What We're Reading: Trendwatch Week 20

US formally begins process for tariffs on $300B

May 14, 2019 - The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released a proposed list of Chinese imports to face tariffs up to 25%. The 136-page list of products represents $300 billion in value. The list includes a wide range of products affecting nearly every industry. Excluded from the list are pharmaceuticals, some medical goods and rare earth minerals.
Source: Supply Chain Dive

 

Trade battle looks set to roil container shipping

May 14, 2019 - The escalating U.S.-China tariff tensions could curtail growth in trans-Pacific seaborne trade this year if no settlement is reached, and container ships that carry consumer goods likely will be directly affected.
Source: The Wall Street Journal 

 

Latest tariff list is ‘far too great a gamble for the US economy,’ says NRF

May 14, 2019 - The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay after the Trump administration released a list of $300 billion of Chinese goods that will be targeted by additional tariffs of 25 percent. “We support the administration’s efforts to deliver a meaningful trade agreement that levels the playing field for American businesses and workers. But the latest tariff escalation is far too great a gamble for the U.S. economy.” 
Source: American Journal of Transportation

The Department of Commerce identifies entities of national security concern

May 13, 2019 - The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it will add 12 foreign entities and individuals to the Bureau’s Entity List. This list contains the names of foreign parties that are subject to specific license requirements for the export, reexport, and/or in-country transfer of controlled items, ensuring that sensitive technologies do not fall into the hands of those who would threaten U.S. national security or American citizens.
Source: American Journal of Transportation

 

Trump poised to delay auto tariffs amid EU, Japan trade talks

May 15, 2019 - President Donald Trump is poised to delay a decision by up to six months to impose auto tariffs to avoid blowing up negotiations with the EU and Japan and further antagonize allies as he ramps up his trade war with China, according to people close to the discussions.
Source: American Journal of Transportation

 

FMCSA seeks comment on proposed driver age pilot

May 15, 2019 - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) seeks public comment on a proposed pilot program that would allow drivers aged 18 to 20 to drive commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, the agency announced Tuesday in a press release.
Source: Supply Chain Dive


CMA CGM, others join Digital Container Shipping Association bringing carrier count to 9

May 15, 2019 - CMA CGM, Evergreen Line, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Yang Ming joined the Digital Shipping Container Association (DCSA) — an organization formed in April to create digital standards for the ocean shipping industry. These new members bring the number of carriers in the organization to nine.
Source: Supply Chain Dive


Norway and IMO launch GHG reductions project

May 14, 2019 - An international project has been launched to support the IMO's initial strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. GreenVoyage-2050 is a collaboration between IMO and the Government of Norway to demonstrate and test technical solutions for reducing GHG emissions in shipping, and it will run for an initial two-year period. More than 50 countries in 14 sub-regions across the globe are expected to participate, including developed countries and the private sector.
Source: The Maritime Executive


Wind power shipments surge in Canada

May 13, 2019 - The global breakbulk market has witnessed a surge in shipments of wind power components in recent years, a trend that has also gathered momentum in Canada. Transportation providers on both water and land have been engaged in shipping components manufactured notably in Europe and domestic sources. And there is no sign of weakening demand for the immediate future, although sometimes opposition surfaces from local residents impacted by a wind power project.
Source: American Journal of Transportation