There was $88.4 billion in trade with NAFTA partners in February of 2013, down one percent from February 2012, said the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in a press release. Trucks transported 59.1 percent of that trade, while rail made up 15.3 percent and vessels accounted for 9.7 percent, said BTS. For trade between the U.S. and Canada, trucks carried 54.4 percent of the $48.9 billion in trade, followed by rail at 17 percent, pipelines at 13.3 percent, vessels at 5.3 percent and air at 4.4 percent. Trade with Mexico was worth $39.6 billion, 64.8 percent of which was carried by trucks. Vessels carried 15.2 percent and rail made of 13.2 percent of that trade, said BTS.
Charlotte, N.C. Mayor Anthony Foxx was named Transportation Secretary Nominee by President Obama April 29, a move that has already garnered support from some industry groups. Foxx will replace outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Illinois congressman who has held the position since Obama took office. In his nomination announcement, Obama highlighted Foxx’s transportation initiatives in Charlotte: a new streetcar project, expansion of the international airport and extension of the city’s light rail system. “All of that has not only helped create new jobs, it’s helped Charlotte become more attractive to business,” Obama said (here).
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.
Congress should restore the user-generated revenue stream for Highway Trust Fund, a long-term solution to the Fund’s revenue challenge that would also “boost the economy while reducing the deficit,” a group of 30 transportation, construction and freight associations said April 24. In a letter sent to House Budget Committee leaders, the groups said that the HTF will exhaust its cash balance sometime in 2015. Funding for the HTF was not a part of last year’s transportation bill, MAP-21.
The Agricultural Marketing Service released the Ocean Shipping Container Availability Report (OSCAR) for the week of April 24-30. The weekly report contains data on container availability for westbound transpacific traffic at 18 intermodal locations in the U.S.1 from the eight member carriers of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA).2 Although the report is compiled by AMS, it covers container availability for all merchandise, not just agricultural products.
The Federal Maritime Commission said the following have filed applications for a license as a Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVO) and/or Ocean Freight Forwarder (OFF)-Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) pursuant to section 19 of the Shipping Act of 1984. The FMC also gave notice of the filing of applications to amend an existing OTI license or the qualifying individual for a license. Interested persons may contact the Office of Transportation Intermediaries, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, D.C. 20573, at 202-523-5843 or at OTI@fmc.gov.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is requesting comment by May 2 on a Pre-Authorization Safety Audit (PASA) related to a pilot program which allows Mexican and Canadian trucking companies to operate in the U.S. The PASA is for RAM Trucking, which applied to participate in the agency’s long-haul pilot program to test the ability of Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate safely in the U.S. The PASA and original application are (here). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently upheld the pilot program against a legal challenge by labor unions (see 13042201).
The Federal Maritime Commission is expected to make a decision by Aug. 18, 2014, on a complaint filed by Streak Products against UTi. The complaint alleges UTi charged Streak more than it charges other shippers and overcharged beyond the required tariffs starting in 2003. Streak is seeking reparations from UTi for violations of the Shipping act and other costs and any further relief determined to be fair by the FMC. The proceeding was assigned to the Office of Administrative Law Judges.
The Federal Aviation Administration posted information on how sequestration budget cuts will affect its Aviation Safety Office. The office will "implement the required 11 days of furlough April 21 though Sept. 30, it said. The furlough days vary within each office, it said.
Airline trade groups are seeking help from the judicial system to stop planned furloughs of air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration. The groups filed a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit that says the court should "vacate the capacity reduction plan and remand to the agencies with instructions to instead reasonably and responsibly exercise their statutory discretion, consistent with the public interest, in accordance with the law." Airlines for America (A4A), the Regional Airlines Association and the Air Line Pilots Association made the filing together. The FAA misread the Budget Control Act, also known as sequestration, when the FAA said the law removed the agency's discretion in making cuts, the groups said.