The traffic mitigation fee charged on container movements at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase to $69.17 per 20-foot-equivalent unit from the current $66.50 per-TEU fee, effective Aug. 1. John Cushing, president of PierPass Inc., said the increase reflects the higher labor costs that terminal operators face as a result of…

We’ve all seen the warning on the passenger side mirror of our cars: “Caution, objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” It stands alongside such gems as “Caution, contents are hot” on our coffee cups as phrases that appear so often as to lose all significance or meaning. But take a close look. That…

Shipping Tip: U.S. Imports & Exports of Commercial Goods For both U.S. imports & exports of commercial goods, U.S. Customs requires you provide a copy of your commercial invoice and packing list which specifies quantity of item(s), description of merchandise, weight and value.

Increasing container dwell times are taking a toll at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, further exacerbating congestion at the busiest U.S. port complex. Truck turn times in October were the worst on record in Los Angeles-Long Beach, even though container volume growth was modest. Val Noronha, president of Digital Geographic Research, tracks…

In an effort to beat back congestion that has paralyzed the Southern California port complex, the Port of Long Beach in two weeks will open a temporary 30-acre site for empty containers aimed at freeing up chassis. The temporary depot — to be operated by Pasha Stevedoring and Terminals — is on vacant, undeveloped property on…

Non-vessel-operating common carriers are working to reroute U.S. outbound shipments away from congested West Coast ports, providing exporters, particularly those shipping time-sensitive perishables, an alternative to their containers sitting on docks for days. CaroTrans, for example, on Thursday announced it can reroute export shipments via the Port of Houston and U.S. East Coast ports. Specifically,…