The aftermath of the Beirut Explosion
Photo Courtesy of BBC News Yesterday in Lebanon, there was a giant warehouse explosion within the port of Beirut. It has been reported the cause was by ammonium nitrate that has been in their warehouse since 2013 after it was unloaded from an impounded ship. The explosion has devastated Beirut’s port area. If you have […]
The Importance of International Freight Forwarders
International freight forwarding is something I never had much knowledge in. When Scott first hired me, I figured Jade was simply a company that handled large shipments internationally. I had no idea how complex and important the industry really was. During these last few months as a new employee, I have been given the opportunity […]
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) effective July 1, 2020
Effective today, the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a free trade agreement between these countries that has been negotiated for the last couple of years which is to replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA. Instead of creating USMCA from scratch, the countries have enhanced the previous NAFTA agreement to create […]
Mega Ships are Rolling Out
HMM (previously known as Hyundai Merchant Marine) is making some big moves this year in regards to the sizes of their vessels. On April 23, 2020 the “HMM Algeciras” set sail on it first voyage. This vessel is the first vessel to hold up to 24,000 TEU’s. This vessel is the first of the twelve […]
Why I Do What I Truly Do?
I was recently asked by a colleague and was challenged to write about why I do what I do. I thought about the question and the more I reflected, the more valid it seemed. Without trying to be exhaustive, here is some of that thinking. I am intrigued by the idea of international commerce—the way […]
The Current Air Freight Market
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel? When it comes to air freight shipping you may not be thinking that there is a light at all. As we start to come out of the restrictions and start to get back to “normal life” the air freight industries are slowly following behind. Q3 […]
LTL carriers are starting to see a slight improvement
With the shutdowns from mid-March through April, LTL carriers are beginning to see improved demand in May. April volumes dropped by nearly 20 percent for some trucking companies, reflecting the widespread impact of business closures. However, the reported increase in May signals that the U.S. economy is gradually recovering as companies resume operations. According to […]
2020 Top Importers and Exporters
The 2020 Top 100 Importers and 100 Exporters Journal of Commerce List is out. Now if there was an award show, maybe an ocean blue carpet or a sky blue carpeted run way would be good for the nominee. The international freight industry simply does not have time for such fanfare and luxury from my […]
International Ocean Shipping by the Numbers
I try not to bore you with numbers and ocean freight seems to have a bunch. Many of our clients have had so many questions on why prices are remaining or increasing. Really great question, and though the answer is pretty straight forward you have to go back to 2008 -2009 to truly grasp the […]
Is going with the number one sea port the best option?
According to the numbers from 2018, the top five ports in the USA are: There are many pros and cons a company may have with shipping out of one of the ports mentioned above. Figuring out what port works best for your company and shipping needs is just one of the many factors that comes […]