<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The TFA contains sweeping provisions for expediting the movement of goods, and for publishing up-to-date data about rules and regulations critical for speeding up trade facilitation.</div>

The TFA contains sweeping provisions for expediting the movement of goods, and for publishing up-to-date data about rules and regulations critical for speeding up trade facilitation.

<div>The average global customs transaction involves 20 to 30 parties, 40 documents, 200 data elements — 30 of which are repeated at least 30 times — and the rekeying of 60 to 70 percent of all data at least once, according to a recent study by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Although tariffs have dropped because of a multitude of international trade agreements, the cost of complying with customs formalities may exceed the cost of duties to be paid.In a global economy based increasingly on just-in-time production and delivery, such findings strike shippers and transportation providers as unfortunate,...

The average global customs transaction involves 20 to 30 parties, 40 documents, 200 data elements — 30 of which are repeated at least 30 times — and the rekeying of 60 to 70 percent of all data at least once, according to a recent study by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Although tariffs have dropped because of a multitude of international trade agreements, the cost of complying with customs formalities may exceed the cost of duties to be paid. In a global economy based increasingly on just-in-time production and delivery, such findings strike shippers and transportation providers as unfortunate, especially when many are fearful that populist governments are about to take measures that restrict market access to foreign-made products through various protectionist means. Traders need fast and predictable release of goods, executives and policymakers agree. That’s why they have welcomed bold initiatives that simplify and harmonize the flow of trade information shared by shippers, customs agencies, and other stakeholders in the global trade process. Enter the World Trade Organization’s (WTO's) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which finally was implemented in late February after 114 of its member countries completed their domestic ratification processes. Ultimately, when its provisions are fully implemented, world GDP will increase by nearly $1 trillion annually, the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates. The reason being that the TFA contains sweeping provisions for expediting the movement, release, and clearance of goods, including goods in transit; for publishing up-to-date data about rules and regulations critical for speeding up trade facilitation; and multiple other measures that will cut costs and speed transactions. The TFA has been years in coming. Megan Giblin, director of customs and trade facilitation at the United States Council for International Business, said the basis of the TFA emerged from exploratory talks about such issues in the late 1990s. In developed countries, customs agencies have gradually been modernizing their customs laws and developing best practices in preparation, for several years. “Those countries that are developed [will] implement these measures immediately. For developing and least developing countries, they get to implement them over time. What we’re seeing is codification and the ability, from a compliance perspective, to have teeth on these measures,” Giblin said. Improving the flow of trade-related information is critical to the payoff. “Not all countries publish their customs tariffs,” Giblin said. “Not all publish their information about who to contact. Not everybody publishes their basic rules and information on the import and exports. Not everybody provides for reviewing comments of proposed regulations. These are some of the core basic functions that are going to impact the bottom lines of companies, because things like advance rulings on classifications help determine landed costs.” She added: “The process has historically been very opaque” and especially troublesome for small companies. “If you don’t know what the rules are, how can you apply them?” Prior to the FTA, “not everyone has had their information online, and not everybody has consolidated [their trade-related] information. So, you must go to multiple sources to determine the customs tariff on a product. Countries like India have historically published their customs tariff, but then you have had to look at a bunch of other administrative notifications that update the duty rates. It is not consolidated information, in some cases. This agreement is going to provide that transparency and predictability” online. In the case of some countries, companies currently may have to access a country budget to find out more information on duty rates, or find specific notifications from different ministries beyond customs. “It’s convoluted, and there’s no clarity about who [your] industry should necessarily reach out to,” Giblin said. The TFA provides such clarity and transparency. Most critically, the TFA will allow for companies to understand quickly what the rules are, so they can export with assurance that they are not failing to comply with them. “If everybody is providing the same level of transparency and ability [needed] to appeal decisions, then everyone will know how to operate,” she said. “That will lead to increased exports of products. And that will likely give a boost to the US economy and result in more jobs.” The TFA could be a particularly powerful boon for smaller companies — in the US and abroad — that often have less capacity to access expertise than multinationals do. “The entry into force of the TFA is a watershed moment for global trade,” said Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce. “The reality today is that many small businesses find themselves unable to trade internationally due to complex customs requirements. By cutting unnecessary red tape at borders, the TFA will have a transformational effect on the ability of entrepreneurs in developing nations.” Moreover, a TFA Facility has been created to help ensure that developing countries obtain the levels of assistance they will need, if they are to reap the full benefits of the TFA. According to a study by the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, these trade facilitation programs are likely to generate gains for APEC countries equal to about 0.26 percent of their aggregate real GDP, or almost double the expected gains from any further tariff reductions. The study estimated the savings would be 1 to 2 percent of import prices for developing countries in the region. Other provisions also require WTO members to accept e-payments and electronic versions of certain documents where such practices are appropriate and possible. Several TFA provisions govern how fees and penalties are imposed on traders. For example, fees and charges for customs processing of imports and exports shall be limited to the approximate cost of the services rendered. Because it’s helpful if rules and procedures are predictable and familiar across borders, the TFA also contains articles about Border Agency Cooperation and Customs Cooperation, which require that WTO members establish a single window or entry point to participating authorities or agencies. The TFA also provides opportunities for traders and other interested parties to comment on proposed rules related to the movement of goods. WTO members must provide a right to appeal customs agencies’ administrative decisions. The agreement also recognizes the needs of developing countries, providing special and differential treatment for these members as they seek to implement the agreement. For their part, EU officials announced that the TFA will play a significant role in increasing developing countries’ involvement in global value chains. For that reason, the European Union has committed 400 million euros to help developing countries carry out the reforms needed to comply with the rules set by TFA. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the potential cost reduction from a full implementation of the WTO TFA amounts to 16.5 percent of total costs for low income countries, 17.4 percent for lower middle income countries, and 14.6 percent for upper middle income countries. Contact Alan M. Field at alanfield0@gmail.com .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

New WTO accord to speed customs clearance, cut costs

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The contingency plans by the ports come as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to ports that may be closed on Oct. 1. </div>

The contingency plans by the ports come as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to ports that may be closed on Oct. 1.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Some ports along the US East and Gulf coasts are going public with their contingency plans ahead of a planned strike by dockworkers on Oct. 1, including staying open for business on weekends. That comes as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to potentially closed ports. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maritime-employers-prep-for-wind-down-of-operations-as-longshore-strike-looms-5728724">The contingency plans</a> come amid the increasing likelihood that <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/port-employers-urge-ila-to-return-to-contract-talks-5723976">the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) will not reach an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) for a new master contract covering East and Gulf coast dockworkers</a>. ILA President Harold Daggett has told his members that the union will not agree to an extension once the current contract expires on Sept. 30. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said in a customer advisory Wednesday that shippers should take delivery of cargo before Oct.1, noting its Garden City Terminal in Savannah will be closed after that in the event of a strike. In addition to opening for the two Saturdays remaining in September, Garden City will open for a full day on Sunday, Sept. 29 for cargo retrieval. The GPA said it will take export containers until Sept. 30, including refrigerated containers. But it said that if a reefer box does not make it onto a ship by that day, “they will not be monitored and maintained if the port is closed due to a work stoppage.” The GPA added that it will not charge terminal demurrage to shippers during a work stoppage. A notice Wednesday from the Port of Houston said its two container terminals plan to open truck gates and work on vessels up until 7 pm on Sept. 30, with the cutoff for export drop-offs an hour earlier. The port said it’s evaluating the need for extending regular work hours for the terminals next week, with plans to open Saturday, Sept. 28. “We encourage imports to be picked up as soon as possible, anything in the yard after 7 pm on September 30th, 2024, will be unavailable until the work stoppage ends,” the notice said. Houston said it would waive an import dwell fee for containers. The Port of Virginia said in an operations alert that it will open its two main container terminals and the Pinner’s Point Container Yard, which handles empties and chassis, for the next two Saturdays and the Sunday immediately before a strike. <h2>Cosco, ONE halt US export bookings </h2>Ocean carriers have not been as public about what they plan to do in the event of a strike. The ILA has warned USMX carriers that it will monitor any ships diverted from East and Gulf coast ports. For now, liner operators are also preparing to wind down some operations. Cosco Shipping and Ocean Network Express (ONE) are not accepting new export bookings from inland US destinations, according to several shipper sources familiar with the plans. Hapag-Lloyd notified customers it may speed up vessels and that import discharge will be prioritized once ships berth in the days before a possible strike begins. The carrier said it is also reviewing port rotation changes or which ports to omit in the event of a strike. Along with stopping some cargo bookings, some ocean carriers are levying new charges for handling any cargo that is currently en route to East and Gulf coast ports but may be affected by a port strike. Hapag-Lloyd announced Wednesday a “work disruption surcharge" of $1,000 per TEU that would apply to non-Asia exports headed to the US East and Gulf coasts. The surcharge goes into effect Oct. 18, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-to-hold-february-hearing-on-carriers-red-sea-linked-surcharges-5200562">in accordance with the 30-day notice requirement under US shipping law</a>. CMA CGM announced last week it would implement beginning Oct. 11 a “local port charge” of $1,500 per TEU for cargo destined to East and Gulf coast ports. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a></div>

Some ports along the US East and Gulf coasts are going public with their contingency plans ahead of a planned strike by dockworkers on Oct. 1, including staying open for business on weekends. That comes as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to potentially closed ports. The contingency plans come amid the increasing likelihood that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) will not reach an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) for a new master contract covering East and Gulf coast dockworkers . ILA President Harold Daggett has told his members that the union will not agree to an extension once the current contract expires on Sept. 30. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said in a customer advisory Wednesday that shippers should take delivery of cargo before Oct.1, noting its Garden City Terminal in Savannah will be closed after that in the event of a strike. In addition to opening for the two Saturdays remaining in September, Garden City will open for a full day on Sunday, Sept. 29 for cargo retrieval. The GPA said it will take export containers until Sept. 30, including refrigerated containers. But it said that if a reefer box does not make it onto a ship by that day, “they will not be monitored and maintained if the port is closed due to a work stoppage.” The GPA added that it will not charge terminal demurrage to shippers during a work stoppage. A notice Wednesday from the Port of Houston said its two container terminals plan to open truck gates and work on vessels up until 7 pm on Sept. 30, with the cutoff for export drop-offs an hour earlier. The port said it’s evaluating the need for extending regular work hours for the terminals next week, with plans to open Saturday, Sept. 28. “We encourage imports to be picked up as soon as possible, anything in the yard after 7 pm on September 30th, 2024, will be unavailable until the work stoppage ends,” the notice said. Houston said it would waive an import dwell fee for containers. The Port of Virginia said in an operations alert that it will open its two main container terminals and the Pinner’s Point Container Yard, which handles empties and chassis, for the next two Saturdays and the Sunday immediately before a strike. Cosco, ONE halt US export bookings Ocean carriers have not been as public about what they plan to do in the event of a strike. The ILA has warned USMX carriers that it will monitor any ships diverted from East and Gulf coast ports. For now, liner operators are also preparing to wind down some operations. Cosco Shipping and Ocean Network Express (ONE) are not accepting new export bookings from inland US destinations, according to several shipper sources familiar with the plans. Hapag-Lloyd notified customers it may speed up vessels and that import discharge will be prioritized once ships berth in the days before a possible strike begins. The carrier said it is also reviewing port rotation changes or which ports to omit in the event of a strike. Along with stopping some cargo bookings, some ocean carriers are levying new charges for handling any cargo that is currently en route to East and Gulf coast ports but may be affected by a port strike. Hapag-Lloyd announced Wednesday a “work disruption surcharge" of $1,000 per TEU that would apply to non-Asia exports headed to the US East and Gulf coasts. The surcharge goes into effect Oct. 18, in accordance with the 30-day notice requirement under US shipping law . CMA CGM announced last week it would implement beginning Oct. 11 a “local port charge” of $1,500 per TEU for cargo destined to East and Gulf coast ports. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com

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North American ports

Some US ports extending gate hours ahead of strike deadline

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Higher-than-expected retail sales in stores and online last month helped increase truckload shipments, but excess capacity is keeping rates in a holding pattern. </div>

Higher-than-expected retail sales in stores and online last month helped increase truckload shipments, but excess capacity is keeping rates in a holding pattern.

<div class="phx-topic">US truck and rail freight volumes appear to be increasing slowly, but those gains haven’t fueled an increase in truckload rates, according to new data. The Cass Freight Shipments Index rose 1% sequentially in August after <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-truckload-ltl-pricing-both-rise-in-july-along-with-shipments-5703055">increasing 3% in July</a>, Cass said in its monthly report, released Monday. Those gains track increases of 0.1% and 1.1% in total <a href="https://www.census.gov/retail/sales.html">US retail trade and food service</a> sales in August and July, respectively, data from the US Census Bureau showed Tuesday. Retail sales in August were up 2% year over year, according to advance estimates, and e-commerce sales were up 7.8% from August 2023, according to the monthly data. That’s a stronger showing than the Census Bureau expected. On Tuesday, S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence raised its forecasted increase in third-quarter consumer spending to a “solid” 3.5%. “We estimate the price index for total retail sales fell 0.1% in August and is down 0.7% from a year ago,” S&amp;P Global, parent company of the Journal of Commerce, said in a statement. In the prior 12-month period that ended in July, the price index for total retail sales was up 1.3% year over year. The change in the index reflects the waning impact of inflation. Consumer price inflation fell to 2.5% in August, a three-year low, though still above the pre-pandemic norm. But the increase in retail and food and beverage purchases hasn't moved the truckload pricing dial. The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index dropped 0.6% in August from July. That was the fourth straight month-to-month decline for the linehaul index, which tracks long-haul spot and contract rates. The index rose slightly from February through April. On an annualized basis, the linehaul index dropped 3.3% in August and 3.2% in July. Average dry-van truckload spot rates from DAT Freight &amp; Analytics continued to closely track last year’s prices through early September. The US average dry-van rate, excluding fuel surcharges, was up 3% at $1.61 per mile in the week ended Sept. 7. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="0af47842-6d93-4ff1-8e25-30fd8e2687ca"></dynamic-object></div>“Downward pressure on the larger contract market is lessening, but recent slight increases in spot rates are not yet enough to turn contract rates higher,” Cass said in its report. The US producer price index (PPI) for long-haul truckload transportation was almost unchanged from July to August, rising 0.3%. The truckload PPI was flat year over year. <h3>Capacity still plentiful </h3>Despite signs that truckload capacity may be tightening, the market remains soft and capacity is abundant, and the market’s route through late 2024 is uncertain. In what could be a preliminary good sign for freight demand, the US Federal Reserve’s monthly index of industrial production moved higher in August, rising 0.8% following a 0.9% decline in July. The pickup in US manufacturing reflected a 2.1% increase in durable goods production last month, led by motor vehicles, offsetting a 0.2% decline in nondurable goods. Industrial freight connected to manufacturing accounts for nearly 70% of US truck shipments, according to Commerce Department surveys. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in four years on Wednesday. Lower interest rates would reduce the cost of capital and potentially spark greater investment and spending on housing and durable goods. The impact on freight demand depends on how deeply the Fed cuts rates over time. Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a></div>

US truck and rail freight volumes appear to be increasing slowly, but those gains haven’t fueled an increase in truckload rates, according to new data. The Cass Freight Shipments Index rose 1% sequentially in August after increasing 3% in July , Cass said in its monthly report, released Monday. Those gains track increases of 0.1% and 1.1% in total US retail trade and food service sales in August and July, respectively, data from the US Census Bureau showed Tuesday. Retail sales in August were up 2% year over year, according to advance estimates, and e-commerce sales were up 7.8% from August 2023, according to the monthly data. That’s a stronger showing than the Census Bureau expected. On Tuesday, S&P Global Market Intelligence raised its forecasted increase in third-quarter consumer spending to a “solid” 3.5%. “We estimate the price index for total retail sales fell 0.1% in August and is down 0.7% from a year ago,” S&P Global, parent company of the Journal of Commerce, said in a statement. In the prior 12-month period that ended in July, the price index for total retail sales was up 1.3% year over year. The change in the index reflects the waning impact of inflation. Consumer price inflation fell to 2.5% in August, a three-year low, though still above the pre-pandemic norm. But the increase in retail and food and beverage purchases hasn't moved the truckload pricing dial. The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index dropped 0.6% in August from July. That was the fourth straight month-to-month decline for the linehaul index, which tracks long-haul spot and contract rates. The index rose slightly from February through April. On an annualized basis, the linehaul index dropped 3.3% in August and 3.2% in July. Average dry-van truckload spot rates from DAT Freight & Analytics continued to closely track last year’s prices through early September. The US average dry-van rate, excluding fuel surcharges, was up 3% at $1.61 per mile in the week ended Sept. 7. “Downward pressure on the larger contract market is lessening, but recent slight increases in spot rates are not yet enough to turn contract rates higher,” Cass said in its report. The US producer price index (PPI) for long-haul truckload transportation was almost unchanged from July to August, rising 0.3%. The truckload PPI was flat year over year. Capacity still plentiful Despite signs that truckload capacity may be tightening, the market remains soft and capacity is abundant, and the market’s route through late 2024 is uncertain. In what could be a preliminary good sign for freight demand, the US Federal Reserve’s monthly index of industrial production moved higher in August, rising 0.8% following a 0.9% decline in July. The pickup in US manufacturing reflected a 2.1% increase in durable goods production last month, led by motor vehicles, offsetting a 0.2% decline in nondurable goods. Industrial freight connected to manufacturing accounts for nearly 70% of US truck shipments, according to Commerce Department surveys. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in four years on Wednesday. Lower interest rates would reduce the cost of capital and potentially spark greater investment and spending on housing and durable goods. The impact on freight demand depends on how deeply the Fed cuts rates over time. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com

Trucking News

Truckload

Surface

Stronger US retail sales lifting truckload volumes, but not rates

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The port, at the confluence of the Rhine and Rhur rivers, is in the industrial heartland of Germany and a key transshipment point for intermodal cargo in Northern Europe.</div>

The port, at the confluence of the Rhine and Rhur rivers, is in the industrial heartland of Germany and a key transshipment point for intermodal cargo in Northern Europe.

<div class="phx-topic">Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) in Germany, Europe’s largest inland container facility, opened for business this week with train traffic to and from China already flowing across its busy railheads.The first phase of the new terminal covers 155,000 square meters, with plans to expand to 235,000 square meters over the next two years. No capacity was provided for the first phase, but in the long term the terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 850,000 TEUs, according to a Duisburg Port statement. “We are further expanding our position as one of the most important logistics hubs in Europe and strengthening our function as the backbone of the industry in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisburg Port, or Duisport.Duisport has a strategic location on the Rhine River with access to Rotterdam and Antwerp, forming the crucial Rhine-Alpine corridor that connects the Mediterranean with Northern Europe and is a European hub for China-Europe rail freight. That attracted investment from PSA International in July 2023, when the Singapore-based terminal operator acquired 22% of DGT and is now using the inland port stake to expand its reach deeper into Europe.DGT is the 10th container terminal in the port and is built on the site of a former coal terminal. The new container handling facility is designed to be climate-neutral and will generate its own power through a sustainable energy system that combines renewable energies, energy storage and various hydrogen technologies.“An intelligent local energy network links the various energy systems and storage units to supply consumers at the terminal, including shore power, charging points and crane systems,” Duisport noted in the statement. “In addition, a future supply for neighboring districts is also being considered, in theory.”When fully operational, DGT will be able to handle 850,000 TEUs per year across its six cranes and 12 rail tracks and accommodate up to 20 trains, 400 trucks and six ships daily.<h3>Key transshipment point</h3>Duisport is a key transshipment point for ships and barges from deep-sea hubs such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, as well as for cargo transported by truck and rail. Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Duisport was one of the main arrival and departure points for rail freight moving via the so-called northern corridor, the conduit that moves through Russia that handled 95% of all rail traffic between China and Europe.Rail freight from China declined significantly as international sanctions on Russia were imposed and sidelined the northern corridor. But following the Red Sea attacks on commercial shipping last year, the volume has been growing steadily on the northern route <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bottlenecks-build-as-china-europe-rail-network-battles-rising-demand-5192232">with bottlenecks developing at key transit points</a>.Forwarders estimate China-Europe rail volume <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/red-sea-diversions-return-russia-transit-boosts-china-europe-rail-volume_20240415.html">increased by more than 50%</a> year over year in the first quarter of 2024 with strong demand for less-than-containerload freight.“Some European shippers are deciding to resume their use of rail and trucking solutions that transit through Russia,” Kelvin Tang, global cross-border and multimodal leader at forwarder CEVA Logistics told the Journal of Commerce <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/red-sea-diversions-return-to-russia-transit-boosts-china-europe-rail-volume-5241043">in a recent interview</a>.Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) in Germany, Europe’s largest inland container facility, opened for business this week with train traffic to and from China already flowing across its busy railheads. The first phase of the new terminal covers 155,000 square meters, with plans to expand to 235,000 square meters over the next two years. No capacity was provided for the first phase, but in the long term the terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 850,000 TEUs, according to a Duisburg Port statement. “We are further expanding our position as one of the most important logistics hubs in Europe and strengthening our function as the backbone of the industry in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Markus Bangen, CEO of Duisburg Port, or Duisport. Duisport has a strategic location on the Rhine River with access to Rotterdam and Antwerp, forming the crucial Rhine-Alpine corridor that connects the Mediterranean with Northern Europe and is a European hub for China-Europe rail freight. That attracted investment from PSA International in July 2023, when the Singapore-based terminal operator acquired 22% of DGT and is now using the inland port stake to expand its reach deeper into Europe. DGT is the 10th container terminal in the port and is built on the site of a former coal terminal. The new container handling facility is designed to be climate-neutral and will generate its own power through a sustainable energy system that combines renewable energies, energy storage and various hydrogen technologies. “An intelligent local energy network links the various energy systems and storage units to supply consumers at the terminal, including shore power, charging points and crane systems,” Duisport noted in the statement. “In addition, a future supply for neighboring districts is also being considered, in theory.” When fully operational, DGT will be able to handle 850,000 TEUs per year across its six cranes and 12 rail tracks and accommodate up to 20 trains, 400 trucks and six ships daily. Key transshipment point Duisport is a key transshipment point for ships and barges from deep-sea hubs such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, as well as for cargo transported by truck and rail. Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Duisport was one of the main arrival and departure points for rail freight moving via the so-called northern corridor, the conduit that moves through Russia that handled 95% of all rail traffic between China and Europe. Rail freight from China declined significantly as international sanctions on Russia were imposed and sidelined the northern corridor. But following the Red Sea attacks on commercial shipping last year, the volume has been growing steadily on the northern route with bottlenecks developing at key transit points . Forwarders estimate China-Europe rail volume increased by more than 50% year over year in the first quarter of 2024 with strong demand for less-than-containerload freight. “Some European shippers are deciding to resume their use of rail and trucking solutions that transit through Russia,” Kelvin Tang, global cross-border and multimodal leader at forwarder CEVA Logistics told the Journal of Commerce in a recent interview . Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Port News

International ports

Maritime

Europe’s largest inland container terminal opens in Germany

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The shippers were joined this time by a group of House Republicans, who in a separate letter warned of the “dire impacts” to the US economy from a possible port strike. </div>

The shippers were joined this time by a group of House Republicans, who in a separate letter warned of the “dire impacts” to the US economy from a possible port strike.

<div class="phx-topic">US shippers on Tuesday renewed their call for the Biden administration to directly intervene in stalled contract negotiations between maritime employers and the longshore union representing dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts, saying the country is on the verge of another supply chain shock should a strike occur on Oct. 1. The shippers were joined this time by a group of House Republicans, who in a separate letter warned of the “dire impacts” to the US economy from a possible port strike. A group of 177 national and state trade associations signed the letter to President Joe Biden, urging his administration to help the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) “<a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-halts-talks-over-new-contract-until-maersk-apm-clarify-port-it-projects-5244243">return to the bargaining table to restart stalled negotiations</a>” over a new six-year master contract covering about 45,000 dockworkers. The letter — <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-trade-groups-urge-bidens-help-in-restarting-stalled-ila-usmx-talks-5192234">the group’s second in three months</a> — comes as the two sides have not formally met for talks on a master contract since June. “We call upon the administration to immediately work with both parties to resume contract negotiations and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity if a new contract is not reached by the expiration date,” the letter said. At this point, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maritime-employers-prep-for-wind-down-of-operations-as-longshore-strike-looms-5728724">a strike looks inevitable</a> with <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-locals-prepping-for-coordinated-strike-at-us-east-gulf-coast-ports-5721164">the union having received the support of its rank-and-file for a walkout during its wage-scale committee meetings in early September</a>. The ILA issued a statement Tuesday saying its members are “united as never before in their determination to win a new contract.” “A sleeping giant is ready to roar on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024,” ILA President Harold Daggett said in the statement. “My members have been preparing for over a year for the possibility of a strike.” The letter from the trade groups reminded the White House of its previous interventions in collective bargaining negotiations, including between UPS and the Teamsters, the Class I railroads and their unions, and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maritime-employers-seek-white-house-help-with-west-coast-contract-impasse-5241841">the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union</a>. Saying the Biden administration helped avoid major supply chain snarls in those situations, the groups said the time is now to do the same for the talks between the ILA and USMX. “It is imperative that the administration engage with the parties to quickly negotiate a new deal or agree to continue negotiations while keeping the ports open and the cargo flowing,” the letter said. The USMX, in response, said in a statement late Tuesday it is “in strong agreement” with the letter sent by the trade groups, but warned it appeared unlikely that talks would resume anytime soon. “We have tremendous respect for the ILA and its members, but it is disappointing that we have reached this point where the ILA is unwilling to reopen dialogue unless all of its demands are met,” the USMX said. “The only way to resolve this impasse is to resume negotiations, which we are willing to do at any time.” <h2>Republicans wade in on port strike </h2>Daggett has made no secret of the fact he wants the White House to stay out of the ILA-USMX talks, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-looking-for-local-ports-to-bring-in-more-union-foremen-5244993">claiming West Coast dockworkers received a lesser deal from the PMA last year due to the Biden administration’s intervention</a>. The timing of a possible strike is also a political minefield for Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. While the optics of supply chain chaos along the East and Gulf coasts a month before the election would be terrible for Harris, the White House doesn’t want to alienate union workers across the country by appearing to coerce ILA dockworkers into a deal or forcing them back to the negotiating table via the Taft-Hartley Act. A separate letter signed by 25 House Republications, led by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster, warned that a port strike along the East and Gulf coasts “would result in delays and dire impacts to our supply chains, our economy, and the American consumer.” “Given the devastating economic consequences of a potential strike and the administration’s lack of engagement to date, we urge you to give immediate attention to this matter, to aid in these negotiations, and find a reasonable resolution to these contract disputes,” the Representatives’ letter said. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

US shippers on Tuesday renewed their call for the Biden administration to directly intervene in stalled contract negotiations between maritime employers and the longshore union representing dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts, saying the country is on the verge of another supply chain shock should a strike occur on Oct. 1. The shippers were joined this time by a group of House Republicans, who in a separate letter warned of the “dire impacts” to the US economy from a possible port strike. A group of 177 national and state trade associations signed the letter to President Joe Biden, urging his administration to help the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) “ return to the bargaining table to restart stalled negotiations ” over a new six-year master contract covering about 45,000 dockworkers. The letter — the group’s second in three months — comes as the two sides have not formally met for talks on a master contract since June. “We call upon the administration to immediately work with both parties to resume contract negotiations and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity if a new contract is not reached by the expiration date,” the letter said. At this point, a strike looks inevitable with the union having received the support of its rank-and-file for a walkout during its wage-scale committee meetings in early September . The ILA issued a statement Tuesday saying its members are “united as never before in their determination to win a new contract.” “A sleeping giant is ready to roar on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024,” ILA President Harold Daggett said in the statement. “My members have been preparing for over a year for the possibility of a strike.” The letter from the trade groups reminded the White House of its previous interventions in collective bargaining negotiations, including between UPS and the Teamsters, the Class I railroads and their unions, and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union . Saying the Biden administration helped avoid major supply chain snarls in those situations, the groups said the time is now to do the same for the talks between the ILA and USMX. “It is imperative that the administration engage with the parties to quickly negotiate a new deal or agree to continue negotiations while keeping the ports open and the cargo flowing,” the letter said. The USMX, in response, said in a statement late Tuesday it is “in strong agreement” with the letter sent by the trade groups, but warned it appeared unlikely that talks would resume anytime soon. “We have tremendous respect for the ILA and its members, but it is disappointing that we have reached this point where the ILA is unwilling to reopen dialogue unless all of its demands are met,” the USMX said. “The only way to resolve this impasse is to resume negotiations, which we are willing to do at any time.” Republicans wade in on port strike Daggett has made no secret of the fact he wants the White House to stay out of the ILA-USMX talks, claiming West Coast dockworkers received a lesser deal from the PMA last year due to the Biden administration’s intervention . The timing of a possible strike is also a political minefield for Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. While the optics of supply chain chaos along the East and Gulf coasts a month before the election would be terrible for Harris, the White House doesn’t want to alienate union workers across the country by appearing to coerce ILA dockworkers into a deal or forcing them back to the negotiating table via the Taft-Hartley Act. A separate letter signed by 25 House Republications, led by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster, warned that a port strike along the East and Gulf coasts “would result in delays and dire impacts to our supply chains, our economy, and the American consumer.” “Given the devastating economic consequences of a potential strike and the administration’s lack of engagement to date, we urge you to give immediate attention to this matter, to aid in these negotiations, and find a reasonable resolution to these contract disputes,” the Representatives’ letter said. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

US shippers again ask White House to intervene in longshore contract talks

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">CSX and NS might see some more West Coast cargo routed through Chicago to Michigan and Ohio if there is an East Coast port strike, but trucking is likely to be the main beneficiary for cargo owners booking true coast-to-coast hauls. </div>

CSX and NS might see some more West Coast cargo routed through Chicago to Michigan and Ohio if there is an East Coast port strike, but trucking is likely to be the main beneficiary for cargo owners booking true coast-to-coast hauls.

<div class="phx-topic">US railroads are well-prepared if the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strikes on Oct. 1 at ports along the East and Gulf coasts, according to the CEOs of CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway. At a Morgan Stanley conference last week, both companies said that because they already manage cargo from West Coast ports exchanged in Chicago and Memphis, they are able to manage disruptions on the East or Gulf coasts. ”There’s not a lot of risk for us over an extended period of time because if things move to the West, they’ve still got to get to the population in the East, so then it’s just a longer haul for us, actually,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said Sept. 12. Much of the cargo arriving at East Coast ports is trucked directly to population centers, Hinrichs said, suggesting that any port closures might boost the West Coast volume needing to be railed to cities in the CSX intermodal network. The recent surge in West Coast import volumes, which has required <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/carriers-to-deploy-extra-loaders-to-los-angeles-long-beach-amid-import-surge-5714861">extra loaders</a>, indicates that cargo owners are already shifting shipments to protect themselves from labor disruption. “We’re somewhat neutral on it [because] we’ve always been largely geared towards moving the West Coast-oriented or originated product,” NS CEO Mark George said at the event on Sept. 13. “We’ve shown the nimbleness to when the product moves to the East Coast, we handle that just fine, too.” <h3>Rising rail dwells in Southern California </h3>A furniture importer who did not want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce that its shipments arriving in late September were booked to the West Coast to avoid potential delays. The cargo is being transloaded to trailers in Southern California and trucked to the company’s East Coast distribution centers. Rail container dwell times have risen at the ports of <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/la-lb-rail-dwells-on-the-rise-as-port-complex-enters-height-of-peak-season-5712900">Los Angeles and Long Beach</a> this summer, and congestion has been a persistent issue for Union Pacific Railroad customers in <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/tacoma-marine-terminals-grappling-with-heavy-import-rail-congestion-5706377">Tacoma</a> this year. “The best way to avoid rail congestion is to bypass inland rail legs altogether — dray off containers, cross-dock into one-way trucking, and send the freight on its way,” Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain for ITS Logistics, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday. According to a Journal of Commerce analysis, demand for true coast-to-coast international intermodal is far less than for domestic cargo. For example, more than 150,000 domestic containers move from Southern California to Atlanta annually versus only 25,000 ocean boxes. And more than 160,000 domestic containers per year travel from Southern California to either New Jersey or Pennsylvania — home to warehousing and population centers — compared with about 5,000 ocean boxes. East Coast ports are the primary feeders because, in general, ocean carriers are less willing to have their containers move from coast to coast. Carriers have more trouble booking exports from Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to California when closer options are available on the East or Gulf coasts. Meanwhile, a domestic intermodal provider such as Hub Group, J.B. Hunt Transport Services or Schneider National handles more bi-directional freight. CSX and NS may reallocate railcars from East Coast ports to Chicago to service cargo owners with distribution centers in Michigan and Ohio. More than 225,000 ocean shipments are railed annually from the West Coast to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Detroit versus only 35,000 domestic containers, according to the Journal of Commerce analysis. To the extent cargo owners with distribution centers in Michigan or Ohio need their international cargo, CSX and NS would be critical on that final leg from Chicago. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

US railroads are well-prepared if the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strikes on Oct. 1 at ports along the East and Gulf coasts, according to the CEOs of CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway. At a Morgan Stanley conference last week, both companies said that because they already manage cargo from West Coast ports exchanged in Chicago and Memphis, they are able to manage disruptions on the East or Gulf coasts. ”There’s not a lot of risk for us over an extended period of time because if things move to the West, they’ve still got to get to the population in the East, so then it’s just a longer haul for us, actually,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said Sept. 12. Much of the cargo arriving at East Coast ports is trucked directly to population centers, Hinrichs said, suggesting that any port closures might boost the West Coast volume needing to be railed to cities in the CSX intermodal network. The recent surge in West Coast import volumes, which has required extra loaders , indicates that cargo owners are already shifting shipments to protect themselves from labor disruption. “We’re somewhat neutral on it [because] we’ve always been largely geared towards moving the West Coast-oriented or originated product,” NS CEO Mark George said at the event on Sept. 13. “We’ve shown the nimbleness to when the product moves to the East Coast, we handle that just fine, too.” Rising rail dwells in Southern California A furniture importer who did not want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce that its shipments arriving in late September were booked to the West Coast to avoid potential delays. The cargo is being transloaded to trailers in Southern California and trucked to the company’s East Coast distribution centers. Rail container dwell times have risen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach this summer, and congestion has been a persistent issue for Union Pacific Railroad customers in Tacoma this year. “The best way to avoid rail congestion is to bypass inland rail legs altogether — dray off containers, cross-dock into one-way trucking, and send the freight on its way,” Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain for ITS Logistics, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday. According to a Journal of Commerce analysis, demand for true coast-to-coast international intermodal is far less than for domestic cargo. For example, more than 150,000 domestic containers move from Southern California to Atlanta annually versus only 25,000 ocean boxes. And more than 160,000 domestic containers per year travel from Southern California to either New Jersey or Pennsylvania — home to warehousing and population centers — compared with about 5,000 ocean boxes. East Coast ports are the primary feeders because, in general, ocean carriers are less willing to have their containers move from coast to coast. Carriers have more trouble booking exports from Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to California when closer options are available on the East or Gulf coasts. Meanwhile, a domestic intermodal provider such as Hub Group, J.B. Hunt Transport Services or Schneider National handles more bi-directional freight. CSX and NS may reallocate railcars from East Coast ports to Chicago to service cargo owners with distribution centers in Michigan and Ohio. More than 225,000 ocean shipments are railed annually from the West Coast to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Detroit versus only 35,000 domestic containers, according to the Journal of Commerce analysis. To the extent cargo owners with distribution centers in Michigan or Ohio need their international cargo, CSX and NS would be critical on that final leg from Chicago. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

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The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

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Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

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