All WSSA members are cordially invited to attend the Northeast Cargo Symposium 2014 put on by the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT).
Come and see the Wine and Spirits Shippers Association's Managing Director, Alison Leavitt, as she serves as Panel Moderator for the Symposium's discussion on how to streamline import and export clearance operations by unifying Customs and the FDA as "One U.S.
What was a potential trucker strike in Chile has now turned into an actual one. Effective at 6:00am this morning, Chilean trucker unions began demonstrations.
Unfortunately, port entrances and the depot to pick up empty containers are both blocked by the trucks.
We are currently monitoring our shipments and will continue to keep you informed about any delays that may arise. Please call or email us if you have any additional questions or concerns about the strike.
There is a very real possibility that the Southern Chile Truckers Union will go on strike for 48 hours beginning Thursday, October 16th, 2014, at 6:00am. It is also highly likely that the Central Chile (Valpariaso – San Antonio) Truckers Union will join the strike.
Unfortunately, it is expected that demonstrations and blockades will occur at port entrances, and operations may be affected by these demonstrations.
We will keep you updated on the status of this situation as soon as we receive more information.
Yesterday evening, Genova, Italy, was hit by a heavy storm which caused two rivers to overflow, creating massive flash flooding. Many roads became impassible as they were swamped with water. Cars struggled to stay grounded, and some even flipped due to the flood's severity.
Some affected motorways are still closed, and the weather forecast continues to predict rain. Civil Protection suggests that cars stay off the affected motorways if at all possible.
Yesterday the Federal Maritime Commission approved the 2M alliance involving Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company. The vote outcome was four in favor and only one dissenting.
The one remaining obstacle the 2M alliance faces is the approval of Chinese regulators, as the alliance is already in compliance with the European Union and now has received the approval of U.S. regulators. The 2M alliance, if approved by all parties, is scheduled to take effect January 2015 and is projected to involve a total of 185 vessels and handle over 2.1 million TEUs.
