Wine & Spirits Shippers Association Blog

The 10% Section 122 tariffs are set to expire at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, and Congress has given no indication it intends to extend them. USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer testified before the Senate Finance Committee on July 22 that his office expects to announce final action on its Section 301 forced labor investigation…

WSSA and Albatrans will be attending the International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show (IBWSS) in San Francisco on July 28-29. Organized by Beverage Trade Network, IBWSS is North America’s leading trade show and conference dedicated to bulk wine, bulk spirits, private label beverages, contract production, and beverage supply chain solutions, bringing together producers, suppliers, buyers,…

Yesterday, the White House announced an additional 50% tariff on certain imports from Canada, adding further uncertainty to cross-border trade and shipping between the two countries. The President has used a section of a 1930 trade law never used before by a US President, outlined in the attached article, known as Section 388 of the Tariff…

Antwerp: Chemical Leak Closes MPET, DP World Terminal ResumesOn the evening of Tuesday, July 14, a container carrying hydrofluoric acid began leaking aboard the MSC Mia Summer II while the vessel was working cargo at the MPET terminal (Quay 1742/1718) in the Deurganck Dock. The leak triggered a large-scale evacuation, closure of the Kieldrecht Lock,…

Antwerp: A chemical incident overnight at Deurganck Dock has prompted authorities to close all Left Bank terminals, including 1700, 1718, 1742, and surrounding facilities, until further notice. The terminals listed serve most of the major ocean carriers, including including MSC, OOCL, CMA, Evergreen, ONE. No container pick-ups or deliveries can be carried out at the affected…

In his recent article, Emmanuel Sanchez, the Albatrans Global Marketing Manager & Regional Director of USA and Mexico, speaks on cross-border Mexico-U.S. freight capacity. Sanchez references four compounding forces that are working against cross-border traffic flow: over 20,000 Mexican drivers losing U.S. visas (English-proficiency and cabotage enforcement); a nationwide truck/trailer shortage as new equipment gets…

New Zealand: A severe South Island winter storm in NZ has closed KiwiRail’s Main North Line between Blenheim and Christchurch, with reopening targeted for Wednesday 15 July, weather permitting. KiwiRail has stood up a road-bridging service between Blenheim and Christchurch to keep critical and Dangerous Goods freight moving but is not accepting new Inter-Island rail…

Global Logistics Update 7/10/26 Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs: Comments Closed, Hearings Held, Decision Point AheadThe public comment window we flagged last week officially closed July 6, and USTR held hearings on the proposed action the very next day, July 7. As a reminder, USTR determined in June that all 60 targeted economies had failed…

Significant rain, strong winds and snow have battered the South Island of NZ this week, resulting in flooding, slips and multiple state highway closures. Additionally, the Hawke’s Bay region, including Napier Port, is forecast to experience winter storm conditions tomorrow, Thursday, July 9th, with heavy winds expected for the entire day. As a result, Napier…