Maher Terminals Will be Closed on Friday, April 3
Please be advised that all Maher Terminals facilities including the Empty Depot located at Columbia will be closed for business on Friday, April 3, 2015 in observance of Good Friday.
PNCT Will Be Open on Friday, April 3
Friday, April 03, PNCT will be open 6am to 4pm
Dispatching of all Imports, Reefers will be open 6am - 3pm
Receiving mtys
Receiving Exports for specific vessels: TBA
Polaris gate will be open 6am to 3pm
Daily Vessel Report Now on Port Website
Port of Long Beach / http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1432&TargetID=1
'Vessels at a Glance' shows steep drop in backup of ships
As part of efforts to alleviate congestion, increase transparency and improve supply chain efficiency, the Port of Long Beach has added a "Vessels at a Glance" page to the Port's website at www.polb.com/vesselsataglance. The section features a daily update showing all vessels at berth and anchor within the Port, as well as their arrival and departure dates and length of stay in Long Beach.
Also on the new page are charts updated weekly showing the number of vessels at anchor at both Los Angeles and Long Beach, which illustrate trends over the last six months.
As of Monday, March 30, the number of container ships at anchor for the two ports has dropped dramatically to 11, showing that the San Pedro Bay ports are catching up on the backlog of cargo. Just two weeks ago, on March 14, the ships at anchor peaked at 28.
"Vessels at a Glance" may also be reached directly through a button on the left side of the polb.com homepage or under the Trade section of the site.
Update on Suspension on Imports of Specific African Elephant Trophies
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / http://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/3-26-2015-Update-on-Suspension-on-Imports-of-Some-African-Elephant-Trophies.pdf
Background: Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the Service is responsible for ensuring that imports of CITES listed wildlife are legally acquired and that trade does not threaten the stability of wild populations. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) further specifies that the import of an African elephant trophy must enhance the survival of the species.
The Service announced, in April, 2014, that it was unable to make positive findings under CITES and/or the ESA with respect to the continued importation of African elephant trophies taken in Tanzania and Zimbabwe during the 2014 harvest. Import of African elephant trophies taken on or after April 4, 2014 in Zimbabwe, and on or after January 1, 2014 in Tanzania, was suspended in 2014. The Service announced today that the suspension for Zimbabwe has been extended into 2015, and indefinitely into the future. The Service expects to announce a decision on the import of sport-hunted elephant trophies taken in Tanzania during calendar year 2015 prior to the hunting season (July 1, 2015).
Action: Service wildlife inspectors will continue to not clear imports of African elephant trophies taken in Tanzania during calendar year 2014. Inspectors will also not clear imports of African elephant trophies taken in Zimbabwe on or after April 4, 2014. Under this trade suspension, the Service will refuse entry to such trophies and allow re-export at the importer’s expense. Inspectors may also seize and seek forfeiture of shipments if the importation violates other wildlife trade laws and regulations.
Importers, brokers, and others involved with such shipments are advised to forego importation into the United States to avoid loss of the shipment or the cost of re-export. This trade suspension does not apply to elephant trophies legally taken in Tanzania and Zimbabwe in 2013 or previous years. However, shipments must include appropriate documentation of the year in which the elephant was hunted. You may obtain more information about this decision in this news release and Q&A document. This bulletin supersedes and replaces the April 4, 2014 Public Bulletin.
USITC - News Releases
U.S. International Trade Commission / http://www.usitc.gov/
DALLAS -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists stationed at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, were notified March 27 that they intercepted one of the most feared pests, Khapra beetles, from a passenger’s baggage when they intercepted beans containing immature insects.
Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Dermestidae), is considered the world’s most destructive insect for its ability to destroy stored grain, cereal, and stored foods; it is the only insect that requires regulatory action, whether encountered dead or alive. In the U.S., there are six states which have the most potential for establishment because of their hot dry climates. Those states are: Arizona, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
“CBP agriculture specialists actively safeguard our agriculture industry and food supply by intercepting harmful pests, plant diseases and prohibited food products into the U.S.,” said CBP Port Director Cleatus Hunt. “This seizure and the seizures we affected in years past represents our commitment to protecting American agriculture industry.”
The international traveler arrived to DFW airport from Sudan, he presented a negative custom declarations for any agriculture goods but when asked directly about his declaration, he verbally amended to include bean seeds. However, when CBP agriculture specialists conducted a baggage exam, they discovered cooked boneless beef, cooked and minced sheep meat. Also discovered were bean seeds that contained two immature beetles and three cast skins. All of the food items were seized and the insects found in the beans were sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists for identification.
According to the USDA, the Khapra beetle is one of the 100 worst invasive species worldwide. If the beetle is left undisturbed in stored grain, it can cause significant grain loss, and in the case of seeds, it can lead to significant reduction in seed viability.
Since October 2014, CBP agriculture specialists at DFW have intercepted 24 Khapra beetle interceptions in passenger luggage. In fiscal year 2014 nationwide, CBP agriculture specialists have intercepted Khapra beetles 197 different times, with CBP agriculture specialists working at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport leading these interceptions followed by agriculture specialists in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta- International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. So far this year, there have been 98 interceptions of this pest, nationwide.
CBP agriculture specialists have science-based degrees in the areas of agriculture, botany, entomology, biology, or plant pathology; all have the knowledge to recognize questionable and dangerous agricultural commodities.
On a typical day in 2014, CBP agriculture specialists intercepted 425 pests, 4,447 plant pests, and a significant quantity of quarantine material products to include fruits and vegetables, plant materials, meat products, meat by-products, and soil. More information about how CBP protects U.S. agriculture can be found at Protecting Agriculture on the CBP website.
FDA Issues Final Guidance on the Evaluation and Labeling of Abuse-Deterrent Opiods
Food & Drug Administration / http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm440713.htm
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final guidance to assist industry in developing opioid drug products with potentially abuse-deterrent properties.
Opioid drugs provide significant benefit for patients when used properly; however opioids also carry a risk of misuse, abuse and death. To combat opioid misuse and abuse, the FDA is encouraging manufacturers to develop abuse-deterrent drugs that work correctly when taken as prescribed, but, for example, may be formulated in such a way that deters misuse and abuse, including making it difficult to snort or inject the drug for a more intense high. While drugs with abuse-deterrent properties are not “abuse-proof,” the FDA sees this guidance as an important step toward balancing appropriate access to opioids for patients with pain with the importance of reducing opioid misuse and abuse.
The document “Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids – Evaluation and Labeling” explains the FDA’s current thinking about the studies that should be conducted to demonstrate that a given formulation has abuse-deterrent properties. It also makes recommendations about how those studies should be performed and evaluated, and discusses what labeling claims may be approved based on the results of those studies.
“The science of abuse-deterrent medication is rapidly evolving, and the FDA is eager to engage with manufacturers to help make these medications available to patients who need them,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “We feel this is a key part of combating opioid abuse. We have to work hard with industry to support the development of new formulations that are difficult to abuse but are effective and available when needed.”
The science of abuse-deterrent technology is still relatively new and evolving. The final guidance is intended to assist drug makers who wish to develop opioid drug products with potentially abuse-deterrent properties. The FDA is working with many drug makers to support advancements in this area and help drug makers navigate the regulatory path to market as quickly as possible. In working with industry, the FDA will take a flexible, adaptive approach to the evaluation and labeling of potentially abuse-deterrent products.
“Development of abuse-deterrent products is a priority for the FDA, and we hope this guidance will lead to more approved drugs with meaningful abuse-deterrent properties,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “While abuse-deterrent formulations do not make an opioid impossible to abuse and cannot wholly prevent overdose and death, they are an important part of the effort to reduce opioid misuse and abuse.”
While this final guidance does not address generic opioid products, the agency understands the importance of available generic options to ensure appropriate access to effective opioid drugs for patients who need them. The FDA is committed to supporting the development and use of generic drugs that have abuse-deterrent properties and is working on draft guidance in this area.
In addition to the numerous comments on the draft guidance submitted to the public docket, the FDA convened a public meeting in Oct. 30-31, 2014, to discuss the development, assessment and regulation of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid medications.
To help support the safe use of all opioid products, the FDA is working in many other ways to help prescribers and patients make the best possible choices about how to use these powerful drugs. The agency’s goal is to find the balance between appropriate access to opioids for patients with pain and the need to reduce opioid misuse and abuse.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
$300,000 of Tobacco Seized At Border
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-04-02-000000/300000-tobacco-seized-border
LEWISTON, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Lewiston port of entry seized loose-leaf tobacco valued at more than $300,000.
On December 10, 2014, CBP officers encountered a tractor trailer outbound at the Lewiston Bridge which was selected for secondary examination. The manifest listed the cargo as toys from Massachusetts. An inspection of the trailer revealed boxes of loose-leaf tobacco located behind pallets of toys. A subsequent investigation led by Homeland Security Investigators revealed that the tobacco was being smuggled out of the U.S. into Canada to avoid paying applicable Canadian duties.
“CBP is the last line of defense in the export control process,” said Joseph Draganac, acting CBP port director for the Port of Buffalo. “CBP uses its authority to inspect, search, detain and seize goods being exported illegally.”
"Smugglers who think that our ports of entry are an easy target for contraband are seriously mistaken," said Michael Kennedy, acting special agent in charge of HSI Buffalo." HSI is committed to our partnership with CBP to aggressively protect the integrity of our nation's borders.”
On April 1, the shipment was seized for exportation contrary to law.