To Our Customers & Exporters:
The current labor contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) is scheduled to expire on June 30th of this year. Both sides are expected to begin negotiations May 12th, and are optimistic that a new agreement will be in place without any disruptions to port operations.
A strike would effectively close all the US West Coast ports from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest. In anticipation of a strike, slow-down, lock out, or other significant disruption to normal operations, the Steamship Lines have filed and announced a Port Congestion Surcharge. These surcharges can be as high as $1500 per 40’ container and they vary from Carrier to Carrier and by equipment sizes. If enacted, ETC International Freight System and the forwarding industry would have no alternative but to pass through this cost at a filed Port Congestion Surcharge of $25 w/m for all USA inbound and outbound LCL cargo from North America and on a case-by-case basis for full container load (FCL) cargo dependent on the carrier’s filing.
Should it become necessary, ETC International Freight System will use its outsourcing expansive internal distribution network to offer our customers contingency routings for USA export cargo to Asia, India Subcontinent, South America and Oceania via ports in the Gulf and East Coast. These alternate routings are subject to the underlying carriers’ ability to maintain their services, as well as, vessel/truck/rail, space and equipment availability.
Please be aware these charges would only be applicable if you, as our customer, requested movement of your cargo via an alternate port. We will not arbitrarily take it upon ourselves to reposition your cargo and impose these costs upon you.
We optimistically expect these actions will be unnecessary, but we do have a responsibility to you, our customer, to plan ahead and find the best possible solutions in the event of a worst case scenario. We will continue to keep you informed of further developments as this situation
progresses.
ETC International Freight System is aware of the filed the below surcharges:
Port Congestion Surcharge
All cargo moving in and out of North American ports, will be subject to a $25 w/m Port Congestion Surcharge scheduled for cargo received on/after July 1, 2014. This will be applicable only if the Steamship Line applies a surcharge related to port congestion.
Strike Contingency & Emergency Strike Surcharge
This surcharge will only apply to bookings where the controlling party has requested or agreed to be loaded via an alternate routing due to the closure of West Coast ports.
Emergency routing of cargo via USEC or Gulf ports will be subject to a $65 w/m surcharge.
Emergency routing of cargo via Canadian and Mexican ports will be subject to a $90 w/m surcharge.
ETC International Freight System intention is to give the exporters, our customers the heads-up on a potential situation that has not come to pass yet.
www.etcintertnational.com 1-800-383-3157 - Sales@etcinternational.com
Vehicles Consolidations
Weekly Ocean Consolidations
Our West Coast operation has loaded and transported numerous vehicles since 1993. And in the process developed the strictest safety standards and equipment technologies.
Whether, you ship one vehicle or consolidate 3,4,5 vehicles into a 40’ high cubic container, we block , brace & ramp your cars to any world destination.
Cargo Insurance
The cargo you ship drives the insurance types & rates. The cargo insurance coverage through ETC Intl. Freight System & from the industry at large, have 2 types of insurances available to commercial and private parties.
- All Risk (including War Risk) via Air, Ocean and Truck
- FPA (Total Loss/Catastrophic) Coverage
Shippers should alaways inquire about insurance coverages that is appropriate for the cargo.
