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The
German wine region Mosel-Saar-Ruwer has officially changed
its name to Mosel as a way to become more consumer-friendly.
The new name went into effect August 1, 2007, and will
apply to all wines starting with the 2007 vintage.
The
following article, published by Reuters on July 11, 2007,
explains how the new EU wine deal will effect the Australian
champagne market.
Click
here to read the article in PDF.
The
American Shipper Magazine, January 2007 Edition, has published
an article featuring WSSA. The article is in commeration
of our 30th Year Anniversary. It speaks of the history
of WSSA, our members, and how WSSA stands to serve the
industry and our members. The following article,
written by Chris Gillis, has been reproduced with the
very kind permission of the Publisher.
Click
here to read the article in PDF.
The
attached
editorial - which is critical of the Markey/Nadler
100% screening amendment - appeared on June 1, 2006 in
the Washington Post. This is important
not only because the Post is one of the most
highly regarded newspapers in the country, but also because
it has a lot of credibility with Democrats, who have been
the primary advocates of the legislation described in
the editorial.
Click
here to view the editorial.
Legislative
Update: The House debated the Homeland
Security Appropriations bill last week, but adjourned
without voting on a final package. The House will
resume debate on this bill next week, at which time the
House may consider the Markey (100% screening) amendment.
We will update you as events warrant. Stay tuned!
USDA Inspection
of Import Containers from Melbourne and Adelaide
We have been
advised of the following by Maersk Line:
This is to inform
you that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
has begun inspecting all US import containers arriving
from Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia. The inspections
will continue until further notice and are to prevent
the "Vineyard Snail" from entering the United
States.
Please note
delays to delivery of cargo moving from these locations
should be expected. In addition, any costs associated
with a USDA inspection will be for the account of the
cargo.
UNITED
STATES SOUTH EUROPE CONFERENCE
AGREEMENT
NO. 202-011587
St.
Andrews House, 26 Brighton Road, Crawley, West Sussex,
RH10 6AA
Telephone
: +44 (0)1293 519131 Fax :
+44 (0)1293 540019
E-mail:
secretariat@taafc.co.uk
Notice
to the Shipping Public
Resulting from
the latest of the regular monitoring exercises in regard
to fuel prices and
currency values,
the United States South Europe Conference (USSEC) wishes
to
announce:
A)
The present Bunker Adjustment Factor published in USSEC
tariffs will be extended
unchanged
for the month of March, 2006 at the following
levels:
$401 per 20ft
container
$802 per 40ft container
- all other cargo
(W,WM or each) 34 per cent
B) USSEC's Tariff
Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF), Effective March 1st,
2006, will
be adjusted from
7 (Seven) percent to 9 (Nine) percent through, at least,
March 31st, 2006.
The BAF and
CAF tariff positions from April 1st, 2006 will be advised
in due course.
For and on behalf
of USSEC Parties:
A.P.Moller-Maersk
Sealand
P&O
Nedlloyd Ltd.
Issued: Crawley,
UK, January 27th, 2006
Website: www.ussec.com
Please
be advised that further to our circular dated 23/09/04,
additional Terminal Security Fees have now been agreed
as follows:
Please
be informed, that Terminal Security Fee for Baltimore,
MD has been postponed from 05th February to 15th February
06.
Baltimore,
MD - WITH EFFECT OF 15, February 2005
- - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - -
USD 3.25 per
container
-> applicable
for import & export containers
-> applicable
for transhipments
Effective
March 1, 2006, Italian carrier Lloyd Triestino di Navigazione
SpA will change its name to Italia Marittima SpA.
The company said
the change will more broadly identify the 170 year old
line with the Italian market. Lloyd Triestino, subsidiary
of the Evergreen Group since 1998, will maintain its headquarters
in Trieste. It will continue to be represented by
Evergreen America Corp.
TACA,
October 9, 2006: BAF/CAF Announcement
TACA,
September 28, 2006 - Tariff Increase - Inland Transportation
TACA,
September 11, 2006 - BAF/CAF Announcement
TACA,
August 11, 2006 - BAF/CAF Announcement
TACA,
July 10, 2006 - BAF/CAF Announcement
TACA,
June 12, 2006 - BAF/CAF Announcement
TACA,
May 10, 2006: Panama Canal Fee
USSEC,
February 3, 2006: USSEC Dissolution
Based
upon the latest monitoring of fuel prices, TACA's Bunker
Adjustment Factor (BAF), will be held unchanged
beyond its current period of application, through March
15th, 2006, at the following levels:
Traffic
to/from and via:
-Atlantic/Gulf
Coast Ports
Pacific Coast Ports
$
423 per 20ft container
$ 635 per 20ft
container
$
846 per 40/45ft container
$ 1270 per 40/45ft container
WM
$42.00
WM $64.00
With
respect to Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF), based on
the latest monitoring of relevant currency values, the
current Tariff published level will remain unchanged
at 4 (four) percent through, at least March 15th, 2006.
The
TACA BAF and CAF to apply from March 16th, 2006, will
be announced on a minimum of 30 days notice. Appropriate
details will be published timely in TACA's relevant tariffs
and on its web site.
For
and on behalf of the following TACA Parties:
Atlantic
Container Line A.B.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha *NYK) Line
Mediterranean
Shipping CO.
Orient Overseas Container Line
A.P.
Moller-Maersk Sealand
P&O Nedlloyd Limited
Our
colleagues at Hamburg Sud have provided us with a report
on their recent meeting with Port of Philadelphia, USC
and other carrier representatives.
Please
find details below:
Following
is a report on meeting attended by Hamburg Sud personnel.
We
attended meeting at Customs District office and 12 in
total were in attendance at Mr. Lovejoy's office.
Findings of our discussions are as follows:
1-Key
Participants:
Michael Lovejoy - Port Director
Bob Drobish - Assistance Area Director
Hal Fingerman - Chief Agriculture Operations
Maersk Representative
P&O Representative
Hamburg Sud Representatives
Holt Representative
2-Snail
Alert:
Customs/USDA
has placed a "snail alert" on all containers
of wine coming to Philadelphia. They were previously
on "surveillance" so only a small percentage
got inspected.
3-Incidences:
- In 2003 they had 3 action notices for snails
- In 2004 they had 9 action notices for the year
- They had 9 action notices in November and a further
10 so far this month in 2005
4-Types of snails:
They showed
us some samples of these snails and some are very small.
Attached we have scanned the different types they have
found.
The "X"
sign snails designate those that require action.
The most common
they have found are:
- conchlicella barbara
- cernuella virgate (vineyard snail)
5-Damages Caused:
The USDA considers
these 2 types of snails extremely dangerous to agriculture
plants and citrus.
The health concern
is also there as they act as "liver fluke" transmitters
to humans.
6-Carrier Comments:
The P&O
representative was active and so were we. General
comments as follows from carriers:
a) We
take "action notices" very serious evidence
feedback from our colleagues in Australia.
b) We
explained how some containers go to vineyards outside
of Adelaide although majority handled via McKenzie Intermodal
in Adelaide before it moves to rail.
c)
We provided a copy of notice sent by the "AWBC"
to their members. Customs really took note of how
quickly we have reacted.
d) We
explained actions being taken by McKenzie Intermodal and
terminals regarding baits and pest control. We also
advised how much rain came this past year further adding
to the population.
e) We shared
general Business Plan Details showing that 45% of wine
to ED came via Philadelphia.
f) We
explained how we have already lost the Nova Scotia Liquor
Board to Savannah and elaborated on commercial concerns.
Customs does not take kindly to "port chopping"
and considers this a serious offense to go to Savannah.
g)
The chassis operation is tight in PHL as Customs handles
20 at a time and 60 per day so volumes becoming a problem
for inspections.
h)
We explained how charges to all importers increasing
as delays mount.
7-Action items:
a)
They asked that our colleagues in Australia contact USDA/IS
to see if they can assist at origin:
USDA International Services
Australian POC
Asia Pacific Region
Canberra, Australia
Area Director, Dennis Hannapel - 011-6126-214-5820
Admin. Asst., Joyce Twarg - 011-6126-244-5989
b) We
promised to revert with out input regarding further actions
taken by terminals and intermodal yards and shippers.
c) They
plan to alert all other US ports of potential health hazard
of snails that may cause "liver flukes".
d) Until
Customs sees a drop in Action Notices they will keep the
"alert". They need to see progress in
efforts to correct the number of incidences before they
revert back to "surveillance".
e) Finally,
Customs has agreed to meet as needed or field phone calls
from actual shippers/importers/brokers.
The requests
can be sent to:
Hal Fingerman
Chief Agriculture Operations
212-597-4515
Hal.Fingerman@dhs.gov
Consequently,
the BAF will be adjusted to +19% with
effect from 2nd January 2006 and will apply to cargoes
received from shipment on the following vessels:
CP
Kestrel
v843
ETD 2nd January 2006
Maersk
Novazzano v643
ETD 4th January 2006
CP
Aurora
v5148
ETD 9th January 2006
The
ongoing bunker price situation will be kept under constrant
review, and we will advise you as and when any further
upward or downward adjustments to the level of the BAF
become warranted.
The
above information has been provided WSSA by some steamship
lines.
Just
as the bunker surcharge on your ocean freight is subject
to review and fluctuation, so is the cost of diesel fuel
(needed to run the majority of trucks operated by the
US trucking industry). Toward that end, we continue to
monitor the National Average. Please note this figure
is reviewed and updated on a weekly basis, and we will
post those updates for you on a weekly basis.
| Week of June 23, 2008 |
$4.65 |
FSC 41% |
| Week of June 16, 2008 |
$4.69 |
FSC 41% |
| Week of June 2, 2008 |
$4.71 |
FSC 41% |
| Week of May 26, 2008 |
$4.72 |
FSC 41% |
| Week of May 19, 2008 |
$4.50 |
FSC 40% |
| Week of May 12, 2008 |
$4.33 |
FSC 39% |
| Week of April 28, 2008 |
$4.18 |
FSC 38% |
| Week of April 21, 2008 |
$4.14 |
FSC 37% |
| Week of April 14, 2008 |
$4.06 |
FSC 37% |
Note:
As these costs fluctuate, so will the US inland fuel surcharges
on your trucking and/or rail movements.
WSSA and Contract
Rates
Rates for US Inland Points
Many WSSA contracts include rates for selected US in-land
points for inter-modal movement of containers from/to
the nearest port. These rates are fixed for the
duration of the contract. This protects the WSSA
member from possible increases in their transportation
costs.
LCL
Programs (Less than Container Loads)
WSSA has a program in place for "lite" shipments
from Italy. This program has fixed pricing on a
per case basis for smaller shipments from Italy and provides
delivery to nine major cities in the US. Please
inquire for details.
One of the most
important concepts of the Homeland Security reorganization
was the creation
of one border agency for the United States : one agency
to
manage, control
and secure our nation's borders. Combining the
Immigration, Customs
and Agricultural border inspection functions together,
with the Border
Patrol and its functions between the ports of entry,
positions CBP in
a vital national security role -- protecting and securing
America 's borders.
The attached CBP FY 2005-2010 Strategic Plan provides
a
comprehensive strategy
to guide the accomplishment of our border security
responsibilities,
facilitate trade and travel and enforce the laws at our
borders.
The Strategic
Plan sets out our vision for the future through six strategic
goals.
1. Preventing Terrorism
At Ports of Entry
2. Preventing Terrorism
Between Ports of Entry
3. Unifying As
One Border Agency
4. Facilitating
Legitimate Trade and Travel
5. Protecting America
and Its Citizens
6. Modernizing
and Managing
A vital component
of the Strategic Plan involves partnerships with numerous
Federal, state,
local and tribal law enforcement agencies, the trade
community and others
in the supply chain, foreign governments, and the
private sector.
These cooperative relationships are helping to combat
the
threat of terrorism
and secure the vast international supply chain, enforce
hundreds of laws
and regulations, facilitate international trade and
travel, and reduce
the importation of prohibited or illegal materials.
The 2005-2010 Strategic
Plan is available on www.cbp.gov under "About CBP."
It should be noted
that while the Plan reflects the CBP 5-year vision for
the agency, we
must remain dynamic and flexible to adapt quickly to the
ever changing terrorist
threat. Therefore, we intend to update this
Strategic Plan
on our Web site as necessary to accurately reflect
significant organizational
and operational changes introduced to better
accomplish the
mission of protecting America .
CBP partnerships
will continue to be vital to protecting the homeland and
facilitating legitimate
travel and trade. We look forward to continuing
to
build upon and
expand our relationships with our partners as we work
together to secure
and protect America and the supply chain.
Yours truly,
Robert C. Bonner
Commissioner
"24-Hour Manifest Rule"
Updated May 5, 2003. US Customs steps
up enforcement of 24-hour manifest rule.
The US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is reminding
all international traders that it began the next phase
of enforcement for the 24-hour advance manifest filing
rule for seaborne imports on May 4.
Customs said it would fine companies that do not electronically
submit their cargo declarations on time and issue "do
not load" messages to vessel operators for containerized
cargo that has an invalid or incomplete cargo description.
Initially, enforcement efforts focused on significant
violations of the cargo description requirements such
as the vague terms "freight all kinds," "said
to contain," or "general merchandise."
On May 15, Customs will issue "do not load"
messages if the consignee's name and address are not clearly
labeled or left blank. Customs will also penalize
companies for invalid cargo descriptions and late submittals
for shipments known as "foreign remaining on board,"
that enter the United States, but are not unloaded at
the first port of call. Carriers may be assessed
a $5,000 penalty for the first violation and $10,000 for
any subsequent violation attributable to the master of
the ship.
US Customs established a new security regulation, effective
December 2, that requires ocean carriers and non-vessel-operating
common carriers to file detailed manifests to US Customs
24 hours prior to loading their containerized freight
in overseas ports. The purpose of the regulation
is to give Customs adequate time to stop "high risk"
containers for inspection before loading on US-bound ships.
Customs said it will no longer accept vague freight descriptions,
such as "freight all kinds" (F.A.K.) or "said
to contain" (S.T.C.), or broad descriptions, such
as "chemicals" or "food stuffs."
Many ocean carriers, NVOs and importers have traditionally
used these types of cargo descriptions to protect the
privacy of their business information from competitors
and reporting services.
Customs officials told the industry that they must either
provide a more detailed cargo text description or use
the first six digits of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule
numbers.
More in-depth cargo descriptions on manifests will help
the agency speed up non-intrusive inspections of "high-risk"
containers and perhaps reduce the need to de-van some
boxes. Failure to comply may result in US Customs
disallowing loading of the cargo. US Customs began
enforcing the rule on February 2, 2003.
Ocean carriers claim to incur added administrative costs
as a result and have started to implement "security
manifest documentation" charges. These charges
have become part of new charges that can be either prepaid
or will now appear on the bill of lading. Most charges
are $25-$30 per Bill of Lading and supplier. WSSA
sent a summary of the current charges to the membership.
The new "24-hour rule" is part of the C-TPAT/Government
Initiative (see below) in America's fight against terrorism
and to protect the security of cargo entering the United
States.
BATF Changes to Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
February 21, 2003. As a result of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002, signed into law November
25, 2002, the functions previously performed by the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) will now be handled
by the newly named Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). TTB
will fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of
the Treasury. TTB has announced that it will introduce
a system for filing and approvals of label applications
over the Internet (Certification/Exemption of Label/Bottle
Approval - COLA). Advance registrations are required.
Get
more information.
Businesses
must apply to participate in C-TPAT. Membership
is available to importers, carriers, brokers, warehouse
operators, manufacturers, domestic port authorities and
marine terminal operators. Participants will sign
an agreement that commits them to the following actions:
Conduct a comprehensive self-assessment of supply chain
security using the security guidelines jointly developed
by Customs and the trade community;
Submit
a supply chain security questionnaire to Customs;
Develop
and implement a program to enhance security throughout
the supply chain in accordance with guidelines; and
Communicate
C-TPAT guidelines to other companies in the supply chain
and work toward building the guidelines into relationships
with
Wine in the US - How
the Figures Stack Up
February 28,
2004. Statistics compiled by the National
Association of Beverage Importers (NABI), show wine imports
into the US from Italy top the list as of November 2003.
The Top 10 list reveals some interesting import growth
figures as Australia moved to the number 2 spot and New
Zealand jumped past Portugal.
| |
|
|
| Italy |
188,516 |
8% |
| Australia |
140,973 |
48% |
| France |
80,414 |
-9% |
| Chile |
49,463 |
-3% |
| Spain |
18,337 |
13% |
| Germany |
16,378 |
20% |
| Argentina |
12,708 |
19% |
| New Zealand |
6,282 |
41% |
| Portugal |
4,480 |
-13% |
| South Africa |
4,336 |
17% |
Numbers
are for still wine only, measured in 1,000 wine liters.
Australia: A
Major Wine Exporter
March 1, 2003. According to numbers
from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Wine Exports
from Australia totaled $2,105 billion. The UK is
the major market, accounting for 48% of the total.
The United States comes in second at 22.2%.
Red grape production surpassed white grape production
for the second time in a year; the major categories for
wine productions are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay
and Merlot.
EU to Harmonize Wine Names and Bottle Shapes
Every wine produced in the EU will have specific information
on the label, including its alcohol strength, who produced
it and who imported it. There are definitions for
what dry, sweet, red, white and rose means and anything
that varies from this should be indicated on the label.
Terms like ruby, tawney and vintage traditionally
used to describe port from Portugal will be used only
for such port. Other names become the property of
the region that originally produced the wine. This
includes Amarone that will only be used to describe wine
from Valpolicella, or Lacryma Christi for Vesuvio, both
Italian wine regions. "This comprehensive labeling
system means that producers will better inform consumers
about the wine they are buying. This decision is
a cornerstone to better protection of consumers' and producers'
interests, to ensure the smooth operation of the internal
market and to promote quality winT," said EU Agriculture
Commissioner Fischler, announcing the changes in May of
this year.
US: 4th Largest Wine Producing Country
With production of 2.61 billion liters, the United States
is now the fourth largest wine producing country in the
world. A 64.1% increase in the last 5 years has
been due to a number of new vineyards coming on line.
At the same time, wine consumption has continued
to increase steadily reaching 2.14 billion liters in 2000.
The increase is a result of a change in drinking
patterns; Americans are turning more to consumption of
red wines and adopting tastes that are closer resembling
tastes found in traditional wine-producing countries.
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