Haiti joined the Textile and Apparel Alliance for TPP, uniting with 30 other countries asking for “strong and fair” textile rules in the TPP agreement, according to an Alliance press release. Those rules should “include a yarn forward rule of origin, long tariff phase-outs for sensitive products and strong and effective customs rules and resources,” said Gregor Avril, executive director of the Association of Industries of Haiti, in the release.

The Board of Directors for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) approved a revision to its recommended "Terms and Conditions of Service" document , the NCBFAA said. The NCBFAA replaced the wording of the "Company as agent" section of the document. The terms of service now say:

Despite the fact that most apparel sold in the U.S. is manufactured overseas, more than 70% of the added value of that apparel is done in the U.S., according to a study sponsored by the Trans-Pacific Partnership Apparel Coalition. The coalition said the study (here) "showcases the substantial contribution that millions of American workers make to apparel manufactured overseas."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is holding a series of meetings during a Feb. 11-13 business delegation to Mexico City, Mexico. Senior executives from 20 key U.S. companies are looking to identity significant investment opportunities in the country and expand existing business opportunities for U.S. exporters. While in Mexico, the delegation will meet with federal and regional government officials as well as Mexican business leaders to promote pro-trade and pro-growth economic policies in both countries.

UPS expanded its direct less-than-container load (LCL) ocean lanes in 2012 with over 300 additional lanes in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America, it said. With more than 1,700 direct LCL lanes servicing 116 countries, UPS continues to broaden its ocean freight offering to meet burgeoning market demands, it said. The LCL services give customers access to more reliable and predictable ocean freight service in more markets, said Andy Huckbody, vice president of ocean freight services. The company also added direct LCL service from countries that importers are turning to for lower labor costs such as Vietnam. New direct LCL offerings also include 12 inbound and outbound lanes to Busan, South Korea, to meet demand arising from the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. The 300+ new lanes include 139 outbound lanes in Asia, and 81 outbound lanes in the Europe/Middle East/Africa region. UPS plans to add more lanes throughout 2013, Huckbody said.

Descartes Systems Group is extending its cloud-based Air Messaging services across all Descartes OneView customers, it said. “Through this service, forwarders and brokers can enhance air cargo management capabilities by seamlessly connecting and exchanging shipment data and documents with air carriers,” the company said in a press release. OneView customers will be able to exchange air waybills, house bills, and status messages electronically with more than 90 global air carriers, Descartes said.

Baltimore-based customs broker and international freight forwarder Samuel Shapiro & Company launched a Humanitarian Services Program recently to assist international relief organizations with logistical needs. Delivery of donated goods in places with weak infrastructure often results in logistical issues, and in such cases Shapiro will use its “industry connections to secure low-cost services with partnering agents, steamship lines, and truckers,” it said. Its first project involved shipment of donated insulation panels to Word of Life Fellowship’s dining hall in Honduras.

A revised version of the Voluntary Guide to Good Business Relations, done jointly by the National Industrial Transportation League and the Truckload Carriers Association, is now available, they said. The guide outlines mutually desirable business practices for shippers, receivers, carriers and drivers, they said. The revision updates the original version created in 2000, NITL said.

Farrow Group announced its acquisition of Kitchener, Canada-based customs broker W.Pickett & Bros. Feb. 4. The operations and staff of Pickett will be rolled into the infrastructure of Russell A. Farrow Limited. Farrow Group is the largest privately owned customs broker in Canada, and has offices in the northern U.S. and Los Angeles.

Wood pellet exports from the U.S. south and British Columbia reached a new record of 860,000 tons in the third quarter of 2012, said the North American Wood Fiber Review. Shipments in the quarter were more than 70 percent higher than the same quarter in 2011, it said (here). Pellet exports from the U.S. quadrupled in the past two years to 485,000 tons, and Canadian exports have also gone up the past few years, but at a slower pace, it said.