Logistically Speaking...

Logistically Speaking is a supply chain focused podcast that is committed to exploring global and domestic supply chains through the eyes of a former practitioner and industry thought leader and currently practicing customs and transportation lawyer. Supply chains are subjected to buffeting winds from all directions - governments and their regulatory agencies, labor, climate, technology and ever changing market conditions. The goal of the podcast is to make complex or below-the-waterline topics approachable and provide understandable explanations. Whether you are a provider or consumer of supply chain services, you should come away with a better understanding of the issue being covered, some questions to ask and maybe some answers to things you'd been pondering. Your co-hosts are Scott Case, a licensed customs broker and former air and sea freight forwarder who has traveled the globe and held elected and appointed positions of leadership in multiple industry associations. Today, Scott owns Position : Global, a full-service marketing agency for logistics companies. Cameron Roberts is a partner in the law firm of Roberts & Kehagiaras LLP. Cameron started in the industry working for Harper Robinson and today maintains his customs broker license and teaches classes at Cal State Long Beach.

Logistically Speaking...What are the top issues in air cargo? 03/13/2025

Logistically Speaking...What's It Like To Lead A Port? 03/01/2025

Logistically Speaking...Tariffs, Anyone? 01/24/2025

Logistically Speaking...What's the future of US Trade and Tariffs? 12/23/2024

Logistically Speaking...What's the future of US Trade and Tariffs? In this episode of Logistically Speaking, co-hosts Scott Case and Cameron Roberts sit down with Paul Bingham, Director of Global Intelligence and Analytics, Transportation Consulting for S&P Global Market Intelligence, to dissect the potential impact of sweeping new tariff proposals following the November 2024 U.S. presidential election. The discussion centers on how proposed tariffs - ranging from a global 10% import duty to targeted levies of up to 200% on specific trading partners - could reshape international commerce and supply chains. Bingham reveals how S&P Global has recalibrated their economic models to account for these dramatic policy shifts, offering insights into what businesses might expect in 2025 and beyond. The conversation explores the ripple effects these tariff changes could have throughout the global economy, from consumer prices to fuel costs, and examines how different sectors might adapt to this new trade landscape. Cameron details the means by which the administration can promulgate some of these proposals on day one based on the power vested in the Executive Branch by Congress. Bingham shares detailed analysis on how these policies could impact critical trade relationships, particularly with Mexico and Canada under USMCA, while also addressing concurrent challenges in global shipping, including Red Sea disruptions, evolving air cargo capacity, and the ongoing transformation of international supply chains. The discussion further examines the intersection of tariff policy with other key economic factors, including the CHIPS Act implementation, de minimis trade rules, and the potential responses from BRICS nations. About Paul Bingham: Paul Bingham serves as the Director of Global Intelligence and Analytics, Transportation Consulting for S&P Global Market Intelligence. With decades of experience in economic and transportation analysis, Bingham is a recognized expert in global trade patterns and supply chain economics. He regularly provides strategic guidance to both public and private sector clients on transportation and trade policy issues. His work at S&P Global includes leading teams that develop economic forecasts and analyze global trade trends, helping organizations navigate complex international market dynamics and policy changes. Bingham is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events, including the recent WESCCON gathering of customs brokers and freight forwarders. Relevant Links: USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) S&P Global Market Intelligence International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) CHIPS and Science Act Section 232 Trade Investigations De Minimis Trade Rules & Section 321 Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association) Suez Canal Alternative Routes BRICS Economic Coalition /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/34575430

Logistically Speaking...What's the future of de minimis? 10/28/2024

Logistically Speaking...What's the future of de minimis? De minimis, originating from Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, has evolved from its humble $5 threshold (equivalent to $85-90 today) to become a cornerstone of modern e-commerce imports. While the 2015 Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act's increase to $800 grabbed headlines, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notes that the average de minimis shipment value remains around $55-60. The real story isn't the threshold increase, but rather how the pandemic accelerated e-commerce adoption, leading to an unprecedented surge in these shipments—from hundreds of thousands just a handful of years ago to 1.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. The implications of de minimis extend far beyond simple duty exemptions. This provision has reshaped supply chains, particularly for high-duty products like apparel and footwear, by enabling companies to fulfill orders directly from overseas warehouses or through facilities in Mexico and Canada. While this has benefited consumers through lower prices and faster delivery times, it's created significant challenges for CBP's enforcement capabilities, particularly in screening for counterfeits and illegal substances like fentanyl. In this episode, we explore: The various methods of processing de minimis shipments, including Type 86 entries, manifest clearances, and the unique advantages of different transportation modes How the Consumer Product Safety Commission's upcoming e-filing requirements in 2025 could reshape the landscape for apparel and children's products The political battle between government agencies seeking stricter controls and private sector entities defending current practices Potential regulatory changes, including CBP's proposed $2 per package fee and the possible exclusion of "import-sensitive" products The evolving role of customs brokers in this changing landscape, transitioning from data entry to strategic advisors The impact of artificial intelligence and technology on customs processing and compliance Guest: Tom Gould, Principal of his own consultancy, licensed customs broker, Certified Customs Specialist, and current member of the public-private COAC committee, appointed by Treasury Secretary Yellen and DHS Secretary Mayorkas in 2022. Join us for an in-depth discussion on this crucial topic that's reshaping international trade and e-commerce. Source Material: (paywall) /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/33619587

Logistically Speaking…What’s real and what’s vaporware in supply chain technology? 09/19/2024

Logistically Speaking...GTEC Mailbag 08/07/2024

Logistically Speaking...Trade or Tariffs? Congress in this election year. 05/21/2024

Logistically Speaking...Trade or Tariffs? Congress in this election year. If it's an election year, there are three certainties you can expect from Congress: 100% of House members are focused on getting re-elected. 33% of Senators are focused on getting re-elected. Probably less than 10% of the country has any belief they'll do something meaningful and significant for the country, other than getting out of DC to stump for their jobs. Increasingly, though, the two major parties are seeking to both contrast themselves to their opponents while simultaneously appearing unified on issues that are "American" (which feels like a code word for 'nationalist'). The question is with social unrest at home, two geopolitical conflicts where America is contributing money and materiel and a presidential replay coming in November, will anything of substance be passed by both chambers to become law? If anybody knows the answer to that question, it's Peter Friedmann. Peter wears two hats; one is colloquially "Our man in DC," as he is of Counsel to the Pacific Coast Council - an organization consisting of and representing the interests of customs broker and freight forwarder associations along the US West Coast. His other is as Executive Director of the AgTC, a trade association of agricultural exporters looking for overseas market access and equitable treatment for his members from shipping companies whose commercial and financial focus feels import-centric. Between mid-May and Election Day, both chambers will be jointly in session for thirty-nine days, with an extra five days for the House and eleven for the Senate. Oh, and that includes . Nice work if you can get elected to it, huh? For cargo owners and companies working in support of domestic and global supply chains, there are a multitude of issues being debated. From the retroactive renewal of GSP to OSRA 2.0 and a bevy of proposals encompassing China, de minimis and the EV industry, whether you're directly in the industry or a consumer affected by these proposed bills, logistically speaking, will it be a year of trade or tariffs, and what can and should we expect out of Congress in an election year? Source Material: H.R. 7986 - The GSP Reform Act. H.R. 7979 - End China's De Minimis Abuse Act. H.R. 1833 - The Ocean Shipping Implementation Act of 2023. H.R. 7980 - End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024. /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/31395927

Logistically Speaking...What's Next for Baltimore? 04/02/2024

Logistically Speaking...What Are Cargo Owners To Do About The Red Sea? 03/08/2024

Logistically Speaking...What Are Cargo Owners To Do About The Red Sea? If a butterfly flaps its wings in Asia, a wave crashes against the coastal United States some period of time later, or so the adage goes. Since the attack in Israel last October, besides what is transpiring inside of Gaza, all eyes have been on the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels, whose history in Yemen goes back much further than most people are aware, have made targeting shipping interests a means to gain the world's attention. The Houthis have said that the attacks on ships and seafarers will continue until such time as there is a cease fire. Most recently, the crew of a UK-flagged vessel was after one such attack. Despite the US and other nations' response to the killing of three American servicemembers, the attacks continue. Without getting overtly political, there is a belief that these attacks are being aided by Iran using an intelligence-gathering ship situated right smack in the middle of everything and is helping the Houthis identify potential targets. Despite an early attempt by several carriers to pass through the area, the inability of a multilateral coalition to sufficiently ensure the safety of all commercial traffic has led carriers to circumnavigate the entirety of the African coast adding both time and cost, plus re-igniting the for-a-period dormant business model of maritime piracy near the southern tip of Africa. The first reaction of people (and businesses) is to assume that this situation and others in the reason have immediately led to surcharges and higher insurance premiums on cargo in the region. The fact of the matter is, given the way insurance works, there really isn't a bright line from one activity or change in trading conditions to an increase in premiums. It is a much more interconnected web, in fact, that could lead to increases to cargo insurance on other trade lanes, cyber insurance policies or even personal home, auto and health insurance policies, despite the seeming lack of connection between all these coverages. Joining Cameron and Scott for this episode is , a man who intimately understands insurance. The Executive Chairman of the ecosystem of companies, Phil has spent a lifetime in the insurance industry and markets. Knowledgeable, approachable and with the ability to easily explain complex subjects while providing the necessary background and context to undergird the explanation, Phil is one of the best people to turn to for this issue. /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/30295988

Logistically Speaking...What Are Cargo Owners To Do About The Zero-Emission Truck Requirement? 01/25/2024

Logistically Speaking...What Are Cargo Owners To Do About The Zero-Emission Truck Requirement? On January 1st, drayage carriers who service the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were faced with a new requirement that, while on its face seems to be a push towards better quality of life for workers and communities around the ports, it couldn't be more misguided. According to the Journal of Commerce: "...California’s requires that effective Jan. 1, all new trucks entering over-the-road and drayage fleets must be zero-emission, with all trucks in the state needing to meet that rule by 2035. Similarly, farmers will be required to begin phasing in zero-emission off-road vehicles and tractors." Sure, you're thinking, California already has some of the most stringent tailpipe emissions requirements in the country, and you'd be right. So why aren't those standards sufficient? The truth be told, to most reasonable people, they would be enough. However, this isn't a discussion for reasonable people. These are policies being put forth by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, or AQMD for short. In January, rental car company Hertz is divesting itself of nearly 20,000 electric vehicles because of the idiosyncrasies a driver has when moving away from an internal combustion engine, or ICE, vehicle. If you're already an EV owner, you're used to charging, range calculations that aren't 1:1 with the range you're told you have remaining and finding available charging in high-density markets. Consumers are willing to accept some inconveniences in their lives but like the difference between that cheap online hand mixer and a pro, high-capacity one used in commercial bakeries, the commercial stuff is expected to work better, last longer and be less prone to mechanical failures. The California Energy Commission estimates California needs 157,000 medium- and heavy-duty chargers — 53 a day — by 2030 to meet proposed regulations like the Advanced Clean Truck and Advanced Clean Fleet rules. The fact is, California's ports are risking their competitiveness, they're risking the number of drivers who can service the ports and at a time when the ports are seeing volumes slightly above 2019 numbers but not near the record pandemic numbers and for shippers, there's a risk of this moving to other states. Scope 3 emissions and the greenhouse gases generated by shipping are a legitimate environmental concern. Whether Maersk looking to methanol-fueled ships or the nascent but growing number Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, refineries coming online, solutions are being developed, but not without there being significant steps backwards in productivity that are being imposed on a community. With the help of , Executive Director of the , Scott and Cameron are going to have a conversation that asks and answers the questions: What are the California state-level regulations? What are the port level regulations and policies? Will it spread north to Oakland and other CA ports which saw containerized traffic during the pandemic and might still be seeing some of that business? What will happen if this goes national? What are 3 takeaways / action items that logistics companies, truckers and cargo owners can do to prepare their organizations or to let their voices be heard. And most importantly, Logistically Speaking, what are cargo owners to do about the zero-emission truck requirement? /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/29653673

Logistically Speaking...what's a shipper to do about the Panama Canal? 12/27/2023

Logistically Speaking...what's a shipper to do about the Panama Canal? Featuring: Host Scott Case, Position : Global Host Cameron Roberts, Roberts & Kehagiaras Guest Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino de Marotta, Panama Canal Authority ___________ If you're in the maritime or logistics business, of course you know about the Panama Canal. The evolution of global maritime activities, both commercial and military meant that when the Canal first opened in 1914, containerized shipping wouldn't follow for another 50 or so years when Malcolm McLean came up with the idea. The original locks are 110 feet wide and when the canal opened, saw 1000 ships traverse the passage. As ships grew larger, transporting goods in containers as well as oil and liquified natural gas, the need for a wider passage was required. The maximum number of containers for a ship utilizing the two original locks is approximately five thousand twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEU's The Canal Authority began work on the third set of locks in September, 2007 and began commercial operations in June, 2016. The so-called Neopanamax class of ships were 1,400 feet in length, 180 feet wide and a draft of 60 feet. Even though the newest ship builds today exceed 20,000 TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, the Canal can accommodate ships up to 14,000 TEU's, plenty for vessels operating between Asia and Europe and the US East and West coasts and South America. Which brings us to the topic of today's conversation - according to Wikipedia, it takes an average of fifty-two million gallons of fresh water for the single passage of a ship. Panama has been experiencing a drought compounded by the current El Nino weather pattern and Gatun Lake, the freshwater lake 85 feet above sea level which feeds the Canals, has forced the Canal Authority to reduce the number of transits. The total number of transits declined 22% in November versus October and while the greatest impact was felt on the original set of locks, it has now reached the larger Neopanamax locks. Those dropped 28% in November versus October. There were 10 daily reservation slots for Neopanamax transits at the beginning of November. By Dec. 1, there were just six. On Jan. 1, the number of slots falls to five.At the beginning of November, there were 22 daily reservation slots at the Panamax locks. By Dec. 1, there were 16. In mid-December, the Canal Authority said it will increase the number of booking slots available in the locks. From mid-January, there will be 24 transit slots per day, compared to the 18 it had planned in a prior announcement. The additional slots will cover the regulars, supers and neopanamax vessel categories. Vessels are now instead choosing alternate routes, opting to travel down the western coast of South America, crossing the Strait of Magellan at the continent's southern tip and up the east coast. Alternately, they can choose to enter a bidding war and pay a premium price for one of the few available slots. Add to this the issues in the Red Sea, with ship operators choosing to travel south around Africa, adding time to those sailings and creating a cascading effect of late port arrivals and departures and - no surprise - potential imbalances. While they won't rival what we saw at the start of the pandemic - a scar that any shipper in the business still bears from the spring of 2020, with ocean rates bottoming out and carriers parking capacity, it means shippers will have just another supply chain challenge to manage. So, if the weather isn't changing anytime soon and even if there was an immediate deluge of rain that refills the lake, the question still stands: Logistically speaking, what are shippers to do about the Panama Canal? Source material: Panama Canal Authority: Wikipedia: FreightWaves: Imports Dragged Down: Wall Street Journal: Reuters: Drought Hits Shipping Slots: /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/29244248

Logistically Speaking...what's an importer to do about forced labor? 12/05/2023

Logistically Speaking...what's an importer to do about forced labor? Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the US government have regulations which are designed to prevent the importation of goods made with forced labor. The original forced labor process involved placing a country, industry or individual manufacturer on a list and goods which intersected with those were subject to a "Withhold Release Order" - and importers were responsible for demonstrating to CBP through whatever means they had at their disposal that the goods should be permitted entry. UFLPA, or the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, was first introduced to Congress in September, 2020, and passed the House 406-3. A reconciled version passed the House and Senate in December, 2021, and was signed very shortly thereafter by President Biden. The law came into effect in June, 2022, and importers have been grappling with something called the rebuttal provision - which essentially means you’re guilty until proven innocent. And how do you prove you’re innocent when you can’t go into the country, into the factory, review production records, or affirmatively determine the presence of forced labor in a product? The easy part for CBP is to automatically stop anything that is coming from what is called the Xingang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or XUAR. What is more difficult is following the trace components through a complex web of transactions that are designed to obfuscate the origins of components that could immediate place a shipment on hold - and rightly so. So, Logistically Speaking, what’s an importer to do? Recorded during WESCCON in California on October 28th, hosts Scott Case and Cameron Roberts speak with special guest Vince Iacopella, EVP Growth & Strategy, of Alba Wheels Up about forced labor, UFLPA and what CBP is accepting from the trade - and Alba is doing in partnership with mesur.io - to try to meet the higher standards of the "rebuttable provision". Show Notes / Links: CBP Forced Labor: CBP UFLPA: Federal Register Notice UFLPA: Alba / mesur.io forced labor solution: Position : Global: Roberts & Kehagiaras LLP: /episode/index/show/c9878334-f159-4dce-8ec5-1329e350038d/id/28511210

Logistically Speaking...

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