U.S. Gives Nigeria an Ultimatum – After inspecting the security level at Nigerian ports, the United States has given Nigeria a 90-day ultimatum to adhere to the letter of the International Ships and Ports-facility Security (ISPS) Code, or face sanctions. The code was implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after the September 11 attacks. The Nigerian federal government had begun structured efforts to comply with the code.
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World’s Biggest Shipping Alliance – Maersk line, MSC Mediterranean shipping and CMA CGM, three of the world’s biggest shipping lines, have agreed to form an operating alliance. Together the group accounts for 40% of global container capacity. The alliance requires approval from European Union (EU) competition authorities as well as regulators in other countries such as the U.S., China and Brazil. The groups aim to offer sailings on each other’s ships via a joint operating center by the second quarter of 2014.
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U.S. Deploys Pre-Inspection Pilot for Cross-Border Trucking – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Canada Border Services Agency and Public Safety Canada have begun the first phase of a truck cargo pre-inspection program at the Pacific Highway crossing in Blaine, WA. The pilot program’s first phase is designed as a “proof of concept” to test the viability of joint U.S.-Canada procedures.
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Judge Throws Out Port of Portland Ruling – On Monday Federal Judge Michael Mosman threw out a ruling that had awarded two Port of Portland jobs to union electricians instead of longshoremen. The judge declared that the National Labor Relations Board had exceeded its authority by awarding the jobs to union electricians. The issue has been reopened.
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