=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+≠
Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel
THE CARGO LETTER [482]
Air & Ocean Logistics - Customs Broker News
30 Nov. 2011
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=


Good Wednesday Evening from our Observation Deck......overlooking the officially designated "
Cargo City" area and...... Runway 25-Right, at Los Angeles International Airport, declared the most used travel hub for Thanksgiving 2011 by the Los Angeles Times -- beating the regular favorite, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

        
The Cargo Letter is now perfectly designed to be enjoyed on your iPad.  Access all our internet links directly from your device.

       There was no 
The Cargo Letter for Oct. 2011, while we attended the FIATA World Congress at Cairo, Egypt.

         Now, here is what happened in our industry during the Month of November 2011. 

       To help you find what you need -- 
FAST -- there's now a transport search engine installed at our www.CargoLaw.com website!

       Contribute your knowledge, stories & company information.......by e-mail to 
The Cargo Letter.  We strive to bring you useful information which is timely & topical.  Be sure to visit our website.......http://cargolaw.com
       Archive of 
The Cargo Letter ....... www.cargolaw.com/cl-archives.php
       Michael S. 
McDaniel, Editor, Countryman & McDaniel, forwarder/broker, hull & machinery attorneys at LAX.

INDEX to 
The Cargo Letter:
OUR "A" Section: Trade, Financial & Inland News***
1. 
Freight Forwarder Trade Briefs ______________                            
2. 
The Cargo Letter Financial Page ______________                               
OUR "B" Section:  FF World Air News***
3. 
Freight Forwarder World Air Briefs ____________                         
OUR "C" Section:  FF World Ocean News***
4. 
FF World Ocean Briefs _____________________                                            
5. 
The Cargo Letter Cargo Damage Dispatches _____        
       **Back By Popular Demand**
OUR "D" Section:  FF in Cyberspace***
6. 
The Cargo Letter "Cyber Ports of Call" _________                       
========================================
*****************************************************

OUR "A" Section: Trade, Financial & Inland News***
  1. 
Freight Forwarder Trade Briefs _____________  

    ***Downward Trend? ..... as world economic trends, particularly in
Europe, point to a recessionary slide in coming months, according a survey of 1,119 economic specialists from business & academic institutions in 119 countries conducted by the Int'l Chamber of Commerce and Munich's Institute for Economic Research. Respondents noted the world economic climate index tumbled to 78.7, a two-year low, from the year's high of 107.7 in the 2nd quarter, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce. Their expectations fell to 71.9 from a 1st quarter high of 110.5. Assessments of the current economic situation fell to 86.0 from a high of 108.4 in the 2nd quarter. 

   ***The Leaders Display Confidence In
U.S. Consumers & E-Commerce .... as UPS is hiring more seasonal workers and preparing for a 6% increase in deliveries during the peak holiday week for air cargo shipping. UPS says it will hire 55,000 seasonal workers, a 1% increase from last year, as the parcel giants expects to ship more than 120 million packages in the last week before Christmas. Increased e-commerce has compressed the holiday peak season from Thanksgiving to Christmas to the last two weeks before the Dec. holiday, UPS said. Underscoring this trend is UPS's expectation to see 5 days before Christmas in which deliveries will approach or exceed 25 million packages, compared to the one day reached last year. UPS expects to approach or exceed 26 million package deliveries on Dec. 22. UPS's holiday shipping optimism parallels FedEx's earlier announcement relating to increased hiring & shipping expectations. FedEx Corp expects to move more than 17 million shipments - almost double its daily average volume - through its global networks on Dec. 12, the projected busiest day in company history. China is now the world's 2nd largest online retail market after the U.S. In 2010, China registered US$80.7Bn online sales, doubling sales in 2009." 

    ***
Russia Approaches WTO ..... as on Nov. 16, the World Trade Organization Working Party agreed on the terms of it's entry into the WTO, leaving one last hurdle before it's full acceptance into the organization.  Russia's accession package will now be sent to the 8th Ministerial Conference for adoption by Ministers on Dec. 15-17, 2011. The Russian Federation will then have until June 15, 2012 to ratify its accession package. Thirty days after notification to the WTO of the ratification, the Russian Federation will become a fully-fledged member. Press release:
www.wto.org/english/news_e/news11_e/acc_rus_10nov11_e.htm   

    ***U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement ..... as the Korean National Assembly, on Nov. 22, approved the accord by a reported vote of 151-7, and industry groups now urge both the
United States and South Korea to quickly implement the agreement's tenets. "This is a critical and important milestone toward implementing the agreement, which will benefit companies, farmers and ranchers and workers in both countries," said the Washington-based National Foreign Trade Council in a statement. For the American producers & exporters, this pact will create expanded opportunities for red meat exports to a market that has a demonstrated desire for U.S. beef & pork. Already this year (through Sept.), U.S. beef exports to Korea are up 45% in volume and 37% in value over 2010 levels, reaching 119,044 metric tons (262.4 million pounds) valued at US$527.7M. U.S. pork exports to Korea through Sept. are up 139% in volume and 189% in value versus last year, reaching 153,330 metric tons (338 million pounds) valued at US$395.1M.

    ***India Has Highest Trade Deficit ...... as the shortfall was US$19.6Bn in October, the highest in 4 years, as the pace of export growth slackened amid a slowdown in major global markets.

    ***
China's Balance ..... as it's total imports are expected to almost equal its exports over the next 5-year period, the nation's commerce minister said in comments on Nov. 4. Chen Deming said total imports by the world's second-largest economy were expected to reach US$10 trillion in that period, which would be "on a par with our exports." China's trade surplus has been ballooning over the years as a result of what its trade partners say is an unfair advantage linked to the country's yuan currency, which is alleged to be kept artificially kept low.

   ***Mexican Economy To Boom? ..... as it is outpacing some of the faster growing regions in the world—such as
Russia. In June, CNBC reported Mexico's economy is expected to grow by 4.5% this year. Contrast that number with the 1% growth expected in the U.S. and the 0.5% pace in Europe. The Mexican economy is outpacing some of the faster growing regions in the world—such as Russia—and it is estimated by some experts such as analyst Dr. Chris Kuehl, Mexico will be the eighth largest economy in the world by 2050. In March of this year, the Wall Street Journal reported unemployment fell to 4.6% and is at the lowest level since Dec. of 2008. Contrast this rate to the 9% plus rate in the United States. Mexico is not far from breaking out as one of the key trading nations in the world. It now has signed 13 free trade agreements that involve 44 nations, and is clearly less dependent on the performance of the U.S. economy than in the past. This should not be misconstrued that the U.S. is not an important trading partner, as imports from Mexico rose by over 30 percent in 2010 and are on pace to exceed that in 2011.

   ***Brazil Is A Magnet ...... as it's growth is the magnet that is causing
U.S. manufacturers to expand their operations. Now the world's 7th-largest economy, Brazil's GDP in 2010 grew at a 7.5% rate. Over the next two years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts growth will continue at a healthy 4% rate. A burgeoning middle class is generating growing demand for automobiles, televisions, computers and other products that a generation ago were out of reach for many Brazilians.

    ***
Latin America Cargo Theft Report 3rd Quarter 2011 ...... as Freightwatch reports Brazil is vulnerable to cargo theft due largely to the country's lack of serious legal penalties. According to FreightWatch, 80% of cargo theft is concentrated in southeastern Brazil, the country's richest and most freight-heavy region. Although this region is comprised of 4 states— Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo — cargo theft activity predominates in Sao Paulo state. More, 82% of cargo theft in Sao Paulo state occurs in the capital, Sao Paulo city, and the other municipalities within the metropolitan area. The report points to the Aug. 19 arrest of six members of a cargo theft gang that targeted loads in the greater Sao Paulo metropolitan area. During interrogation, the suspects said they had been stealing an average of five loads per week. Read the report:
http://old.freightwatchintl.com/webfm_send/75

   ***
Thailand's Corruption Crack Down ...... as the National Anti-Corruption Commission has announced a notification that will have a significant impact on companies doingbusiness with the Thai government. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, companies or individuals entering into procurement contracts with government agencies must submit annual revenue and expense accounts, together with their standard tax filings.

    ***Border Road War .... as on Nov. 22, Teamsters union sued to block the U.S. Dept. of Transportation from opening the
U.S. border Mexican trucks through an apilot program. "Opening the border to these dangerous, dirty trucks is an attack on highway safety, an attack on American truckers and warehouse workers, an attack on border security and an attack on our environment," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's outrageous enough that we've outsourced millions of jobs to foreign countries, but now we're bringing foreign workers across the border into the United States to take our jobs. This is another pressure the American middle class doesn't need." The Teamsters, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club challenged the program in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. James P. Hoffa was re-elected to a 4th term on Nov. 18, as general president of the Teamsters union , winning 60% of the vote.
http://www.teamster.org/

   ***FIATA 2011 At Cairo ....... as the International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associatioins held it's World Congress in the Egyptian capital between Oct.16 & 21 2011. The Main Forum at the FIATA World Congress 2011 in
Cairo provided some 780 delegates an overview of the new collaboration between FIATA and ICAO – the International Civil Aviation Organization, to ensure the Safety of Civil Aviation. Amongst the VIP members was the Minister of Industry & Trade Dr Mahmoud Eissa speaking on behalf of the Egyptian Prime Minister. More VIPs included Mr Ahmed ElWakil, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Mr Hassan Rashed, Chairman of Egyptian Civil Aviation on Holding Company, Mr Nagy Salah, Head of Egyptian Civil Aviation Holding Company, Mr Dominik Furgler, Swiss Ambassador to Egypt and many more. Michael S. McDaniel of theCountryman & McDaniel firm attended as a Member of the FIATA Board of Legal Advisors and made an address to the group on new legasl developments for freight forwarders in the air mode. The 2012 World Congress will be held at Los Angeles between 8 & 12 Oct.
www.fiata.com/index.php?id=40

    ***CargoNet Holiday Rules ..... as It cautions shippers about cargo theft during the holiday season. "Historical cargo theft data shows that the rate of cargo theft increases over holiday weekends," CargoNet said. CargoNet was formed in 2009 by the ISO & the National Insurance Crime Bureau to create a national system to combat cargo theft. CargoNet has a list of 10 steps companies can use to prevent cargo theft:
1. Ask local police departments to make routine checks of your facilities.
2. Avoid having loaded trailers sit unattended over the weekend.
3. Only park loaded trailers in secure areas, such secure drop-lots.
4. Consider deploying covert tracking devices in product and on trailers.
5.Secure all tractors with high-security locking devices, such as, air-cuff & tractor steering joint locks.
6. Secure all trailers (loaded & unloaded) with high-security ISO 17712 compliant barrier seals in combination with hardened padlocks. Utilize king pin locks & back cargo doors to a wall.
7. Check to make sure that your facility's lighting, back-up generators, alarm system(s) and surveillance equipment are in good working order.
8. Remove keys from all equipment, especially motorized pallet jacks & forklifts.
9. Document & report all suspicious activity around your facility. This information can be critical to law enforcement in the event of a cargo theft incident.
10. If you are a victim of a theft, immediately notify local law enforcement & call the CargoNet command center 888-595-2638.
www.cargonet.com/

   ***Texas Transportation Institute Researchers Identify Most Congested U.S. Corridors ......as the report identifies 328 stretches of highway across the nation that are seriously congested on a regular basis over a variety of times during the week. The least reliable corridor is the southbound section of Georgia Route 400 in
Atlanta, between the toll plaza and I-85. According to the study, drivers have to allow 256% more time than the average to complete their trip on time 19 out of 20 times. The New York area has five of the top 20 corridors for least reliable travel. Atlanta and Washington, D.C., each have two corridors in the top 20. The highest ranked corridor for delay per mile is the Harbor Freeway (northbound) in Los Angeles, from I-10 to Stadium Way, with about 1.4 million hours of delay per mile. Although it ranks 1st in delay per mile, it ranks 27th in total congestion cost because it is one of the shorter corridors in the study.  The study said that the 328 corridors account for 36% of the nation's urban freeway congestion, but only 6% of the total freeway lane-miles and 10% of the traffic volume.
http://tti.tamu.edu/2011/11/15/researchers-identify-the-nations-most-congested-corridors/

    ***FBI Finally Looking At Cargo Crime .....as the estimated US$40Bn per year is lost due to cargo thefts, and only recently has the FBI started keeping track of how many cargo crimes are committed every year. It's a major problem, and one that would enrage consumers if they were aware affected companies are marking up their prices up to 20% to compensate for these losses. Hewlett-Packard is using high-tech gadgetry to foil cargo thieves. HP manages one of the world's most extensive IT supply chains, and spends US$60Bn per year on transportation, distribution, materials and other key components of its supply chain. To protect it's investment, HP uses covert GPS satellite units -- on truck trailers, pallets and, in some cases, the product themselves -- to track the products in transit. These units typically cost US$200 or more each, so users such as HP need to be selective in how and when they deploy them. Due to the covert nature of the units, the truck drivers do not know they are being introduced into their loads. The GPS units are monitored by 3rd-party security companies, who follow the regular "pings" sent out by the battery-powered units. Since cargo thieves these days tend to steal entire trailer-loads of goods, there's an immediate payback on the investment in the GPS units. Why rob a bank, when cargo theft seems so easy?

   ***No Interstate Cells .... as a final rule has been issued by the Dept. of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to ban the use of handheld cellphones by commercial truck & bus drivers. Studies have shown actions like texting & dialing a phone can greatly increase crash risk by taking steps to curb these behaviors hold great promise to improve highway safety. The federal government cannot enact such bans for passenger vehicles.

    ***UPS Sets New 2012 Rates ..... as the new schedule includes a net increase of 4.9% for UPS Ground packages and a net increase of 4.9$ on all UPS Air services and U.S.-origin int'l shipments. UPS said the rate increase for UPS Ground shipments is based on a 5.9% increase in the base rate, less a 1 percentage point reduction to the index-based ground fuel surcharge. The rate increase for UPS Air and international services shipments is based on a 6.9% increase in the base rate, less a 2% reduction to the index-based air and int'l fuel surcharge.

    ***DB Schenker European Rail Freight History ..... as Nov. 11 with the first arrival of a regular new weekly container train from
Poland to the United Kingdom. The train is the first regular rail freight service to use the High Speed 1 rail route, the only European sized railway in the United Kingdom. As a result, the train can be loaded with European-sized curtain sided swap bodies, opening up a new freight & logistics market. 

    ***CargoWise Buys ..... as the logistics software company has acquired Canada-based VivaSoft, a logistics technology provider.
www.cargowise.com/

   ***Fresh Theft ... as Pennsylvania State police say a trailer holding more than 16 tons of seafood was stolen over the weekend of Nov.12 from a central Pennsylvania truck stop. The Patriot-News of
Harrisburg reports the refrigerated trailer was filled with 33,000 pounds of food and was taken while unattended. Who would ever rob a bank, so long as there are unattended commercial loads?

     ***Road Tribute..... as a device many truckers resent first went into service this month in 1954 — the automatic toll collection machine.  It was installed at the
Union Toll Plaza on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. Motorists dropped coins into a wire mesh hopper, triggering a green light that told them to proceed.  The idea soon caught on at toll roads around the country, reducing the number of booth attendants and speeding cars on their way. Many toll roads now offer electronic devices that allow truckers to pay their fee without even stopping. There are more than 4,800 miles of toll roads in the U.S. — a tiny fraction of the more than 4 million miles of roads crisscrossing the nation. 

   ***Another Smuggling Prayer .... as deputies in
South Carolina say a woman used two hollowed-out Bibles to try to smuggle weapons, drugs & a cell phone to a prison inmate. Sheriff Barry Faile said Nov. 21 authorities began investigating 28-year-old Shareca Latoya Jones after a package mailed to Lieber Correctional Institution was returned to a post office in Lancaster. Inside the package were 2 Bibles containing razor knives, a cell phone, ecstasy pills and more than 28 grams of cocaine. Deputies identified Jones as the person who mailed the package from a Kershaw post office. In her car, authorities found a loaded handgun, drugs, cell phones & cash. Jones is facing drug and contraband charges. She was released from jail on bond
========================================                           
  2. 
The Cargo Letter Financial Page ____________ 

  **Agility.
 DOWN with a 3rd quarter 2011 net profit of US$29.32M a decrease of 42% compared to the same period a year earlier, on a 19% fall in revenue. 
  **Air France-KLM's cargo business. 
DOWN for 2nd quarter ending Sept. 30 with a decline of US$50.3M from US$9.5M profit in same period 2010, on revenue of US$1.05 Bn. 
  **Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. 
DOWN with a 16% drop in 3rd quarter net profit to US$28.2M year on year, drawn on revenues of US$362.9M.
  **AutoInfo (parent of non-asset trucking company Sunteck Transport). 
UP as net profit increased 13.3% in the 3rd quarter to US$944,000.
  **Box Ships, Inc. 
UP with a profit of US$5.1M in the first full quarter since the Greek container ship owner's initial public offering on the NYSE. www.box-ships.com/
**BNSF Railway.
 UP as profit rose 8.5% year-over-year to US$766M in the 2nd quarter, as the railroad's revenue rose 13% despite traffic falling 1.9%.
**CEVA Logistics. 
UP as 3rd quarter profit increases by 5.8% to US$125.6M on a 1.2% gain in revenue to US$2.54Bn
  **Con-way. 
UP with 3rd quarter profit of US$29.1M on total revenue 8.4% in the third quarter to US$1.38Bn.
  **Covenant Transportation. 
DOWN with a loss of US$11.1M in the 3rd quarter compared to a US$1.9M profit in the same period year ago, as the truckload carrier saw freight revenue fall 9% and took a US$9.4M impairment charge.   
  **Diana Containerships. 
UP with net income of US$2.7M for the third quarter of 2011, compared to a net loss of US$0.1M for the same 2010 period, as the chartering of 3 vessels to Maersk Line helped the vessel owner-charterer more than triple its revenue.   www.dcontainerships.com/
  **Expeditors Int'l of
Washington. UP 11% with net profit of US$106M in the 3rd quarter.
  **Hapag-Lloyd. 
DOWN 628% with US$46M in operating profits in 3rd quarter, an 87% decline from the same period in 2010, and for the year, the Hamburg-based container line has made US$84.9M, an 87.6% drop from the first 9 months of 2010.
**Horizon Lines 
DOWN with a US$126.4M loss in 3rd quarter ending Sept. 25, compared to a profit of UO$7.7M in 3rd quarter of 2010.
  **
Japan Airlines (JAL). UP with net profits of US$1.25Bn in the 1st half fiscal 2011, evidence of its robust return from bankruptcy in Jan. 2010. 
  **Maersk Line. 
DOWN with a loss of US$322M in Q3 2011, compared to a profit of US$1Bn. in the same quarter last year. 
**Rickmers Maritime Trust. 
UP with a US$11.1M profit in the 3rd quarter from a US$54.6M loss a year ago, as the Singapore-based container shipowner boosted charter revenue & trimmed financing costs.
  **
Singapore Airlines. DOWN with 2nd quarter results ending Sept. 30, posting a net profit of US$153M, which was down 49% year on year due to high fuel costs and losses in cargo business. 
  **Trailer Bridge Inc. 
DOWN with a 3rd-quarter loss of US$1.9M, or 16 cents per share, compared to net income of US$6,900, or zero cents, a year ago. 
  **
U.S. Postal Service. DOWN as it lost US$5.1Bn in fiscal 2011, raising the pressure the ailing agency will default on a US$5.5Bn payment as it loses business to electronic communication.                              
========================================
*****************************************************

OUR "B" Section: FF World Air News***
  3. 
Freight Forwarder World Air Briefs __________  

    ***American Airlines Bankruptcy ..... as at press time AA has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code .... last of the major airlines to do so since 9/11.
www.aa.com/homePage.do

    ***Lufthansa Cargo - The Boss May Cut..... as it could cut capacity by as much as 30% going into 2012 and temporarily ground some freighters amid indications of a slowdown in demand. But the German carrier expects the air cargo market to grow again in the 2nd half of next year. The carrier may ground some of its eighteen MD-11 freighters but would not park them in the desert as it did in the 2009 recession. Lufthansa Cargo's traffic is 5% below expectation in recent weeks. Lufthansa is preparing for zero growth in the air cargo market through the 1st quarter of 2012 and possibly into the 1st half. But it expects around 3% growth in the 2nd half of the year.

    ***Stopping The India Advantage ...... as the Air Transport Assn. of America has taken legal action against the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the
United States to prevent Air India from receiving a US$3.4Bn loan. The ATA filed the suit with the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, asking the court to deem the Ex-Im Bank's loan-guarantee unlawful. According to ATA officials, the Ex-Im Bank has already approved a US$1.3Bn loan for Air India, with an additional US$2.1M pending consideration; the loans would support the carrier's acquisition of 30 aircraft, including 27 Boeing 787s. With this lawsuit, ATA officials hope to prevent foreign carriers from receiving drastically lower — up to 50% — financing rates than U.S. airlines. After all, an ATA spokesman revealed, the discounts afforded to these carriers have certainly added up.

   ***Lufthansa Cargo Says No To Late Night Ban ..... as is suspending plans for a US$1.35Bn expansion of the airline's
Frankfurt hub because of a German court's ban on night flights at the airport. The airline's action is the strongest response yet to a ruling that effectively shut down Lufthansa's night operations, triggering an overhaul of the carrier's extensive freighter schedule. A second project directly affected by the provisional night flight ban is the construction of new headquarters in the neighborhood of the existing LH Cargo Center. Lufthansa Cargo CEO Karl Garnadt said last month the airline remained committed to an expansion that would sharply scale up the airline's handling capacity at Frankfurt to 2 million metric tons. But an airline official told Reuters the carrier now is awaiting a review of the regional court ruling before proceeding. "Lufthansa still wants to invest, but the size is dependent on the night flight regulations," the unnamed official said.  

    ***
Japan Airlines Takes A Hit .... as depressed markets resulting from the March tsunami and earthquake have drastically cut into Japan Airlines' profit margins, representatives for the carrier revealed. Reported revenue-ton kilometers, which dropped 52.2%, year-over year, in the 1st half of fiscal-year 2011, wasn't the only area of loss for the airline. Domestic capacity also fell 17.4%, year-over-year, from April to the end of Sept., as JAL officials scaled down routes to offset decreased cargo demand.

    ***Airbus Optimistic ..... as it expects global air cargo volume to increase nearly 300% in the next 20 years, leading to a 200% more aircraft in the world's freighter fleet. According to the Airbus 2010-2030 Cargo Global Market Forecast, there will be demand for 834 new aircraft, with the largest market segment being mid-sized freighters like the Airbus A330-200F. 

    ***Lufthansa Cargo Contest For You ..... as it has opened entries for its 
Cargo Innovation Contest at its online innovation platform to present "green solutions" and ideas for "add-on services" to cover any aspect of its cargo supply chain to help reduce its environmental impact. Lufthansa Cargo will award its 3 winners a trip to Frankfurt, Germany where they will get to present their proposals to engineers & management and discuss how their ideas could be implemented. The winners will also receive flight training in a simulator with a Lufthansa Cargo flight captain and up to 25,000 Miles and More Miles. In addition, a Most Valuable Participant will be awarded 25,000 Miles and More Miles, based on activity in the contest, quality of contributions and support for other members. The contest is open to all until deadline Dec. 19.
To submit ideas:
http://innovation.lufthansa-cargo.com  

   ***Emirates Airline Beholds The Belly ..... as it's cargo planning chief says using bellyholds for freight on passenger craft and maintaining capacity is key to future of Emirates SkyCargo. "For an airline like us, the freight in the belly is extremely important, you cannot understate the importance of it. It represents 17% plus of our business," Emirates VP Hiran Perertold
U.S.-based Air Cargo News (FlyingTypers), at the sidelines of Dubai Airshow. The Dubai-based carrier's launch of freighter services to Iraq, South America and a new Far East and Australasia freighter route, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong, Dubai has boosted its coverage alongside its charter revenue which is to hone on Africa and Japan markets. By using passenger service like its Dubai to Sao Paolo, San Francisco and Los Angeles for freight Emirates can manage the seasonality of freight and passenger demand through data management and offset risk. 

   ***
Cathay Pacific Airways Goes Big At HKG ..... as it has held a ceremony to mark the completion of construction of the new US$706.4M Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong Int'l Airport. When fully operational in 2013, it will employ 1,800 people and run 24-7, the most advanced in the world. Construction was done by a Gammon-Hip Hing joint venture.The faciity will be powered by Siemens.

   ***Qantas Birthday Used For B-787 .... as it celebrated its 91st birthday by officially welcoming the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to
Sydney on its first visit to Australia before low-cost carrier Jetstar receives the first of the group's fifty 787s in mid-2013. Melbourne-based Jetstar is to receive 15 of the Boeing 787-8s to replace Airbus A330s which will transfer to Qantas, with 35 Boeing 787-9s to jointly support international growth for both carriers. "The B-787 is a game-changer" said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, citing its GEnx engines that make for greater fuel-efficiency that lowers operating costs and a capability for both low-fare and premium markets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetstar_Airways
www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/background.html


    ***Lion Air Tries To Be King .... as the once little-known Indonesian airline says it is planning to buy 230 planes from Boeing Co. The bill - with a list price of US$21.7Bn - is to be paid over 12 years though ,bank financing. Dozens of airlines have emerged in
Indonesia since it deregulated its aviation industry in the 1990s, making air travel affordable for the 1st time for many across the sprawling island nation of 240 million, and luring passengers away from ferries & trains. The number of air passengers in Indonesia jumped 22% from 43 million in 2009 to 53 million in 2010, according to Indonesia's statistics agency. That trend has continued in 2011. But the country also has had its share of accidents, raising concerns that the supply of trained aviation professionals, regulatory oversight and ground infrastructure can't keep up with growth. In 2007, the European Union banned all of Indonesia's 50 airlines from landing on its runways for two years, and Lion Air has not gone unscathed. In 2004, a Lion Air MD-82 crash-landed at the airport in Surakarta, killing 25 people in its only fatal accident. There also have been scores of other incidents, including hard landings and overshooting runways, some causing injuries or damage to planes.
www2.lionair.co.id/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Air


    ***The Last A340 ..... as Airbus has announced that ending the productions of the company's longest fuselage amid competition to Boeing's 777 twin-engine model and high fuel prices. The A340, which held the record as the longest civil aircraft until Boeing stretched its 747-8 jumbo, fits up to 375 passengers and can fly non-stop from
Singapore to Los Angeles. There are 365 A340s in operation today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A340

    ***Volumes 
>>> Air China posted a 4.1% cargo decline in October year on year and a 6.7% drop from Sept. to 96,215 tons, but in the first 9 months of the year, its throughput was up 1.9% to 953,229 tons. >>> Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair in Oct. carried 135,998 tons of cargo and mail, representing a drop of 17.5% year on year. >>> Japan's All Nippon Airways volume edged up 0.8% year-over-year in Sept. in a slight recovery after ANA reported its 1st freight decline in two years the month before. >>> Hong Kong Int'l Airport (HKIA) has posted 8.2% decline in air cargo throughput in Oct. year on year to 342,000 tons, 

    ***Russian Corruption .... as air freight operator & arms trader Viktor Bout has been convicted by a
New York jury on terrorism charges after being accused of smuggling arms to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to use against U.S. forces. On Nov. 2, 2011, he was convicted by a jury in a federal court in Manhattan of conspiracy to kill US citizens and officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles and provide aid to a terrorist organization. Mr Bout was arrested 3 years ago in Bangkok, where he then spent two years in custody before being extradited to the U.S. Bout, a former Russian air force officer, once employed 300 people and operated 40 to 60 aircraft, including the largest private fleet of Antonov cargo planes during the 1990s, until some of its fleet were grounded for inadequate documentation. During the trial, Bout denied weapons trafficking but said he was instead trying to sell two old cargo aircraft for US$5M to the Colombians. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Bout

   ***Landing On Your Own Grass .... as sheriff's deputy says authorities are hunting for the pilot of a small plane carrying a large amount of marijuana that skidded off a runway at an airport west of
Houston. John Kremmer of the Waller County Sheriff's Department says the twin-engine plane slid onto the grass Nov. 21 evening at Houston Executive Airport in Brookshire after the plane's nose gear collapsed. He says he doesn't know how many people were aboard, but the plane was abandoned when authorities arrived. Kremmer says several bundles of marijuana were found on the plane. The exact amount hasn't been determined, but he says it was "a lot more than just personal use." The plane is registered to an owner in La Vernia, Texas. Kremmer says it hadn't been reported stolen.

    ***Standing Room Only .... as a passenger had to stand Nov. 20, during a 7-hour flight after a morbidly obese man sitting next to him made it impossible to get into his seat. Arthur Berkowitz said his 400lb neighbour on US Airways Flight 901, from
Anchorage to Philadelphia, spilled over into his personal space. He was not able to sit in his seat, could not move elsewhere in the aircraft because it was full and was therefore forced to stand up. "I didn't fly from Alaska to Philadelphia on Flight 901," Mr Berkowitz told consumer advocate Christopher Elliot's blog. "I stood." The flight from Anchorage to Philadelphia is one of the longest non-stop U.S. domestic flights. Flight attendants whom he told about the problem said they could not help him, as he was not allowed to sit in their jump seats. Mr. Berkowitz claims US Airways admitted their gate agent had made an error in allowing the passenger to board without having bought two seats.  

    ***Caught With His Pants Down..... as a pilot who accidentally locked himself in the bathroom of his LaGuardia-bound plane caused a terror scare Nov. 16 night when a helpful passenger with an accent tried to come to his rescue by banging on the cockpit door. The embarrassing comedy of errors began when the captain of a Chatauqua Airlines flight from
Asheville, N.Car., decided to take a bathroom break before landing. But when he tried to get out of the men's room, the door jammed, trapping him in the tight quarters. Desperate to get out and land the plane — which was in a holding pattern above the airport — he pounded his fists on the door to attract attention. A well-intentioned passenger sitting in the front row heard his thumping & hurried over to help. Relieved, the pilot told the passenger to go to the cockpit and alert the crew to his plight. But crew members didn't react well to the unexpected visit from a stranger trying to breach the highly secure area of the plane. The jittery co-pilot — at the controls and wondering why his boss' bathroom break was taking forever — thought the unfamiliar accent was Middle Eastern, a source told The Post. Practically stammering, he quickly radioed air traffic control. "We are 180 knots 10,000 [feet] uh, can we leave the frequency for a minute? We are going to try to, uh contact dispatch," he said. "The captain disappeared in the back, and, uh, I have someone with a thick foreign accent trying to access the cockpit." Even after the passenger explained through the door that the captain was locked in the john, the co-pilot was still suspicious. "What I'm being told is he's stuck in the lav [lavatory], and, uh, someone with a thick foreign accent is giving me a password to access the cockpit," he said. He clearly did not believe the passenger. "I'm not about to let him in," the nervous co-pilot told the LaGuardia tower. The controller, also spooked, advised the pilot to declare an emergency and "just get on the ground.'' The captain finally extricated himself and told colleagues all was well. Before that happened fighter planes were alerted, although they were never scrambled. When an air traffic controller called to check if "there were any level of disturbance on the airplane," the pilot got on and responded "negative.""The captain, myself, went back to the lavatory and the door latch broke and I had to fight my way out of it with my body to get the door open ," he said. "There is no issue, no threat."The FBI & Port Authority cops met the plane when it landed around 6:30 pm. A spokesman for Chatauqua — which runs the regional flight under the Delta name — said cops talked to the passenger & quickly realized it was all a misunderstanding.              
========================================
*****************************************************

OUR "C" Section:  FF World Ocean News***
  4. 
FF World Ocean Briefs                                                     

    ***Mischief Warning ..... as the
U.S. "Occupy Movement" is calling for a shutdown of all West Coast ports on Dec. 12, but they will have to pursue their goal without the cooperation of the powerful Int'l Longshore and Warehouse Union. The movement's declaration came about 3 weeks after thousands of Occupy Oakland protestors halted nighttime operations at the Port of Oakland on Nov. 2. The ILWU voiced support for the Oakland protest, but a letter from the ILWU Coast Committee in San Francisco to all longshore locals on the West Coast shows a position shift: "To be clear, the ILWU, the Coast Longshore Division and Local 21 are not coordinating independently or in conjunction with any self-proclaimed organization or group to shut down any port or terminal, particularly as it related to our dispute with EGT in Longview (Wash)." The ILWU considers its dispute with EGT, which is attempting to open a grain terminal in Longview, Wash., with the use of non-ILWU labor, to be a crucial issue for the union, but the ILWU does not want outside groups using that issue to attract support from the union rank and file for a ports shutdown.

   ***Incresed Traffic .... as volume of containerized exports handled in the
U.S. increased 6.7% in the 3rd quarter to 2,933,396 TEU on the back of growing demand for wastepaper, scrap metal & grain, according to PIERS data. Containerized grain & flour product exports were up by 37% to 40,468 TEU, while shipments of boxed soybeans nearly doubled to 40,298 TEU. The volume of empty containers returning to Asia also fell by 17.4% in Oct., which means more containers were leaving the port loaded with export cargo. In the first 10 months of the year, the number of loaded & empty containers increased 0.68% year on year. Within October's monthly total, westbound transpacific exports surged by 10.4 % to 1,653,158 TEU, accounting for 56% of the total. Exports to the America's top containerized trading partner China grew 13% to 652,069 TEU compared to the same period a year earlier. 

   ***
Port of Hamburg NO. 2 For EU ..... as it regained its 2nd place behind Rotterdam as a European container port as it surpassed Antwerp with a 15.3% year-on-year increase in the first 9 months to 6.8 million TEU. Hamburg outpaced Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe, which increased volume 3.1% to 6.5 million TEU, and compared to Europe's top box Port of Rotterdam's 8% increase to nine million TEU. 

    ***New Anti-Pirate Fleet .... as a private navy equipped with a fleet of patrol boats is scheduled to begin escorting ships through the
Gulf of Aden early next year as private security forces take a growing role in the fight against piracy. The venture has been organized by Convoy Escort Programme Ltd, and is backed by UK insurance and reinsurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, Bloomberg reports. It is due to commence escorts in 5 months time. "The bullet-proof boats will charge about US$30,000 per ship travelling in a convoy of around 4 vessels over 3 to 4 days," Convoy Escort CEO Angus Campbell told Bloomberg. Convoy Escort will use 7 ex-navy patrol boats, each with 8 armed guards, costing US$30M. Some in the industry even wonder if a special security effort is really necessary. There are around 35,000 ship voyages a year through the Indian Ocean, they point out, the vast majority are completely unarmed and make it through. Officials say it costs around US$55,000 to deploy an experienced four-man security team on a 10-12 day transit between Suez and Galle in Sri Lanka. Firms touting for business without experience have offered teams at US$15,000 to US$20,000.
www.jltgroup.com/
Captain of the M/V Renuar, testimony after abduction of his ship - chilling :
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pb1VAgYkUiY


    ***Closed Shop?.... as harbor truckers in Southern California are raising concerns that an effort by longshoremen to inspect all chassis before equipment is trucked from Los Angeles-Long Beach will result in unnecessary delays for their drivers. The area arbitrator who handles contract disputes between the Int'l Longshore and Warehouse Union and waterfront employers ruled, effective Nov. 21, terminal operators will conduct a mandatory roadability inspection of all chassis owned or controled by shipping lines or terminal operators before allowing the chassis to be hauled from the facility. Terminal operators on the West Coast employ ILWU labor. Longshore mechanics repair most of the chassis provided by shipping lines & terminal operators, but longshoremen at most terminals do not inspect chassis before they are hauled from marine terminals. The Harbor Trucking Assn., which represents drayage companies in
Southern California, said the terminal inspection requirement is redundant because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires truck drivers inspect chassis before hauling the equipment from terminals.

    ***Don't Lower The Ocean, Raise The Bridge ..... as Maersk Line is to make 8 of its 7,450 TEU ships into 8,500-TEU vessels by adding two extra layers of containers stowed forward of the accommodation block and raising the wheelhouse to see over the highest stacks. But the report from Paris-based Alphaliner did not say whether the remaining eight SAM-MAX vessels would be retrofitted with an elevated wheelhouse and a 1,500 TEU capacity increase. The upgrade is taking place at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

    ***Maersk Line Clock Watching ..... as it has been named the world's most on-time carrier among the top carriers as 63% of the world's containerships were found to have arrived on time in the third quarter, according to Drewry Maritime Research's latest schedule reliability report. The result surpasses the 55% of on time arrivals recorded in the 2nd quarter, reports
Newark's Journal of Commerce. Out of the top 20 shipping lines measured by vessel fleet size across all the trades covered by Drewry, APL clinched the number 2 spot and Hyundai Merchant Marine came in 3rd. Maersk interestingly claimed the top spot after launching a new guaranteed schedule service at a number of ports in Asia and Europe in September. 

    ***Sample Rate Increases Approach .....
  **Matson
 announced Nov. 23 it will raise its rates for the company's
Hawaii service by US$175 per westbound container and US$85 per eastbound container, effective Jan. 1, 2012. The increase will be filed with the Surface Transportation Board. In addition, Matson will raise its terminal handling charge by US$50 per westbound container and US$25 per eastbound container, also effective Jan. 1, 2012. Matson estimates the combined increase of both the rate adjustment and terminal handling charge will result in shipping costs rising by an average of 5.6%. Historically, Matson has announced average percentage increases based solely on the rate increase, excluding terminal handling increases. In the interest of greater transparency, the company has decided to combine both numbers for the average percent increase.
  **CMA CGM, the world's 3rd largest container ocean shipping line, has announced it will raise rates effective Dec. 15. Increases are US$600 per TEU from
Asia to Mexico and the west coast of Central and South America, US$560 per TEU and US$800 per FEU from Asia to the Caribbean and US$250 per TEU from Asia to West Africa.  Members of the Canada Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (CTSA) say the rate changes will apply to all coasts, effective by no later than Jan. 1, and are intended to achieve an additional minimum of US$400 per 40-foot container.
  **Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) will raise rates by US$600 per TEU from the
Far East to the west coast of South America effective Dec. 15.
  **Mediterranean Shipping Co. has announced a general rate increase of US$320 per TEU, US$400 per FEU and US$450 per 40-foot high cube  for services from Far East and southeast Asia to the US and Puerto Rico from Jan. 1.
  **Asia-West Africa Trade Agreement (AWATA) recently suggested its member carrier increase the freight rates by US$200 per TEU from
Far East to West Africa from Dec. 15. AWATA member carriers comprise CMA CGM, China Shipping, Delmas, GoldStar, MOL, Maersk, MSC, NileDutch, PIL & Safmarine. 

   ***FESCO Russian Pacific Line Breaks Trail ..... as it's new direct all water service to
Vladivostok departed the Port of Tacoma on Nov. 22, 2011.  The service will use roll-on/roll-off vessels as part of its direct fortnightly service to Vladivostok and other points in the Russian Far East. FESCO operates 47 vessels and 4 icebreakers, and is Russia's largest container, dry bulk and roll on/roll off operator. FESCO is also the 2nd largest privately-held railcar operator in the Russian Federation.

    ***Container Tech ..... as Maersk Line said it is beginning to use new fully automatic container twistlocks on some ships that will enable vessels to offload containers as soon as they are secured in port. The fully automatic twistlocks, like other twistlocks, latch containers together so they remain locked at sea. Unlike semi-automatic twistlocks in wide use, they don't have to be unlocked manually by terminal workers. Instead, with the new twistlocks, the containers are released by the cranes' vertical pull , eliminating time-consuming unlocking done by stevedores. Maersk said the new twistlocks were developed and tested over an 8 year period. Maersk said the immediate release feature of the fully automatic twistlocks can only be used on containers stowed above the 3rd tier. To ensure the container stability at sea, lashing rods on other tiers have to be locked manually to prevent damage to the lashing rods. 

    ***Deadly Reefers ..... as an explosion in a reefer container serviced by a repair yard last month in
Quingdao, Vietnam has led to 82 such containers being shut down and quarantined. CMA CGM, issued a statement that all necessary instructions were given to its teams on land and at sea to ensure these containers were handled & stored in complete safety. From April to Oct., 4 reefers repaired in Vietnam have exploded in Brazil, China and Vietnam, killing 3 port workers. Refrigeration experts believe that they have discovered with "near certainty" the cause of the explosions. A bulletin published by the UK P&I Club reproduces initial findings from Cambridge Refrigeration Technology, which says a counterfeit refrigerant containing methyl chloride is the likely cause of the accidents. The Cargo Letter reported this news in our Daily Vessel Causualties on 15 Oct. 2011, about 2.5 weeks before industry media. You should visit daily!
www.cargolaw.com/presentations_casualties.php

   ***Fruit Disclosure .... as a
U.K. court has ruled Russia's largest fruit importer JFC Group must disclose all its worldwide assets after the company failed to pay US$16.5M in damages to Norwegian shipowner Star Reefers. In August 2011, the High Court in London awarded the refrigerated cargo ship operator damages & costs against charter party guarantor JFC, following the unlawful early redelivery of 3 ships and wrongful termination of charters by JFC's chartering arm Kalistad. After JFC failed to pay the damages or appeal the judgment became final. Star Reefers said it has started enforcement proceedings in Cyprus, Luxembourg and the U.S. against JFC's associated companies.

   ***
U.S. Jones Act Carrier Admits Price Fixing ..... as Sea Star Line has pleaded guilty to price fixing and agreed to pay a US$14.2M criminal fine and the carrier's ex-president Frank Peake was also indicted & accused of price fixing in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade from late 2005 to April 2008. Sea Star was said to have "engaged in a conspiracy to fix rates & surcharges for water transportation of freight between the continental U.S. & Puerto Rico from as early as May 2002, until at least April 2008," reported London's Lloyd's List. It is the second U.S. carrier pleading guilty for the same charge this year. Horizon Lines pleaded guilty in March and agreed to pay a US$45M fine initially, but was plunged into the brink of bankruptcy later. The U.S. Justice Dept. later allowed the fine to be reduced to US$15M, so the carrier was able to pay. 
www.seastarline.com/

   ***
Trailer Bridge Bankrupt ..... as the U.S. carrier which operates an integrated trucking & marine freight service connecting the U.S. mainland with Puerto Rico, said it filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on Nov. 17 2011. The company plans to put forth a reorganization plan in the next month which will include plans to de-leverage the company's balance sheet, possibly through an equity conversion or offering. Trailer Bridge will continue to operate 2 sailings per week between Jacksonville, Fla. and San Juan. The voluntary reorganization petition was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida and one day after US$82.5M of 9.25% senior secured notes became due.  Trailer Bridge was founded in 1991 by containerization pioneer Malcom McLean and pioneered the use of 53-foot domestic containers in an integrated truck-barge service that offers through carriage between the lower 48 states & Puerto Rico.

    ***Marad Study: Comparison of U.S. & Foreign-Flag Operating Costs ........ as the finding is that the total average cost of operating a U.S.-flag vessel in foreign trade is estimated to be 2.7 times higher, on average, than foreign-flag equivalents. The report said carriers indicated the Maritime Security Program (MSP) payments play a critical role in lessening the competitive gap in operating costs when compared to foreign-flag carriers in the foreign trades.
www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Comparison_of_US_and_Foreign_Flag_Operating_Costs.pdf
U.S. Maritime Union Response: Maritime Administration Disregards Shipboard Labor, Releases Flawed Report 
http://mebaunion.org/WHATS-NEW/11-07-11_JointStatement110711final%5B1%5D.pdf

    ***Container Weight Debate ..... as TT Club has published the results of a survey it conducted in July on the subject of overweight containers and proposals that empty containers be weighed.  TT Club said while there has been some feedback it would be wasteful to weigh empty containers, 53% of those surveyed did not favor the exemption. A 2009 accident in the port of Bremerhaven, in which container stacks collapsed on the ship 
M/V Husky Racer, was blamed on containers that were thought to be empty, but were each actually loaded with 15-30 tons of cargo. TT Club said 70% of the respondents thought there ought to be allowed a "modest tolerance between declared, certified and actual weight," 88% thought container weights should be done "at the earliest possible point in the transport (such as the point of packing or consolidation)" and 81% thought a certified weight receipt should accompany documentation.
www.ttclub.com/knowledge-store/article/tt-talk-weighing-in-again-3649/

   ***Building Cans At The Source..... as Maersk Container Industry will start construction of a new factory in
San Antonio, Chile, to produce reefers. The factory will begin operating by the end of 2013, and later reach an output of 40,000 reefer containers and 30,000 reefer machines annually. MCI's new factory will create 1,800 jobs in & around San Antonio, and, more broadly, help correct a reefer trade imbalance that disfavors exporters of fresh produce, fish & meat from Western South America.

    ***Six Year Olds Now Banned ..... as beginning
Jan. 1, 2012 both the Port of Los Angeles & the Port of Long Beach will no longer be assessing a Clean Truck Fee on trucks with an engine year of 2006 and older. Trucks with an engine year of 2006 and older will be banned from port marine terminals. PortCheck will be refunding Clean Truck Fees that were deposited in accounts but not spent. Customers should check their accounts and request their deposit refund no later than Jan. 15, 2012. Deposit refunds that are not requested by Jan. 15, 2012 may be forfeited as unclaimed deposits. 

    ***
L.A. Ditch Fee .... as Mediterranean Shipping Co. plans to begin assessing a fee for cargo moving from Asia to North America by way of the Alameda Corridor. The corridor is a 20-mile stretch of below ground railway that links the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to rail yards near downtown Los Angeles. The fee, effective Dec. 1, is US$21 per 20-foot container and US$42 per 40-foot or 40-foot high-cube container.

    ***Port of Le Harve Meets Sino Wine Call ...... as China recruits 30 million people into the middle class every year, French wine shippers find consumption levels soaring, it was revealed at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Fair. The fair, a giant wine tasting at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, was sponsored by Le Grand Port Maritime du Havre through which the lion's share of French wine - 800 million bottles a year - flows to the Far East.
Le Havre provides 55 warehouses dedicated to storage, specialized transporters (food-grade containers, reefers, groupage, temperature - controlled or not), administrative & customs facilities, electronic procedures and VAT-free import. 

   ***Throughput 
>>> Port of Charleston in Oct. fell 6.3% year-over-year to 113,650 20-foot equivalent units, while non-container traffic rose 58% year-over-year to 42,163 tons. >>> Fujian ports, in southeast China's coastal province, lifted a total of 7.87 million TEU of containers from Jan. to Oct., 10.6% more than in the same period in 2010. >>> Port of Hamburg grew 15.3% in the first 3 quarters of 2011, to 6.8 million TEUs >>> Port of Hong Konghandled 2.07 million TEU in Oct., an increase of 8% against the 1.91 million TEU handled in Oct. of last year. >>> Port of Long Beach has seen a year-on-year 20.5% decline in its overall container volume in Oct. due to overcapacity and soft demand. >>> Port of Los Angeles overall containerized volumes rose 4.4% year on year in Oct. including empty boxes returning to Asia. Import volumes rose 5.5% year on year from Oct. 2010, while exports grew 28.1%.>>> Singapore's Maritime & Port Authority reported a 7.4% increase in container movement in Oct., having handled 2.57 million TEU compared to 2.39 million TEU in Oct. of last year. >>> Port of Wuzhou, in southwest China's Guangxi Autonomous Region, handled 20.23 million tons of cargo from Jan. to Oct., 1.94% more than in the same period a year ago.

   ***This Month In
U.S. Navy History
1775 - U.S. Continental Congress authorizes privateering.
1861 - Capt. Charles Wilkes seizes two Confederate diplomats from the British steamer 
Trent, causing an international controversy with Great Britain (known as the Trent Affair).
1890 - 
USS Maine, the first American battleship, is launched.
1910 - Civilian Eugene Ely pilots first aircraft to take off from a ship, 
USS Birmingham (CL 2) at Hampton Roads, Va. He lands safely on Willoughby Spit, Norfolk, Va.
1922 - Cdmr. Kenneth Whiting in a PT seaplane, makes first catapult launching from aircraft carrier, 
USS Langley (CV 1), at anchor in the York River.
1943 - In Battle of Cape St. George, 5 destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 23 (Capt. Arleigh Burke) intercept 5 Japanese destroyers and sink 3 & damage one without suffering any damage.
1960 - First Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine, 
USS George Washington (SSBN 598), leaves Charleston, S.C., on initial fleet ballistic missile patrol.
1961 - Commissioning of 
USS Enterprise [CVA(N)-65], the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, at Newport News, Va.

   ***Boatlift -- Untold Tale of 9/11 True American Resilience .......... as the cargo was heroism for 500,000 people moved by boat in 9 hours, breaking a previous record set by the famous WWII evacuation of Dunkurk.
www.youtube.com/embed/MDOrzF7B2Kg
========================================
   5. 
The Cargo Letter Cargo Damage Dispatches                        
            **Back By Popular Demand**

We're sorry, but there were so many sinkings, explosions, pirate attacks, fires, cargo mishaps, battles on the water & other disasters at sea that we do not have room to print even the highlights this month. Many people lost their lives at sea this month!! 

But you can read all this month's disaster news at our special Internet web feature which provides full details of each event -- our Vessel Casualties & Pirate Activity Database.  Bookmark the site and visit every day! Updated twice daily.
www.cargolaw.com/presentations_casualties.html

SPECIAL NOTE:  Please view the dramatic new pictures at our special "Gallery of Cargo Loss" website feature. 
www.cargolaw.com/gallery.html

See our new feature for Nov. 2011: "Acute Rena Failure" - the continunig story of grounded M/V Rena off New Zealand. Updated daily. A doomed vessel?
https://cargolaw.com/2011nightmare_mv_rena.html

See our newest photo feature "Singles Only" - Transportation Disasters Told In A Single Photo!
www.cargolaw.com/2000nightmare_singles.only.html

Daily Vessel Casualties ...... as we don't want you to miss the excitement of our 24 hour reports of the dramatic events at sea each day -- stories of casualties & pirates --- almost none of which are carried on your local news.  Edited daily by Christoph Wahner, Esq. of Countryman & McDaniel. 
www.cargolaw.com/presentations_casualties.php

NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real.  Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker.  It's dangerous out there.
========================================
*****************************************************

OUR "D" Section:  FF in Cyberspace***
  6. 
The Cargo Letter "Cyber Ports Of Call"                      
Here are our suggested world wide web sites of the week for your business, your information and your amusement..............

Cargo & Trade>>>>>>

2011 Directory of Transportation
http://dot2-2011.cadmus.com/Index.aspx

Marad Study: Comparison of U.S. & Foreign-Flag Operating Costs 
www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Comparison_of_US_and_Foreign_Flag_Operating_Costs.pdf

Consumer Product Safety Commission Final Rule: Protocols & Standards For Certification of Children's Products
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-11-08/pdf/2011-27678.pdf 

Dangers of Vessel Structural Icing
http://ourmailer.com/YHP-LI8U-DA4LTOHSAD/cr.aspx

Panama Maritime Chamber
www.camaramaritima.com/index.php?lang=en

Pilot Program: Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Simplified Entry
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-11-09/pdf/2011-29055.pdf  

Should Containers Declared As Empty Be Exempted From Weight Verification?
www.ttclub.com/knowledge-store/article/tt-talk-weighing-in-again-3649/

Texas Transportation Institute Researchers Identify The Most Congested U.S. Corridors
http://tti.tamu.edu/2011/11/15/researchers-identify-the-nations-most-congested-corridors/

PRODUCTS>>>>>>>>>

Maritime World Employment Database
www.maritimworld.com/

EVENTS>>>>>>>>>

Transport Events

www.transportevents.com/

Trade Shows, Exhibitions, Conferences & Business Events Worldwide
www.eventseye.com/

World Trade Organization Events
www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.pdf

AirCargo 2012 .......18-20 March 2012, Miami
www.my-registration.com/AirCargo2012

Breakbulk South America Congress 2011 ......... Dec. 6-7, Sao Paulo, Brazil
http://breakbulkevents.com/index.php?section=breakbulk_south_america_2011_agenda

CNS Partnership Conference 2012 ......6-8 May 2012, Miami
https://ems.resrunner.com/CNS12

IATA Legal Symposium 2012 ......Feb. 5-7, Shanghai
www.iata.org/events/Documents/legal-symposium-2012.pdf

IATA World Cargo Symposium 2012 ........13-15 March 2012, Kuala Lumur, Malaysia
https://ems.resrunner.com/WorldCargo

MODEX 2012........6-9 Feb. 2012, Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center
www.modexshow.com/

Apps For That - iPhones>>>>>>>>>

Animoticons ...... add big flair to your messages

Shazam
 ...... identify & copy any song ever made - by playing it

General Interest>>>>>>>>>

Flying the 787: Passenger's Perspective Video
www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2011/11/flying-the-787-this-passengers.html

Football's Blimpworthy Poll
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/7160978/goodyear-blimpworthy-poll

Helicopter Crashes Installing Christmas Tree in Auckland
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/22/8963617-helicopter-crashes-installing-christmas-tree-in-auckland

HMS Challenger .....foundation of modern oceanography
www.maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/Maritime-Musings/November-2011/Challenger-Expedition.aspx

How To Show TSA Agents What's Under Your Clothes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HXEENr2iDE&feature=related

Miniature Operational Airport
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383532/Knuffingen-Airport-German-builds-worlds-largest-model-airport.html
Movie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz4NcTnQedo&annotation_id=annotation_785740&feature=iv

Onboard Cabin Footage of 767 Gear-Up Landing & Evacuation
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-3ObP4C54

Parachute Jump .... get crazed
www.bassfiles.net/parachute.swf

Popular Mechanics Flashback: Rocket Propelled Airships Of The Future
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6106/6314154674_aeb858c035_b.jpg

Top 10 Crashes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jdl914OG-E&feature=related

The United States Light House Service
http://maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/Maritime-Musings/November-2011/United-States-Light-House-Service.aspx               
========================================
Written from wire stories, the Associated Press, Reuters, Hong Kong Shipping News Lloyds & other world sources.
******************************************************
The Cargo Letter Correspondents:
Michael S. 
McDaniel, Esq. Editor (Countryman & McDaniel)
Christoph M. Wahner, Esq. (Countryman & McDaniel) 
Daily Vessel Casualties
Maria Payne (Countryman & McDaniel)
Kimberlee Countryman (Countryman & McDaniel) 
Daily Vessel Casualties
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

                      _
The Cargo Letter_
                    (
since 1978)

    A world news service for Air/Ocean Freight Forwarders, NVOCC's, Consolidators, Indirect Air Carriers, Surveyors, Intermodal Shipper's Agents, Inland Carriers, Customs Brokers and Liability& Marine Underwriters world-wide .............a free service to more than 8,000 industry subscribers & readers on 6 continents.
          Michael S. 
McDaniel, Editor.

    
Subscriptions........only by accepted application to:

                        To 
The Cargo Letter CargoNews@aol.com
                        To Our Firm: 
        info@cargolaw.com
Mail Address:    
The Cargo Letter
                        Countryman & McDaniel
                        11th Floor LAX Airport Center  
                        5933 West Century Boulevard
                        Los Angeles, CA 90045 USA

Telephone:      (310) 342-6500
Telefax :          (310) 342-6505
Cable :             McLawman LSA
News Fax:       (818) 224-3058 [24 Hours and Weekends]

     _
The Cargo Letter_ is published by The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel:  Legal, Business, Marine Insurance and Claims representation of Air/Ocean Freight Forwarders, NVOCC's, Indirect Air Carriers, Shipper's Agents, Inland Carriers and Customs Brokers......and Liability & Marine insurance Underwriters since 1978 in the United States & world-wide via The Cargo Law Network.  Member, Maritime Law Association of the United States, FIATA and others.

          Our Home Page Of Forwarder/Broker Services
    
                           
    Cargo Law
                         
www.cargolaw.com
                                    &
                             TRANS-CAMS
                
www.cargolaw.com/cameras.html

                 _
The Cargo Letter Home Page _
   >>>>>>
www.cargolaw.com/cl-archives.php<<<<<<<

                   <<<<
The Cargo Letter>>>>