IMPORT & EXPORT
April Showers Bring May Flowers
By Beth Hughes, AAFA Vice President, Trade and Customs Policy | May 9, 2024
Just last month, representatives Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) introduced the Pink Tariffs Study Act. This bill examines how the U.S. tariff system creates a gender bias, and we trust it will be eye-opening for their fellow legislators.
Ruby Has Continues Growth With Acquisition of Boss Logistics
Ruby Has announced earlier this month that it has acquired the e-commerce fulfillment company Boss Logistics. Founded in 2011, Ruby Has provides e-commerce fulfillment services to over 400 direct-to-consumer brands in six states, integrating orders, storing inventory in secure distribution centers, packaging inventory to the requested specifications and shipping worldwide.
Port of Los Angeles, Oakland Report Record Cargo Surge
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Oakland both reported a record cargo surge in March.
Traffic Congestion at Ports of L.A. and Long Beach at High Levels
Cargo-ship congestion at California ports and those located around the United States is at some of the highest levels in years due to supply-chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help break up the congestion, on Feb. 1 the Port of Los Angeles started an incentive program to move trucks more efficiently and at a faster pace through its terminals, said Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director.
Year in Review: U.S. Approves USMCA Treaty, China Turmoil Heats Up
The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement was signed into law in the United States, but the adoption of a major trade treaty did not mean smooth sailing for global trade, as U.S. trade disagreements with China increasingly dominated headlines.
Port Traffic Up, Port Officials Warn of Trade Imbalance
The Port of Los Angeles announced that October ranked as the busiest month in its 114-year history. A surge of container traffic also was experienced last month in Northern California, according to a statement released by the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif.
Moving Toward Greener Freight and Logistics, Flexport Seeks to Offset Carbon
For technology-focused freight forwarder Flexport, creating a more streamlined approach to global trade has been the company’s goal since the introduction of its cloud software and data-analytics platform in 2013.
AAFA and Others Petition Against Forced-Labor Bill
After the United States House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act on Sept. 22, the American Apparel and Footwear Association and other major apparel trade groups made a joint statement urging Congress to take a different path in its efforts to protect the human rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China’s Xinjiang region.
AAFA’s Lamar Testified on Stopping Chinese Forced Labor
Steve Lamar, the president and chief executive officer of the trade group American Apparel & Footwear Association, testified Sept. 17 on steps American fashion-and-apparel companies can take to stop forced labor in China’s Xinjiang province.
U.S. Apparel Trade Associations Condemn Forced Labor in China
Leading apparel trade associations in the United States made a joint statement July 23 condemning forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China. The group also stressed that it is a priority to guarantee that products made by forced labor do not appear in U.S. supply chains.
USMCA Takes Effect, Replaces NAFTA
As a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was implemented July 1.
Supply-Chain Executives Forecast How Technology Amid the Pandemic Can Transform Businesses
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the fashion business upside down and is putting supply chains through a giant stress test, said Neil Soni, vice president of business development and strategy for Omnichain, a Los Angeles–headquartered supply-chain company.
Certain Tariffs to Receive 90-Day Postponement Due to Pandemic
Importers faced with financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic can request a 90-day deferment in payments on certain duties, taxes and fees, according to an executive order signed by President Trump on April 18.
March Volumes Decrease at Major California Ports, but Optimism Abounds
Due to a weak global-trade market resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, loaded container volume declined from 2019 totals during March at the Port of Oakland.
Retail Trade Groups Say Dump Chinese Import Tariffs
On March 19, members of the retail industry’s leading trade groups joined in a letter asking President Trump to suspend U.S. tariffs in place on Chinese imports. The tariff suspension would serve as a tool to blunt the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic, they said.
Port of Oakland, Oakland International Airport, Deemed Essential and Will Remain Open
As regions of Northern California, including six Bay Area counties, prepared for shelter-in-place orders in response to COVID-19, the Port of Oakland announced on March 16 that it would remain open for business.