U.S. Bill Would Allow Presidential Intervention in Port Slowdowns – A bill called the Protecting Orderly and Responsible Transit of Shipments (PORTS) Act was introduced to congress today. The bill would expand on the Taft-Hartley Act by specifically covering slowdowns as well as strikes and lockouts. Despite support from several business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation, it is considered unlikely to pass.
Read more from the JOC
Maersk Orders 11 New Ships – Maersk announced plans to purchase 11 massive container ships able to carry 19,630 TEUs . The new order was placed with South Korean builder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and is worth nearly $2 billion. Maersk is the world’s largest steamship line and currently transports about 15% of global ocean freight.
Read more from the Financial Times
5 Containers Fall Into Ocean at Port of Los Angeles – Five cargo containers fell into the water at the Port of Los Angeles this week. The accident didn’t cause any injuries and occurred at Berth 402 operated by APM Terminals. The cause of the accident was not made public.
