Union vs. union dispute stalls West Coast port labor talks
A dispute between two unions over which workers get certain jobs at a cargo-handling terminal at the Port of Seattle is holding up labor talks between West Coast dockworkers and their employers.
Shipping industry officials had hoped the talks, which began in May, would have concluded around now. Instead, officials say the discussions have stalled for about three months after dockworkers declined to discuss major contract issues pending resolution of the dispute at Seattle.
The Seattle dispute pits the International Longshore and Warehouse Union against the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The Wall Street Journal
India’s foreign minister touches down in Moscow for key trade talks
India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar touched down in Moscow this morning for talks with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov as trading ties between the two giant nations grow dramatically.
“The talks will focus on the trade and investments, transport and logistics, the use of national currencies in mutual settlements, as well as promising projects in the energy sector, especially in the Arctic shelf and the Russian Far East,” India’s external affairs ministry said.
Splash 24/7
Shipping announcements coming out thick and fast at COP27
Shipping announcements came thick and fast yesterday from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, location for this year’s United Nations-convened COP27 climate conference.
Grabbing the most headlines was the Green Shipping Challenge, launched by the US and Norway, creating a platform for around 40 commitments to accelerate ship decarbonisation, with US presidential envoy for climate John Kerry and Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre on hand for the launch.
Splash 24/7
South Korean shipbuilders in dilemma as Vietnamese welders found ineligible
Delivery of new ships from South Korea is poised to meet considerable delay with shipyards facing a severe shortage of manpower as at least 1,100 Vietnamese welders are barred to enter Seoul due to carrying forged documents.
Shipyard owners now fear they might have to pay penalties for delayed delivery of vessels, in the absence of required Vietnamese workers who have 41% shares of welders in the Korean shipbuilding industry.
Container News
EU warns US of potential retaliation in green subsidies dispute
The European Union called on the US to amend certain tax benefits contained in recently-enacted green legislation given what it called their discriminatory nature, and warned of potential retaliation.
The bloc wants Washington to remove discriminatory content and production requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act, and to receive the same treatment as other US trading partners.
It also called for more transparency in the tax credits granted by the law, and to ensure that the subsidies don’t create adverse effects, according to a document submitted to the US late on Friday.
AJOT
Machinist union members approve revised railroad labor deal
Members of a labor union for machinists narrowly approved an agreement on wages and work conditions with large freight railroads, after rejecting an earlier proposal.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19 said Saturday that its members voted to ratify a revised agreement that its leaders had negotiated with the railroads. The IAM members had voted to reject the original contract on Sept. 14, a day before the White House brokered a deal between the companies and three other unions.
The Wall Street Journal
CN analysis: Indian major ports face cooling container volumes amid export pressure
According to new port data obtained by Container News, the flow of containers in and out of major Indian ports is slowing down amid the downturn in export trade.
Total container traffic out of 12 major/government ports last month slipped to 893,000 TEUs from 944,000 TEUs a year earlier, registering a 5.4% decrease. On a month-on-month basis, volumes were essentially flat, with 892,000 TEUs reported in September.
Container News
US chip-gear makers told to wait for relief from China curbs
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo had a sobering message for US makers of chipmaking equipment this week: you’ll need to wait as long as nine months before Washington can reach an accord with US allies over strict new rules aimed at restricting China’s access to certain technologies.
The US is working on an agreement that would make companies in the Netherlands and Japan -- home to some of the biggest makers of chipmaking gear -- subject to limits on sales of such equipment to China. US companies are already bound by the export controls, which they say will cost them billions of dollars in revenue even as their main competitors in Europe and Japan face fewer limits on China sales.
AJOT
