Major West Coast Cargo Diversion Called ‘Unlikely’ – After the Panama Canal expansion scheduled for 2014, many have seen the East and Gulf Coast ports taking a large share of cargo that traditionally arrived in Los Angeles, Long Beach and other West Coast ports. However, some industry experts are now arguing that a massive West Coast exodus is unlikely due to the longer transit time and potentially marginal cost savings on all water routes.
Read more from DC Velocity.
Shipping Companies Using Armed Guards Against Pirates – Last year marked a record number of maritime pirate attacks costing $2.4 billion. In the next year and a half, 20 percent of ships will employ armed guards in and around the Gulf of Aden. Currently, only 12 percent of vessels use armed security.
Read more from Bloomberg.
Mississippi River Flooding Impacts Shipments – Portions of the Mississippi River that act as a major transportation corridor for U.S. grain exports have reopened. Record flooding in the region has displaced thousands of people in the region while dredging efforts continue to improve the situation.
Read more from the JOC.
