South East Shipping News

International Trade Swells at Florida’s Seaports; Trading at a Deficit with China

By: Jim Turner | Posted: May 30, 2012 3:55 AM

Jaxport, Port of Miami tunnel construction project and Port of Panama CityHide

Florida’s effort to increase international trade spawned an 18.3 percent growth in the value of traffic through its seaports last year, according to the Florida Ports Council.

The overall goods traveling through Florida’s ports in 2011 totaled $149 billion, of which more than half -- $82.7 billion -- were exports. The majority of the trade was going to or coming from South America (37.4 percent), Asia and the Middle East (18.8 percent), Europe (15.7 percent), Central America (12.7 percent) and the Caribbean (9.5 percent), the council reported in its annual five-year outlook released on Friday.

"We're just thrilled we're talking growth in the industry, considering the global economic downturn," said Doug Wheeler, Ports Council president.

But he later added, "There are still a lot of empty containers leaving Florida ports. We can still do a lot better at getting these containers filled up leaving Florida's ports than we're doing now."

Getting more Florida exports would require expanding Florida's manufacturing base, as well as completing a number of prioritized projects -- such as the Port Miami tunnel -- to shorten the time cargo can move from shipping lanes to railroad tracks and interstate highways.

See port by port import-exports totals here.

Still, the overall totals were the most since 2008, which continue to outpace the trade shipped via air -- $63.8 billion in value in 2011.

The hook for bulking up the state's ports in advance of the anticipated growth in trade has been the Panama Canal expansion, to be completed in 2015. However, a big reason for the recent growth has been the rise in free-trade agreements with Central and South American countries, some of which have been natural maritime trading partners with Florida. 

See Florida's top trading partners here.

The report notes that since the U.S. signed such a pact with Chili in 2004, Florida’s annual trade with the South American country has grown from $1.8 billion to $6.9 billion.

Similarly, trade with Peru has grown from $1 billion in 2007, when a free-trade agreement was signed, to $3.2 billion last year.

However, while the state continues to pump more goods to its trading partners to the south, the state still trades at a deficit with Asian nations, part of the reason Enterprise Florida is working on plans for a business development mission to Japan, Korea or other Asian nations in 2013.

For every $8 worth of imports from China, the state returns $1 in goods sold to the Asian nation.

The West Coast of the United States has been the beneficiary of trade with China, but that is something that could change with the canal expansion.

"The Panama Canal is at least changing the dynamics of that conversation," Wheeler said. 

"We by no means have touted the Panama Canal as the Meccas of all trade routes and this will be the end-all for Florida ports," Wheeler added. "But certainly there will be new opportunities as shippers and freighters go 'Huh, there is a cost savings in going through the canal, coming out on the East Coast and throwing the cargo onto a truck or a train for a shorter haul to the heart of the country.'"

The report does highlight efforts by the council to combat competition from ports in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia as more foreign markets open and expand.

“Opportunities missed will be opportunities lost to Florida’s competitors,” the report states

 

 

 

 

 

 

See nation's top ports list here.

To meet the expected increase in trade, the 15 individual seaports in Florida -- both cruise and cargo -- have projected $2.7 billion in capital improvement needs over the next five years.  

Channel and harbor deepening, along with new and rehabbed cargo terminals, are among the primary needs. The majority of the work is projected at Port Miami, Port Everglades and JaxPort.

See priority projects here.

The Florida Ports Council forecasts the projects would create 12,000 construction jobs and 13,000 full-time jobs.

To help fund a few of the projects, legislators in the 2012 regular session increased the nondesignated port funding from $117 million in the current year to $135 million for the next fiscal year, and created a $35 million port investment initiative.

See the Sunshine State News series "The Ports of Florida" here.



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.

Attachments: 

Port by Port Import-Exports

Florida's Top Trading Partners

Nation's Top Ports

Priority Projects

 

Nicaragua plans to build inter-oceanic canal

 

Nicaragua has decided to construct an inter-oceanic canal which will link the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans and greatly facilitate the intercontinental cargo traffic, Press TV reports.

 

The Nicaraguan government’s decision to build the canal is aimed to cope with the sustained increase in the seaborne trade through Panama Canal which makes it difficult for big trading ships to cross the canal.

 

“In this precise moment, the global cargo traffic is increasing [by] three percent annually. Driven by development of economies such as India, China -- especially China -- and other developing countries like the BRICs, there is also eventual global economic recovery on the horizon. All of these create a strategic opportunity for Nicaragua to construct an inter-oceanic canal,” said Nicaragua’s Secretary to President for National Policy Paul Oquist.

 

The move, experts say, is expected to be hailed by Russia and China as two emerging economic powerhouses.

 

The geographic position of the Latin American country has made it capable of becoming the world’s new trading route as it enjoys the lowest elevation across the Americas in the south region of the country.

 

The United States and the European countries have long been intervening in Nicaragua’s affairs to reap the benefits that such a strategic canal could bring.

 

“The markets are actually behind them. They are facing Europe which is going down; no one can argue about that, it is true that Europe is going through a very difficult period. There is no possibility of Europe becoming more than it actually is. So, it is very, very important for the United States to find a better and improved way of going from the east coast to the west coast and toward the Asia-Pacific [region],” said Manuel Coronel Kautz from the Great Inter-Oceanic Authority.

 

Analysts says the economic benefits of such a landmark plan can promote the country’s financial position and turn it from one of the poorest countries in the region to a strategically important and rich state.

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In three years 700 Dominican Republic cops accused in drug cases including head of port security

By EZEQUIEL ABIU LOPEZ

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic

Three high-ranking police officials in the Dominican Republic have been accused of providing security to drug traffickers, marking the latest public corruption case to hit the Caribbean nation as it tries to clean up its military and police.

The officials worked for the National Drug Control Agency and were arrested alongside four men allegedly waiting for a drug shipment bound for Puerto Rico, agency chief Rolando Rosado said Thursday.

The officials have been suspended from their jobs as have others who have been charged in drug-fueled corruption cases that have resulted in dozens of arrests and dismissals in recent years.

"It's a serious situation," said Tulio Castanos, vice president of the Institutional Justice Foundation, a non-governmental group that is helping the government design and implement police department reforms. "The people have lost faith in the police."

The Dominican Republic has a national police force of 32,000 officers and a military with 65,000 members, for a country of about 9 million people.

Since 2009, more than 700 agents with the National Drug Control Agency, a combination of police officers and military personnel on loan, have been removed for a variety of crimes, according to government statistics. Of those, 200 were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the national police force has expelled about 1,400 officers since 2010 for a variety of alleged crimes, including ties to drug trafficking, spokesman Maximo Baez said.

Members of the police and all branches of the military have become ensnared in drug investigations, including a recent one involving a navy officer in charge of port security accused of attempting to smuggle more than 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of cocaine to Spain on board a cargo vessel.

In another case, nearly 20 officials, the majority with the navy, were accused in 2008 of killing seven Colombian drug traffickers to steal 1.3 tons (1.18 metric tons) of cocaine. Five of those officials were sentenced to 30 years in prison, while three others received 20-year sentences.

So far this year, authorities have confiscated more than 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of cocaine. They seized nearly 7 tons (6 metric tons) during all of 2011.

"The biggest concern is that in almost every seizure, officials were implicated," according to a report by Citizen Involvement, a non-governmental organization that tracks corruption allegations in the Dominican Republic.

The government is now requiring members of the police and armed forces to pass polygraph and background tests. In addition, internal affairs units are regularly investigating corruption allegations and handing out punishments, which has been increasing along with the country's role as a stepping stone for cocaine and other drugs bound for the U.S. and Europe.

The government's attempt to address the situation comes amid growing concerns among Dominicans about the way drug trafficking has seemed to take a central role in the country.

But there is also pressure from the U.S., which was critical of Dominican anti-drug efforts in its annual 2012 trafficking report.

In a 2009 diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and other organizations, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic noted the country had an "embarrassing" drug seizure rate and cited a lack of resources for law enforcement and infiltration of the armed forces by criminal organizations.

Former President Leonel Fernandez and others also have cited low salaries, typically around $155 a month for police officers, as a long-standing problem that may be a factor in some corruption cases.

Complaints that police and military officials demand payment from drug traffickers to operate in certain neighborhoods are common, said Manuel Maria Mercedes, president of the National Commission of Human Rights.

Payments can range from $125 a week in poor communities to more than $1,000 a week for drug-distribution points in popular tourist regions, and shootouts ensue if they fail to pay, he said.

"Hundreds of citizens have lost their lives this way," he said.

Shipowners call proposed July 1, 2012

Panama Canal toll hikes "simply unacceptable"

 

Four days after the deadline set by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has sent a strongly worded letter describing plans to increase tolls by up to 15 percent as "simply unacceptable."

 

Instead the ICS suggested that the ACP shelve the planned July 1 increase and all previously scheduled increases. It said that ocean cargo carriers need at least six months notice to alter their schedules to avoid a more costly canal crossing and therefore the ACp should agree to the ICS request.

 

The International Chamber of Shipping is the principal international trade association for shipowners, with member national associations from 36 countries representing all sectors and trades and over 80 percent of the world merchant fleet.

 

The ACP published plans to increase its tolls last month, despite assuring industry clients in January there would only be one small adjustment to tolls before completion of the expansion project in 2014. Not long thereafter the ACP admitted that labor strife, poor engineering and substandard concrete mixing would likely extend the opening of the new section of the canal into 2015.

But the ACP never altered its plans to increase tolls on July 1, 2012 if agreed at a public hearing at the end of this month.

 

ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, said there was no pressing need for the increases given that "canal revenues are currently very healthy."

 

Mr. Hinchliffe pointed out that while the Panama Canal is an important national asset to Panama, it also remains an essential part of international public infrastructure crucial to the smooth operation of the global supply chain and should "take this important public role into account when setting tolls."

 

"While the ACP proposal analyzes the impact of the toll rises on the competitiveness of commodity trades, no account is taken of the impact on shipping companies themselves ... many of whom are still forced to run ships at a loss in order to remain in the market," he said.

 

"We therefore request that the ACP rescind the current plans for increases in the next two years and concentrate on developing a toll structure that can be to the benefit of all parties to be introduced in late 2014."

 

The shipowners’ rebuttal came a day after the ACP Board of Directors approved a proposal to modify the Panama Canal pricing structure "to align Canal toll charges with the value the route provides."

 

 

As part of the tolls adjustment process, the ACP had established a consultation period from April 20 - May 21, 2012, during which the ACP agreed to receive formal written comments, opinions and written requests from interested parties to participate in the public hearing. The public hearing was held in Panama City, Panama, in the ACP's "Ascanio Arosemena" auditorium on May 23, 2012.

 

The ICS doggedly delayed its comments until after the event.

 

The proposal also increased the number of segments from eight to eleven by Panama Canal vessel type. It also divided the tanker segment into three distinct segments, established a new segment for container/breakbulk, and incorporated the roll-on/roll-off vessels into the vehicle carrier segment.

 

Once approved by all parties involved, the Panama Canal market segmentation scheme will include the following segments: full container, reefer, dry bulk, passenger, vehicle carrier and ro-ro, tanker, chemical tanker, LPG, general cargo and others.

 

Price Proposal

 

Effective July 1, 2012, the ACP proposes to increase the tolls for the following segments: general cargo, container/break bulk (new segment), dry bulk, tanker (redefined segment), chemical tanker (new segment), LPG (new segment), vehicle carrier and ro-ro (merged segment), and the segment known as others. The remaining segments will not be adjusted at this time. Additionally, there will be changes to tolls applicable to small vessels based on vessel length, to incorporate adjustments not previously considered.

 

"This proposal continues to align the Panama Canal tolls to the value, benefit and quality the route provides, and maintains the competitiveness of the Panama Canal", stated Alberto Alemán Zubieta, ACP Administrator/CEO.

 

 

 

As of 1200 hrs May 25, 2012

 

AN ELONGATED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA ACROSS WESTERN CUBA AND INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE AREA OF DISORGANIZED SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM LACKS A WELL-DEFINED
CIRCULATION CENTER...AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED
TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM DURING
THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...20 PERCENT...OF
BECOMING A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS
AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND INTO THE
SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN.

ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT...
THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR THE FORMATION OF A
SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE BY LATE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.
REGARDLESS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...PORTIONS OF CUBA...SOUTHERN
FLORIDA...AND THE BAHAMAS. ANOTHER SPECIAL TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ISSUED ON FRIDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM...PLEASE SEE HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...AND PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL
WEATHER OFFICE. 

 

 

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
805 AM EDT THU MAY 24 2012

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
SOUTH AMERICA...AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE
EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE
IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL
ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1115 UTC...

...TROPICAL WAVES...

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 10N34W 6N36W 1N37W.
ANY NEARBY PRECIPITATION IS ALSO IS PART OF THE ITCZ
PRECIPITATION.

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 14N56W 10N57W...TO THE
NORTHEASTERN COAST OF GUYANA THAT IS NEAR 7N57W. SCATTERED
MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION COVERS THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA FROM 8N TO 14N
BETWEEN 54W AND 66W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM 21N35W
IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN THE SOUTHEASTERN
CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...IS INTERACTING WITH THE WAVE.

...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH...

THE MONSOON TROUGH EMERGES OFF THE SIERRA LEONE COAST NEAR 8N13W
TO 4N20W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 4N20W TO 3N25W 4N28W 1N35W
1N40W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION TO THE SOUTH OF 10N TO THE EAST OF 30W.
ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS ELSEWHERE TO THE
SOUTH OF 6N BETWEEN 30W AND 54W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS
INTERACTING WITH THE 14N56W 7N57W TROPICAL WAVE.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH MISSISSIPPI AND
LOUISIANA...INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE GULF OF
MEXICO...TO THE MEXICO GULF COAST NEAR 20N. COMPARATIVELY DRIER
AIR APPEARS IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS THE ENTIRE
AREA...EVEN PUSHING ITS WAY INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE
CARIBBEAN SEA. THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA IS AFFECTED
BY A SURFACE TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF
THE CARIBBEAN SEA TOWARD THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA KEYS. THE
COMPARATIVELY DEEPER LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA...INCLUDING SOUTH FLORIDA...
FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS...HAVE BEEN PUSHED EASTWARD BY THE DRIER
AIR. THE DRIER AIR NOW IS TO THE EAST OF 32N77W 25N80W 20N83W
16N86W ALONG THE HONDURAS COAST. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW
COVERS THE REST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO...MOVING AROUND A 1013 MB
HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 27N87W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH
SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE OFFSHORE FORECAST...
MIAOFFNT4...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE MARINE WEATHER
FOR 20 KNOT WINDS TO THE WEST OF 95W.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE RUNS FROM EASTERN HONDURAS AND NORTHEASTERN
NICARAGUA...BEYOND CUBA TO THE EAST OF 80W...ACROSS THE
BAHAMAS...INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
RUNS FROM 21N35W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN
THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...AND TOWARD THE
AREA OF NORTHERN COLOMBIA/NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA. COMPARATIVELY
DRIER AIR IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COVERS MUCH OF THE AREA.
DEEP LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CORNER OF THE AREA...WITH THE RIDGE AND THE SURFACE TROUGH.
BROKEN MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...
TO THE SOUTH OF 15N BETWEEN 54W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND 66W.
A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS...ACROSS
WESTERN CUBA...TO A 1009 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR
22N81W. THE SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE LOW CENTER TO
18N83W AND CENTRAL HONDURAS. NUMEROUS STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION IS FROM 17N TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SIDE OF CUBA
BETWEEN 78W AND 81W...BETWEEN JAMAICA AND CUBA. THE PRECIPITATION
THAT WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING HOURS APPEARS TO HAVE DISSIPATED. THE MONSOON
TROUGH IS ALONG 9N76W IN NORTHERN COLOMBIA...TO 9N80W IN
PANAMA...BEYOND 10N84W IN COSTA RICA. THE MONSOON TROUGH
CONTINUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AMERICA...FROM COSTA RICA INTO
WESTERN GUATEMALA. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG
CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS TO THE SOUTH OF 12N TO THE WEST OF
76W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE
OFFSHORE FORECAST...MIAOFFNT3...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE
20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND THE 8 TO 9 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS...EITHER TO
THE EAST OF 77W OR TO THE WEST OF 77W.

Seafreight Early Storm in Atlantic/Caribbean a Possibility The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists. Reporter: Kate Spinner, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists.

The Climate Prediction Center predicted moderate chances that a tropical depression or a storm will form in the Caribbean during the last week of May.

Even if no storm develops, the prediction signals that the Atlantic is becoming primed for tropical activity as June 1, the official start of the six-month hurricane season, nears.

"It's something to pay attention to. It might be a little earlier than normal," said Eric Blake, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

While the two-week tropical hazard forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center are not very accurate now, meteorologists there are working with the National Hurricane Center to improve them. Within a few years, the two agencies plan to start making a joint two-week forecast, with the hurricane center taking the lead on the first week and the climate center handling the second, said Blake, who gave a presentation about the project at the Governor's Hurricane Conference on Tuesday.

He said the hurricane center began working with the climate center on the two-week outlook shortly after the busy 2005 hurricane season.
"The challenge has really been eliminating the false alarms," Blake said.

The two-week outlook mostly relies on thunderstorm activity around the global tropics to predict where chances are increased for a tropical storm or depression to form. Clusters of thunderstorms occasionally move around the globe in a weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation or MJO. When the thunderstorms are over the Caribbean and Africa, the chances for tropical storms to develop in the Atlantic increase, Blake said.

But because weather is so variable, forecasts that extend beyond a week tend to have a large margin of error. The five-day forecast for tropical activity, however, is getting much better.

Blake said the hurricane center will experiment this year, in-house, with predicting the formation of tropical storms five days in advance. If the forecasts pan out, weather buffs, fishermen, shipping businesses, emergency planners and those in the oil and gas extraction industries could benefit from those forecasts beginning next year.

 

SC Line Begins New Vehicle Shipping Service from Port Everglades to Central America

 

Farid e. Escobar, SC Line

305-600-8558

f.escobar@scline.es

 

Panamanian ocean shipping company, SC Line, is beginning its new service to export new and used vehicles, boats and heavy equipment from Port Everglades to Colombia, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

 

“We are a very clean, boutique service, addressing the shipping needs of corporate truck and car manufacturers such as Navistar/International, Mack, Sofasa/Renault, VW, among others,” said Farid Escobar, SC Line’s South Florida Manager. “In line with our management's long term strategic development plan, we opened a full commercial and operational branch in South Florida. Given their multitude of options from terminals, to maritime agencies, to clean, effective and lean regulatory procedures as well as its easy to reach top management team, we selected Broward County’s Port Everglades for this significant landmark.”

 

SC Line selected FTS for its stevedoring and cargo handling services at Port Everglades and USA Maritime as its franchised ship agent. SC Line is also retaining Alpha Marine Surveyors to independently survey and report on the performance of its vessel loading marine operations.

 

“We are honored the SC Line chose Port Everglades for its newest venture,” said Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak. “This new cargo shipping service fills an important niche in the Caribbean, especially now that the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia has been approved. SC Line is employing a business model that promises long-term success.”

 

The m/v WLOCLAWEK completed its inaugural voyage from Port Everglades earlier in May as part of SC Line’s new USATRUCK bi-weekly liner service into Cartagena, Manzanillo and Rio Haina. The USATRUCK service is the company’s first venture on the east coast of the United States. USATRUCK is now a regular Liner RoRo service using Cartagena as a connecting hub to SC Line’s alternate liner services such as MEXTRUCK which calls Altamira, Veracruz and Cartagena. USATRUCK’s target market comprises static and break-bulk project cargo, vehicles, boats, rolling stock, heavy equipment, among others. “Shippers will experience a pure Ro/Ro operation, very competitive rates and a personalized service 24/7,” added Line Manager, Rodolfo De León.

 

“We are confident our RoRo vessel will fill an important need in South Florida’s market from a vessel carrier stand point,” said SC Line’s General Director Jose M Sola. “We understand South Florida’s NVOCC, Forwarders market coverage and critical mass, thus we naturally focus our efforts and welcome an opportunity for them to try our reliable service. Finally, we also understand that doing business in the US is a privilege and we want to thank Port Everglades as well as the local, state and Federal institutions; for their guidance in carrying forward this special project.”

 

ABOUT SC LINE

SC Line was created to serve the RO/RO (cargo that rolls on and rolls off the ship) market, standing out especially for truck transport, although the company also handling other types of rolling stock, yachts and specialty cargoes. The company is based in Panama and began its operations in the Pacific Ocean. Its new USATRUCK service is the company’s first venture on the east coast of the United States. Today, the whole team of SC Line is specialists in maritime transport of trucks with an average of more than 1000 trucks transported monthly.

South Florida exports boom, creating jobs

 

 

May 05, 2012|By Doreen Hemlock, SunSentinel

 With the U.S. economy recovering slowly, more South Florida companies are turning to sales overseas, fueling record exports and adding jobs.

 South Florida is the only U.S. area whose ports consistently ship more to foreign ports than they bring in. Port Everglades now ranks as Florida's top seaport for exports, U.S. commerce statistics show.

 Associated Aircraft Manufacturing and Sales Inc. of Fort Lauderdale illustrates the export boom. It makes and sells parts for aircraft, including electronic systems for military planes.

Since 2010, the company has grown from 52 to 85 employees and from roughly $25 million to $40 million in yearly revenue, thanks to sales mainly to the Middle East and Asia, Chief Executive Frank Lannon said.

"To export, you have to make the investment to study foreign markets, learn what buyers want and adapt products to meet those needs", Lannon said. "You can't sit and wait for someone to come to you. You have to go out and sell yourself."

 Custom Biologicals of Deerfield Beach grew from eight to 11 employees last year, thanks to sales mainly in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Ecuador. One top-seller: bacteria that help plants grow bigger and faster. The product has been used by growers who set world records for giant pumpkins in the last two years, each pumpkin weighing more than 1810 pounds, said the company's executive vice president, Chuck Baugh. 

Exports now account for roughly 70 percent of Custom Biologicals' sales, up from 53 percent in 2010. Revenue set a record last year and is rising this year too, likely requiring more hiring, Baugh said.

 A weaker U.S. dollar has stoked overseas sales, making U.S. goods cheaper in other countries, exporters said.

 More competitive prices help explain why South Florida seaports and airports shipped a record $69.2 billion in goods to foreign ports last year, or $25.7 billion more than they brought in. South Florida exports jumped 18 percent for the year, faster than the 16 percent gains nationwide, according to Coral Gables-based publisher WorldCity.

 Through February, South Florida exports kept climbing: up 11 percent from a year earlier, slightly faster than the U.S. average, WorldCity said. Among top shipments out: high-tech equipment, including cellphones and computers; heavy equipment for construction; medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Many items are made elsewhere and transit South Florida for sale in Latin America, WorldCity President Ken Roberts said.

 

The Obama administration in 2010 set a goal to double U.S. exports in five years, creating up to 2 million new jobs. Numerous programs are now available to help small- and mid-size companies boost sales overseas.

 

For South Florida businesses looking to increase exports, WorldCity's Roberts and other experts advise:

 

Do your homework. Research specific markets. Study where competitors sell overseas.

 

Talk with people active overseas. Florida's bi-national chambers of commerce, such as the Brazilian-American Chamber, can help.

 

Make a commitment to export. Invest time, money and staff.

 

Set up financing. To get paid, consider requiring payment in advance, or work with lenders to help buyers finance purchases.

 

Evergreen, Crowley Enter Slot-Charter Accord

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor | May 1, 2012 4:52PM GMT

The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

• Container Lines
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• Ports/Terminals
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• Trade Lanes
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• Container Shipping
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• Equipment
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• Central America
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• United States

Evergreen to offer service between Florida, Panama and Costa Rica using two Crowley ships

Evergreen Line and Crowley Latin America Services have filed a slot-charter agreement that will allow Evergreen to provide weekly northbound and southbound service between Florida, Panama and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

The new service for Evergreen will include sailings between Miami; Colon Container Terminal, an Evergreen-owned and operated facility in Panama; and Puerto Limon. Service for Crowley customers is unchanged, with weekly sailings to and from Port Everglades, Fla.; Manzanillo, Panama; Puerto Limon and Santo Tomas, Guatemala.

The new CAM service will commence May 30 northbound and June 14 southbound, using two Crowley container ships.

Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JosephBonney.

 CSMS# 12-000152 - REMINDER: ACE Deployment of Ocean/Rail Manifest - GET READY NOW!

04/27/2012 08:40 AM EDT  (for help with FedSpeak: http://www.NDGrants.com/ )

Attn: Ocean Manifest Users (MVOCCs, NVOCCs, terminal operators, port authorities, software developers, and other entities who receive notifications).

 Take Action Now and Be Prepared!!!

 PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE IN ITS' ENTIRETY.

 If you are not yet filing your ocean manifest data via ACE e-Manifest: Rail and Sea, nor testing to become certified, the time to take action is NOW!

 On September 29, 2012, ACS/AMS EDI Ocean Manifest functionality will be transitioned to ACE as part of the ACE eManifest: Rail and Sea Deployment. When this transition takes place, you will no longer be able transmit or receive data via ACS/AMS. Programming changes to comply with the modified record formats must be made in order to continue filing manifests electronically pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002.

 The ACE Ocean Manifest Implementation Guidelines for CAMIR and X12 can be found at

 http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace_edi_messages/ Please review these guidelines and program accordingly.

 Additional information on the ACE e-Manifest: Rail and Sea deployment including specific record changes can be found at:

 http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/trade_support_network/session_highlights/march_tsdt_seminar/

 NOTE: This deployment impacts not only MVOCCs but also NVOCCs, terminal operators, port authorities and other entities who receive secondary party notifications. If your company is doing business with others who may be impacted by these changes, please direct them to this message.

 The ACE certification testing environment is now available for trade software testing.

 Please contact your Client Representative to begin testing.

 

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Background

 On October 20, 2010, CBP published a Federal Register Notice (FRN), 75 FR 64737, announcing the next release of ACE concerning the transmission of required advance ocean and rail data through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

This notice described changes to functionality that impact ocean carriers.

In the near future, CBP plans to announce, in a Federal Register Notice, that ACE will be the only CBP-approved electronic data interchange (EDI) through which rail and sea manifests may be transmitted.

 This Federal Register Notice, targeted for publication in March 2012, will announce a 6 MONTH timeframe for the transition to ACE and the decommissioning of ACS/AMS Ocean/Rail Manifest and related functionality. The 6 month timeframe will commence from the date of Notice publication in the Federal Register.

 Please NOTE that all software changes MUST be made before the timeframe specified in the upcoming Federal Register Notice.

 Additional information related to these programming changes can be found in the following Cargo System Messaging Service (CSMS) Messages:

 - CSMS 12-000108 ACE Ocean/Rail Manifest Federal Register Notice Published

 - CSMS 12-000085ACE Deployment of Ocean Manifest - Get Ready Now!

 - CSMS 11-000261 Discontinued Use of CAMIR K01 (Edit) Record

 - CSMS 11-000268 Changes to CAMIR of ACE Ocean Manifest

 

- CSMS 11-000304 Updates to CAMIR and X12 Sea and Rail IGs

 

- CSMS 11-000308 Information on ACE e-Manifest: Rail and Sea

 

- CSMS 12-000001 New Arrival Functionality in ACE M1

 

 

 

Please contact your assigned Client Representative to obtain the testing procedures and test guide.

 

The Cargo System Messaging Service will be the primary means of communicating with the trade community on this deployment. For information on how to subscribe, please go to:

 

http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/csms.asp?display_page=1.

 

CBP encourages all rail and sea carriers to apply for a free ACE Portal Account now. The ACE Portal Application is available on-line and may be submitted electronically. The URL for the online application is:

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/ace_app_info/ace_portal_app.ctt/ace_portal_app.pdf

 

Questions related to ACE Protal Applications may be submitted to CBP at CBPCSPO@dhs.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related CSMS No. 12-000082

 

 

 

 

 

 

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