Port Congestion Surcharge Reintroduced

Some ocean carriers have reintroduced port congestion surcharges that were rescinded earlier this week following the FMC's public notice challenging their legality. Carriers claimed that the previously announced surcharges for U.S. West Coast ports were necessary due to labor slowdowns at the ports. Many carriers quickly retracted or postponed their implementation of the surcharges after…

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Defective NAFTA Certificates Are No Joke

Defective NAFTA Certificates Are No Joke

There are many reasons a NAFTA certificate of origin can be deemed defective or invalid according to U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP). Is your company guilty of any of these? Preference Criterion (7) is blank or incorrect. This field shouldn't be blank nor should it be completed by someone guessing at the correct answer.…

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Update: West Coast Port Congestion Surcharge

Update: West Coast Port Congestion Surcharge

As a follow-up to our last client alert, we are pleased to announce that many carriers have since rescinded or postponed their port congestion surcharges after Mohawk and many other industry groups questioned the legality of how they were filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). In response to the many inquiries it received, the…

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Problems Continue to Plague U.S. West Coast Ports

Problems Continue to Plague U.S. West Coast Ports

Long lines, equipment shortages, and recent labor disputes have ensnarled Southern California ports, severely limiting terminal productivity and compounding this summer’s congestion that has yet to be cleared. Gate turns can take from 2 to 9 hours to pick up a single container. The chassis supply is very tight because empties are not returned in…

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Win a Copy of the Dictionary of International Trade

Win a Copy of the Dictionary of International Trade

Announcing the winner of our October 2014 trivia contest. Congratulations Cindi K. of Getzville, NY, who won a copy of the Dictionary of International Trade (10th Edition)─a $75.00 value. Cindi correctly answered our trivia question: Name the security program that Customs & Border Protection released exporter eligibility requirements for this summer. Answer: C-TPAT    …

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Truck Carriers Push Rate Increases

Truck Carriers Push Rate Increases

If you look in any transportation trade journal, you may have seen articles about driver shortages, equipment investments, and the rising costs of regulations, taxes, tolls and other carrier expenses. These factors are what many carriers speak about when talking rate increase with shippers. Some experts are predicting rates to increase in the next year…

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A Quick Reminder for Food Importers

A Quick Reminder for Food Importers

The FDA's Food Safety & Modernization Act (FMSA) requires domestic and foreign food facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the U.S. to register with the FDA. Registration must be renewed every other year during the period of October 1 to December 31. As of 1/1/2015, food importers…

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Terminals Reopen at Port of LA

Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles resumed normal operations last night, after being closed due to a fire that broke out on Monday night. According to an ABC News wire, the port’s spokesman “estimated a few thousand employees, mostly longshore workers, were sent home Tuesday.” With that many longshore workers missing a shift, cargo…

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Fire at Port of LA

Some terminals at the Port of Los Angeles are closed today due to a fire that broke out last night. According to the LA Times, about 850 terminal employees were evacuated on Monday as a precaution. Firefighters are still battling the blaze, which has been contained as of Monday night. Today’s terminal closures will only…

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