=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+==+-
Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel
THE CARGO LETTER [483]
Air & Ocean Logistics - Customs Broker News
27 Jan. 2012
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

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)
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

                      _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>>>>