A UPS cargo plane flying from Louisville, Ky. crashed on its way to Birmingham, Ala., the company said in a press release. The Airbus A300 carried two crewmembers. The Associated Press reported the pilots were killed, though the UPS release said it has "not confirmed the status of our pilots." The company said it "will release more facts about this accident as they become available, but the [National Transportation Safety Board will be in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information going forward." The NTSB said its launching a full "Go-Team" to investigate the crash (here).
Continued consideration in Congress of a revised Harbor Maintenance Tax as a means to improve U.S. port competitiveness is likely, said the Federal Maritime Commission Aug. 9 in a statement. Former agency Chairman and current Commissioner Richard Lidinsky noted the potential for HMT revisions as part of a one-year update to its report to Congress on the movement of U.S. inland containerized cargo entering through the Canadian or Mexican borders (see 12073001). The Senate approved some HMT reforms as part of the Water Resources Development Act (see 13051602) that passed earlier this year.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 10 days.
Freight charges payable in China are now subject to a new six percent tax, after expansion of China’s Value Added Tax (VAT) on Aug. 1. According to a news advisory by U.S.-based global logistics service provider BDP (here), industry can expect an “application of 6 percent for air and ocean export freight shipments where freight costs are paid in China.” However, trucking and warehousing rates will remain unaffected, BDP said.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 10 days.
The Federal Maritime Commission is revising its rules of practice and procedure, effective July 29, to update and clarify the rules and to reduce the burden on parties to proceedings before the Commission. The key changes are:
The Federal Maritime Commission extended the comment period by 30 days for a proposed rulemaking to add new licensing and financial requirements to Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs), the agency said in a notice. The proposed rules would create some additional licensing requirements for OTIs, somewhat similar to what is required of customs brokers, and increase the bonding requirements. (see 13053031). The extension came in response to a request from the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), said the FMC. While the NCBFAA requested a 60-day extension, the FMC decided to give a 30-day extension, it said. Comments on the proposal are now due Aug. 30.
In response to several incidents related to the problem, the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration put out a safety alert for shippers and carriers on the risks associated with under-odorization of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Odorization of LPG is required in certain circumstances, such as non-industrial end use, to allow for leak detection. The alert describes the problem of odors fading over time, and outlines recommended odorization procedures and standards.
The Federal Maritime Commission scheduled a July 17 meeting at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C. Agenda items include: (1) Briefing on Committee on Maritime Transportation System, (2) Staff Briefing and Discussion of Inflation Adjustment of Civil Penalties, (3) Staff Briefing on Service Contracts that Reference Freight Indices. A closed session includes: (1) Staff Briefing on Economic and Trade Conditions and (2) Staff Briefing on Semi-Annual Meeting with Transpacific Stabilization Agreement Representatives.
The American Trucking Associations said it will host the first ATA Executive Summit on ways to maximize the payback for fleets that make investments in technological advances and data analysis. The summit will be Dec. 4-6 at the Four Seasons Resort Dallas at Las Colinas.