June 2017

The next chapter in logistics services for the book industry

Universal’s Director – Client Relations, John Leis, attended the latest stop in our annual tour of major international book industry fairs, BookExpo America (BEA), held May 31 – June 2 at the Javits Center in New York City.

“Our attendance at BEA, like the London Book Fair, is essential. The opportunity to meet and build stronger ties with our clients, while gaining insight into the latest trends and specific challenges facing the book industry is invaluable. Our presence is both a strong indicator of our commitment to the book industry and enables us to better serve the needs of all our book publishing and book retail clients. BEA also offers tremendous value in terms of networking opportunities that will help us build an even stronger network within the book publishing business,” said Mr. Leis.

For more information, contact John Leis, Director – Client Relations.

Have an opinion on the renegotiation of NAFTA?

Consultations are underway to gather public input on the renegotiation and modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been demanded by U.S. President DonaldTrump.

To submit your opinion, go to the NAFTA Consultations Webpage, set up by the Government ofCanada.

For more information, contact Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.

Container booking cancellation fees becoming more common

A German carrier, Hapag-Lloyd, has become the latest shipping line to introduce a fee for cancelled container bookings. Effective June 9, the $60.00 fee applies to all export shipments from Singapore to India that are cancelled within three calendar days of vesselarrival.

CMA CGM has already introduced a $150.00 cancellation fee on shipments that prevent the shipping line from accepting other bookings. A third carrier, Maersk, has also introduced cancellation penalties because "a significant amount of bookings" are being cancelled shortly before cargo cutoff.

For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – Freight Solutions.

U.S. West Coast ports under pressure to handle
large container ships

The number of 13,000+ TEU container ships deployed to the Asia – U.S. West Coast trade has nearly doubled since the start of 2017, raising questions about the ability of U.S. terminals to serve ‘mega-ships’.

Even more pressure is being created by a reduction in weekly services (effective April 1), which means more cargo is being squeezed into fewer weekly services at the same time as terminal operations are slowed by major ongoing construction projects. Carriers are responding by cancelling plans to build the biggest mega ships (18,000 TEU) and are instead focusing on 14,000 TEUunits.

U.S. West Coast ports must ensure their congestion is kept under control. One only needs to remember the major disruptions caused by the U.S. West Coast ports in late 2014/early 2015. This was one of the main contributing factors for the dramatic growth of Canadian West Coast ports like Prince Rupert, British Columbia as an attractive alternative for U.S. inbound container traffic on the Trans-Pacific trade lane.

For more information, contact David Lychek, Manager – Ocean & Air Services.

Middle Eastern countries impose shipping embargo on Qatar

Five Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt and Bahrain, have suspended shipments to and from Qatar.

The Bahraini and Saudi governments have also banned Qatar vessels from passing though their territorial waters. The countries imposed the embargo because they believe Qatar supports Shiite militant groups committed to overthrowing their governments.

For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – Freight Solutions.

	This world famous beach is one of our mystery city’s main tourist attractions.

Global Spotlight Quiz

How many clues do you need to name a city with an iconic beach?

• This city is closer by air to Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo than London or SanFrancisco.
• Key industries include professional, scientific and technical services ($28.8 billion; 10.5%), as well as manufacturing ($21.3 billion; 7.8%)sectors.
• According to Forbes, this is the 8th most influential and 12th most expensive city in theworld.
• This city has an iconic bridge, known as "The CoatHanger".
• This city has favourable weather, a rich European history, a vibrant economy and diverse lifestyle options, attracting 10 million tourists annually.
• This city is located on what is believed to be the world’s oldest landmass.

Click here to see the answer

For more information about freight to/from this city, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – FreightSolutions.

Quick Tip

Three ways to prevent cargo loss

Did you know that just over 80% of all cargo losses are preventable? Cut your losses by following these three simple tips:

• employ safe stowage methods
• never exceed maximum load capacity
• purchase adequate insurance

At Your Service: Jon Barnard, Manager – Distribution Services

	Jon Barnard, Manager – Distribution Services

Did you know Universal Logistics offers customized 3PL and 4PL warehouse and distribution services? Get the whole story by contacting Jon Barnard, Manager – Distribution Services and asking about our Order Fulfillment, Cross Docking, Order Consolidation, Light Assembly, Returns Management, Ticketing and Labelling, Storage and Domestic Transportation.

If you are located outside of Canada, remember to ask about our non-resident importer services, the ideal option for any company that needs:

• the ideal, low-cost alternative to setting up residence inCanada
• a complete logistics package, including freight, customs clearance, storage and product distribution inCanada
• a central Canadian facility to receive and consolidate product returns, order consolidation and crossdocking
• consolidation and deconsolidation of shipment orders according to yourspecifications

"Companies worldwide could benefit by taking advantage of our strategically located storage facility," says Mr. Barnard. "For example, it could be the ideal option for a company that needs short-term storage to manage business peaks."

Jon can be reached by phone (905) 676-2763, ext. 27 or by email.