Rates are back in the news as contract season sees rising prices and fluctuations, putting pressure on negotiated General Rate Increases (GRI) with climbing spot rates. It might seem like a simple case of supply and demand driving costs, but long-term, the decisions made during contract negotiations last a year; one of the benefits of...Read More
In the ocean freight industry, efficient communication and coordination play a significant role in ensuring smooth cargo movement. However, recent reports have highlighted some issues faced by shippers and carriers, including a lack of transparency and inefficient communication, leading to detention and demurrage (D&D) disputes [1][2]. At Edward J. Zarach & Associates, we understand the...Read More
April has been a busy month for unions, and signs are positive, albeit cryptic. After early rail issues, both BNSF and NS have announced agreements on vacation days, holiday pay, and sick time. Despite a kerfuffle regarding the Good Friday holiday, the ILWU and PMA look like they’ll eventually follow in the footsteps of rail...Read More
Ocean freight rates on the trans-Pacific could double as a soap opera with the dramatic nature of sweeping change we’ve seen in the past three years. Over the course of thirty-six months, the threat of the pandemic turned into a full blown global crisis and volatility exploded across the logistics market. Where spot rates soared...Read More
Reports from Bloomberg that the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are shut down today have come in as ILWU members withheld labor again this morning after effectively shutting down the port last night. The Pacific Maritime Association, the party representing the ocean carriers and terminals in contract negotiations, stated, “ILWU Local 13 withheld...Read More
If you don’t have a DUNS number, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can cancel your facility registration and create lengthy delays. Every facility should have a unique facility identifier (UFI) called a DUNS (Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System) – an easily identifiable and standardized way for the FDA to recognize facilities. Your...Read More
Stress tests are designed to replicate periods of extreme difficulty, mimicking real-life situations and complex problems to determine how well a person, place, or thing copes with a traumatic situation in a safe, controlled environment. The pandemic was the crisis that stress tests are designed to prepare for. It exposed the myriad weaknesses supply chains...Read More
Over the last month, I was fortunate to attend three different conferences where we met with international freight forwarders from all over the world. During these conferences, we have numerous opportunities to sit with our current partners and meet new ones. Each conference has multiple opportunities for connecting, from the one-on-one meetings that we do...Read More
One thing we are incredibly proud of at Edward J. Zarach & Associates is the number of associates, clients, friends, and family who have asked us for our advice on sending donations and support to the impacted communities of Syria and Turkey after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands. Transportation companies have been...Read More
In an effort to combat forced labor, Customs and Border Protection declared aluminum as the fourth product added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA) which includes tomatoes, polysilicon and cotton. Though the US imports very little aluminum from China, the act is likely to mostly impact auto parts coming from the Xinjang Uyghur...Read More
