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Newsletter – March 9, 2020
AIR FREIGHT UPDATES
Alitalia To Temporarily Suspend Milan Malpensa Operations
simpleflying.comAlitalia is suspending all operations at Milan Malpensa while limiting Milan Linate to domestic services, as the Italian coronavirus outbreak continues. The announcement was made on Sunday by the Italian flag carrier. The northern Lombardy region of Italy is experiencing a high number of coronavirus cases. Read more here.
Oman bans paper air waybills
theloadstar.comFrom 1 April, Oman will no longer accept paper air waybills. As part of the country’s e-policy, all AWB data must be submitted electronically. The move is part of an attempt to help facilitate and develop Customs services. The Royal Oman Police urged all logistics, transport and handling companies to file within Oman’s electronic Bayan system, according to Times of Oman. Please read more.
OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES
LA-LB ports face truck chassis shortage due to work shift cancellations
seanews.com
CONTAINER yards in southern California are becoming chock full of empties that have nowhere to go, raising the prospect of a shortage of chassis since beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) are struggling to return empty containers to terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Read more here.
GROUND AND AIR FREIGHT UPDATES
Mexican lawmakers continue to debate banning double tractor-trailers
freightwaves.com
Mexican lawmakers argued dueling ideas concerning the safety of dual-trailer trucks this week in Mexico City.
A forum on dual-trailer trucks, to discuss the economic benefits and road safety, was held in Mexico’s Senate Wednesday through Friday. The debate was convened by a Senate transport and communications committee. Read more here.
Trucking volumes spike despite— because of—coronavirus concerns
freightwaves.com
People have been clearing store shelves in parts of the country as if they were preparing for a zombie apocalypse this past week. This mass purchasing—or threat thereof—has spiked trucking volumes in the U.S. as the national Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) increased 9.3% last week to hit a level normally only seen around a holiday period in the summer or winter with a value above 10,800. Read more here.
CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES
CIFFA Participates in 40-Association Call on COVID-19 Effects for Canadian Business, Economy
ciffa.comCIFFA was one of some 40 associations that participated in a conference call on March 4 on the COVID-19 virus. The call was organized by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.Following the call, a letter was sent to Minister Chrystia Freeland. The letter expresses the Chamber’s continued interest in working with her and the cabinet committee appointed to oversee communications and actions around COVID-19 and its effects upon Canada going forward. Read the letter here.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES
US toughens Customs rules for e-commerce sales to crack down on counterfeit goods
theloadstar.comThe US is to step up the fight against the shipment of counterfeit goods, particularly those sold through e-commerce platforms.Last month, President Trump issued a new executive order that allocated more federal funds to help crack down on such sales, comprising four elements that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) needs to address, according to an advisory note from US law firm Arent Fox. Read more here.
Ransomware hackers may come for owner-operators next
freightwaves.comThe transportation industry was slow-moving toward fast-tech. But today, freight tech has revolutionized the brokerage business through digital freight matching, and commercial trucks commonly travel with dashcams, electronic logging devices (ELDs) and trailer trackers. After tech overcame initial resistance, its bright side became evident: More efficiency and visibility benefit both consumers and the bottom line. Read more here.