O N S |
M.E. DEY JOINS TRADE
MISSION TO JAPAN AND CHINA
Limited Spots Remaining
A
limited number of spots with the negotiated reduced airfares remain
for the State of Wisconsin Trade Mission to Japan and China, September
9-17, 2007. Once those seats are taken, business people will still be
able to register for the mission, however, ticket prices and schedules
will be subject to availability at the time of booking.
M.E. Dey
President Robert Gardenier, and Executive Vice President Sandi Siegel,
will join this year's trade mission to China. While in China, they
will meet with our branch partner offices in Ningbo, Shanghai and
Beijing as well as visiting the various shipping ports. If you are
currently having any challenges with your cargo moving in or out of
China, please contact our office so we can help you manage your
imports and exports to China.
Schedules can be customized for individual business priorities. The
delegation will be in Tokyo from September 7 to 11 to coincide with
the U.S. Midwest - Japan Conference, which promotes bilateral trade
and investment between the Midwest and Japan. Mission members will be
in Shanghai September 12 to 15. On Friday and Saturday, September 14
and 15, participants will have the option of traveling to Ningbo,
Milwaukee’s ! sister-city and the home of China’s second largest port,
or Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province (Wisconsin’s sister-state)
to learn about agricultural and environmental opportunities. On
September 15 to 19 mission events will take place in Beijing, the
Chinese capital and site of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
For more
information on the trip, contact Commerce's Trade Show/Mission
Coordinators Ms. Jennifer Winner,
jennifer.winner@wisconsin.gov, ph: (608) 266-0413 or Ms. Christine Stamm,
christine.stamm@wisconsin.gov, ph: (608) 264-7824.
FOOD
FOOD FOOD
Japan Gourmet Foods Mission
A
Gourmet Food Mission organized by Food Export Association of the
Midwest and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer
Protection will be going to Tokyo, Japan September 10-14, 2007.
Japan is
emerging as a premier market for U.S. gourmet food products and the
Gourmet Food Trade Mission is a low cost opportunity for U.S. gourmet
food manufacturers to meet with a variety of buyers (importers,
distributors, retailers and HRI operators) there.
Features
of the mission include:
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Market briefings,
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Product showcase and tastings,
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Cooking demonstrations with the Grand
Chef of the Intercontinental Hotel,
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One-on-one meetings with importers,
distributors, retailers, HRI operators,
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Presentation to Japanese buyers by
National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc., on
Specialty Food Trends, and
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Retail tours.
The cost
of the mission is $475, and includes sample shipments and in-country
ground transportation to mission events. Participants will be
responsible for their airfare, lodging, and meals. Qualified
participants may be able to obtain 50% reimbursement of their airfare,
lodging, and meal expenses through the Food Export Association of the
Midwest’s Branded Program. The registration deadline is July 16, 2007.
Information on the mission, including the Branded Program is available
from Ms. Lisa Stout at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection,
lisa.stout@wisconsin.gov, ph: (608) 224-5126
World Dairy Expo - International
Registration
International registration for the World Dairy Expo can now be done
on-line. Attendees from other countries or international guests or
clients of Wisconsin firms can register on-line at
http://www.worlddairyexpo.com/gen.internat.reg.cfm.
Over
2,000 international visitors come to World Dairy Expo each year. This
year’s event will be held in Madison, October 2-6, 2007. More than
65,000 dairy industry enthusiasts come to see modern dairy equipment
and the newest dairy technology and innovations, including animal
health supplies, milking systems, feeding products, forage handling
and manure equipment plus embryos, semen and genetic research. North
America's top dairy cattle compete for honors in seven breed shows.
All visitors will still be required to pay admission at the gate.
Admission is $7 USD per day. Season passes are also available for $21
USD.
Food Focused Trade Mission to Chile
Wisconsin retail food companies looking to expand into South America
will have another opportunity to do so on the Focused Retail Trade
Mission to Chile scheduled for November 4-7, 2007. The Trade Mission,
sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection and Food Export Association, will offer companies
an introduction to the Chilean market, one of the fastest growing in
South America. Chilean consumers, with their increasing disposable
incomes, are especially interested in snack foods, gourmet foods,
candies, confectionaries and natural products.
Companies participating in the mission will benefit from:
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An import analysis and competitive
store check for one of the company’s products
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One-on-one meetings with 4-6 key
retailers, importers and/or distributor
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A market briefing by the local foreign
Agricultural Trade Office
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A guided specialty foods retail tour
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Interpreters during the mission
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For more than a decade
Chile
has been one of South America's success stories. Its market-oriented
economy, stable government and financial institutions make Chile an
ideal export market for Wisconsin’s products.
For more
information about the Chile Focused Retail Trade Mission, contact Ms.
Jen Pino-Gallagher at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection,
jen.pinogallagher@wisconsin.gov, ph: (608) 224-5125.
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