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Longshore Union Quits the AFL-CIO In a surprise move, the 40,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced its disaffiliation from the AFL-CIO yesterday. The news comes just a week before the federation is set to hold its national convention in Los Angeles, the nation’s biggest port and an ILWU stronghold.. The ILWU, known for its militant traditions and progressive politics, has been drawn into turf wars with other unions in recent years—particularly in the grain export terminals of the Pacific Northwest, where longshore workers have been locked in a high-stakes battle over master contract standards since 2011. - See more...

<p>Private carriers have been shipping alcohol for decades, but the postal service is prevented by law from engaging in the same business.</p> <p>On Thursday, Postmaster General Patrick Donahue said he hopes the agency can deliver alcoholic beverages and thereby raise $50 million a year.</p>

Shipping group Maersk is bringing the world's largest ship into service this month - but the vessel's sheer size could mean beginning its working life under capacity. The company has taken delivery of the first of 10 massive "Triple E" container ships each measuring 1,312ft long and capable of holding more than 18,000 standard 20ft shipping containers. Capable of carrying 16pc more cargo than Maersk's largest vessel currently plying the oceans, the Triple E class was designed to cut costs through economies of scale. However, the new ship - named Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller - might not deliver those cost savings...

Chinese Trade Numbers Come In Massively Below Forecasts Fran Wang, Agence France Presse June 8, 2013, 6:07 AM Reuters China on Saturday reported a sharp slowdown in exports in May compared to the previous month while imports unexpectedly dropped, as the world's second largest economy grapples with slowing growth and sluggish overseas demand. Overseas shipments rose just one percent to $182.8 billion last month, far lower than 14.7 percent recorded in April, customs authorities said in a statement. It also missed a medium forecast of 5.6 percent expansion in a Dow Jones Newswires' poll of economists. Imports dropped 0.3 percent...

Rail Traffic Confirms That The Economy Remains Sluggish Cullen Roche, Pragmatic Capitalism May 25, 2013, 7:54 AMThe good news from this week’s rail traffic report is that we’re not sliding into consistently negative readings that might lead us to a far less constructive position on the economy. The bad news is that the 12 week moving average has slid down to 2.4% and is consistent with an economy that remains sluggish. Here are the details on this week’s data from AAR: “The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported an increase in traffic for the week ending May 18, 2013, with...

The Rail Traffic Chart That Should Eliminate Any Of Your Worries About The US Economy Joe WeisenthalMarch 7, 2013 Rail = the real economy. This is good. Highest 12 week moving average in rail traffic since 2011. twitter.com/cullenroche/st… — Cullen Roche (@cullenroche) March 7, 2013

The Mississippi River's Water Levels Are Dropping, And Could Shut Down Trade Next Week Jim Salter, Associated PressDecember 28, 2012Wikimedia Commons ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Mississippi River level is dropping again and barge industry trade groups warned Thursday that river commerce could essentially come to a halt as early as next week in an area south of St. Louis. Mike Petersen of the Army Corps of Engineers said ice on the northern Mississippi River is reducing the flow more than expected at the middle part of the river that is already at a low-water point unseen in decades, the...

RAIL INDICATORS: The Economy Continues To Soften Cullen Roche, Pragmatic CapitalismDec. 16, 2012, 10:39 AM More weakness in this week’s rail traffic report. The AAR reported a -0.3% reading in intermodal. This is the second consecutive negative weekly reading. This brings the 12 week moving average down to 1.3%. That’s about in-line with the consensus Q4 GDP predictions and indicative of an economy that is growing, but just slightly. Here’s more via AAR: “The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported declines in weekly rail traffic for the week ending December 8, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 292,206 carloads, down...

The first U.S. multi-family condo built of used shipping containers is slated to break ground in Detroit early next year. Strong, durable and portable, shipping containers stack easily and link together like Legos. About 25 million of these 20-by-40 feet multicolored boxes move through U.S. container ports a year, hauling children’s toys, flat-screen TVs, computers, car parts, sneakers and sweaters. But so much travel takes its toll, and eventually the containers wear out and are retired. That’s when architects and designers, especially those with a “green” bent, step in to turn these cast-off boxes into student housing in Amsterdam, artists’...

Millions of pounds of unexploded bombs and other military ordnance that were dumped decades ago in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as off the coasts of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, could now pose serious threats to shipping lanes and the 4,000 oil and gas rigs in the Gulf, warns two Texas A&M University oceanographers. William Bryant and Neil Slowey, professors of oceanography who have more than 90 years of combined research experience in all of the Earth's oceans, along with fellow researcher Mike Kemp of Washington, D.C., say millions of pounds of bombs are scattered over the...

In Wednesday’s debate, President Obama told the nation that he wants to stop sending jobs overseas. Funny: His administration has repeatedly circumvented a long-standing law that guarantees the employment of American maritime workers, in order to give the job to foreigners. Last year, the Obama administration waived the Jones Act dozens of times — making the rare practice almost commonplace. In doing so, he allowed foreign vessels and foreign crews to transport oil between our ports, leaving US vessels and American seafarers standing idly on the sidelines. Not many people outside the maritime industry have heard of this federal law,...

The European Commission announced yesterday (2 October) that it intends to introduce an emissions monitoring system in early 2013, in a bid to curb the environmental footprint left by the shipping industry. The Commission said in a statement it would outline “a simple, robust and globally feasible approach towards setting a system for monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions based on fuel consumption”. This was “the necessary starting point” for further action on greenhouse gas emissions, it said, flagging market-based mechanisms. These could include a maritime emissions trading scheme (ETS) or bunker fuel levies. …

A European crackdown on pollution from ships will require billions worth of investment by shipping firms on filter technology and by refineries on upgrades to produce cleaner fuels—burdens the industries say they can ill afford. The shipping industry is already struggling due to poor global demand and overcapacity, which have pushed freight rates to unprofitable levels for many operators. European refineries are under pressure from high crude costs, cheap refined product imports and weak demand. To comply with new European Union laws, shipping companies now face extra costs of €2.6 billion ($3.2 billion) to €11 billion ($13.7 billion) to switch...

Just in case you needed yet another example of Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency going above and beyond the call of duty in putting their own nebulous agenda before the concerns of the American people, here ya’ go.The EPA, working through the auspices of the U.S. Coast Guard, is set to begin enforcing a new rule on August 1st that will require all large marine vessels (like cargo and cruise ships) sailing in southern Alaska waters to use low-sulfur fuel. The EPA is justifying the regulation as an extension of an amendment to a treaty, the International Convention for the Prevention...

The wreck of a Roman ship from the first century AD which is still whole and has over 500 wide-mouthed amphorae onboard has been discovered to the south of the island of Panarea... [announced] by the Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage, Gaetano Armao, and by the Superintendent, Sebastiano Tusa. ''From the first surveys,'' said Tusa, ''we can establish that it is a merchant shipping measuring around 25 metres, in perfect condition, which transported fruit and vegetables from Sicily to the markets in the north. The style of the amphorae is in fact typical of the 'workshops' of the island and...

Mar. 15, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release #036-12 John Paul Jones, Baranof Rescued 24 Filipino Mariners By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs ARABIAN GULF – Guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Baranof (WPB 1318) rescued 24 Filipino mariners in Arabian Gulf, March 15. At approximately 2 a.m., local time, John Paul Jones, assigned to Combined Maritime Forces’ Commander, Task Force 152, responded to a distress call from the Liberian-flagged motor vessel Stolt Valor, operating within international waters 48 nautical miles southeast of Farsi Island, Iran. Once on scene, John Paul Jones...

Asian buyers of Iranian crude are struggling to find vessels willing to call at ports in the Islamic Republic as shipowners fear losing insurance cover for their tankers because of European and US sanctions aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Although the EU ban on the import and transportation of Iranian crude does not directly affect Iran's Asian customers, a provision in the sanctions legislation agreed January 23 is having an impact far beyond European shores. "It shall be prohibited to provide, directly or indirectly, financing or financial assistance, including financial derivatives, as well as insurance and reinsurance, related to...

Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 3 ~ Feb. 10, 2012 ~ Boat Transportation Launching ~ Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 1 ~ Jan. 27, 2012 Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 2 ~ Feb 3, 2012 ~ “Off Season”Last week’s thread had 26 posts, including the source for this week’s thread – boat transportation. I have helped clients ship vessels of all sizes and types all over North America and overseas. Except for two small scratches, every shipping project was successful, albeit harrowing on occasion. To help ensure your boat shipping efforts are successful, I will provide boat...

People often talk about the Baltic Dry Index as being a "canary in the coal mine". But right now, maybe "elephant in the room" might be more fitting. The index of shipping rates for dry bulk commodities - such as iron ore, coal and grains - has long been considered by market afficionados as an advance warning system for changes in economic fortunes. When the index surges, it means shipping demand is spiking, a strong sign for a pick-up in economic activity. When the index plunges, it means ships are sitting empty - a sign of evaporating demand for goods....

The TRUTH About The Massive Plunge In The Baltic Dry Index Joe Weisenthal January 29-2012 Lately we've been getting a lot of concerned emails about this chart. That chart is a 1-year look at the Baltic Dry Index, which measures the spot cost of shipping good by ship around the world. As you can see, it's plunged nearly 66% since its recent highs, and understandably, people are wondering whether this remarkable deflation means the global economy is falling straight off the cliff, or at a minimum indicative of a rapid hard landing in China. To answer this question, let's first...