U.S. West Coast ports, specifically Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals have received unprecedented volumes and are experiencing extreme congestion prior to the Lunar New Year. Containers are reportedly sitting longer than normal, and once the containers are out-gated, many are staying out longer than normal. These delays are contributing to chassis shortages in the area.
News / Theresa Maher
Source: National Retail Federation
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports have set another new record, reaching 2 million containers in a single month for the first time as retailers continued to bring merchandise into the country ahead of a now-postponed increase in tariffs on goods from China, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
“President Trump has declared a temporary truce in the trade war, but these imports came in before that announcement was made,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “We hope that the temporary stand-down becomes permanent, but in the meantime there has been a rush to bring merchandise in before existing tariffs go up or new ones can be imposed. China’s abuses of trade policy need to be addressed, but tariffs that drive up prices for American families and costs for U.S. businesses are not the answer.”
Source: Institute for Supply Management – December 3, 2018
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in November, and the overall economy grew for the 115th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
On Saturday, December 1, 2018, the President of the United States agreed to suspend the increase in tariffs scheduled for January 1, 2019. The White House issued a statement, which included the following: “… President Trump has agreed that on January 1, 2019, he will leave the tariffs on $200 billion worth of product at the 10% rate, and not raise it to 25% at this time.”
Trade wars and tariffs continue to be a topic of interest across all segments of our economy. As experts in global trade management and compliance, the MIQ Logistics team of experts is often asked to share their knowledge and participate in trade shows, educational events, news stories, and training.
On November 08, 2018, a second BNSF train derailed on the San Bernardino subdivision between Prado Dam and Esperanza, CA, impacting BNSF main line tracks. The first main track was opened on November 08, 2018, at 7:20 a.m. CST, and the second main track was opened on November 08, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. CST.
The derailments added to the congestion the market has already been experiencing due to increased volumes. BNSF implemented the following restrictions as part of the recovery effort:
Source: National Retail Federation
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports have slowed down from their pre-holiday peak but remain at unusually high levels as retailers continue bringing in merchandise before tariffs increase in January, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
“Imports have usually dropped off significantly by this time of year but we’re still seeing numbers that could have set records in the past,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Part of this is driven by consumer demand in the strong economy but retailers also know that tariffs on the latest round of goods are set to more than double in just a few weeks. If there are shipments that can be moved up, it makes sense to do that before the price goes up.”
Source: Institute for Supply Management – November 1, 2018
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in October, and the overall economy grew for the 114th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, a Presidential Proclamation was made that modifies the list of products eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). These changes impact goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on November 1, 2018.
The following HTSUS numbers have been removed from GSP eligibility for preferential treatment duty when imported from the countries indicated:
On Monday, October 15, members of the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) announced the revised Off-Peak program for providing extended gate hours at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (PierPass 2.0) is expected to start Nov. 19, subject to the conclusion of applicable Federal Maritime Commission procedures. The current congestion-pricing model, including a Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) charged on daytime moves, will be replaced with an appointment-based system that uses a single flat fee on both daytime and nighttime container moves. (Source: www.pierpass.org/)
The following is what you need to know about the changes effective November 19: