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Today's Cargo News Archives
Summary for April 21 - April 25, 2008:
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Monday, April 21, 2008

Port of LA to test floating intrusion barrier

 THE FIRST EVER use of the Port of Los Angeles’ Small Craft Intrusion Barrier, intended to prevent a terrorist attack similar to one on the destroyer USS Cole in October 2000, will be employed as part of a unique security exercise and demonstration at the port this Wednesday, Apr 23.

 The barrier — a floating plastic-and-steel boom — will be deployed in sections by tugboats, closing one of the port’s channels near the World Cruise Ship Terminal, according to the port.

 At the height of the exercise, a hinged opening in the barrier will be activated, enabling a Los Angeles Port Police boat to pass through. The purpose of the exercise is to gain hands-on experience with the barrier, the port said.

 As part of the exercise, Port Police will conduct land- and water-side operations simulating an increase in port security measures that would stem from an increased threat assessment to the World Cruise Ship Terminal.

 These operations will include hazmat, canine, and tactical teams that will set up inspection stations around the terminal. Additionally, a Port Police dive team will conduct an underwater sweep of the cruise ship pier.

 Web site:

 Port of Los Angeles

http://portoflosangeles.org

DHL launches “Discover Logistics”

 DHL Apr 17 announced it is launching the international initiative “Discover Logistics” with “DHL Fast Forward,” the first worldwide logistics business simulation.

 Individuals can sign up for the first level of the simulation game on the Internet site www.dhl-discoverlogistics.com.

 After this first level, the best participants worldwide will be grouped together into international management teams of five players and given the task of transforming a virtual logistics company into a position of market leader within 10 weeks.

 In the final phase of the game, DHL will invite the best teams to Deutsche Post World Net’s Bonn headquarters in January 2009. The winners will receive “attractive prizes with a total value of more than 50,000 euros,” DHL said.

 Prizes include management training, travel vouchers, and an access-all-areas pass plus VIP tickets to top logistics projects like Formula 1 events and IMG Fashion Weeks.

 The aim of the initiative is to “make this fast-growing industry accessible to as many young people as possible and inform them about the international career prospects which the logistics industry offers,” DHL said.

APM Terminals big winner in PMA safety awards          

 APM TERMINALS North America Apr 18 announced a clean sweep of the Pacific Maritime Association Safety Awards delivered last month.

 APM Terminals Tacoma, APM Terminals Pier 400 (Los Angeles), and APM Terminals Oakland were each recognized at the 59th Annual PMA Safety Awards celebrations in their respective US West Coast PMA regions.

 APM Terminals Oakland won first place in the Class C Container Group category and also was recognized for achievement in reduction of the lost time rate in 2007.

 The first place safety award in the Class A Container Terminal Operator category for Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbors went to APM Terminals Pier 400.

 APM Terminals Tacoma won the first place safety award in the Class C Container category for the Washington state area, as well as the second place coast award in the Class C Container category for accident prevention.

 “We are driving safety initiatives from top to bottom through our organization, and I am proud that our terminals have been recognized for their accomplishments,” said Eric Sisco, president, APM Terminals North America.

 Web site:

 APM Terminals

http://www.apmterminals.com

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Feds charge Kinder Morgan with dumping

THE US DEPT. OF JUSTICE Apr 18 charged Port of Portland tenant Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals with one felony count of “transporting material for dumping in ocean waters without a permit.”

The charge is in connection with alleged illegal ocean dumping in 2003, as first reported by the Willamette Week in August 2007.

The criminal information filed Friday comes nearly five years after retired Portland dockworker Jerry Cressa first reported it to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Cressa claimed that in the fall of 2003, Kinder Morgan paid a freighter captain at the Port of Portland to haul 159 tons of contaminated potash out to sea and dump it.

Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., subsequently contacted the Environmental Protection Agency, the Dept. of Justice, and the US Coast Guard to inquire about the allegation.

Joe Hollier, spokesman at Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LLC, the Houston-based energy and pipeline parent company, declined to immediately comment.

Web site:

Kinder Morgan
http://www.kindermorgan.com

China Shipping to expand at Seattle terminal

THE PORT OF SEATTLE Apr 21 announced that China Shipping Lines will expand its Seattle container service, calling at the port’s newly reconfigured Terminal 30, beginning in the spring of 2009. China Shipping currently calls at Terminal 18 under an agreement with SSA Terminals.

Under the terms of the new agreement, China Shipping Terminals (USA) will be an equity partner with SSA Terminals (Seattle), which will lease and operate the renovated container terminal, the port said.

“It is especially gratifying for a current customer to increase its investment and presence here,” said John Creighton, Port Commission president. “We are honored by the confidence they have shown in the Port of Seattle.”

The Port of Seattle is investing $120mn in creating a state-of-the-art container facility at Terminal 30 and relocating cruise facilities to Terminal 91. Once the move to Terminal 30 is complete, China Shipping’s current location, Terminal 18, will be available for use by another large shipping customer.

China Shipping began calling at the port in 1999. Current volumes total more than 97,000 TEUs into the Port of Seattle each year, the port said.

Web site:

Port of Seattle
http://www.portseattle.org

DHL in 5-yr deal with Borderlinx        

DHL, a leading express delivery and logistics company, Apr 21 announced a new five-year agreement with Borderlinx, a UK-based provider of cross-border e-commerce solutions.

The agreement gives shoppers outside the US the ability to order products from any US Internet retailer and also provides simple access to a global marketplace for US Internet retailers who have previously only offered delivery within the US marketplace.

“Today, only a small percentage of the top 500 US Internet retailers ship internationally,” said Marc Blouin, senior VP of DHL Solutions (USA).

“This new partnership between DHL and Borderlinx opens the marketplace to hundreds of millions of customers that until now have not been able to purchase their products from US Internet retailers.”

Borderlinx provides Internet merchants with payment solutions, order fulfillment, and DHL delivery services for product delivery to any of the 225 countries and territories served by DHL, the company said.

DHL Solutions will provide full-service warehousing and fulfillment services including product storage, picking, packaging, and consolidation of customer products for Borderlinx at the DHL hub in Wilmington, OH.

Web site:

DHL
http://www.dhl.com

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Port of Tacoma signs terminal agreements

 AT A SPECIAL Port of Tacoma Commission meeting Apr 22, port officials signed four key agreements with SSA Containers Inc., the Puyallup Tribal Council, and Marine View Ventures, the economic development arm of the Puyallup Tribe.

 The agreements focus on cooperation and coordination of marine terminal developments on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula.

 In the first, the Port of Tacoma and the Puyallup Tribe agree to exchange land to improve the overall layout of the current footprint of the future Puyallup Tribe/SSA terminal and future port terminal developments.

 Secondly, all parties agreed to cooperate in the widening of the Blair Waterway. SSA Containers will undertake and manage the project, and the port will reimburse a portion of the dredge and disposal cost.

 In the third agreement, SSA will lease from the port 1,200 ft of berth plus backup area, totaling approximately 23 acres currently under construction on the east side of the Blair Waterway.

 The last agreement specifies that all parties agree to cooperate on certain terminal developments, intermodal rail efficiency, and road infrastructure improvements. The parties agree to explore as necessary additional opportunities for cooperation.

 Web site:

 Port of Tacoma

http://www.portoftacoma.com

Port of Baltimore: 2007 record year for general cargo

 THE PORT OF BALTIMORE Apr 22 announced that 2007 was a record-breaking year for general cargo handled through the Maryland Port Administration’s public marine terminals.

 In recently released foreign trade data compiled by the US Census Bureau, the total value of cargo that moved through the port in 2007 was a record $41.9bn, a $5bn hike over 2006’s then-record of $36.7bn.

 Exports reached 11.3mn tonnes, which was 35% higher than in 2006 and the port’s highest overall export level since 1996.

 “These figures demonstrate that the Port of Baltimore is one of the top-producing ports in the US,” said Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari. “They are a tribute to the hard work of the public/private team of professionals at the port including labor, stevedoring firms, and management.”

 General cargo through the public marine terminals in 2007 escalated to an all-time high of 8.7mn tonnes, an increase from 8.6mn tonnes in 2006.

 This marked the sixth straight record year for general cargo tonnage — containers, autos, steel, forest (paper and wood) products, and ro/ro (farm and construction) equipment — through the public terminals.

 Web site:

 Port of Baltimore

http://www.marylandports.com/

FedEx adds more solar-powered operations      

 FedEx Corp. Apr 22 announced that its operating company FedEx Freight has completed the installation of a solar-electric system in Whittier, CA, and is nearing completion on a similar solar-powered facility in Fontana, CA.

 Both systems will provide a substantial portion of the facilities’ peak energy needs, according to FedEx.

 The 282 kW solar power system in Whittier has the capacity to produce more than 414,000 kW hours of electricity each year, providing almost 40% of the facility’s annual energy needs and significantly reducing the service center’s dependence on the electric grid. 

 In 2005, FedEx Express activated a 904 kW system at its Oakland, CA, hub facility that meets up to 80% of that facility’s peak energy demand and produces power equivalent to that used by more than 900 homes during the daytime. 

 To complete the Whittier system, 1,445 solar panels were installed on 22,000 sq ft of the facility’s roof space. BP Solar, part of the global energy major BP, manufactured the panels and served as the project developer.

 Web site:

 FedEx

http://www.fedex.com

Thursday, April 24, 2008

CA, OR, WA governors back Senate clean air action

 THE GOVERNORS of three Western states, in a letter sent April 23 to Sen. Daniel Inouye, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, requested his support of H.R. 802, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2007.

 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski, and Washington Gov. Christine O. Gregoire wrote that they “strongly support [Sen. Inouye’s] efforts in completing the crucial work necessary to approve MARPOL Annex VI implementing legislation.”

 “H.R. 802 is key to protecting public health in coastal regions and expanding international global trade by vessels to and from the United States,” they wrote.

  “It is imperative that the Senate act immediately so the United States can take a strong position in ongoing negotiations and at the March 2008 meeting of the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee,” the governors added.

 This legislation was passed by the House and referred to the Senate Committee on March 28, 2007. The legislation would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard to issue enforcement regulations for the MARPOL Annex VI, which was approved by the Senate in 2006.

K + N expands logistics capacity in Malaysia

 KUEHNE + NAGEL announced from Kuala Lumpur April 23 that the company is further expanding its logistics capacities in the Asia Pacific region with the commissioning of a new logistics center in Malaysia.

 Located at Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state, Malaysia, the new facility provides 22,000 square meters of warehouse space and has close links to the city’s major infrastructure.

 The bonded premises are equipped with the latest warehouse management systems, including RFID capability.

 The center features a dedicated chemical storage area for around 4,000 pallet positions and a 2,000-square-meter temperature-controlled area. Smooth access to the facility is provided by 40 hydraulic loading docks.

 “The investment underlines the dynamic growth of the national company,” commented Andy Weber, managing director of Kuehne + Nagel (Asia Pacific) Management Ltd., during the opening ceremony.

 “Across the region, we now have a total of 320,000 square meters of warehouse space under management. The strengthened capacity will enable us to meet the growing demand for sophisticated logistics in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region,” added Weber.

 Web site:

 Kuehne + Nagel

http://www.kn-portal.com/

Maersk wins “Best Global Shipping Line”        

 MAERSK LINE, the core liner activity of the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group, was awarded “Best Global Shipping Line” for the 15th year running at the 22nd Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards ceremony held this week in Singapore.

 The company also emerged as the winner of the “Best Shipping Line–Asia-Europe” Award for the 21st consecutive year.

 “The awards are a reflection of the comprehensive and reliable end-to-end transportation solutions that Maersk Line offers to customers through its global service network,” the company said.

 The Maersk Line fleet consists of more than 500 container vessels with a capacity of more than 1.7 million TEUs.

 Maersk Line today has 11 extensive strings on the Asia-Europe route, of which the latest — Asia-Europe 11 or AE11 route — was introduced to support shipments from Asia to Spain. Restructuring of the Asia-Europe routes has also brought enhanced coverage of markets in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea, Maersk said.

 Judging criteria for the two awards included schedule reliability, efficient customer service, service network comprehensiveness, competitive pricing, and information technology.

 Web site:

 Maersk Line

http://www.maerskline.com

Friday, April 28, 2008

Support builds for May 1 anti-war dock protest

 THE ILWU West Coast longshore workers have voted to “stop work to protest the US war and occupation on Iraq and Afghanistan on May Day 2008,” the ILWU said. All 29 ports on the U.S. West Coast are to be shut down for eight hours.

The longshore workers also called on the AFL-CIO, Change To Win (CTW) and other labor organizations to join them in action on May Day “against the war and to commemorate the International Workers Holiday.”

 Last month, in response to the union’s declaration, the Pacific Maritime Association, the West Coast employer association of ship owners, stevedore companies and terminal operators, declared its opposition to the union’s protest.

 Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan has said she will join the protest. Sheehan is running as an independent for Congress in California’s 8th District, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the incumbent.

 “The exemplary resolution passed by your Longshore Caucus, and your decision to stop work on the West Coast docks on May 1, 2008, points the way for all of us who struggle to end the disastrous war and occupation of Iraq,” Sheehan said.

 Web site:

 ILWU

http://www.ilwu.org

ATA Testifies on Strategic Petroleum Reserves

 RELEASING OIL from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves combined with a temporary suspension of filling the SPR will help stabilize petroleum markets, reduce global demand for crude oil and ultimately lower fuel prices, a top trucking executive testified before Congress April 24.

 Testifying on behalf of the American Trucking Associations before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Swift Transportation VP Dave Berry said releasing oil from the SPR was a key component of a comprehensive strategy to restore “rational behavior” to the petroleum markets.

 “We know that the SPR does not contain enough oil to permanently alter the supply of crude oil in the marketplace,” Berry said. “But we believe strategic releases from the SPR could temporarily increase the supply of crude oil and hopefully help restore rational behavior to the petroleum markets.”

 “This type of government intervention could drive speculators out of the market and help ensure that petroleum prices are once again driven by supply and demand,” Berry added.

 The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry.

 Web site:

 American Trucking Associations

http://www.truckline.com/

Lynden acquires Movers Inc. Anchorage division      

 LYNDEN International acquired the Anchorage division of seafood logistics company Movers Inc. on April 1. Together, the companies will provide a broad spectrum of services for the Alaska seafood industry.

 Lynden gains the expertise of Movers Inc.’s niche service in the seafood market, while Movers Inc. customers benefit from opportunities now available through Lynden’s worldwide network of locations, Lynden said.

 “The services offered by Movers Inc., including specialized ground and air logistics for perishables and the Alaska seafood industry, give us unique tools that we did not have in our repertoire,” said Dennis Mitchell, Lynden International regional manager in Alaska.

 The Seattle office of Movers Inc. will continue to operate under current ownership, and the company name will be retained in Anchorage after the acquisition, Lynden said.

 The Anchorage facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides refrigeration and logistics services for a variety of seafood industry companies. Truck brokering service is also available for fresh and frozen seafood from Anchorage to points in the Lower 48.

 Web site:

 Lynden International

http://www.lynden.com

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