Drayage Strike at Port Klang – At Malaysia’s key gateway of Port Klang, non-union truck drivers are protesting delays and gate charges at container depots located outside the port. The drivers claim their earnings are limited because depot delays restrict drayage trips to one or two per day. The strike is preventing drayage movement of containers in and out of terminals.
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China and South Korea Discuss Free Trade Pact – China and South Korea will begin discussing the terms of a free trade agreement this month. Since a free trade agreement will be strategic from both economic and political standpoints, both countries are interested in establishing the accord as soon as possible. The two countries’ goal is to lift trade to $300 billion by 2016.
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Cotton Export Ban Lifted – Last month Indian authorities imposed a restriction on cotton exports after record overseas sales caused concern about domestic supplies. As the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of cotton, the government justified the ban by saying that India needed to protect supplies for its own cotton mills. Trade Minister Anand Sharma has stated that registration for cotton exports will be allowed, but will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis.
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Clean-Air Program for Ships at Port of Los Angeles – The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) is a clean-air program for vessels that is projected to significantly reduce harmful emissions such as sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and diesel particulate matter. The Port of LA is the first US port to adopt this program; however, 14 European ports have already embraced it. Under the ESI, vessel operators are rewarded for implementing voluntary engine, fuel and technology enhancements that reduce vessel emissions beyond the regulatory standards.
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