Truck drivers strike at west coast ports

  • Market: Coal, Crude oil, Fertilizers, Metals, Petrochemicals, Petroleum coke
  • 04/27/15

Unionized truck drivers serving California ports went on strike today, potentially throwing the ports into another lengthy slow-down similar to one that crippled railroads and shipping earlier this year.

About 500 drivers serving the four major drayage firms at the twin ports of Los Angeles-Long Beach and San Diego picketed company yards. A primary complaint is their classification as independent contractors rather than employees.

The strike comes as rail carriers have begun to report recovery of volumes that flow from the ports.

"Primary picket lines are now up at company yards in the greater Los Angeles area and in San Diego, and truckers and their supporters are picketing company trucks at marine terminals, rail yards and customer warehouses as far away as the US-Mexico border," the Teamsters union said.

Striking drivers are targeting Intermodal Bridge Transport, Pacific 9 Transportation, Pacer Cartage and Harbor Rail Transport. They are demonstrating at rail yards, marine terminals at the port of Los Angeles-Long Beach, and customer warehouses as far south as the US-Mexico border.

The port of Los Angeles-Long Beach is the largest port complex in the US, handling more than 15mn containers/year.

A previous dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the port terminal operators resulted in a 3 April tentative labor agreement. Union members will vote on the agreement on 22 May.

Congestion across ports in California, Washington and Oregon occurred throughout last year and became acute in early 2015 as the labor dispute reached a head. Los Angeles and Long Beach were the most affected.

jf/ee



Send comments to feedback@argusmedia.com

Request more information about Argus' energy and commodity news, data and analysis services.

Copyright © 2015 Argus Media Ltd - www.argusmedia.com - All rights reserved.


Sharelinkedin-sharetwitter-sharefacebook-shareemail-share

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

News
03/15/24

Lack of snow reduces Mississippi flood risk: NWS

Lack of snow reduces Mississippi flood risk: NWS

Houston, 15 March (Argus) — The Mississippi River faces below normal flood risk this spring because of historically low snowpack, meaning barges carrying fertilizer and other commodities may experience fewer delays from high water. The lack of snowpack in the Mississippi River basin resulted from persistent drought since last September and unseasonably warm temperatures across the Northern Plains, which prevented a base layer of heavy snow from forming, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its final spring flood outlook on 14 March. Meteorologist Brennan Dettmann told Argus there is no snowpack in Minnesota, with only a light covering along the northern border, making for one of five driest years since the NWS began recording snowpack in 1872. There is no snow at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport this week compared to 10 inches of snow on the ground a year ago. This year, the most amount of snow on the ground at the airport was 7 inches on 14 February, according to NWS. Risk of flooding for the upper Mississippi River and tributaries will be entirely dependent on rainfall, with much of the basin already in a precipitation deficit because of the drought. Barges have been navigating through the upper Mississippi and will soon reach the Twin Cities after locks open tonight at midnight . This time last year, tows were just breaking the ice on Lake Pepin , signaling safe passage to begin through the upper Mississippi River. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Read more
News

Pilbara accepts pre-auction spodumene offer: Correction


03/15/24
News
03/15/24

Pilbara accepts pre-auction spodumene offer: Correction

Corrects "$1,106/dmt fob Port Hedland" to "$1,106/dmt cif China" in 2nd paragraph Beijing, 15 March (Argus) — Australian lithium producer Pilbara Minerals on 14 March accepted a pre-auction offer for a lithium concentrate (spodumene) cargo ahead of a scheduled auction on its Battery Material Exchange (BMX). The offer is for 5,000 dry metric tonne (dmt) of spodumene at $1,106/dmt cif China for 5.5pc lithium oxide product, corresponding to $1,200/dmt cif China for 6pc product. The price is 85pc lower compared with the firm's last auction price in December 2022. A shipment of 5,000t was made available for sale to a group of registered BMX participants prior to a proposed BMX auction which was scheduled for 18 March. The shipment is contracted for the October-December 2024 quarter, which is likely to lend little support to the near-term spot market given the distant shipping date, according to market participants. The company started using its BMX online auction system in the middle of 2021 to boost spot sales and short-term offtake to complement its formula-based contract sales, which accounted for the bulk of its high-quantity sales, especially in 2022 when lithium prices were mostly on an upward trajectory. A total of 13 auctions were conducted until December 2022 when the company suspended them. Pilbara's forecast production for 2024 is largely allocated for the firm's offtake commitments, making regular future spot sales via the BMX unlikely during this year, the company said. It plans to continuously review a variety of sales avenues including offtake contracts, closed tenders, auctions and other commercial opportunities. The firm has increased its supplies to Chinese lithium refineries in the past couple of months, extending offtake agreements with China's Ganfeng Lithium and Chengxin . Pilbara owns 100pc of the Pilgangoora operation, with a consortium of global partners including China's Ganfeng Lithium, General Lithium, Yibin Tianyi, Chengxin Lithium, Yahua Lithium and South Korea's Posco. It plans to expand Pilgangoora's production capacity to 1mn t/yr by 2025 from 680,000 t/yr currently. Argus -assessed prices for 6pc grade spodumene increased to $950-1,080/t cif China on 12 March from $900-1,050/t cif China a week earlier, in response to higher lithium salts prices and lower-than-expected feedstock supply growth. But prices have been on a downtrend over most of the past year as supply expansions outpaced demand growth. Current prices are still 83pc lower than those during the start of last year. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Iraq, Turkey agree security deal signalling better ties


03/15/24
News
03/15/24

Iraq, Turkey agree security deal signalling better ties

Dubai, 15 March (Argus) — Turkey and Iraq say they have reached a landmark deal to tackle the security threat posed by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group cached on Iraq's northern border. The agreement, made at a security summit in Baghdad on 14 March, signals an improvement in ties and may increase the likelihood of a resolution to a dispute that is preventing crude flows resuming through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. "The two sides stressed that the PKK organisation represents a security threat to both Turkey and Iraq," according to a joint statement issued late Thursday. The countries discussed measures against the group and decided to establish a permanent joint committee on combating terrorism, as well as dealing with trade, agriculture, energy, water, health and transportation issues. Turkey welcomed a decision by Iraq to label the PKK a "banned organisation", the statement said, although Baghdad stopped short of using the term "terrorist organisation". The PKK wants to establish an autonomous region in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast. Turkey, the US and the EU view the group as a terrorist organisation, and Turkey has long sought to prevent the PKK from using mountainous areas in northern Iraq as a springboard for attacks. Turkey's defence minister said this week that Ankara and Baghdad are in talks to jointly crack down on the PKK's hideouts. Turkey is also aiming to create a security corridor up to 40km deep along its border with Iraq. Turkish president Recep Tayyep Erdogan is due to visit Iraq before the end of April. Erdogan and Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani have aspirations for a $17bn trade route stretching from Iraq's southern Basrah province to Turkey and on to Europe, and they are considering trying to convince Mideast Gulf countries to help finance it. Erdogan and al-Sudani see the corridor as an alternative to the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, which was announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi last September. The multinational rail and shipping corridor will connect south Asia to the Middle East and Europe and reshape Eurasian connectivity. Iraq and Turkey fear being left out. The security deal and Erdogan's upcoming visit to Baghdad could pave the way for a resolution to a dispute that is preventing the restart of about 470,000 b/d of crude exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region via the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Turkey ordered the pipeline that links oil fields in northern Iraq with Ceyhan to be closed a year ago after an international arbitration ruling said it had breached a bilateral agreement by allowing Iraqi Kurdistan crude to be exported without Baghdad's consent. Turkey is holding out on paying $1.47bn that the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce said it owes Baghdad in compensation for breaching the pipeline deal. It is also seeking clarity about Iraq's position on a second arbitration case. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Ammonia-fuelled vessel trialled in Singapore


03/15/24
News
03/15/24

Ammonia-fuelled vessel trialled in Singapore

Singapore, 15 March (Argus) — Ammonia as a marine fuel has been trialled in Singapore on a dedicated vessel, in another step towards the port's multi-fuel bunkering capability. The trial, carried out in phases over a period of seven weeks, used ammonia in combination with diesel in the combustion process. The Maritime and Port of Authority of Singapore (MPA), along with government agencies, research partners and industry partners were involved in the trial process, said the MPA and Australian green energy, metals and technology firm Fortescue. Completion of the trial saw the Fortescue Green Pioneer receive flag approval from the Singapore Registry of Ships, along with a notation by classification society DNV to use ammonia, in combination with diesel, as a marine fuel. The trial had two of the four-stroke engines on the Fortescue Green Pioneer loaded with 5m³ (3t) of liquid ammonia supplied by Dutch storage firm Vopak from its 10,000m³ Banyan terminal on Jurong island. The Fortescue Green Pioneer was converted to run on ammonia, in combination with marine gasoil, following its first land-based testing in Australia in 2022. Ammonia has been promoted as a viable low-carbon alternative fuel for the marine shipping industry that is striving to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But the use of ammonia as a fuel has often focused on its safety risks because of its toxicity, while burning ammonia releases another GHG nitrous oxide. The Singapore trial was done in phases to ensure safe port operations and the safety of the ship's crew, as well as engineers, the MPA and Fortescue said. The crew and engineers have been having safety training since October 2023. "The Fortescue Green Pioneer is proof that safe, technical solutions for ammonia power engines exist," said Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest. Alternative marine fuel demand in Singapore is likely to grow because of higher consumption of biofuels, as well as the rise of bio-methanol for bunkering. Singapore is also exploring using ammonia as a fuel for power generation. By Mahua Chakravarty Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Amogy to test clean ammonia-run boat in US by mid-2024


03/15/24
News
03/15/24

Amogy to test clean ammonia-run boat in US by mid-2024

Singapore, 15 March (Argus) — US-based fuel cell development Amogy is aiming to test a clean ammonia-powered tugboat on an inland waterway in upstate New York by mid-2024, delayed slightly from its initial schedule. Amogy previously announced plans to test the "zero-emission" vessel in late 2023. But the project was delayed because of supply chain disruptions, Amogy told Argus on 15 March. The developer will be retrofitting a diesel generator and electric motor tugboat from 1957 with its clean power generation technology. It will be fitted with a 1MW ammonia-to-power system. Norwegian fertilizer producer Yara will supply green ammonia feedstock for the demonstration. Amogy's ammonia-to-power technology involves feeding liquefied ammonia through a modular cracking unit that converts the ammonia into hydrogen, which is then used in a fuel cell to generate electricity. The modular technology is scalable and can be ramped up according to vessel size or customised to fit specific power requirements. Safety measures, including sensors that are approved by various classification systems, will be included, along with training on proper usage. Amogy eventually aims fully implement its maritime technology on small to medium-sized vessels. It is also exploring the possibility of using its ammonia-to-electricity system as a cleaner alternative to existing auxiliary engines in large vessels. This would help power a ship's systems and equipment with cleaner energy, alongside its main engine. By Dinise Chng Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.