Agricultural Products News

IMO Urges Governments to Allow Crew Changes

United Nations shipping agency the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has echoed industry calls for governments to grant special travel exemptions to seafarers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.In a Circular Letter (link) issued on Monday, the IMO distributed a series of recommendations for governments and relevant national authorities, proposed by a broad cross-section of global industry associations representing the maritime transportation sector.The Circular Letter specifically calls on governments to designate professional seafarers and marine personnel…

Oakland Container Volumes Down 1.8% in 2019

The container ship facility located in the San Francisco Bay, Port of Oakland 2019 container volume decreased 1.8 percent from 2018. The Port attributed the decline to fewer empty containers but said loaded import and export containers were at a record high.Oakland handled the equivalent of 2.5 million 20-foot containers (TEUs) in 2019 versus 2.55 million in 2018. The Port attributed the dip to a 13 percent drop in empty container handling.On the other hand, export volume increased 3.7 percent last year, the Port said. Imports were up 1 percent.

Oakland Box Volumes Down 1.8% in 2019

Container volumes at the Port of Oakland decreased 1.8% in 2019, new data shows.The port attributed the decline to fewer empty containers but said loaded import and export containers were at a record high.Oakland handled the equivalent of 2.5 million 20-foot containers (TEUs) in 2019 versus 2.55 million in 2018. The port attributed the dip to a 13% drop in empty container handling.Export volume increased 3.7% last year, and imports were up 1%, the port said. As a result, the port set a record for loaded containers in 2019 with 1.9 million TEUs.

Maersk Delivers Chillies from Varanasi to UAE

Maersk, an integrated logistics company, said it has delivered its first end-to-end shipment of freshly produced green chillies from Varanasi to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE), within a duration of nine days.The Danish business conglomerate worked closely with Agricultural and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA) of India, the apex organization under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, responsible for the export promotion of agricultural products, to enable…

China Hoping for Expedited US Trade Agreement

China said on Monday that it hoped to make a trade deal with the United States as soon as possible, amid intense discussions before fresh U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports are due to kick in at the end of the week.Beijing hopes it can reach a trade agreement with the United States that satisfies both sides, Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin told reporters on Monday."On the question of China-U.S. trade talks and negotiations, we wish that both sides can, on the foundation of equality and mutual respect…

Dachser Opens Argentina, Chile Offices

Due to the continuous growth of its South American operations, global logistics provider Dachser recently relocated both its Buenos Aires, Argentina regional office as well as its Santiago, Chile regional office to larger facilities.“The business in both Argentina and Chile is expanding and we simply outgrew our offices in these countries. We needed more employees, equipment and space to properly handle the business we have today as well as prepare for the growth we anticipate in these markets,” said Guido Gries, Managing Director Dachser Americas.

Port of Vancouver USA by the Numbers

The Port of Vancouver USA supported more than 24,000 jobs in the region in 2018, an increase of nearly 4,000 jobs since 2014, according to an independent analysis by Martin Associates. The study calculated the economic benefits tied to the port’s marine and industrial activities and was an update to the analysis conducted by the firm in 2014. The study found that 24,068 total jobs were supported by the port in 2018, including 3,910 direct jobs at port facilities, making the port, along with its tenants, the second largest employer in Clark County.

Oakland Port Refrigerated Exports Jump 20%

The Port of Oakland’s refrigerated exports have jumped 20% in past year. The Port said it handled 119,756 20-foot containers of refrigerated exports from August 2018 through July 2019. That was up from 99,740 in the same period a year ago."The figures reinforce Oakland’s position as the largest exporter of refrigerated cargo in containers among U.S. ports," said a press release from the container ship facility located in Oakland, California, in the San Francisco Bay.“Our business partners are investing to meet increased overseas demand for U.S.

China Unveils Retaliatory Tariffs as Dispute Escalates

China unveiled on Friday retaliatory tariffs against about $75 billion worth of U.S. goods, putting an additional 10% on top of existing rates in the latest tit-for-tat exchange in a protracted dispute between the world's top two economies.The latest salvo from China comes after the United States unveiled tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, including consumer electronics, scheduled to go into effect in two stages on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15.China's commerce ministry said in a statement it would impose additional tariffs of 5% or 10% on a total of 5…

Trade Fears Drag Stocks, Yuan at 10-Year Low

NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world fell hard on Monday on fears that China's willingness to let the yuan slide in response to the latest U.S. tariff threat could further aggravate trade-related tensions between the world's two largest economies.China on Monday let the yuan tumble beyond the 7-per-dollar level for the first time in more than a decade, in a sign Beijing might be willing to tolerate further currency weakness after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed last week to impose 10% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of Chinese imports from Sept.

Beijing: U.S.-China Trade Talks 'constructive'

U.S. and Chinese negotiators wrapped up a brief round of trade talks on Wednesday that Beijing described as "constructive", including discussion of further purchases of American farm goods and an agreement to reconvene in September.The first face-to-face trade talks since a ceasefire was agreed last month amounted to a working dinner on Tuesday at Shanghai's historic Fairmont Peace Hotel and a half-day meeting on Wednesday, before U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew out."Both sides…

Port of Oakland Exports Up with Asian Help

The San Francisco Bay container ship facility Port of Oakland said that  its containerized export volume  increased in the first half of 2019 thanks to China’s neighbors.Port data released today showed double-digit export volume percentage increases through June 30 to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Trade with those three nations alone offset a 17 percent drop in exports to China, the Port said.Exports to China have dropped by the equivalent of 14,000 20-foot cargo containers this year, the Port said. China is Oakland’s largest trading partner.

Dutch Seaports Hit Record Volumes

Dutch seaports processed a record volume of goods in 2018 as the throughput of containers increased the most, reported the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the total volume of incoming and outgoing cargo shipments to and from Dutch seaports reached a historic high of almost 605 million tonnes in 2018."This is an increase of over 1.5 percent relative to 2017. At 4.5 percent, container transhipment saw the highest increase," CBS said.Two-thirds of cargo handling in Dutch seaports consisted of unloaded goods in 2018.

Port of Oakland Concerned with China Trade War

Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle is sounding an alarm over the trade war with China. The veteran maritime leader this week warned that tariffs imposed by both sides threaten the U.S. economy. He added that trade barriers could dry up his customers’ access to a major export market.“We remain concerned about the impact that tariffs will have on the health of our economy,” the Executive Director wrote in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “To the extent that other countries are stepping in to provide goods that are exported by U.S.

MSC to Boost Costa Rican's Export

Swiss-based shipping line MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is improving trade links between Costa Rica and northern Europe by adding a new direct call from the Port of Moin.The container shipping that operates in all major ports of the world said in a press release that MSC Katya R. has become the largest vessel to call Moin Terminal in Costa Rica, launching a new era in cargo shipping for the port and for exporters using its facilities.MSC’s service will bring larger container…

Abadan Ports Exports Up 56% in 2018

Abadan, Arvandankar and Choabdeh ports experienced an increase of 56% in 2018, says Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).Abadan ports and maritime management announced that the export of goods from the three ports of Abadan in the past year has shown a  growing trend.According to the information system, the exports from these ports increased by 39.471 tons in the same period last year which shows a growth of 56.3% in exports, it said.Agricultural products, meat and meat products…

China Jan Soybean Imports from U.S. Double vs Dec

China's imports of U.S. soybeans nearly doubled in January from the previous month as cargoes booked after a Sino-U.S. trade truce arrived in the world's top oilseed importer, according to Chinese customs data published late on Monday.China brought in 135,814 tonnes of U.S. soybeans in January, up 95 percent from 69,298 tonnes in December. But the figure was still down 99.7 percent from 5.82 million tonnes a year earlier as Beijing's hefty tariffs on American shipments curbed purchases.China typically buys from the United States in the last quarter and first couple of months of the year…

Abadan Ports Records 47% Growth in Exports

Iran's Director of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Abada, Reza Safari,  announced a 47% increase in exports from Abadan, Arvandkenar and Chouebdeh Ports.During the last 10 months of this year, exports of goods and commodities from Abadan ports has increased by 47%, Reza said.The export volume of goods and commodities in the last 10 months of this year was 27 thousand 735 tons more than in the same period last year.Agricultural products, household appliances and light products, meat and meat products are among the most exported items from the three ports of Abadan, Arvandkenar and Chouebdeh.

Taiwan's Evergreen Opens Four New Offices in Latin America

Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company  Evergreen Marine Corp. is expanding its operations into Central and South America this year following the recent opening of four new agency offices in the region."In view of the growth potential in Latin American trade, Evergreen Line is continuing to establish its own offices at main service locations in the region. The move will strengthen the effectiveness of the line’s operations, improve its capability to react to market opportunities…

Evergreen Opens Four Offices in Latin America

In view of the growth potential in Latin American trade, Evergreen Line is continuing to establish its own offices at main service locations in the region. Evergreen Line has opened its own agency in Colombia following the establishments of other offices in Peru, Chile and Mexico over the past few months. In setting up these offices Evergreen confirms its continued commitment to serving the trade and economy of Latin American west coast region. The dedicated personnel at these locations will have responsibility for local marketing and sales…

ATCO Buys 40% Stake in South American Port

Calgary-based natural gas, electrical and real estate giant ATCO is getting into the transportation business after buying a 40-per-cent stake in a South American port operator Neltume Ports for about CAD$450 million (USD$340 million).Neltume Ports, a subsidiary of Ultramar, operates in 16 port facilities and three stevedoring businesses primarily located in Chile and Uruguay. “This acquisition represents an important milestone in the execution of ATCO’s long-term strategy to diversify…

Southern Ports are Getting with The Program…

The In-transit cold treatment program, that is! The dimensions of The Program are remarkable. The Reefer Shipping Market and Forecast 2017/18 produced by Drewry calculated that 79 percent of perishable cargo moved in refrigerated containers in 2016 and only 21 percent on reefer ships. By 2021, reefer containers will carry 85 percent of perishable products, while reefer cargo will reach 134 million tons, Drewry study predicts. One reason for the growth of reefer cargo in containers is the remarkable expansion of the USDA sponsored In-Transit Cold Treatment Pilot program.

China to Impose 25% Tariffs on 659 US Goods

China will impose additional 25 percent tariffs on 659 U.S. goods worth $50 billion in response to the U.S. announcement that it will levy tariffs on Chinese imports, the Chinese commerce ministry said.Tariffs on $34 billion of U.S. goods including agricultural products such as soybeans will take effect from July 6, the ministry said. Soybeans are China's biggest import from the United States by value.The tariffs will also be applied to autos and aquatic products, the ministry said.The list of 659 U.S.

Mexico Slaps Tariffs on US Steel, Agricultural Products

Mexico will impose tariffs of 15 percent to 25 percent on U.S. steel products and on some agricultural goods, the Mexican economy ministry said on Tuesday, after pledging to retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump's metals tariffs.The ministry published a list of new tariffs in the government's official gazette, which included a 20 percent tariff on U.S.

Sealand Launches GOEX service from New Orleans Port

Sealand, the Intra-Americas regional ocean carrier of the Maersk Group, will operate a new direct, all-water service, the Gulf Ocean Express (GOEX) service, that connects Central America, Panama and Columbia to and from the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA). The Sealand Tiger cargo vessel makes its inaugural call for the GOEX service at Port NOLA Friday, April 20. The service will call at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal operated by New Orleans Terminal. The service will include two Sealand vessels and one MSC vessel.

China Importers Hope to Sell U.S. Cargoes After Tariff Move

Chinese importers expecting cargoes of U.S. commodities from beef to propane said they hope to sell the goods to South Korea or Japan after Beijing's decision to slap extra tariffs on a swathe of items from agricultural products to chemicals. Beijing on Wednesday hit back against the Trump administration's plans to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods, retaliating with a list of similar duties on key U.S. imports including soybeans, planes, cars, whiskey and chemicals. The speed of China's move stunned financial markets.