U.S. container trades

Senate debates ways to gain leverage over Panama Canal

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump vowed to “take back” the Panama Canal in his inaugural address, but he likely wouldn’t be able to do so and still be within the confines of the 1977 treaty that signed over authority to Panama, according to an international law expert.

Testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday, Eugene Kontorovich, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told lawmakers that countries “need to think long and hard” before signing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/senate-debates-ways-to-gain-leverage-over-panama-canal

How fast can LA clear out its ships?

Now that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have moved to 24/7 operations, pressure is mounting to reduce the backlog of ships at anchor in San Pedro Bay.

But more coordination will be required among the links in the Southern California supply chain before that can happen. And with 25 more containerships filled with holiday inventory from Asia scheduled to anchor within the next three days, results have to come fast.

As part of the ports’ new 24/7 operating plan, instead of waiting for cargo...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-fast-can-la-clear-out-its-ships

What freight carriers should know about Biden’s transportation review

An executive order issued by President Joe Biden has the potential to become one of the most important government documents in years directed at carriers and their customers working within the country’s transportation sector.

Key among the provisions of the “Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains,” issued Feb. 24 is a “sectoral supply chain assessment” of six industrial sectors, including transportation. It requires the secretary of transportation, consulting with the heads of the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/what-carriers-should-know-about-bidens-transportation-review

Container lines question claims of unreasonable rates, poor service

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has pushed back against allegations by two Federal Maritime Commissioners (FMC) that the container lines are not meeting service obligations — particularly to U.S. agriculture exporters — citing a lack of evidence.

In a Monday letter to FMC Commissioners Carl Bentzel and Daniel Maffei, WSC President and CEO John Butler pointed out that the customer bases of his members — which account for 90% of global liner vessel capacity — are too varied for the association to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/container-lines-question-claims-of-unreasonable-rates-poor-service