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Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel
THE CARGO LETTER [483]
Air & Ocean Logistics - Customs Broker News
27 Jan. 2012
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Good Friday
Morning from our Observation Deck......overlooking the officially designated "Cargo City" area
and...... Runway 25-Right, at Los Angeles International Airport, America's Largest Gateway To Pacific Air Cargo
The Cargo Letter is now perfectly designed to be enjoyed
on your iPad. Access all our internet links directly from your device.
All
Holidays now behind us, here is what happened in our industry during the Month
of January 2012.
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 "E" Section: The Forwarder/Broker World***
========================================
*****************************************************
OUR "A" Section: Trade, Financial & Inland News***
1. Freight Forwarder Trade Briefs _____________
***U.S.
Consumer Exports Highest On Record - But Deficit Still Bleak ...... as the U.S. Commerce Dept. on
Jan. 13, reported that U.S. exports of goods and services in November 2011 fell
0.9% from the previous month to US$177.8Bn. However, the department noted that
November's exports of consumer goods (US$15.7Bn) were the highest on record. as
U.S. imports of goods and services increased
1.3% to reach US$225.6Bn, causing the U.S. trade deficit to increase 10.4% to
reach US$47.8Bn in November. Petroleum imports rose 31%, while crude oil
imports increased by 6.5%. The department said the increase was largely caused
by rising prices. Overall, American goods and services exports in the first 11
months of 2011 were up 15%, or US$251.5Bn, from the same period in 2010, to
reach US$1.93 trillion, putting the United States on track to meet the Obama
administration's National Export Initiative targets and exceed a record US$2
trillion in exports for 2011.
***More EU
Carbon Controls Opposed ......
as the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG) has called on the European Union
to drop its proposed carbon tax emissions trading scheme for aviation, reports
England's SupplyChainStandard.com GACAG members include the Int'l Federation of
Freight Forwarders Assn. (FIATA), the Int'l Air Transport Assn. (IATA) and The
International Air Cargo Assn. (TIACA). GACAG said the scheme will spark a
divisive and costly dispute with the int'l community and the global aviation
industry, including the air cargo sector and its customers. Countries,
including the United States, India and China, have challenged the EU scheme on legal
& policy grounds. They want a return to multilateral efforts to develop
int'l C02 emission standards within the UN's Int'l Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) and other appropriate int'l bodies. "The Global Air Cargo Advisory
Group wholeheartedly agrees with this position," said the secretary
general of the Global Shippers' Forum.
www.iata.org/workgroups/pages/gacag.aspx
***Green Dumping ..... as the U.S. Commerce Dept. this
week initiated an antidumping & countervailing duty investigation of
imports of utility scale wind towers from China & Vietnam. Dumping occurs when a foreign company
sells a product in the United States at less than fair value, while
countervailable subsidies are financial assistance from overseas governments
that benefit the production of goods from foreign companies and are limited to
specific enterprises or industries, or are contingent either on export
performance or the use of domestic goods over imported goods. The petitioner
for these investigations is the Wind Tower Trade Coalition, which is comprised
of Broadwind Towers, Manitowoc, Wis.; DMI Industries, Fargo, N.D.; Katana Summit, Columbus, Neb.; and Trinity Structural Towers, Dallas. The merchandise covered by these
investigations is utility scale wind towers which are the steel towers
supporting the nacelle (an enclosure for an engine) and rotor blades for use in
wind turbines that have electrical power generation capacities in excess of 100
kilowatts. In 2010, imports of utility scale wind towers from China and Vietnam were valued at US$103.6M &
US$51.9M, respectively. The U.S. Int'l Trade Commission is scheduled to make
its preliminary injury determinations by Feb. 13.
***Dumping Washers ...... as the U.S. Commerce Dept. has
initiated antidumping and countervailing investigations of imports of large
residential washers from South Korea and an antidumping investigation on
similar imports from Mexico. The Commerce Dept. noted in 2010, imports of large
residential washers from South Korea & Mexico were valued at US$659.1M &
US$450.2M, respectively. Dumping is the sale of goods for less than their cost
of production to influence a market.
***May I
Please Import Something? ......
as beginning on 1 Feb., Argentine companies will have to file online affidavits
& wait for government approval before they can import. Last week's
announcement of the policy - part of Buenos Aires' efforts to stem the
shrinking of its trade surplus - has drawn a cautious response from Argentina's
trading partners, particularly Brazil, along with many Argentine importers
themselves. The policy was announced by AFIP, the Argentine tax agency. Under
the new policy, importers would need to file sworn statements to the agency and
then wait for AFIP to either approve or reject their request. The move is the
latest in an attempt by Buenos Aires to combat a falling trade surplus -
with Argentina's overall trade balance dropping by 13%
to US$10Bn during the first 11 months of 2011 - and thus protect their int'l
reserves. This should be a wake up call for those of us in free societies.
***Mexico
Will Now Rule On Arms Control .......
as its Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Economy announced that the
40 member countries of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for
Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (WA) have voted to admit Mexico as a full member. The WA was
established in 1995 "to contribute to regional and int'l security &
stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of
conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing
destabilising accumulations. Participating States seek, through their national
policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the
development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these
goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities." According to
the press release, Mexico's admittance to the WA will help the country "to
become a safer and more competitive country by establishing better export
controls and giving it access to cutting-edge technology that so far has only
had a limited presence in the country." This is an an ironic bnefit for a
country overun by the cartels and suffering 47,000 civilian dead in the drug
war which crippled the nation and threatens its downfall. let's hope this
helps.
www.sre.gob.mx/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1378:mexico-is-admitted-to-the-wassenaar-arrangement-as-a-full-member&catid=27
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassenaar_Arrangement
***The Twenty
Years War ...... as the
United States & Canada on Jan. 23 signed a two-year extension of the 2006
Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA), so that the agreement will be in effect
through Oct. 12, 2015. In the agreement, the United States agreed to cease imposing antidumping
and countervailing duties on softwood lumber from Canada. In exchange, Canada agreed, among other things, to apply
export measures - export charges and volume limitations - to shipments of
softwood lumber from Canada to the United States when the price of softwood products
falls below a certain level. This has been a customs lawyer festival for
two decades.
***Now That
Everglades Is Fully Invaded -- Action Taken ...... as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service on Jan. 17 said it will ban, effective in late March, the import &
interstate transport of 4 non-native python snakes because of the threat they
pose to wildlife in the Florida Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems. They
are the Burmese python, yellow anaconda, and northern and southern African
pythons. The Burmese python has already gained a foothold in the Everglades, where it is causing economic and
environmental damage. The agency is considering adding 5 other species of
non-native snakes to the banned list, including the reticulated python, boa
constrictor, DeSchauensee's anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda.
***The New Trend
- The Tricky Art of Moving Pharma ......
as the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) has launched a campaign to develop
supply chain visibility best practices for the industry, following the
publication of its supply chain integrity recommendations. Wikipedia says USP
publishes the official pharmacopeia of the United States, and prescription and over-the-counter
drugs and other health care products sold in the U.S. are required to meet USP standards. The
move has been prompted by USP's key goals of ensuring medicines can be traced
back to their original manufacturer and arrive at their intended destination
without tampering or damage, and to verify that they are counterfeit and have
not been adulterated. USP is believed to be seeking comments from
pharmaceutical companies, transportation management service providers,
carriers, and other supply chain management providers, the American Shipper
said. UPS Supply Chain Solutions is a leader in this art.
www.usp.org/
http://healthcare.ups.com/
***FedEx Fined
For Export of Components -- Resulted In IED's .... as the U.S. Commerce Dept.'s
Bureau of Industry and Security said FedEx Express has agreed to pay a
US$370,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that it committed six violations
of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) relating to FedEx's provision of
freight forwarding services to exporters. BIS alleged that on two occasions in
2006, FedEx "caused, aided and abetted" acts prohibited by the
regulations when it facilitated the attempted unlicensed export of electronic
components from the United States to Mayrow General Trading Co. in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. BIS halted the exports to Mayrow. The agency said the
order was issued based on information that Mayrow and related entities were
acquiring electronic components and devices that were being used in Improvised
Explosive Devices deployed against coalition military forces in Iraq & Afghanistan.
***Owen
Glenn Sells His Empire .....
as London-based private equity Man Capital LLP has acquired OTS Logistics
Group, parent of non-vessel-operating common carrier Vanguard Logistics Services,
from our friend, founder & chairman Owen Glenn. Terms of the deal were not
disclosed. However, Man Capital said it will support and maintain the existing
management team and the NVO's ongoing expansion internationally. Based in Los Angeles, OTS Logistics Group provides NVO
services to the freight forwarding industry through multiple brands worldwide,
including Vanguard Logistics, AFS, Brennan, Conterm, DCL, Ocean Express and
Export Freight Services. The group, which reported gross sales of over US$700M
in 2010, has 170 offices and agents and over 2,800 employees across more than
100 countries. OTS was created through a series of acquisitions. Direct
Container Line, founded by Glenn in 1978, merged with Brennan Int'l and Conterm
Consolidation Services in 1998. The group was renamed OTS Logistics in 2001 and
has continued its expansion mostly in Asia and Europe. Man Capital was established in 2010 by
its sole investor, the Mansour Group, which has operations in Egypt, the Middle East, Russia & Africa, and employs over
38,000 employees. Owen Glenn has had a career of legand.
www.otslogisticsgroup.com/
***Kerry
Logistics To South China ..... as it will build a
753,000-square-foot logistics center in Zhengzhou, as the 3rd-party logistics provider
expands its reach in north-central China. Construction on the facility in Henan Province's main city, a road and rail hub, will
begin in the 2nd quarter and completion is scheduled in early 2013. Kerry joins
Kuehne + Naglel, DHL, UPS and Panalpina in boosting networks in the region to
tap the shift of production away from the costlier south and better tap growing
domestic markets.
www.kerrylogistics.com/htdocs/index_en.html
***Largest U.S. Truck Tonnage Increase In 14 Years .... as the American Trucking
Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index
jumped 6.8% in Dec. after rising 0.3% in Nov. 2011. The latest gain put
the SA index at 124.5 (2000=100) in December, up from the November level of
116.6. For all of 2011, tonnage rose 5.9% over the previous year – the largest
annual increase since 1998. Tonnage for the last month of the year was 10.5%
higher than Dec. 2010, the largest year-over-year gain since July 1998. Nov.
tonnage was up 6.1% over the same month last year.
***No More -- Breaker! Breaker! - Trucker Cell Phones ..... as starting this month,
interstate truck drivers are prohibited from using handheld cell phones while
driving due to a final rule implemented by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration. Violations carry a US$2,750 fine for
each offense and possible commercial license suspension for drivers with
multiple convictions involving these violations. Companies that allow drivers
to use cell phones while driving also face fines up to US$11,000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker!_Breaker!
www.imdb.com/media/rm2968361984/tt0075783
***Cummins Began It All .....
as concern over the price of oil along with air quality has renewed interest in
the U.S. about vehicles powered with diesel
engines. The first trip by a diesel-powered vehicle in the U.S. began on this month in 1930, when C.L.
Cummins drove a converted Packard sedan from Indianapolis, arriving in New York City three days later. He covered just under
800 miles for a total fuel cost of US$1.38. Compared to regular gasoline
engines, diesels get far more miles per gallon. Each year in the U.S., motor vehicles use 168 billion gallons
of fuel —averaging just over 17 1/2 miles per gallon.
http://cumminsengines.com/every/everytime.page
***Independent
Operators Out of Business ......
as on 1 Jan., every port trucker calling at the port of Los Angeles has had to
meet the strictest clean air & safety standards of any major port in the
world. The Clean Truck Program (CTP) is the port's initiative to reduce diesel
particulate emissions from trucks serving the San Pedro Bay facilities by 89% in about 3 years. As a result of the
ban, 1,473 of the current drayage fleet of 11,772 trucks now serving the port of Los Angeles will retire from service on 1 January.
The port provided US$44M in incentives to bring in 2,200 clean trucks – more
than 20% of today's fleet. L.A. also funded US$12.5M in incentives for natural gas-fuelled
trucks, and more than US$3.6M more to reward companies for putting clean
trucks into regular service at the port.
***Mashed
Potatos ...... as a
spud-hauling truck rolled onto its side in Idaho, dropping its cargo like a hot potato.
The Idaho State Police says the truck driven by 23-year-old Newman Giles of
Rigby crashed Jan. 2 in Idaho Falls, spilling the potatoes across two
Interstate 15 exit ramps. It was hauling a 48-foot farm-bed trailer with the
spuds at the time. A spokesman at Eagle Farms says the potatoes were being
brought to a plant when the trailer's tires caught the edge of the road,
causing the truck to tip on its side in slow motion. Idaho State Police
officials put out an urgent call for a melted butter vendor to service the
location.
***Customs
Jams Terrorists ..... as the
U.S. Justice Dept. on Jan. 6 said 3 Philippine nationals were arrested on charges
of attempting to import unlicensed firearms into the United States. Sergio "Yogi" Santiago de
Leon Syjuco, 25, of Muntinlupa City; Cesar Paolo "Arvi" Inciong
Ubaldo, 26, of Paranaque City; and Arjyl Revereza, 25, of Manila were charged
in a criminal complaint unsealed Jan. 5 in the Central District of California
with importing defense articles into the United States without a license, in
violation of the Arms Export Control Act. The complaint alleges that on June 7
the men imported various defense articles - items specifically configured for
military application - into the U.S. from the Philippines, including 12 fully
automatic Bushmaster M-4 .223 caliber rifles, a .50 caliber sniper rifle, an
M14 7.62mm assault rifle, a single-shot grenade launcher, a rocket propelled
grenade (RPG-7) launcher, a mortar launcher, an AK-47 rifle and ballistic
vests. Defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison. "Yogi" has
claimed asylum at Jellystone.
========================================
2. The Cargo Letter Financial Page ____________
**CSX Corp. UP with a reported a profit of US$457M in
the 4th quarter ending Dec. 30, a 6% increase over the fourth quarter of 2010.
**OOCL. DOWN as revenue declined 1.5% to US$5.5Bn
despite a 5.6% increase in volume and average revenue per TEU fell 6.7% for the
year.
========================================
*****************************************************
OUR "B" Section: FF World Air News***
3. Freight Forwarder World Air Briefs __________
***Volume Down -
IATA Warns of Euro Crisis .....
as the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) has announced a 3.1%
year-on-year decline in global air freight in Nov. despite a 1.1% increase on
October 2011. While thin overall profits are forecast for the global industry
in 2011, IATA warns that if the euro zone crisis is not fixed, losses run to
more than US$8Bn. Air freight markets continued their decline on weak economic
performance and falling business confidence, said the IATA statement.
International markets fell 3.8% This was offset by 2% growth in domestic
markets, but combined, the figures produced an overall shrinkage of 3.1% in
Nov. International freight load factors also declined, in this instance,
six percentage points from their peak in mid-2010. While freighter capacity has
been adjusted to meet demand, belly cargo capacity follows the trend in
passenger demand. Asia-Pacific carriers have seen the weakest demand driven by
falling demand for Asian manufactured goods from U.S. & European consumers,
said IATA. The region's carriers saw the market decline by 6.4%. European
carriers reported a 4.6% fall in demand reflecting continued uncertainty
associated with the euro zone crisis. North American carrier operations were
largely unchanged from the previous year with only 0.2% growth. The Middle East carriers were up 4.6% and Latin
American carriers were not far behind at 4% growth. African carriers reported a
1.7% year-on-year decline.
***US Airways To
Merge With American Airlines?...... as it is studying a potential merger
with bankrupt AMR Corp. that would fix a weak domestic route system at American
Airlines and boost revenue, two people familiar with the matter said. President
Scott Kirby is leading US Airways' analysis of how to combine the airlines,
said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
Any bid may still be close to a year away, because AMR now holds the exclusive
right to file a reorganization plan, the people said. American has pared its
flight network to the point that some corporate travelers have gone elsewhere,
leaving the money- losing carrier unable to support most of its hub airports,
one person said. That deficiency could be solved by blending American, the
third-largest U.S. airline, with No. 5 US Airways, the
people said. American's hubs include Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, New York and Chicago, while US Airways has major
operations in cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina, Philadelphia; and Phoenix. The weakest merging with the former
biggest? Who would have predicted?
***American
Asks Bankruptcy Court To Get Rid of 18 Planes .....American Airlines wants to get
out of leases on 18 aircraft, most which are parked in the desert in New Mexico, according to a bankrutpcy filing made
on Jan. 13. The filing identifies leases on 10 Boeing 757-200s, 6
McDonnell-Douglas MD-80s and one Airbus A300 aircraft the Fort Worth-based
carrier wants to shed. Thirteen of the planes are currently located at the Roswell International Air Center. The aircraft range in age from 17 to
23 years old. "In view of the large number of aircraft American Airlines
has on order, it seeks to accelerate its fleet renewal strategy. To meet all of
these goals, the Debtors are analyzing the benefits of rejecting leases,
selling and abandoning owned aircraft and engines, and contemplating methods
for the return and surrender of rejected and abandoned aircraft and
engines," the company said in the filing. Earlier this month, American
filed a motion to keep 85 planes that were mostly between 11 & 13 years
old. The aircraft listed were Boeing 737-800, 757-200, 767-300ER &
777-200ER models. The carrier has already terminated leases on 20 MD-80s and
four Fokker 100s and its regional carrier, American Eagle, has asked to keep 47
Bombardier CRJ-700s, paying US$10.2M to bring 19 up to date. As of Sept. 30,
American had 616 aircraft in its fleet, as well as 52 planes that it owned or
leased, but was not operating.
***A Rare
Internal Move ..... as Saudi Arabia will soon open its skies to foreign
airlines to fly domestic routes, opening the market beyond state-owned Saudi
Arabian Airlines (Saudi) and private National Air Services, reports Reuters.
The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has announced it will allow
companies, both domestic and foreign to apply to fly commercial flights within
the country starting this month.
***LAX Surges .... as the recovery in U.S. shipping demand is showing up at Los Angeles Int'l Airport, North America's largest gateway for trans-Pacific air
cargo. The airport had its busiest month for freight volume in 5 months in
Nov., and although tonnage slipped slightly year-over-year, the business defied
seasonal trends by growing 5% from Oct. to Nov. That gave LAX 152,623 metric
tons of freight in the month, the strongest volume since June. The freight
volume at Los Angeles was down 0.9% in Nov. compared to the same month a year
ago, a strong improvement from the 10.7% drop in October.
***Lufthansa
Cargo At The Top .... as its
freight volume broke records in 2011 with a 5% year on year increase to 1.9
million tons, the carrier announced. Lufthansa Cargo increased capacity over
the year by 8.6%, largely because it absorbed Austrian Airlines and expanded
its own fleet to eight B777 freighters in an AeroLogic joint-venture. The
carrier also increased sales in revenue freight ton kilometers by 6.5%,
boosting capacity utilisation to 69.5%.
***China's Jade Cargo Int'l Is Parked ..... as given the pressures facing the air freight market
worldwide, it announced last month it was suspending its services "due to
overall weak air cargo demand." The carrier added the suspension of
service will "provide the shareholders with an opportunity to coordinate with
stakeholders to continue with the restructuring of the company's financial
structure." As a result of the suspension, the carrier's 6 Boeing 747-400
freighters have temporarily been grounded. According to reports in Boersen
Zeitung, Jade Cargo no longer has the funds to purchase fuel for its six 747
aircraft. Parent Lufthansa Cargo stated the company "believes in the
future" of Jade and "hopes to find a solution in the next few
weeks." Shenzhen based Jade was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between
Lufthansa Cargo (25% ownership stake), Air China subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines (51%) and
DEG (24%). Lufthansa Cargo's vice president of margin management Frank Naeve
took over as the cargo carrier's CEO in April last year.
www.jadecargo.com/
***Southwest
Airlines Expands ATL Cargo .....
as the Dallas-based airline has built a 26,000-square foot freight handling
facility at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int'l Airport, which opens for business on Feb. 12, reports
Air Cargo World of Roswell, Georgia. The launch of the facility coincides with
Southwest's initiation of passenger service to Atlanta, a byproduct of the carrier's May 2011
acquisition of AirTran Airways. Southwest's freight operations will also be
propelled by the acquisition of 737-800 series aircraft this year with the
737-800 providing more capacity that the carrier's older 737s.
***Air India Backs Out of Dedicated Freighters ..... as India's financially-stricken national carrier
has put its fleet of six Boeing 737-200 freighters up for sale in a bid to cut
its losses on a dedicated cargo unit. The 30-year-old planes were converted to
freighters in 2007 as part of the merger between Air India and the country's state-owned domestic
carrier Indian Airlines.
***Damco Takes
New China Position ..... as Maersk Line's stand-alone
forwarder has acquired the Chinese air freight forwarder NTS of Shanghai which
is expected to strengthened its growing air-sea capability. "NTS is one of
China's biggest air freight forwarders and
the acquisition has increased Damco's market share," Damco air freight
told London's Containerization International.
"It means that we can offer a one-stop shop. Damco can competitively put
together a solution that fits the individual customer needs irrespective of
modes of transport," the company said.
***FedEx Bears It ...... as it has safely delivered
2 three-year-old giant pandas, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, from the Chengdu Research
Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China to Paris Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport. A statement said, working in
conjunction with ZooParc de Beauval, the specially-chartered Boeing 777F
flight, known as the "FedEx Panda Express," landed in Paris, marking the first time in 10 years
that giant pandas reside in France. The two Pandas traveled in
custom-built enclosures provided by the express delivery firm for their
non-stop flight. While in the air, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi spent the journey snoozing
and eating bamboo. They were accompanied by a Chinese veterinarian and animal
handler, as well as the managing director from ZooParc de Beauval to look after
their needs throughout the journey. Great picture:
http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=307664&vid=5
***A Pan Am Crash ..... as a man who would resurrect the
famous Pan American brand is in jail awaiting trial on child pornography
charges in Brownsville, Texas, the most southerly Mexican border town
in the state. Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the
principal int'l carrier in the U.S. from 1927 until its collapse in 1991,
says Wikipedia. It first started as a scheduled carrier between Florida &
Cuba, and is credited with the introduction of widespread use of jets, jumbos
& computerized systems. In 2010, Bob Hedrick's reborn Pan American Airways
Inc moved into the original 1930s Pan Am divisional headquarters, reports the
Brownsville Herald. Hedrick announced plans for 70 cargo flights a month
between Brownsville and various Latin American
destinations. Federal agents arrested Hedrick on July 18, accusing him of
sharing multiple child pornography images over a 3-month period with undercover
investigators from Louisiana & Wisconsin. Too bad for those of us waiting for
Pan Am return.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_American_World_Airways
***IGI Inferno .... as a major fire broke out at
one of the cargo terminals of Delhi's Indira Gandhi Int'al (IGI) airport,
gutting offices of several airlines on Jan. 5. The blaze started out at 12.45am and, in 15 minutes, reached the first
floor of the cargo terminal, located near the Air Traffic Control (ATC)
building.The building houses offices of around 20 international airlines,
including Air India, Air Sri Lanka and others. Sources said
the maintenance staff tried to quell the blaze with fire extinguishers, but
failed to get it under control.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi_International_Airport
***May I Hve Your
Attention: We Are Crashing! .....
as British Airways flight 206 was halfway between Miami & Heathrow on Jan.
16 2012, when
the message was played by accident at about 3am. Many of those who were awake and heard
the announcement began screaming. The plane was cruising at about 35,000ft at
the time. Cabin staff quickly reassured passengers that the message had been
played by accident. Last night a father from Edinburgh, Scotland, who was onboard, said: "It was
about 3am.
An alarm sounded and we were told we were about to land in the sea. I thought
we were going to die. "My wife was crying and passengers were screaming.
Then they played an announcement telling us to just ignore the warnings."
Another passenger said: "When we landed they were handing out letters apologising,
but it was the worst experience of my life. I don't think BA should get away
with this." A BA spokesman said of the scare on flight BA 0206: "The
cabin crew canceled the announcement immediately and sought to reassure
customers that the flight was operating normally. We apologise to customers for
causing them undue concern." Last year, a similar message on another BA
flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong also announced the plane was about to crash. An automated female
voice played to passengers onboard the jet said: "This is an emergency
announcement. "We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on
water." The 275 passengers flying over the North Sea prepared for the worst, until cabin
crew ran down the aisles to say it was all a mistake. Michelle Lord, 32, of Preston, Lancs, said: "People were
terrified, we all thought we were going to die. They said the pilot hit the
wrong button because they were so close together." Another traveller said:
"I can't think of anything worse than being told your plane's about to
crash." BA apologized for the "undue distress". But will BA pay
the dry cleaning expense?
***The
Extreme Danger of Cupcakes To Aviation .....
as the federal Transportation Security Administration is defending its decision
to confiscate a frosted cupcake from a Massachusetts woman flying from Las Vegas. The TSA says in a blog comment posted
on Jan. 9, the cupcake was packed in a jar filled with icing, which is
considered a gel under a policy designed to secure travelers from terrorists
seeking to evade detection by using explosives made of plastics, liquids or
gels. Peabody, Mass. resident Rebecca Hains was barred from
taking her cupcake onto a plane last month when a TSA agent said icing in the
jar exceeded amounts of gels allowed in carry-on luggage. Hains has called that
"terrible logic." The TSA says travelers can take cakes, pies &
cupcakes through security checkpoints but should expect they might get
additional screening. Next Crisis: The secret filing of a Twinkie.
http://blog.tsa.gov/2012/01/cupcakegate.html
***Those
Egyptian Guys Really Have Brains ......
as Cairo Int'l airport confiscated 420 pounds (190 kgs.) of frozen cow brains
on Jan. 13, from three Sudanese travelers who planned to sell them to Egyptian
restaurants, authorities said. An airport official said it was the 4th time
this week customs officers there had foiled an attempt to smuggle cow brains
into the country, reflecting the growth of a moneymaking scheme made possible
by some realities of int'l supply and demand: Cow brains are cheap in Sudan
& Egyptians like to eat them. A pound of raw cow brains bought in Sudan for less than a dollar can be resold in
Egypt for 6 times as much, airport officials
said. That means the haul could have earned the men more than US$1,500. Airport
officials discovered the brains while inspecting large freezer boxes brought in
by 3 travelers on a flight from Sudan's capital, Khartoum. After inspecting the boxes, the
officials confiscated the brains since they couldn't ensure they had been
preserved in a sanitary
manner.
========================================
*****************************************************
OUR "C" Section: FF World Ocean News***
4. FF World Ocean Briefs
***U.S. Container Throughput Increases ..... as total cargo throughput in 2011
is estimated at 14.86 million TEU, up 0.7% from 2010's 14.75 million TEU,
according to the estimates from Global Port Tracker, commissioned by the
National Retail Federation (NRF) and produced by Hackett Associates. In
November, the latest month for which after-the-fact figures are available, the U.S. ports handled a total of 1.25 million
TEU, down 2.1% from Oct., but Dec. was projected at 1.21 million TEU, up 5.9%
year on year. For the forecast of 2012, throughput of January is estimated at
1.21 million TEU, up one-tenth of 1% from January 2011. Feb. is projected at
1.06 million TEU, down 3.3% year on year; March at 1.2 million TEU, up 10.5%
year on year; April at 1.26 million TEU, up 3.8% and May at 1.3 million TEU, up
0.9%.
www.globalporttracker.com/
***Maersk Line
Fined For U.S. Military Overcharges ..... as it has agreed to pay the
government US$31.9M to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to
the United States in connection with contracts to transport cargo in shipping
containers to support U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. Dept. of
Justice said Jan. 3. The settlement includes US$18.4M to refund overcharges
& interest, and US$13.5M in penalties. The announcement from DOJ contained
harsh words about a company that has taken great pride in the work it does for
the U.S. military. The alleged overbillings
amount to less than one-half of one percent of Maersk's total billings to the
military during that time period. Headquartered in Norfolk, Maersk Line Ltd is the U.S.-flag arm
of Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk Group and has 45
ships, the largest U.S. flag fleet in commercial service,
employing 900 U.S. mariners daily.
***Ex-Asia Rates
Seen To Soften .... as the
strong rally in ocean freight rates out of the Far East since the beginning of
the year will likely peter out after the Chinese New Year this week, as
capacity runs ahead of cargo demand, said Alphaliner. Ocean freight rates and
ship charter rates will then remain weak through 2012, as slowing demand growth
in Europe and the U.S., and faster rising cargo capacity,
further offsets the supply-demand balance, the container market analyst said.
Asia-Europe rates surged in early 2012 as European importers rushed to secure
vessel capacity before the week-long factory shutdown in Asia. Europe-Far East container traffic
growth will slow to 1.5% this year from an estimated 2.8% in 2011 because of
the weaker economic outlook in Europe. Far East-U.S. volumes will grow by "only" 4.6% in 2012
on improving economic indicators in the U.S., after shrinking by 0.8% last year when
carrier originally estimated 7 to 8 percent growth. The containership fleet, by
contrast, is set to grow by 8.3%, leading to an oversupply that could boost
idled ship capacity to 1 million 20-foot equivalent units by the end of 2012
from 595,000 TEUs at the beginning of the year.
www.alphaliner.com/top100/index.php
***A 2012
Vessel Glut? .... as ocean
carriers face a growing capacity glut in 2012, especially on the key
Asia-Europe trade lane, as ship deliveries accelerate from last year while
cargo demand weakens over the coming 12 months, Alphaliner forecast. The global
container ship fleet is set to grow 8.3%, or 1.28 million 20-foot equivalent
units, this year. The growth will outpace the 7.9% expansion in 2011, when
shipyards delivered 127 vessels of 1.23 million TEUs, the container market
analyst said. The growth in demand, by contrast, is forecast to slow to 6.5% in
2012 from an estimated 7.7% in 2011. Some 253 container ships of 1.47 million
TEUs are due for delivery in 2012, but this likely will drop to around 228
vessels of 1.39 million TEUs after allowing for delivery slippage. A further
120,000 TEUs of capacity is expected to be scrapped, according to Alphaliner.
Almost half of the ships slated for delivery in 2012 are above 10,000 TEUs,
most of which are earmarked for deployment on Asia-Europe routes. All of the
top 20 ocean carriers, with the exception of Chile's CSAV and Zim of Israel, are expected
to take delivery of new container vessels in 2012. CCAV has chartered three
ships due for delivery this year to Maersk.
www.alphaliner.com/liner2/research_files/newsletters/2011/no49/Alphaliner%20Newsletter%20no%2049%20-%202011.pdf
***Baltic
Dry Index Predicts Lower Rates .....
as it is often seen a global economic baromenter, the index fell below 1,000
for the 1st time since Jan. 2009 on expectations that iron ore demand in China,
combined with a growing oversupply of ships, reports Bloomberg. This extends a
12-month decline to 44%, according to data from London's Baltic Exchange. Charter rates
dropped for all four vessels types within the gauge, led by capesizes, which
declined 8.3%.
***Ghost
Fleet Update ..... as the
idle containership fleet rose to 246 units, totalling 595,000 TEU at the
beginning of 2012 compared to 322,000 TEU being idled 12 months ago, due to
additional capacity withdrawals for the winter season. Demands in both the U.S.
& Europe were softer than expected in 2011. This leads to a further
reduction of active cellular fleet to 14.81 million TEU at the outset of 2012
compared to 14.97 million TEU in August last year, according to Alphaliner. As
a result, the year-on-year net growth in the active cellular fleet has hit its
lowest point since Feb. 2010, standing at 6.2 per cent at present.
www.alphaliner.com/top100/index.php
***Japan Liner Consolidation? ...... as in a move reminiscent of Air
China/Cathay Pacific's recent joint venture cargo agreement in the air mode, Japan's 3 largest container lines are
considering a merger to stave off rising costs and capture greater market share
in the region. MOL, NYK, and "K" Line are in ongoing discussions to
consolidate operations, reports French container shipping analyst Alphaliner.
The ocean carrier industry at large has been beset by economic volatility,
especially as demand patterns in certain lanes and regions continue to waver.
For many steamship lines, the fact that a peak shipping season never
materialized in 2011 is an ominous warning of changing trade dynamics.
***What Carriers
Have The Highest U.S. Volume? ...... as Zepol's latest report
summarizing the U.S. trade industry in 2011 to date,
expressed in millions of TEUs
Maersk Line 1.475
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. 1.410
APL Co. PTE Ltd. (NOL Group) 1.035
Evergreen Line 1.006
Hanjin Shipping Co. .878
Hapag Lloyd .858
Compagnie Maritime D'Affrètement .690
Hyundai Merchant Marine .647
Orient Overseas Container Line .625
Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. .614
www.zepol.com/
***Timely
Delivery Slips ...... as
carriers saw their on-time performance decline month-on-month for the 3rd
straight month in Dec., according to SeaIntel Maritime Analysis. Reliability
fell from 63% in November to 59% in Dec. For the top 20 container lines, Maersk
Line maintained its spot as the most reliable carrier, at 74%, followed by Hamburg
Süd, at 70%, and MOL, at 67%. SeaIntel measures reliability as arrival on the
same calendar day or the day before. The measurements are based on SeaIntel's
database of more than 42.000 arrivals since July 2011, with 8,000 arrivals
measured by the hour. On the
eastbound transpacific, Hanjin was the most reliable carrier, at 81%, with
Maersk No. 2 at 79%. By the
hourly measurement Maersk's Dec. reliability was 87% on time within plus or
minus 24 hours, and Hamburg Süd's was 81% on time. Wan Hai was the only carrier
to have improved in Dec., going from 62% in Nov. to 68% in Dec.
www.seaintel.com/
***CSAV Gets
Injection ... as the Chilean
liner carrier said existing shareholders have injected US$659M in the company
through the sale of new shares. Of the amount raised, US$312M worth of shares
were bought by shareholders other than those with a controlling interest in the
embattled line, Quiñenco and Marinsa.
***Wan Hai
Struggles .... as credit
outlook of the Taiwan-based carrier has been downgraded to negative from stable
by Moody's Investors Service because of declining freight rates, high oil &
the company's growing debt combined with the delivery of new ships. Moody's
said Wan Hai's profit margin in 2012 will drop to 10% from 26.5% in 2010,
reported London's Containerization Int+l, adding that the carrier's operating
cash flow will fall to NT$5.4Bn (US$180M) from NT$10Bn in 2010. Wan Hai debt
levels are also expected to remain high as the company receives 12 new ships
over the next 18 months, raising indebtedness to NT$68.9Bn.
***OOCL At LBG ....
as Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line has
tentatively agreed to pay US$4.6Bn over 40 years to lease the Middle Harbor property currently being redeveloped by
the Port of Long Beach to handle more ocean containers. The Port of Long Beach is investing US$1.2Bn to consolidate
and modernize two existing terminals into a single, more efficient terminal.
The project will join two aging, oddly-shaped terminals into one contiguous
rectangular terminal, more than doubling its annual container capacity from 1.3
million TEUs to as much as 3.3 million TEUs, and bumping usable acreage from
about 200 acres to more than 300 acres with better access for trucks and on-dock
rail. The project will also add more than 14,000 new, permanent jobs throughout
Southern
California by
2020 and 1,000 construction jobs, as well as reduce traffic congestion and air
pollution.
***Suez Canal Down .... as the number of vessel transits
through the waterway decreased 1.1% year-on-year in 2011, while revenue rose by
nearly 10% due to the increasing sizes of ships moving through the waterway.
Vessel transits decreased to 17,799, while revenue topped US$5.2Bn, the first
time the canal has passed the US$5Bn plateau, the canal authority said last
week. More than half of the tonnage passing through the canal comes from
containerships.
***Lower
The River ..... as the
U.S.Army Corps of Engineers will begin clearing a chokepoint at the mouth of
the Mississippi
River that has
restricted cargo shipments from the Midwest since last spring. The corps will get an additional US$55M from a
disaster relief bill to dredge the river between New Orleans and the Gulf to
its authorized 45-foot depth and 750-foot width, the Port of New Orleans said
on Jan. 19. The project is part of the corps' overall maintenance dredging
budget of US$1.72Bn. While the river depth improved later in the year, the
Branch Pilots Assn., whose members guide many of the 6,000 vessels moving in
and out of the river's mouth each year, imposed a 42-foot limit earlier this
week after a vessel carrying coal ran aground. Normally some 450 million tons
of cargo worth US$114Bn go into int'l commerce by way of the Mississippi River, including two-thirds of the nation's
export wheat. A study on the impact of reduced dredging of channels on the Mississippi River finds that exports could be reduced by
12.4% and imports 5.5% if channel depths were reduced from 45 to 38 feet.
***Balast Water Battle ..... as cities in Ontario, Canada, have come out against new New York State ballast water laws Ballast water
regulations due to come into effect in the state of New York in 2013 are unworkable and will cost
the U.S. & Canadian economies US$10.7Bn, the City Council of St Catharines
(Port Dalhousie), Ontario, has warned. A resolution - unanimously passed by the
council of the Lake Ontario city - states that New York State's proposals, which would require
sterilization of ballast water up to 1000 times the required int'l standard,
are impossible to comply with given present technological limitations.
Furthermore, two invasive species have been discovered in the Great Lakes since present ballast water treatment
standards were imposed in 2006. Lancaster, PA-based transport consultancy
Martin Associates said enforcing the planned New York state regulations would see 55,000 jobs
lost in Canada and 17,000 in the U.S., due to ships being prevented from
traveling through New York State waters to reach the St Lawrence Seaway & the Atlantic.
***TWC Rules
Relaxe ..... as the U.S.
Coast Guard announced a policy letter that exempts a number of mariners from
the requirement to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential
when renewing or obtaining a Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential.
The policy letter provides immediate relief for mariners who otherwise would
need to obtain a TWIC to get or renew their Merchant Mariner Credential. The
policy letter also provides the Coast Guard with an expedient means to comply
with a portion of the requirements set forth in Section 809 of the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2010. "These changes eliminate the TWIC requirement
for mariners who operate vessels not required to have a vessel security plan or
who are not actively sailing on their merchant mariner credential" said
Captain Eric Christensen, Chief of the Office of Vessel Activities in Washington, DC.
***Maersk Line
Improves COOMO .... as mobile
phones & systems are coming to more than 400 line vessels over the next 2
years thanks to a new deal with Ericsson. Maersk has selected Ericsson to fill
the hole in its mobile communications coverage by installing an end-to-end
system alongside mobile and satellite communications on its fleet. Maersk Line
will have its vessels equipped with Ericsson antennas and GSM base stations,
with plans to reach the other 100 or so ships soon thereafter. As part of the
deal, Ericsson will also provide 7 years of network monitoring, onboard
maintenance at select ports and global managed service support. For the
shipping industry, mobile communications cast light on the dark & quiet
cargo spaces that often occur in between ports, addressing fleet management
& delivery times, as well as providing interaction among vessels.
***Pakistani
Logjam .... as the Karachi
Customs Agents Assn. (KCAA) has expressed fear that accumulation of containers,
with 600 boxes stranded at Pakistan Int'l Container Terminal (PICT) alone, will
do damage to the port's reputation and their livelihoods, reports the Pakistan
Observer. KCAA warned that if the matter was not addressed in 15 days, there
would be no space at port to keep the containers or to handle newly arriving
vessels.
***Afganistan
Parting Gift ..... as
containers from Afghanistan have arrived in Canada, filled with rocks & sand instead
of the cargo loaded by departing Canadian troops, reports the Ottawa Citizen.
Canadian Forces said the contents of the containers loaded with ammunition and
uniforms were not among the missing equipment and the missing items involved
were "non-critical," such as tires, tools & tents. "The
Canadian Forces have had and continue to face missing but non-critical
equipment in certain sea containers being transported from Afghanistan to Canada, by chartered vessel," LCDR John
Nethercott told the Ottawa Citizen. "Some containers have arrived in Canada missing equipment, all of which is
non-critical. The missing equipment was replaced by rocks so the loss would not
be noticed until the containers were opened," he said. Canada's Defense Dept. granted a contract to
move the containers from Afghanistan to Pakistan to AJ Maritime, a Montreal-based
freight forwarder. "There is pilfering going on, but that's normal in that
part of the world," said AJ Maritime president Alda Rodrigues. "I've
always sent my cargo in convoys with guards, and I've always taken care of the
cargo, but as I said, you never know. Nobody is safe there." It is
understood the remaining 446 containers were supposed to exit Afghanistan's southeastern border post at Spin
Boldak, then cross the deserts of Balochistan to the Port of Karachi. Sadly, we see much of this.
***ECU Line
Rebrands .... as the NVOCC
said its India-based parent company has relaunched under a new group brand
name, Avashya. ECU Line was acquired by the Indian logistics company Allcargo
Logistics in 2006, and has functioned as a subsidiary since then. Allcargo,
started in 1993 by Chairman and Managing Director Shashi Kiran Shetty,
announced in Sept. its business units would come under the Avashya Group
moniker, with Indian news outlets reporting the group might venture into
non-logistics markets under the new name. ECU Line operates from 120 offices in
60 countries.
***Maersk
Line Gets New U.S. Ship .... as the U.S.-flag vessel operator
for A.P. Moller-Maersk, said it has completed the reflagging under U.S. registry of M/V Maersk Illinois, its newest multipurpose heavy-lift
vessel. The ship is one of two sister vessels that MLL acquired in Sept. 2011,
which will sail for Maersk-Rickmers U.S. Flag Project Carrier, providing
breakbulk and project cargo service for shippers requiring U.S. flag service.
Maersk-Rickmers was jointly formed for this purpose by MLL and Rickmers-Linie (America).
www.maersk-rickmers.com/
***Great White Fleet Drops Reefer Vessels .... as the shipping unit of U.S. fruit giant Chiquita Brands, has
switched the 3 reefer vessels operated on its California-Guatemala-Ecuador
weekly service with three containerships of 2,500-2,700 TEU. A report by
Alphaliner said the "well established" service transports bananas and
fruits exported from Ecuador to California. They are loaded at Guayaquil and discharged at Port Hueneme located 60 miles west of the port
complex of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Another port of call on the service is
Puerto Quetzal. The 3 containerships deployed on the service have been fitted
with 499 to 566 reefer plugs to match the previous capacity of the reefer ships
***RMS Queen
Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Now Partyland .....
as the famous cruise ship is preparing to host a series of extravagant parties
in the coming months after being inundated with requests from international
celebrities, a spokesperson for the ship told Gulf News. The QE2, which has sat
idle at Dubai's Port Rashid since arriving amid much fanfare in Nov. 2008,
threw open its doors for a glitzy event on New Year's Eve. Istithmar World, the
current owners of the QE2, originally planned to turn the vessel into a
floating hotel, but those plans were soon postponed amid a difficult economic
climate worldwide. In the short term, the world's most famous cruise ship is
set to become a unique events destination, with requests flooding in from
across the world from people looking to book birthday parties, weddings and
corporate functions. Istithmar World, the investment arm of government-owned
conglomerate Dubai World, bought the QE2 from its original owner — the
British-American owned shipping company Cunard Line — for US$100M in June 2007.
However, in Nov. 2009, Dubai World announced it was unable to pay US$24.9Bn
worth of debt and underwent a massive restructuring process, which was
finalized last year.
***OOCL Now
In Mexico ..... as it has announced it has opened
an office in Mexico City, indicating an expanding interest in the west coast port of Lazaro Cardenas where Hong Kong's Hutchison Port Holdings runs a
container terminal and Maersk's APM Terminals recently won the right to open
another, both within 350 road miles of the national metropolis of 19.9 million
people.
***Meet Dandong .... as this Chinese city in north
eastern Liaoning province is reaping benefits as a major export production
center through its strategic position as the only coastal city in northeast China that connects North Korea. The city's port handled 700,000 TEU in
2011, with the boost in volume supported by National 5-year Plan period from
2011 to 2015 of US$7.07Bn, according to China Daily. Its northern most seaside
port of Dandong has allowed better access for larger vessels, which has boosted
its annual throughput to 60 million tons supported by both sea and rail routes
connecting China, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. The
city's shipbuilding has attracted investment with the building of its first
engineering ship, boasting a displacement of 15,000 tons, a high-powered
tugboat of a main plant & ancillary facilities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandong
***Throughput >>> Dutch Port
of Amsterdam saw its cargo
volume rise by 3% in 2011 to 74.8 million tons compared to the previous year,
but container throughput plunged by 285 owing to stiffer competition from rival
ports, Le Havre and Hamburg. >>> Port of Beirut's container volumes soared in 2011 to
over one million TEU led by transshipment volume shifting from ports of
neighbouring countries. >>> The Port of Charleston handled 109,472 TEUs last month, 2.4%
more than the 106,866 TEUs handled in Dec. 2010. >>> Throughput at the Port of Halifax in 2011 dropped 5.7% year-over-year to
410,649 TEU, 25% below the record level of 550,462 TEUs set in 2005. >>> Port of Hong Kong handled 24.4 million TEUs in 2011, a 3%
increase from 2010. and the 2nd highest in Hong Kong's history. >>> The Ports
of Indiana handled 8.1
million tons of cargo in 2011, the largest annual tonnage since 2006. >>>Port of Long Beach handled 3.2% fewer containers in Dec.
compared to the same month a year earlier, while total outbound shipments in
2011 fell 3.3% against 2010. >>> The Port of Los Angeles handled 7,940,511 TEUs in 2011, 1.4%
more than the 7,831,902 TEUs handled in 2010, including empties. >>> Estonia's Port of Muuga increased volume year on year to 45% in
Dec. to 17,752 TEU, boosting its annual turnover by 30% to 195,313 TEU. >>> Finland's Gulf of Bothnia Port of Rauma has reported record container traffic
of 223,000 TEU in 2011 represented a 35.2% increase on 2010, while
containerised tonnage increased by 27.5% to 1.9 Mt. >>> Singapore container throughput grew 5.3%
in 2011 year on year, hitting 29.94 million TEU, surpassing the previous 2008
record by 0.1%, according to official data. >>> Port of Shanghai has become the first to handle 30
million TEUs in a year, according to reports last week from China. >>> For 2011, South Korea hit record highs of over 21.54 million
TEU, an 11.2% increase on 2010's 19.36 million TEU of which its port of Busan led with 16.14 million TEU. >>> The Port
of Tianjin in northern China
saw container volumes climb 13.9% in 2011 to a record 11.5 million TEUs,
according to reports in China.
***This Month In U.S. Navy History
1813 - U.S. frigate Chesapeake captures the British warship Volunteer.
1847 - U.S. Naval forces occupy Los Angeles during the Mexican-American War for the
first time.
1848 - Sloop Lexington attacked in San Blas, Mexico.
1863 - CSS
Alabama sinks USS Hatteras off Galveston.
1953 - Aircraft landings are tested aboard USS Antietam (CVS 36), the first angled-deck carrier.
1875 - Cmdr. Edward Lull begins expedition to locate the best ship canal route
across Panama.
1944 - Aircraft from USS Block Island (CVE 21) lead the 1st aircraft rocket
attack on a German submarine.
========================================
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
Jan. 2012: "Costa Lot" - our first (and thus far bare) chapter
of the M/V Costa Concordia saga
https://cargolaw.com/2012nightmare_costa_concor.html
See our continuing
feature for Jan. 2012: "Acute Rena Failure" - our 5 month
photo chronicle of M/V Rena -- and her death
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>>>>>>
Capt. Calixto Caniete & His Crew of M/V Renuar Were Held Captive By Piratesm For133
days
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pb1VAgYkUiY
European Maritime Safety Agency Ship Risk Profile Calculator
www.emsa.europa.eu/appl/SRP_Calculator.html
Forging Stronger Bonds Between Shippers and Carriers .....free report
www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/forging_stronger_bonds_between_shippers_and_carriers#wp_form
International Chamber of Shipping -- Annual Shipping Industry Flag State
Performance Table
www.marisec.org/FlagStatePerformanceTable2011.pdf
Leveraging RFID To Improve Efficiencies & Grow Profits .... free white paper
www.mmh.com/article/leveraging_rfid_to_improve_efficiencies_control_costs_and_grow_profits#wp_form
Munich Re: Review Review of Natural Catastrophes In 2011
www.munichre.com/en/media_relations/press_releases/2012/2012_01_04_press_release.aspx
UK P&I CLUB Risk Focus: Moorings
www.ukpandi.com/fileadmin/uploads/uk-pi/LP%20Documents/LP_Reports/Mooring%20web%20version.pdf
U.S. Census Bureau Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) -- Updates Schedule B
for 2012
www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/2012final/
PRODUCTS>>>>>>>>>
Armed Piracy Defense, Inc.
www.armedpiracydefence.com/
The Dictionary of Shipping Terms, 5th Edition
www.researchandmarkets.com/product/7964d9/the_dictionary_of_shipping_terms_5th_edition
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
26th Annual Commercial
Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference ......March
5-7, 2012, Beverly Hills
www.speednews.com/ConferenceInfo.aspx?conferenceID=121
AirCargo 2012 .......18-20 March 2012, Miami
www.my-registration.com/AirCargo2012
Breakbulk China 2012 .... 28 Feb. - 1 March 2012, Shanghai
http://breakbulkevents.com/index.php?section=breakbulk_asia2012_fees
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 World Congress Center - We'll
Be There!
www.modexshow.com/
TOC Container Supply Chain:
Europe ..... 12-14 June 2012, Antwerp Expo Belgium
www.tocevents-europe.com/
Transportation &
Logistics Council 38th Annual Conference ........
April 23 - 25, 2012, Orlando
www.tlcouncil.org/2012_online_registration
World Cargo Symposium
2012 ....... 13-15 March
2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.iata.org/events/wcs/Pages/index.aspx
Apps For That -
iPhones>>>>>>>>>
Beat the Traffic .......real-time
traffic information for mobile devices - one of the most popular apps in history
www.beatthetraffic.com/index.html
Safmarine Container Lines .......
schedules & tracking
General Interest>>>>>>>>>
The 13 Most Dangerous Car Interiors in History
www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/13-most-dangerous-car-interiors-in-history#fbIndex1
Air Canada B777-200LR Polar Route
www.youtube.com/watch?v=unYKJgUYmi8&feature=youtu.be
Chevy Will Spend US$7M On This Super Bowl Homemade Commercial - Which Cost Only
US400 !
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/homemade-camaro-ad-wins-chevrolet-super-bowl-slot-133119095.html
Crosswind Landings During A Storm At Düsseldorf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMvLuUJFHYk
A Look Inside United's Newly Configured Boeing 777
http://flightaware.com/squawks/link/1/7_days/popular/24183/A_look_inside_United_s_newly_configured_Boeing_777
Popular Mechanics 10 Most (And Least) Accurate Sci-Fi Movies
http://mail.hearstmags.com/r/FKDJ1F/8EUXL/6VZYTM8/VTM0SK/Z92DR/FI/h
The Top Gadgets of CES 2012
http://mail.hearstmags.com/r/FKDJ1F/8EUXL/6VZYTM8/VTM0SK/P5T22/FI/h
The TSA Proves its Own Irrelevance
www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/01/the_tsa_proves.html
Wisconsin Gubernatorial Recall Webcam ...
its has become viral
http://mirrors.5nines.com/stream/
Worst Airline Blunders of 2011
www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worst-airline-blunders-of-2011/1
========================================
*****************************************************
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)
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