FASA

U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced legislation to permanently exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act, which requires that all goods shipped between American ports travel on U.S.-flagged ships with American crews.

Not only is the composite index of container freight rates from around the world down by 4.9 percent this week, but it’s also down 6 percent from the same period in 2016, according to London-based maritime industry consultant Drewry.

The immediate issuance of penalties beginning Nov. 1 will further “motivate” compliance with regulations surrounding wood packaging materials in international shipments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.

Despite the loss, the Oslo, Norway-based subsidiary of Germany’s MPC Capital has raised another $100 million for vessel acquisitions and has reportedly acquired three more vessels, bringing its total fleet to 23 ships in just nine months.

A shipyard for the containership, which will be dubbed the Yara Birkeland, will be selected by the end of the year, and the plan is to launch the vessel in the first quarter of 2019.

The parcel carriers have been approved to begin international delivery services from China to the United States with a new product offering that provides full visibility and transit time reliability.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week has released a bundle of regulatory changes to the nation’s in-bond process for imported goods that will take effect Nov. 27.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District awarded a contract for more than $2.8 million to replace MacArthur Lock embedded anchorages at the Soo Locks Complex in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.