CNN (July 14)
“The Port of Los Angeles rebounded in June for a record-breaking month as importers raced to get cargo into the port before the ‘reciprocal’ tariff pause ended July 9…. President Donald Trump has since pushed that deadline to August 1.” The port, which “gets more goods from China than any other country,” benefitted from a “whipsaw” effect in June and with the tariff postponement is also expecting a flurry of activity in July. However, the National Retail Federation’s port tracker then expects a “fall by double digits through the end of the year.”
Tags: August, Cargo, China, Importers, June, Los Angeles, National Retail Federation, Port, Rebounded, Reciprocal tariff, Record breaking, Trump, Whipsaw
South China Morning Post (May 9)
“Hong Kong must wake up to the dangers of US port and shipping threats “ While the world obsesses about Donald Trump’s tariffs, “a quieter but potentially more lasting confrontation is taking shape that could remake global trade infrastructure.” The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) recently “concluded an investigation into China’s shipbuilding and maritime sectors” and “its impact on the global trade architecture could be just as profound. If Hong Kong is “to remain a serious player on the international stage, we must respond with urgency, clarity and conviction” to measures that could include “per-voyage service fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-controlled vessels calling at US ports, as well as proposed tariffs on Chinese-made ship-to-shore cranes and other key port equipment” while requiring that LNG carriers be US-built, “phasing out Chinese-made ships from the trade.”
Tags: China, Confrontation, Dangers, Global trade, Hong Kong, Infrastructure, Maritime, Per-voyage service fees, Port, Ship-to-shore cranes, Shipbuilding, Shipping threats, Tariffs, Trade Representative, Trump, U.S.
Financial Times (February 14)
“Official figures from the Dutch investment agency show 42 companies relocated to the Netherlands last year citing Brexit as the reason. The investment has resulted in 1,923 jobs and €290m in investment. Sony and Panasonic have also announced plans to set up their European headquarters in the country.” But the good news may not last. “The Netherlands is likely to be one of the biggest EU losers from a hard Brexit given the close trading links between the two countries especially in fresh produce and the importance of Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest port, to British trade.”
Tags: Brexit, EU, Headquarters, Investment, Losers, Netherlands, Panasonic, Port, Rotterdam, Sony, UK
