Import/Export

IMPORT & EXPORT

A Free-Trade Agreement Between the U.S. and Europe Waiting in the Wings

By Deborah Belgum | May 18, 2017

Trade experts were expecting a free-trade agreement between the United States and Europe to be signed, sealed and delivered by the time Barack Obama left the White House. But things didn’t turn out as planned as the political winds in Europe and the United States shifted recently from pro free trade to increased protectionism.

Steady Increase in Merchandise Arriving at U.S. Ports for the Holidays

As the holiday season approaches, shipping import volumes at the nation’s leading ports are ramping up rapidly.

Industry Voices: Five Things to Look for in a Global Freight Tracking System

The days of calling your ocean freight forwarder every time you need information about your cargo should be long gone. A good global freight-tracking system can save you hours on the phone and help boost your business’s productivity.

Longshore Workers and Employers Meet for Early Talks on Contract Extension

After a disastrous holiday season two years ago when many ships couldn’t unload their cargo on time at West Coast ports, longshore workers and their employers are trying to head off any similar disaster.

LA Blue Jeans Manufacturers Moving to Mexico to Take Advantage of Free Trade

With high-priced blue jeans made in Los Angeles taking a beating in the market, manufacturers facing rising wages in California are amping up their production of premium jeans in Mexico.

Hanjin Bankruptcy Fiasco Still Hurting Apparel Importers

Sitting on the water somewhere between here and Asia are 17 containers of private-label menswear valued at around $1.5 million that Pacific Textiles & Sourcing in Los Angeles is importing from Pakistan.

Container Imports Inch Up for the Holiday Season

Imports coming through the nation's ports up slightly over last year.

Port of Long Beach Names New Interim Director

The Port of Long Beach is looking for a new chief executive after Jon Slangerup resigned on Sept. 8 to become chairman and chief executive of an aviation technology company in Canada.

Ships from China and Vietnam Add Route to Port of Oakland

Starting in November, three Asian shipping lines will be establishing routes from Asia to the Port of Oakland.

Ex-CBP Apparel and Textiles Chief Janet Labuda Hired at FormerFedsGroup

For years, Janet Labuda was known as the government’s top dog when it came to enforcing apparel and textile import laws and finding counterfeit goods.

Hanjin Shipping Bankruptcy Creating Chassis Problems at LA Ports

Cargo-container ships owned by bankrupt Hanjin Shipping have been arriving at the Long Beach/Los Angeles port complex this week after a U.S. bankruptcy judge cleared the way for vessels to dock without being seized by creditors.

Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership Dead on Arrival?

With all the political rhetoric flying during an election year, apparel and textile experts are wondering whether the Trans-Pacific Partnership has any chance of being approved by Congress before a new president takes office in January.

Hanjin Shipping Bankruptcy Causes Havoc at LA Ports

Importers trying to extract merchandise from Hanjin Shipping Co. vessels docked at LA’s two ports were being told to pay $400 to $800 extra to retrieve their containers.

Thousands of Fake Ferragamo Shoes Seized at LA Ports

Nearly 8,000 pairs of shoes bearing fake “Salvatore Ferragamo” labels recently were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

West Coast Longshore Workers Agree to Talk About a Contract Extension

With the goal of keeping the West Coast ports from being hit with another labor snafu down the road, longshore workers and their port employers have agreed to discuss extending the current labor contract that ends in 2019.