Operations Update:

USA Rail Union Rejects Tentative Agreement: The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way (BMWED) rail union has voted down the tentative rail labor agreement brokered last month.  So far, four unions have approved the deal with seven unions scheduled to cast their votes through mid November.  Currently, no strike could take place until November 19th at the earliest.  While this potential disruption does not directly affect our customers, it has the potential to further increase delays at ports and disrupt road freight services if operators move their containers off-rail.  More details maybe found here.

Strike action in the French energy sector, including oil refineries, is affecting supplies and may lead to delays.  More details maybe found here.

South Africa Labor Unions Went on Strike October 4th, 2022: 
The national port authority, Transnet, has declared force majeure and there are limited operations at the port terminals they operate.  Industry groups are urging the parties to work together and come to a resolution.  More details maybe be found here.

New Zealand (South Island) Delays: After recent flooding caused damage to a key highway, crews will begin road repairs on the main highway between Nelson and Blenheim.  The construction is scheduled to begin on Nov 1, 2022 and last seven weeks.  Traffic will be rerouted and will incur additional delays and potential costs.

Port Update:

New York: October 12 – The Port of New York is handling unprecedented volumes, with a record average 11 vessels at anchor at any given time.  Container dwell-times are creeping up to an average of a week or more.  PNCT and APM terminals are both averaging up to a week of delay, while all others are functioning within normal timeframes despite the crush at 3PLs. Inbounds continue to take between 3-4 weeks at most warehouses.  FDL is now taking containers in and offloading, but frequently taking 3-4 days to inbound product.

Oakland: October 12 – Vessels now at anchor for 25-days awaiting berth assignments.  Once discharged, new containers are being directed to low-use areas for a minimum of 14-days while older containers are cleared out.  Chassis shortages are considered “severe.”  Delays at Sidekick persist and remain around two weeks.  Most other west coast 3PLs maintain comparatively normal inbound schedules.  We will continue to maintain operations at Port of Oakland on a “by request only” basis and also with all parties in agreement on the potential risks involved.

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Bottles and boxes of wines (along with liquor bottles) now require a deposit.  Austria gets credit for more than white wine. A Guide to Austria’s Underrated Red Grapes | Wine Enthusiast

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