The Federal Maritime Commission announces an upcoming meeting on Sept. 12, 2012.
Dugie Standeford
Dugie Standeford, European Correspondent, Communications Daily and Privacy Daily, is a former lawyer. She joined Warren Communications News in 2000 to report on internet policy and regulation. In 2003 she moved to the U.K. and since then has covered European telecommunications issues. She previously covered the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and intellectual property law matters. She has a degree in psychology from Duke University and a law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law.
The federal Maritime Administration said the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC) will meet on preliminary recommendations by the Shipbuilding Subcommittee to support increased efficiency in vessel financing mechanisms and provide adequate ship capacity for marine highway services. The meeting will be at 11:00 a.m. Sept. 21, and will be conducted in webinar format. To access the webinar, please contact Richard Lolich -- 202-366-0704.
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls notification of name/address changes:
A Sept. 4 cooperation agreement between the World Customs Organization and GS1, an international body that develops supply chain standards, could help customs agencies fight counterfeiting and piracy, the signers said Sept. 6. They agreed to maintain a continuous working relationship on all customs-related matters, leveraging the use of WCO tools and GS1 identification standards as part of a global effort to tackle the illegal trade in bogus and pirated goods. The WCO Interface Public-Members (IPM) tool, rolled out in 2010 to boost communication between customs officials and rights holders, enables better information-sharing and helps customs agencies deal with counterfeiting issues, they said. GS1 standards allow items to be uniquely identified, which cuts costs and increases security, they said. Under the agreement, the parties plan to discuss potential joint projects and concrete measures to promote the use of GS1 global identification and traceability standards; design a new IPM functionality based on GS1 identification numbers to allow counterfeit products to be identified, including on mobile devices; and run a two-year pilot on the use of GS1 standards by customs and other law enforcement agencies, they said.
All terminals and gatehouses in the Port of New Orleans were back to normal schedules as of Sept. 4, the port said. Since the river fully reopened Sept. 1, after disruptions by Hurricane Isaac, port operators have handled 19 ships, including nine container vessels, five break-bulk cargo vessels and two refrigerated cargo vessels, it said. During the four-day river shutdown, only two vessels bound for New Orleans canceled their calls, said Port President Gary LaGrange.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries are making headway on their 2012 priorities by working better together, Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sept. 5 at an APEC ministerial meeting in Vladivostok. Officials' engagement with and readiness to address agenda items are leveraging opportunities to boost growth through more collection action, he said. Ministers are exploring the development of a multilateral trading system as well as how to further work on “next generation” trade and investment issues in the region, APEC said. Trade agreement transparency guides and supply chain improvement are among the issues in the spotlight, it said. The two-day gathering sets the stage for the Sept. 8-9 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Federal Maritime Commission said the following have filed applications for a license as a Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVO) and/or Ocean Freight Forwarder (OFF) pursuant to section 40901 of the Shipping Act of 1984. FMC also gave notice of the filing of applications to amend existing OTI licenses or the Qualifying Individual for a licensee. Interested persons may contact the Office of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, D.C. 20573, at 202-523-5843 or at OTI@fmc.gov.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within ten days.
The Export-Import Bank is seeking members for its 2013 Advisory Committee, it said Sept. 4. Proposed candidates will be accepted through Oct. 5. Companies and supporters of potential nominees must submit a letter on company letterhead stating why their candidate should be considered, and attach the required candidate contact information sheet and questionnaire form. Email information to richard.thelen@exim.gov, or mail to: Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee Selection Committee, c/o Richard Thelen 811 Vermont Ave. N.W., Suite 414-1, Washington, DC 20571.
The feud between longshoremen and their employers is making companies that import through the East and Gulf Costs “very nervous,” several trade groups said Sept. 4. The American Apparel and Footwear Association, Travel Goods Association, Gemini Shippers Association and Fashion Accessories Shippers Association urged U.S. Maritime Alliance Chairman James Capo and International Longshoremen's Association President Harold Daggett to get back to the negotiating table to work out a suitable contract and avoid work stoppages and slowdowns “as we enter the busy holiday preseason.” There is a “pressing need” for products to arrive on time at their destinations to prevent costly chargebacks from retailers and to meet consumer demand, they said. The “back-and-forth press releases” between the two sides, and the recent news that a vote to strike on the contract end data has already taken place in at least one major port, have combined to make importers anxious, they said. Importers are considering contingency plans to take their products through more reliable ports, including in Canada, or via entirely different transportation media altogether, they said. Companies need to make such shipping decisions now and can't risk the chance that shipments will be held up at the affected ports if an agreement doesn't come by Sept. 30, they said.