TSA encourages air shippers to join cargo screening program
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced August 14 it would be making changes to its Certified Cargo Screening Program for products shipped via air.
After October 31, 2023, air cargo shipments that previously qualified as Impractical to Screen (ITS) will be required to be accepted into the CCSP, or must be screened by the air carrier. The TSA said it will work with program participants so they can carry out security checks on air cargo shipments before they are accepted by an air carrier, so long as they abide by the government’s chain-of-custody requirements, reducing the need for additional security screenings.
Supply Chain Brain
Brands and retailers must adjust processes in response to Canada’s Supply Chain Act
For years, human rights advocates warned that Canada was falling behind in its obligation to combat modern slavery in global supply chains, contending that the country had become a “dumping ground” for goods tainted by forced labor that other countries had rejected. Now Canada is taking action to correct that.
This spring, the country passed Bill S-211, officially known as the “Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.” Effective on Jan. 1, 2024, the law places the responsibility on brands, retailers, and importers to identify and eliminate human rights violations within their supplier networks.
The bill aligns Canada with the growing global trend of legislation aimed at eradicating modern slavery and promoting social sustainability. By some measures, it may be the most sweeping supply chain due diligence law in North America, even more so than the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Where the UFLPA specifically targets goods produced in China’s Xinjiang region, Bill S-211 focuses on supply chain due diligence obligations for businesses operating in Canada, irrespective of the origin of goods.
Yahoo! Life
China resumes Australian barley trade after scrapping tariffs
China has started booking cargoes of Australian barley after Beijing scrapped onerous tariffs on the trade earlier in August.
Traders have booked at least four cargoes of Australian grain for shipping from September to October, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Beijing removed the import tariffs on August 5 citing changes in the Chinese market, signaling improving ties between the trading partners.
Supply Chain Brain
Retailers on track to enjoy “a shipper’s market” this peak season
Companies that move their goods via containers are on track to enjoy “a shipper’s market” this peak season as container rates stabilized to a plateau in July after a series of volatile jumps in May and June, according to the “August Container Market Forecaster” report from Container xChange.
Despite ongoing market fluctuations, the firm’s Container Price Sentiment Index (xCPSI) exhibited resilience in July as compared to the month of June, the Hamburg-based online container logistics platform said. That growth in sentiment underscores the industry's anticipation of an imminent turnaround, contributing a sense of positivity to the landscape, Container xChange said.
The firm says its xCPSI measurement distills a monthly survey of 2,570 supply chain professionals into a quantitative measure providing insight into near-future expectations for the container market dynamics.
DC Velocity
Today In Energy: Higher energy prices push United States energy trade with Canada to record-high value
In 2022, the value of energy trade between the United States and Canada surpassed the previous 2008 record high on the back of high commodity prices, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By volume, 2022 energy trade between the two countries remained nearly unchanged from 2021. However, in 2022, because energy prices were high, energy trade between the United States and Canada totaled $190 billion when adjusted for inflation, compared with $134 billion in 2021 and $178 billion in 2008. Energy trade value is the combined value of energy imports and exports between two countries. Trade value is driven by both commodity prices and the commodity volumes imported and exported.
The value of U.S. exports to Canada and U.S. imports from Canada increased by a combined 41% in 2022, but the value of trade was much higher for U.S. imports from Canada. The value of U.S. energy imports from Canada totaled $156.3 billion when adjusted for inflation, and the inflation-adjusted value of U.S. energy exports to Canada was $33.8 billion.
AJOT
Port of Long Beach awarded $2.72 million security grant
The Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $2.72 million grant aimed at enhancing security at the Port of Long Beach to ensure the safe and efficient movement of cargo in the wake of an emergency.
As a recipient of the agency’s Port Security Grant Program, the Port of Long Beach will use the funding to modernize its core security network, strengthen existing security systems and enhance resiliency and business continuity in the event of a disaster.
Officials welcomed the grant announcement as an opportunity to improve the Port’s ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from large-scale emergencies.
AJOT
Indonesia extends timeline for carmakers to qualify for EV credits
Indonesia announced August 10 it would give car manufacturers two more years to qualify for electric vehicle incentive programs.
Under the revised investment rule, automakers will need to commit to producing at least 40% of the content of EVs in Indonesia by 2026 to qualify for government-sponsored incentives, two years later than the original target date.
Before Indonesia introduced this new measure, only two manufacturers — Wuling Motors and Hyundai — had moved enough of their production to the country to qualify for full incentives, according to Reuters. Both organizations have factories outside of Jakarta and lead the nation's automotive market in EV sales.
Supply Chain Brain
PSA BDP, Dow India partner to create zero-emission transport corridor in Nhava Sheva
PSA BDP, a supply chain, transportation and logistics solutions provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dow Chemical International (Dow India) to launch a first-of-its-kind sustainable transportation solution in India.
Beginning in 2024, PSA BDP will deploy electric vehicles for import and export container trucking through PSA International's Mumbai, Ameya, and other terminals to Dow India's facilities.
Container News
