Typhoon Rumbia, the eighteenth typhoon of the year, and fourth to affect East China in less than 30 days is forecasted to make landfall between August 16 and 17, local China time. Approximately 50,000 people have been evacuated from China’s Zhejiang Province ahead of the storm. Typhoon Rumbia, like the previous three typhoons in recent weeks, will impact the ocean ports of Shanghai and Ningbo, airports at Shanghai-Pudong and Shanghai-Hongqiao, as well as others in the region. As with previous storms, airports and ocean terminals will close until the storm passes. This will affect the sailing and flight schedules and lead to possible delays.
News / Supply Chain Alerts
The next FDA Renewal period begins October 1, 2018. All domestic and foreign food and medical device facilities, along with the companies that source from them, are required to renew their registration during the period from October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.
On August 1, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a Federal Register Notice announcing that CBP is adjusting certain customs user fees, pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for Fiscal Year 2019 in accordance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act as implemented by CBP regulations.
On August 7, 2018, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released the second list (List 2 – Final) of approximately $16 billion worth of imports from China that will be subject to a 25 percent additional tariff as part of the U.S. response to China’s unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property. This second list of additional tariffs under Section 301 follows the first list of tariffs on approximately $34 billion of imports from China, which went into effect on July 6, 2018.
Over the last several weeks, the ocean carrier alliances have announced a number of changes to their Asia to U.S.A. ocean services. Changes such as removing entire service strings, implementing void sailing programs, and combining service strings (which effectively removes one or more service loops), are now being implemented. These changes suggest that the carriers are seeking solutions to deal with rising bunker costs, ongoing supply overcapacity in the Asia to U.S.A. trade, concerns over the U.S.A. / China trade tensions, and the ultimate effect on future demand in the market.
On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released the proposed list of Chinese products that could be subject to an additional 10 percent tariff, a proposed modification to the earlier actions taken in the U.S. Section 301 investigation of the acts, policies, and practices of the Government of China related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation.
On Friday, July 6, 2018, the effective date of the new U.S. Section 301 tariffs, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published the procedure on how companies can request exclusion from the tariffs on specific products from China.
Ocean carriers worldwide have announced Emergency Bunker Surcharges (EBS), citing significant increases in bunker prices since the beginning of the year. Bunker refers to the fuel that powers the vessels and represents a significant portion of the carriers’ cost. To offset their increased bunker costs, carriers will apply the following surcharges to all cargo shipping to and from North America, effective July 1, 2018:
| LCL | 20′ DV | 40′ DV / HC | 45′ DV |
| $3 USD W/M | $60 USD | $120 USD | $120 USD |
MIQ Logistics will continue to monitor the market to mitigate the surcharges and ensure our customers receive the most competitive rates and consistent quality service.
For further information, please contact your local MIQ Logistics representative.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released a list of products imported from China that will be subject to additional tariffs as part of the U.S. response to China’s unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property.
The list of products issued today covers 1,102 separate U.S. tariff lines valued at approximately $50 billion in 2018 trade values. This list was compiled based on extensive interagency analysis and a thorough examination of comments and testimony from interested parties. It generally focuses on products from industrial sectors that contribute to or benefit from the “Made in China 2025” industrial policy, which include industries such as aerospace, information and communications technology, robotics, industrial machinery, new materials, and automobiles. The list does not include goods commonly purchased by American consumers such as cellular telephones or televisions.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has reached a tentative agreement on a six-year Master Contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The current USMX-ILA Contract expires on September 30, 2018. The tentative agreement will remove much uncertainty and ensure labor accord through the year 2024 for the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast.