Under Secretary Selig Concludes Visit To India; Highlighted Opportunities To Expand Trade And Investment
International Trade Administration / http://www.trade.gov/press/press-releases/2015/under-secretary-selig-concludes-visit-to-india-highlighted-opportunities-to-expand-trade-and-investment081315.asp
MUMBAI – U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig today concluded a visit to India where he met with public and private sector officials to promote expanding the U.S.-India commercial relationship during stops in New Delhi and Mumbai. Selig also advanced the upcoming U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (S&CD).
In New Delhi, Selig conducted a series of bilateral meetings with Government of India officials, including the Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, and Minister for Power, Coal, and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal. Throughout the visit, Selig highlighted the mutual benefits of achieving the goal set forth by U.S. and Indian leaders to increase U.S.-India bilateral trade five-fold to $500 billion annually.
“The current bilateral trade relationship between the United States and India is only the start of what can become a transformative trade partnership,” Selig said during remarks to members of the American Chamber of Commerce in India and the U.S.-India Business Council in New Delhi. “Expanding bilateral trade with India means expanding the benefits the U.S. receives from Indian exports. India has the potential to become leading contributors to global value chains. As India embarks on this important economic agenda, U.S. exports can play a singular role in helping India achieve those agenda’s objectives.”
U.S.-India trade now represents more than $100 billion in goods and services. Two-way trade has almost tripled from $36 billion in 2005, to $104 billion in 2014. U.S. investments in India have grown from a total of $7.7 billion in 2004 to $28 billion today.
During the past several years, India has become the fourth fastest growing source of foreign direct investment into the United States. There are more than 1,500 U.S. companies active in India today, while the number of Indian companies operating in the United States has grown from about 85 companies in 2005 to more than 200 companies today.
CBP Seizes Passenger’s Phony Wallets
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-08-11-000000/cbp-seizes-passenger%E2%80%99s-phony-wallets
Officers unpack counterfeit merchandise
DALLAS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport seized counterfeit Louis Vuitton and Burberry wallets, valued at $32,000.
The items were seized Aug. 4 and destined for Ruston, Louisiana.
CBP officers conducted an inspection of a passenger arriving from Narita, Japan with checked bags. During the inspection, officers discovered 58 brand-named wallets that appeared to be counterfeit. The traveler admitted the items he packed were counterfeit. The items did not appear to be of the quality consistent with legitimate goods as the items included unusual labeling and the markings on the wallets were not manufactured by the trademark holders.
Packing counterfeit merchandise in suitcases doesn’t release passengers from their obligation to adhere to U.S. import laws,” said Dallas CBP Port Director Cleatus Hunt. “This seizure protects the trademark holder, their businesses and their employees and denies the counterfeiter from reaping profits from the sale of illegitimate goods.”
On a typical day in fiscal year 2014, CBP officers around the country seized more than $3.4 million worth of products because of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations. Since 2007, CBP identified IPR enforcement as a priority trade mission. For additional statistics and a list of the most popular counterfeit items and their worth visit the fiscal year 2014 IPR report.
The IPR 2014 report provides seizure statistics including the top 10 counterfeit items and their estimated value.
CBP does offer importers/exporters with information to become familiar with applicable laws and regulations.
Long Beach Sets Cargo Record
Port of Long Beach / http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1477&TargetID=1
Cargo container volumes surged through the Port of Long Beach in July, with an 18.4 percent increase over the same month in 2014, making July a record month in the Port’s 104-year history.
Previously, the Port’s best year was 2007, just before the Great Recession of 2008. Now, after a slow start at the beginning of 2015, the gains in July mark the fourth time in the last five months that cargo totals have climbed significantly higher.
The Port’s terminals moved 690,244 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in July, an increase of 18.4 percent compared to July 2014. Imports jumped to 345,912 TEUs, a 16.2 percent increase from last July. Exports increased an impressive 15.9 percent to 143,875 TEUs despite the stronger U.S. dollar, which has made U.S. exports relatively expensive overseas.
“These exceptional results are great news for Long Beach and the nation’s economy,” said Port Chief Executive Officer Jon Slangerup. “We’ve worked closely with all of our stakeholders to prepare for our peak season, which is off to a great start with very strong back-to-school shipments and our best export month in a year. We applaud our partners for their role in these impressive results.”
July makes the fourth time in five months that the Port has seen import gains – July (18.4 percent), May (4.8 percent), April (7.3 percent), and March (42.1 percent) – an indication that the U.S. economy is growing, and the stronger dollar is giving retailers the confidence to order more products from overseas to stock their shelves for consumers. The National Retail Federation foresees at least 3 to 5 percent gains for the back-to-school and early holiday shopping seasons.
Through the first seven months of 2015, Long Beach cargo numbers are edging higher, with total cargo up 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year, imports up 1.4 percent and exports down 10.9 percent. Summer has been strong for Long Beach preparing us for the traditional fall peak.
With an ongoing $4 billion capital improvement program this decade to modernize and expand its facilities, the Port of Long Beach continues to invest in long-term, environmentally sustainable growth.
ITA: Press Releases
International Trade Administration / http://www.trade.gov/press/press-releases/
Airline Consumer Complaints Up From Previous Year
U.S. Department of Transportation / http://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/airline-consumer-complaints-previous-year-0
WASHINGTON – Airline consumer complaints filed with DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division during the first six months of this year were up 20.3 percent from the first six months of 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released today.
From January to June 2015, the Department received 9,542 consumer complaints, up from the total of 7,935 received during the first six months of 2014. In June 2015, the Department received 2,052 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 47.3 percent from the total of 1,393 filed in June 2014 and up 37.5 percent from the 1,492 received in May 2015.
In addition, in June 2015, airlines reported two tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights and no tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights. The reported tarmac delays are under investigation by the Department.
The consumer report also includes data on on-time performance, cancellations, chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains statistics on mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the carriers, passengers denied confirmed space (oversales/bumping) as filed with BTS by the carriers, and aviation service complaints filed with DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division by consumers regarding a range of issues such as flight problems, baggage, reservation and ticketing, refunds, consumer service, disability, and discrimination. The consumer report also includes reports of incidents involving the loss, death, or injury of animals traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers.
On-Time Performance
The nation’s largest airlines posted an on-time arrival rate of 74.8 percent in June, up from the 71.8 percent on-time rate in June 2014, but down from the 80.5 percent mark in May 2015.
Cancellations
In June, the reporting carriers canceled 1.8 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, an improvement over the 2.0 percent cancellation rate posted in June 2014, but up from the 1.1 percent rate in May 2015.
Chronically Delayed Flights
At the end of June, there were 37 flights that were chronically delayed – more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time – for two consecutive months. There were no chronically delayed flights for three consecutive months or more. A list of flights that were chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS.
Causes of Flight Delays
In June, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported total delays of 22.97 percent – 6.29 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 5.34 percent in May; 8.81 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 6.62 percent in May; 6.97 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 5.31 percent in May; 0.87 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.73 percent in May; and 0.03 percent for security reasons, equal to 0.03 percent in May. In addition, 1.81 percent of flights were canceled and 0.38 percent were diverted.
Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This includes delays due to the re-routing of flights by DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration in consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines do not report specific causes in that category.
Data collected by BTS also shows the percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System delays. In June, 35.57 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, down from 37.05 percent in June 2014, but up from 35.21 percent in May 2015.
Detailed information on flight delays and their causes is available on the BTS site at http://www.bts.gov.
Mishandled Baggage
The U.S. carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.63 reports per 1,000 passengers in June, down from June 2014’s rate of 3.77, but up from May 2015’s rate of 3.09. For the first six months of the year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.52 per 1,000 passengers, down from the 3.84 rate for the first half of 2014.
Bumping
The report also includes reports of involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, for the second quarter and first six months of this year. The 14 U.S. carriers who report denied boarding data posted a bumping rate of 0.79 per 10,000 passengers for the quarter, down from both the 1.05 rate for the second quarter of 2014 and the 0.85 rate for the first quarter of 2015. For the first six months of this year, the carriers had a bumping rate of 0.82 per 10,000 passengers, down from the rate of 1.20 posted during the first six months of 2014.
Incidents Involving Animals
In June, carriers reported two incidents involving the loss, injury, or death of animals while traveling by air, down from the 13 reports filed in in May 2015. June’s incidents involved the death of one animal and one injured animal.
Complaints About Treatment of Disabled Passengers
The report also contains a tabulation of complaints filed with DOT in June against airlines regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities. The Department received a total of 69 disability-related complaints in June, down from both the 83 complaints received in June 2014 and the 73 complaints received in May 2015. For the first six months of the year, the Department received 364 disability-related complaints, down 6.7 percent from the 390 filed during January-June 2014.
Complaints About Discrimination
In June, the Department received five complaints alleging discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disability – such as race, religion, national origin, or sex – equal to the total of five recorded in June 2014, but up from the two recorded in May 2015. For the first six months of this year, the Department received 29 discrimination complaints, down from the 32 recorded in January-June 2014.
Consumers may file their complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; by voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511; or on the web at www.transportation.gov/airconsumer.
Consumers who want on-time performance data for specific flights should call their airline’s reservation number or their travel agent. This information is available on the computerized reservation systems used by these agents. The information is also available on the appropriate carrier’s website.
The Air Travel Consumer Report can be found on DOT’s website at http://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-consumer-reports.
Facts
AIR TRAVEL CONSUMER REPORT
August 2015
KEY JUNE 2015 ON-TIME PERFORMANCE AND FLIGHT CANCELLATION STATISTICS
Based on Data Filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by the 14 Reporting Carriers and Tarmac Data Filed by All Carriers
Overall:
74.8 percent on-time arrivals
Highest On-Time Arrival Rates
1.Hawaiian Airlines – 90.5 percent
2.Alaska Airlines – 87.4 percent
3.Delta Air Lines – 82.2 percent
Lowest On-Time Arrival Rates
1.Spirit Airlines – 49.9 percent
2.United Airlines – 66.3 percent
3.Frontier Airlines – 67.6 percent
Domestic Flights with Longest Tarmac Delays Exceeding Three Hours
1. JetBlue Airways flight 2417 from Orlando to Austin, 6/17/15 – delayed on tarmac 228 minutes in San Antonio
2. Southwest Airlines flight 2230 from Salt Lake City to Baltimore/Washington, 6/23/15 – delayed on tarmac 181 minutes in Norfolk, Va.
International Flights with Longest Tarmac Delays Exceeding Four Hours
* There were no international flights in June with tarmac delays exceeding four hours.
Highest Rates of Canceled Flights
1.Envoy Air – 5.2 percent
2.Spirit Airlines – 4.9 percent
3.ExpressJet Airlines – 3.5 percent
Lowest Rates of Canceled Flights
1.Hawaiian Airlines – 0.1 percent
2.Delta Air Lines – 0.3 percent
3.Alaska Airlines – 0.4 percent
USITC: News Releases and New Documents
US International Trade Commission / http://www.usitc.gov/
Commission Vote: Adequacy Determination --
Stainless Steel Wire Rod from Five Countries [8/4/2015]