ILA, USMX Negotiations Continue – Last month the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) agreed to extend their contract expiration date for 90 days to December 29th. This week, negotiations continued under the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). A number of major issues are currently being reviewed.
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U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement – A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Panama is scheduled to go into effect on October 31st. The FTA will reduce or eliminate tariffs on U.S. exports and provide access to Panama’s services industry.
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Cargo Cyclists Could Replace Trucks in Europe – The European Union (EU) is funding a pilot project called CycleLogistics. The project aims to reduce energy used by urban freight transport. With modest electrical assistance, cargo cycles can carry up to 550 lbs at a time.
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Laos Joins WTO – After years of negotiations, Laos became one of the newest members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) this week. Laos is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies and is promising for investors as manufacturing is on the rise.
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