How China skirts tariffs into the US

In Maersk’s press release last week about a new warehousing facility in Tijuana, Mexico, one line stood out. It was sandwiched between a list of value-added services offered and a paragraph about the facility’s sustainable energy practices and certifications.

“Alternatively, it could operate [fulfillment or e-fulfillment] operations into the United States, leveraging the Section 321 Shipment Type** for e-commerce shipments.”

Under U.S. Customs and Border Protection rules, a Section 321 shipment...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-china-skirts-tariffs-into-the-us

Seized fake sports rings would be worth $2.7M if genuine, CBP says

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati recently seized 90 fake championship rings for professional and collegiate sports teams in Missouri and Kansas. Had the rings been genuine, they would have been worth $2.71 million, according to the agency.

The shipment seized on March 21 contained rings with trademarks of the NFL, NCAA and MLB. Third-party retailers sell the fake rings made of cheap materials and faux gems for top dollar, swindling sports fans, CBP said in a news release.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/seized-fake-sports-rings-would-be-worth-2-7m-if-genuine-cbp-says

TSA rule change provides regulatory relief to air logistics providers

The Transportation Security Administration is easing the compliance burden on airfreight intermediaries by allowing the logistics businesses to submit applications renewing security credentials once every three years instead of annually, according to a recent regulatory notice.

The rule change, which takes effect on Monday, impacts about 3,800 indirect air carriers registered with the TSA. The companies receive and consolidate cargo from multiple shippers and tender them to various airlines for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tsa-rule-change-provides-regulatory-relief-to-air-logistics-providers

The Houthis sank a ship. But their attacks may be less disruptive for now

Source: FreightWaves SONAR. Drewry World Container Index, Shanghai to Rotterdam (WCI.SHARTM), Shanghai to Los Angeles (WCI.SHALAX), Shanghai to New York (WCI.SHANYC) and Shanghai to Genoa (WCI.SHAGOA).

Over the past few months, the Red Sea has shifted from a highly trafficked maritime passage to something more like a battleground. Attacks on cargo vessels by Houthi rebels have threatened both regional stability and the arteries of global commerce.

On March 2, the Rubymar finally sank. The cargo ship had been targeted by Houthi militants on Feb. 18 and had been taking on water in the days since. It’s the first vessel lost to the Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea, which began in November...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-houthis-sank-a-ship-but-their-attacks-may-be-past-peak-disruption

Mexican cargo airline accused of labor violations under USMCA

A U.S. panel tasked with enforcing labor provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement has asked the government of Mexico to investigate whether cargo airline Mas has denied the right of pilots to organize for bargaining purposes.

The Department of Labor said Wednesday an interagency committee received a complaint last month from Mexico’s Associated Union of Aviation Pilots (ASPA) that Mas, which rebranded last year from MasAir, engaged in intimidation, interference and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mexican-cargo-airline-accused-of-labor-violations-under-usmca

OSHA fines W8 Shipping $380K for Georgia warehouse safety violations

The U.S. Department of Labor is preparing to impose nearly $380,000 in penalties on W8 Shipping LLC, an ocean freight wholesaler, for two dozen safety violations at the company’s warehouse adjacent to the Port of Savannah.

The Los Angeles-based shipping company, which specializes in exporting secondhand automobiles, boats and heavy machinery, “willfully” exposed 43 workers at the Garden City, Georgia, facility to potentially deadly hazards by allowing them to work with automobiles and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/osha-fines-w8-shipping-380k-for-savannah-warehouse-safety-violations

How has state marijuana legalization affected trucking?

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is asking carriers a series of questions on safety and other concerns in relation to state-level marijuana legalization.

In 2019, ATRI released a study on recreational marijuana laws’ possible effects on the trucking industry. At the time, 11 states had legalized marijuana. Since then, that number has nearly doubled to 20, prompting the new study.

The original study specifically looked at safety issues brought on by an increase in passenger...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-has-state-marijuana-legalization-affected-trucking

Flexport juices trade finance program with $200M credit line from KKR

A clipboard with business papers titled Trade Financing.

Flexport Capital, the trade finance arm of third-party logistics provider Flexport, announced Thursday it has secured a $200 million credit facility from insurance accounts managed by global investment firm KKR to support continued geographic expansion and development of more financial products.

Flexport’s suite of financial services provides importers and exporters with access to working capital for inventory and logistics expenses. Suppliers often require upfront payment for goods that can be...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/flexport-juices-trade-finance-program-with-200m-credit-line-from-kkr

FreightWaves SONAR data revealed global recession months before FedEx’s earnings

A container ship stacked with containers

In a note last Friday, September 16, J.P. Morgan reminded us that back in June it warned about a concerning drop in container volume out of China, based on FreightWaves SONAR Container Atlas data. 

Part of the J.P. Morgan note.

The firm titled its June 3 report “Watching the China Freight Wave,” which covered the slowdown in container markets and forewarned about a slowing U.S. domestic freight market.  

Using the same data, on June 7, FreightWaves wrote an article titled “U.S. import demand is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-sonar-data-revealed-global-recession-months-before-fedexs-earnings

Flexport taps Amazon pipeline again for operations leader

Workers with yellow vests checking inventory information in a warehouse with boxes stacked up on foor.

Incoming CEO Dave Clark is bringing in another former colleague from Amazon to help take high-flying supply chain startup Flexport to the next level.

The San Francisco-based freight forwarder has named Tim Collins, a former vice president of Amazon’s global logistics unit who spent the past 18 months as a top executive at instant delivery platform Gopuff, for the new role of senior vice president of operations, effective Sept. 12, a spokesperson told FreightWaves.

Collins will take over many of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/flexport-taps-amazon-pipeline-again-for-operations-leader

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