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This is a reminder of the upcoming Merchandise Process Fee (MPF) changes. Per CSMS Message #57131638 from CBP: Minimum / Maximum Increase Pursuant to the General Notice (88 FR 48900) published July 28, 2023, adjustments to certain customs user fees and corresponding limitations, as codified in 19 U.S.C. § 58c, will take effect on October [...]

Based on Panama Canal Authority, the draft restrictions have been reduced gradually from 15.2m to 13.41m currently. In addition, the daily vessel transit capacity has also been reduced from 34-38 ships per day to a maximum of 32 vessels per day. This includes 10 vessels via the Neopanamax locks and 22 vessels via the Panamax [...]

The 13-day longshore strike that hit the Western Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert ended Thursday after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada and waterfront employers reached a tentative four-year contract. The strike caused multiple ships to divert from Western Canada to Seattle and Tacoma, while also prompting at least two blank [...]

The ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert - notably the largest and third-largest ports in Canada - are at the center of an ongoing strike that began July 1st between the Canadian affiliate of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). The ILWU is advocating for the [...]

The European Union is implementing the new Customs Security and Safety program effective July 1, 2023. This applies to shipments departing the Americas mid-day June 30th. The Import Control System 2 (ICS2), requires additional electronic data for a pre-loading risk assessment of shipments entering the European market. Carriers transporting shipments to or via the EU [...]

John S. Connor President, Butch Connor, attended the Women's Traffic and Transportation Club of Baltimore 90th Anniversary Gala night at Sparrows Point Country Club. The organization strives to unite people engaged in traffic duties of commercial and transportation interests of Baltimore in a program of education. The event celebrated past presidents and featured television news [...]

On Wednesday, June 14, Maritime employers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced that, subject to ratification by both parties, a tentative agreement has been reached for a six-year contract that covers the entirety of US West Coast ports.  Thirteen months of contentious negotiations forced many volumes of cargo to divert to the East [...]

  West Coast ports and dockworkers are negotiating a new labor contract and If things don't go well there could be delays that undermine U.S. competitiveness. Since July 2022, more than 22,000 dockworkers, at nearly 30 ports across the West Coast, have been working without a contract. While the dockworkers aren’t on strike, the unions [...]

Due to a severe drought currently impacting the Panama Canal, vessels will be forced to adapt to the low water levels by restricting their drafts. Ships will now be faced with decisions carrying less cargo on board during a single voyage, cutting the weight, or splitting cargo across multiple vessels. As a result of these [...]

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), part of the Department of Transportation, set this year’s theme as Maritime Moves the Nations: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of National Maritime Day, industry and service representatives gathered to recognize the mission to foster, promote and develop the maritime industry of the United States to meet the nation’s [...]