China’s Upcoming Public Holidays

Client Alert The government and most businesses in mainland China will be closed from September 30-October 7 for public holidays. We urge all clients to book upcoming shipments as soon as possible to avoid delays during this time. To book your shipment now, please contact your Mohawk customer service representative.

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Attack of the Asia Gypsy Moth

Asian gypsy moths are invading ports across North America. Is this the plot of a campy monster movie? No. It's reality. U.S. and Canadian authorities are reporting high numbers of incoming commercial vessels infested with Asian gypsy moth egg masses. To avoid spreading the pest through North America, once an infestation is discovered on board,…

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Brush Up on the Basics of AES Compliance

The Census Bureau has revised their best practices manual for the Automated Export System (AES). Exporters can review their own internal processes against those recommended in the manual. The document covers training, the basics of foreign trade regulations, AES response messages, how to make corrections in AES, and more. AES Compliance Best Practices Manual

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Just Your Average General Rate Increase

Recently some of the big Less Than Truckload (LTL) carriers, including Con-Way, FedEx, UPS, and YRC, announced a General Rate Increase (GRI). They were in the ball park of 6-7%. With the big boys leading the way, many more LTL carriers joined in with their own rate increases. As I wrote in last month’s article, the…

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East Coast Labor Talks Halted. Got a Contingency Plan in Place?

Client Alert: Update on East Coast Labor Talks Contract negotiations abruptly broke off Wednesday (8/22) between the International Longshoremen's Association and their employers, the U.S. Maritime Association, after management presented labor with a proposal described as 'take it or leave it' according to the Journal of Commerce. Ongoing local and regional negotiations were likewise halted.…

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Typhoon Delays Shipments In/Out of East China

Client Alert Typhoon Haikui has hit East China, prompting ports to close and flights to be cancelled. Clients with ocean and air shipments coming into or going out of Shanghai, Ningbo, Hangzhou, and the surrounding areas will experience transportation delays through this Friday. Depending on weather conditions, these delays could extend past Friday. If you…

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Good News on East Coast Labor Talks

Client Alert The glass is looking half-full to lead negotiators for the International Longshoremen's Association and U.S. Maritime Alliance. At the close of their latest round of talks, leaders from both sides said negotiations for a new contract were moving in a positive direction. Latest Developments Preliminary agreement on key issues of technology and union…

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Is This the Year of the Trucker?

Companies in the full truckload industry are now in the driver seat (no pun intended), while facing the challenges of new regulations, recruiting, and retaining good employees. This was the most frequently discussed topic at a recent 3PL Logistics Summit that I attended in Chicago. I thought that clients might be interested in learning the…

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Transpacific Carriers Call for August Rate Increase

Client Alert Transpacific ocean carriers have announced a general rate increase, effective August 5, for containers moving from East Asia to all U.S. and Canada destinations. We've listed the increases below. All amounts are in USD. We will continue to work with the carriers to mitigate these charges wherever possible. If you have questions about…

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New Law Makes National Freight Program a Reality

Signed into law by President Obama on July 6, the new MAP-21 law stipulates spending on national transportation needs for the next two years. Unlike previous transportation spending laws, MAP-21 acknowledges the need to establish policies to improve freight movement, most notably, the creation of a national freight program. In March, we shared with you…

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