Ghana - Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) Implementation Dear Valued Customer Following the advisory published 28 Jun 2018 regarding Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) – Implementation of Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN), we would like to update that GRA will enforce the implementation of Ghana Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) with effect...

Port of NY/NJ handles record 593,625 TEU in May THE Port of New York and New Jersey has set a new monthly container throughput record in May after handling 593,625 TEU, an increase of 5.1 per cent from the same month last year. The busiest cargo gateway on the US East Coast and third largest in the US saw its...

ONE implements Bunker cost Recovery Surcharge (BRS) Dear Valued ONE Customer,  ONE has encountered progressive and significant inflation of fuel costs over recent months.  Bunker fuel prices have increased by more than 25% during 2018 and could escalate still further.  This sustained surge in fuel costs...

Japanese car carrier and Chinese cargo ship collide off Guangzhou, three missing Morning Cherry and Chen Chang 332 collision in Pearl Rivery estuary fairway Car carrier Morning Cherry collided with general cargo ship Chen Chang 332 near Guangzhou on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred when Morning Cherry...

Port of LA Sets Another Cargo Record in 2017 The Port of Los Angeles moved more cargo in 2017 than in any time in the port’s 110-year history, racking up 9.3 million TEUs. This represents a 5.5 percent increase over 2016’s record-breaking year when the port handled 8.8 million TEUs. As informed, it...

WBCT TERMINAL TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION ALERT Traffic and congestion alert at Los Angeles port West Basin Container Terminal(WBCT),Los Angeles Location: Harbor Blvd/ John S. Gibson/ 110 Fwy. Reports of heavy traffic leading into the WBCT Terminals. The traffic is due to the four ships currently moored...

China-Chile FTA Upgrading Negotiations Concluded, Agreement Signed China-Chile Free Trade Agreement On November 11, under the witness of President Xi Jinping and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan and Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Munoz, on behalf of...

Air Shipments affected by The National Congress of the Communist Party of China From October 16 to October 24, 2017, any airfreight cargo from or via Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and that needs to be stored for 24 hours in the security area will not be accepted, as an enhanced security measure...

Leading ship finance executives see China’s massive One Belt One Road (OBOR) as very positive for shipping. OBOR is already seeing major infrastructure investments in across Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. “It’s a positive story for the markets,” Nigel Anton, global head shipping finance...

As Tropical Storm Harvey continues to produce unprecedented flooding conditions in Houston, Texas and the surrounding Gulf Coast region, we would like to provide you with the following update.   Additional rainfall accumulations of 10-20 inches along the Texas coast and into southwestern Louisiana are...

Pier Pass Rate Increase at Ports of Los Angeles & Long Beach The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) recently announced that on August 1, 2017, the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase by 2.3 percent. The adjustment matches the combined 2.3...

Maersk affecte d by Global Cyberattack Further to yesterday's advisory regarding a "ransomware" cyber attack on Maersk Line and its subsidiary APM Terminals, we would like to provide the following update. With the exception of APM Elizabeth in the Port of New York & New Jersey, the...

COSCO is to buy OOCL China’s Cosco Shipping may be about to announce that it is to acquire Hong Kong-based carrier OOCL. An insider source has told  The Loadstar  a takeover of the container arm of Tung family-led Orient Overseas International (OOIL) is “almost a done deal”....

China Railway Express to Europe The launch of a rail freight service from the Chinese city Chongqing via the Alashankou border crossing in Xinjiang through Central Asia to Europe in March 2011 ushered in a new era for freight on rail as an alternative to shipping by sea or air. China-Europe rail cargo transport has...

No anti-dumping penalties for Chinese tires in U.S. WASHINGTON, DC – The United States International Trade Commission has determined that a U.S. industry is not “materially injured or threatened with material injury” by imported Chinese truck tires that the U.S. Department of Commerce says are subsidized and...

No more anti-dumping duty or countervailing duty on truck bus tires from China into the US The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Wednesday that subsidized bus and truck tires imported from China had not damaged the U.S. industry, and as a result it would not issue anti-dumping and countervailing...

Terminal Issues at the Port of NY & NJ Dear Valued Customer,  Please note that, Global Container Terminal Bayonne (GCT Bayonne), APM and Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) located at the Port of New York and New Jersey are currently experiencing congestion related to a surge in import volume....

The  Chinese New Year 2017 starts on January 28th , and lasts until February 2nd. While this is a major event that is still largely unknown outside of Asia, importers are, sometimes painfully, aware of this season. They certainly have good reasons. The Chinese New Year shuts down every single...

All aboard the China-London freight train It's not on a boat, it's not on a plane, it's on a train. The newest way to send your freight from China to Europe involves spending 15 days on a train that doesn't have a buffet car in sight. On 3 January in Yiwu in eastern China, a bright orange locomotive...

The New Silk Road China Launches Beijing-London Freight Train Route On Sunday, the Chinese government launched a  rail freight service  between China and London. This is the first direct rail link between China and Great Britain. The route of the service will traverse from Beijing, across...

What the US election result means for China's Tire Industry Trump won. Will this be positive or negative for Chinese tires in the United States? Trade During the campaign, Trump said: “Sino-US trade deficit will reach USD505 billion this year.” He then proposed that the US should put 45% tariffs on...

Hanjin shipping line files for bankruptcy Hanjin Shipping Co., the South Korean shipping company that once provided most of the Port of Portland's container cargo service, filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported the filing came a day after the company's creditors ended...

Super Typhoon Nepartak to hit Taiwan & E China Region As per the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), Typhoon Nepartak is predicted to make landfall in Taiwan late this afternoon (7/7).  The storm is currently classified as a Category 5, and may become one of the strongest typhoons to hit the area. ...

BNSF freight train collision derailment   On Tuesday June 27, two freight trains operated by BNSF collided 25 miles east of Amaillo, TX, on the Southern Transcon line that connects Los Angeles to Chicago. While both tracks have since reopened, please be aware that potential delays of   24 -...

Verified Gross Mass (VGM) As you may be aware, effective July 1, 2016, as part of a new set of amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, shippers will be required to validate that all packed shipping containers have a verified gross mass (VGM) certificate before being loaded onto a ship for...

July 1, 2016 General Rate Increase (GRI)   Dear Valued Customer,    The vessel operating carriers of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) have filed for a General Rate Increase (GRI) to be effective July 1, 2016 on all cargo imported from Asia ports of loading, to U.S.A.,...

US CUSTOMS ACE SYSTEM  Earlier this year, US Customs began the roll out of ACE (Automated Commercial Environment), a platform meant to simplify the entry process by providing one "portal" to communicate all commercial data related to an import shipment. ACE is intended to replace the legacy ACS (Automated...

Hapag-Lloyd delays takeover of United Arab Shipping Company GERMAN container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has delayed its takeover of the United Arab Shipping Company  (UASC) until May 31 from March 31, but says US$7.52-$8.60 billion deal is still on.   The delay was blamed on "financing issues" stemming...

When asked how long it will take to ship a container from Shenzhen to Los Angeles, your forwarder would probably answer 14 days. 14 days, that’s the estimated time from port to port.There's some time, inevitable, before departure(shipment lead time) and after arrival(customs clearance, discharge, truck transport,...

You may have heard the term Telex Release several times in your day to day work especially in container shipping.. Let me explain what a Telex Release is.. In some instances a shipper or exporter may surrender one or all of the original bills of lading that have been issued to them at the loading port. Based on...

Certificate of Origin (often abbreviated to C/O, COO or CoO) A document used in international trade, in a printed form or as an electronic document, completed by the exporter and certified by an recognized issuing body, attesting that the goods in a particular export shipment have been produced, manufactured or...

The purpose of incoterms is to provide a set of international rules for the interpretation of the most commonly used trade term in foreign trade. Thus, the uncertainties of interpretations of such terms are mitigated. The chart below provides a graphical representation of the key points of each incoterm. EXW(Ex...

Definition The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, also known as the Harmonized System (HS) of tariff nomenclature is an internationally-standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products. It came into effect in 1988 and has since been developed and maintained.  HS CODE, is a...

Chargeable weight, volumetric weight, actual weight(air shipping and courier) In air shipping and courier, the chargeable weight is not necessarily the actual weight. Most of the time chargeable weight is the actual weight. However, weight is not the only factor to consider due to limited cargo space....

Common Shipping Terminology There are some common shipping terminologies you need to understand when importing and shipping from China. We Share the info and will keep updating.  (1) ORC (Origin Receiving Charges) (2) THC (Terminal Handling Charges) (3) BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor)...

What is BILL OF LADING (B/L) Bill of Lading, abbreviated as B/L. Issued by carrier, it is a negotiable instrument and serves the 3 purposes below: 1. Receipt for the goods shipped 2. Evidences the contract of carriage 3. Document of title, i.e. ownership.   Elements of B/L. Booking...

Shipping documents/Shipping paperwork As you would’ve probably expected shipping comes with a fair share of paperwork, below are the basic documents: Bill of Lading (B/L) Bill of Lading is the most fundamental document involved in shipping. For more details, pls refer to Encyclopedia & New,...

What to consider prior to importing shipping from China As an importer, there are many considerations when sourcing goods from China. When it comes to shipping, you want your cargo delivery safe, on time, at reasonable cost. Choosing the best delivery option is completely dependent on your unique...

A Complete Guide, Sea Freight & Shipping from China Sea freight shipping from China is perceived as a major hassle when importing products. As a professional in procurement, I can state with confidence that sea freight and shipping is not what should keep you up at night. There are far more...