Newsletter – March 20, 2018

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

IATA e-DGD: “a powerful step forward”

source: aircargonew.net

IATA has adopted e-Dangerous Goods Declaration (e-DGD) standards at the World Cargo Symposium taking place in Dallas, Texas on March 13-15.

An electronic approach to managing the IATA Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD), the e-DGD leverages industry initiatives to digitise data and embrace data-sharing platform principles, the association said. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Maersk changes stowage plans after deadly blaze

source: lloydsloadinglist.com

Maersk Line is to stop stowing dangerous cargo close to a ship’s accommodation block and engine casing until it is established what caused a devastating fire on the 15,262 teu Maersk Honam, which cost the lives of five crew members. Read more here.

Dramatic boxship collision in Karachi caught on video

source: splash247.com

A video taken by a port worker has gone viral on social media, showing the remarkable moment when 8,000 teu Hapag Lloyd Boxship Tolten scraped the side of 6,350 teu Hamburg Bay yesterday at South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT) in Karachi. Read more here

DP World buys giant Mumbai warehousing company

source: splash247.com

Dubai terminal operator DP World and Indian sovereign weatlh fund National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) are paying $400m to buy Continental Warehousing Corp (Nhava Sheva). Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CP Rail pays CEO Creel $20 million, including $10 million in options

source: canadianshipper.com

Calgary, AB — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says it paid CEO Keith Creel $20.1 million last year, including $10.5 million in stock options.

That’s more than double his compensation in 2016 of $8.9 million when he was president and chief operating officer. He took over the top job as of Jan. 31, 2017, when Hunter Harrison abruptly left the railroad and was later hired by U.S. railroad CSX. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Uber suspends self driving car tests in Toronto, other centres, after fatality

source: canadianshipper.com

Uber Technologies Inc. has suspended all of its self-driving vehicle testing —including a program in Toronto —after what is believed to be the first fatal pedestrian crash involving autonomous vehicles.

Uber’s testing was halted after police in a Phoenix suburb said one of its self-driving vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian overnight Sunday. Read more here.

Hong Kong plea: US aluminum tariff unnecessary and unfair to HK

source: shippingazette.com

HONG KONG Commerce Secretary Edward Yau has met with US Consul General Kurt Tong to plead that the territory should be spared the tariff on its aluminum exports to the United States.

“We urge the US administration to exclude Hong Kong from its plan to raise tariff on the import of aluminum products from Hong Kong as we consider such measures unilateral, discriminatory and based on unfounded allegations,” said Mr Yau.

Noting that the US had a surplus of US$32.5 billion in merchandise trade with Hong Kong in 2017, making it the economy with which the US has the highest trade surplus, Mr Yau said Hong Kong exports only a small volume of the covered aluminum goods to the US.

“These minimal exports would by no means threaten the US’ national security or the viability of the US domestic industries. The proposed tariff is totally unjustified.

The Permanent Representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China to the World Trade Organisation also registered Hong Kong’s grave concern about the proposed tariffs at the General Council Meeting of the WTO on March 7. [Excertped from shippingazette.com]