Newsletter – September 21, 2020

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

All alliances reinstate transpacific capacity

splash247.com

All three east-west alliances have now committed to reinstate blanked sailings in October on the booming transpac

Maersk, part of the 2M vessel sharing agreement, communicated last week its intention to reinstate blanked sailings from Asia to the west coast of North America next month, citing enormous pent-up demand, as has Cosco and subsidiary OOCL, both of whom are in the Ocean Alliance. THE Alliance member Hapag-Lloyd, meanwhile, has told clients it is bringing back all but five of its blanked sailings to the west coast next month. Read more here.

Importers ‘close to breaking point’ as tension rises at Sydney’s Port Botany

theloadstar.com

Other strike-hit container terminal operators and supply chain players are backing a DP World Australia bid to end the “crippling” industrial action at Sydney’s Port Botany.

Work stoppages by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have caused an 11-day cargo backlog at the port, with a knock-on effect of container supply chain congestion spreading to Melbourne and Brisbane as vessels are diverted. Read more here.

Pandemic short cuts pushing shipping towards more accidents

splash247.com

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has issued a stark warning that if temporary short cuts adopted by many in the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic continue or become permanent, then there will be a rise in shipping accidents and environmental disasters.

The predictions are contained within a new report from the federation’s Maritime Safety Committee. Read more here.

August import volume swells above 2019 levels as retailers restock, prep for holidays

supplychaindive.com

Dive Brief:

Ports across the country — including the California ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, as well as the Port of Virginia — experienced import volume in August that was higher that the same month last year, as retailers prepare for the holiday season and refill inventory after decreasing procurement in the early stages of the pandemic. Read more here.

GROUNDAND RAILFREIGHT UPDATES

Dedicated lanes for pool chassis at Port of New York and New Jersey

ajot.com

Container vessels calling the Port of New York and New Jersey are getting larger and we are serving more of these larger vessels each year. Just this past weekend we welcomed the CMA CGM Brazil, a 15,072 TEU vessel and the largest to ever call the US East Coast. One third of the total container volume in the Port through July was shipped on a vessel with a capacity of 10,000 TEU or more. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

US Customs targets Chinese e-commerce with bid to reduce tax threshold

theloadstar.com

US importers of Chinese goods valued below $800 may lose their exemption from tariffs, if a proposal from the US Customs & Border Protection agency (CBP) moves forward.

On 2 September, CBP asked the US Office of Management & Budget for regulatory review of a proposal entitled Excepting Merchandise Subject to Section 301 Duties from the Customs De Minimis Exemption [of $800]. Read more here.