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The JOC Top 100 Exporters: Analyzing the Rankings

Jun 23, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
For US exporters, the story of 2021 was one of missed opportunities as overall containerized exports declined 3.1 percent, according to PIERS, a sister product of The Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. On the bright side, outbound containerized shipments of autos and parts jumped 22.2 percent amid surging global demand, but actual vehicle sales were restrained by supply chain disruptions and shortages of key components, indicating growth could have been even stronger under more “normal” conditions. Exports of foodstuffs, chemicals and plastics, and agricultural products were similarly held back by port congestion that disrupted vessel schedules and resulted in capacity and container equipment shortages. Rising demand for certain types of scrap metal provided a silver lining for recyclables exports, but that growth was erased by a continued long-term decline in wastepaper volumes due to tighter environmental regulations in key export markets, namely China. This webcast, the second in a two-part series around the annual JOC Top 100 Importers & Exporters rankings, will analyze the current trends and outlook for US exporters, examine whether any relief is in sight on the land- and ocean-based supply chain, and review the 100 largest US Containerized exporters in 2021, including a breakdown by sector and commodity. It will also include discussion with two representatives from Top 100 Exporters about their supply chain challenges and how they’re addressing them.
Moderator:
Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, West Coast, Maritime, Trade and Supply Chain, S&P Global
Speaker(s):
Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director, Soy Transportation Coalition
April Zobel, Profit Center Manager, The Andersons Inc.
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The JOC Top 100 Importers: Analyzing the Rankings

Jun 16, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
Total containerized trade into and out of the US rose 7.8 percent last year, as a 13.1 percent increase in import volumes more than offset a 3.1 percent decline in exports, according to PIERS, a sister product of The Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Import gains were broad-based, with double-digit percentage growth in automobiles and parts, household goods, toys, and clothing as consumers emerging from social isolation thanks to COVID-19 vaccines continued to spend the majority of their money on goods, rather than services such as travel and in-person entertainment. Although they did not rise as rapidly as other commodities, imports of electronics and foodstuffs continued on their long-term growth trajectory, reflecting a growing US economy in which low unemployment and even lower interest rates drove strong consumer spending.
This webcast, the first in a two-part series around the JOC Top 100 Importers & Exporters rankings, will analyze the changes in consumption brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting “stay-at-home” surge in consumer goods imports, as well as the near-term outlook for specific commodity segments. It will include a review of the 100 largest US containerized importers in 2021, including a breakdown by sector and commodity, followed by discussion with representatives from two Top 100 importers about their supply chain challenges and how they’re addressing them.
Moderator: Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor, JOC.com and The Journal of Commerce, Maritime & Trade, S&P Global
Speaker(s):
Dan L. Gardner, President and Co-Founder, Trade Facilitators Inc.
Steve Hughes, President and CEO, HCS International
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Midyear Port Performance Report: The State of Play

Jun 7, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT

US ports will enter the second half of 2022 struggling with vessel backlogs, congested marine terminals, and inland transportation bottlenecks. What is causing these logistical problems, will they be resolved by the summer-fall peak-shipping season, and what must the ports and their stakeholders do in terms of process improvements and infrastructure development to return to fluidity? Ports are achieving some success through container dray-offs — establishing near-dock surge or “pop-up” yards for the temporary storage of containers so they do not congest the marine terminals. As near-dock sites become more difficult to find, ports are looking further inland for available land for pop-up yards and inland ports. Encouraging carriers and railroads to move more containers via on-dock rail is diverting thousands of trucks moves to intermodal rail. Now it’s up to ocean carriers to book more inland point intermodal (IPI) shipments, and it’s on the railroads to devote more capacity for IPI services. Carriers are helping to free up space by sending “sweeper” ships to vacate thousands of empty containers from the terminals. Dwell times for rail and local-delivery containers, however, are still above acceptable levels. In the longer term, ports must expand terminal capacity, densify their operations, where possible, by automating cargo-handling equipment, and by increasing cargo velocity so their marine terminals are truly transit facilities rather than storage sheds.

This webcast will assess the challenge supply chain stakeholders have faced in the first half of 2022, and what lies ahead.

Moderator: Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, West Coast, JOC, Maritime & Trade, S&P Global

Speaker(s):

Ed DeNike, President, SSA Containers

Mark Sisson, Vice President, Senior Port Planner, AECOM

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Canada Trade and Shipping Outlook

May 12, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
The pandemic-driven disruption to shipping has shown the resilience of the Canadian system, while also showing the areas where ports, marine terminals, carriers, railroads, and others can become even more resilient. At the same time, the Canadian shipping industry is heeding the calls to move toward a decarbonized future, finding ways to make logistics more efficient and tapping LNG as a middle step. This extended webcast, featuring multiple segments addressing a variety of key challenges and issues confronting shippers and their service providers, will bring key players together to share what they’ve learned in the last year, how they’re approaching the coming 12 months, and how the Canadian shipping system can evolve to become stronger, faster, and cleaner.

Moderator: Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor, JOC.com and The Journal of Commerce, Maritime & Trade, S&P Global

Agenda:

2:00-2:05 Welcome Remarks

2:05-2:15 PM The State of Ocean Shipping

• What challenges do carriers face in serving Canada and how are they responding?

• What new services and lanes are opening up for Canadian importers and exporters?

• What’s the outlook for volume, reliability, and capacity on Canadian trades for the next 12 months?

2:15-2:50 PM East Coast Port Development and Performance

• What operational and infrastructure improvements have eastern Canadian ports made to handle volume growth and surges? What still needs to be done operationally and in terms of investment?

• What new routing options are available to Canadian and US importers and exporters?

• How are eastern Canadian ports preparing to handle larger vessels — or smaller ones — more efficiently?

• What's the state of railcar capacity and fluidity? What's the outlook and what's being done to beef up flex capacity?

Speakers:

  • Craig Bell Estabrooks, President and CEO, Port Saint John

  • Enno Koll, Head of Americas, PSA International
  • Girish Nair, Assistant Vice President, International Intermodal, Canadian National Railway
2:50-3:20 Vancouver Port Development and Performance

• What operational and infrastructure improvements has Vancouver made to handle volume growth and surges? What still needs to be done operationally and in terms of investment?

• What challenges has Vancouver faced in handling the surge of Asia imports. How is it preparing for US cargo diversions tied to US West Coast labor contract negotiations?
• What’s the state of railcar capacity and fluidity? What’s the outlook and what’s being done to beef up flex capacity?
• How is the port working to help exporters secure equipment?
• What developments are helping e-commerce importers ensure faster port throughput and what can still be done?
Speakers:

  • Chris Ng, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, GCT Global Container Terminals Inc.
  • Cliff Stewart, Vice President, Infrastructure, Port of Vancouver
  • Jonathan Wahba, Vice President, Commercial Integration, Canadian Pacific Railway
3:20-3:50 Prince Rupert Port Development and Performance

• What operational and infrastructure improvements has Prince Rupert made to handle volume growth and surges? What still needs to be done operationally and in terms of investment?

• What challenges has Prince Rupert faced in handling the surge of Asia imports. How is it preparing for US cargo diversions tied to US West Coast labor contract negotiations?
• What’s the state of railcar capacity and fluidity? What’s the outlook and what’s being done to beef up flex capacity?
• How is the port working to help exporters secure equipment?
• What developments are helping e-commerce importers ensure faster port throughput and what can still be done?
Speakers:

3:50 - 4:20 PM The Regulatory State of Play for Ports
Speaker:

4:20-4:45 PM Customs Watch: Best Practices for Shippers

Speaker:

4:45 PM Closing Remarks

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Managing E-Commerce From Order to Delivery and Beyond

Apr 21, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
The COVID-19 pandemic kick-started a trend that was already in motion: the growth of e-commerce and the rise in direct-to-consumer brands. However, while more consumers were eager to purchase items online, supply chains weren’t prepared to handle the volumes, changes in distribution patterns, and the shift from bulk to the parcel. As supply chains reset to meet and anticipate demand beyond the pandemic, e-commerce and direct-to-consumer brands are becoming the focal point of many shippers’ strategies. This webcast will explore why e-commerce and direct-to-consumer are changing supply chains from order, delivery, and reverse, what steps shippers, carriers, and other logistics providers are taking to make networks more agile to handle the volumes, and the role technology can play.
Moderator: Cathy Morrow Roberson, Research Analyst, JOC, Maritime & Trade, S&P Global
Speaker(s):
Webb Estes, Vice President, Process Improvement, Estes Express Lines
Jorge Lopera, Vice President and Head of Global Strategy, Fareye
Matt Priest, President & CEO, Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America
Interested in sponsoring this webcast? For more information, please visit https://subscribe.joc.com/mediasolutions/
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JOC Uncharted: Episode 29

JOC Team | Dec 16, 2020, 9:59 AM EST

The latest episode of JOC Uncharted features a discussion with Philip Blumenthal, founder of Doctor Freight, about the relative lack of innovation in the less-than-container load market and why that may change in the years ahead.

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JOC Uncharted: Episode 28

JOC Team | Dec 9, 2020, 10:04 AM EST

The latest episode of JOC Uncharted features a discussion with Dominique von Orelli, executive vice president and global head of ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding.

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JOC Uncharted: Episode 27

JOC Team | Dec 1, 2020, 5:05 PM EST

The latest episode of JOC Uncharted features a discussion with Ross Thompson, chief strategy officer for Abu Dhabi Ports. Thompson discusses how there are signs that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to shippers adjusting sourcing patterns, with changes to cargo flows that could threaten some transshipment hubs.

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JOC Uncharted: Episode 26

JOC Team | Nov 25, 2020, 9:29 AM EST

The latest episode of JOC Uncharted features a discussion with Ben Cubitt, senior vice president, Consulting and Networking Services, for Transplace. Cubitt sees shippers adding some new tools to their contracting kits as the market remains volatile, including mini-bids that generally focus on a select number of lanes and cover a short period of time.

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JOC Uncharted: Episode 25

JOC Team | Nov 17, 2020, 5:25 PM EST

The latest episode of JOC Uncharted features a discussion with Daniel Walsh, president and CEO of TRAC Intermodal, who will share how TRAC guarantees that carriers operating premium trans-Pacific services will be able to fulfill the equipment guarantees in their contracts with customers.

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