The Journal of Commerce Opens Access to Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference Coverage Online

NEWARK, N.J., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- There are only two certainties this year on the trans-Pacific: U.S. import growth will be sluggish at best, and U.S. exports will continue to increase, reported Peter T. Leach for The Journal of Commerce (http://www.joc.com).

This consensus was reached at the 8th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference in Long Beach, Calif., last week. The event is presented by The Journal of Commerce Conferences.

Panels of influential industry leaders and economists debated such topics as the current state of the ocean container industry, "green" challenges, rising freight rates and fuel costs, West Coast port labor negotiations and the nationwide introduction of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). A record 1,500 shipping and logistics professionals attended.

The conference has rapidly grown into the most important and largest annual gathering of senior executives from shippers, carriers, 3PLs, ports, terminals, railroads and other key players in the trans-Pacific trade. It is timed to coincide with the run-up to annual shipper-carrier contract negotiations.

The public can now obtain in-depth information on the most significant issues presented at the event -- free of charge. The Journal of Commerce has opened access to its reporters' coverage of the Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference news at http://www.joc.com. Such news had previously been restricted to subscribers.

Headlines of some of the free articles include:

-- The cloudy outlook for the trans-Pacific shipping market (http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=spec1&sid=44541)

-- The power struggle over clean-air plans at the ports of Los Angeles and

       Long Beach
(http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=spec1&sid=44580)

-- Customs and Border Protection's move to close loopholes in its popular

       in-bond program
(http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=spec1&sid=44569)

-- The cost advantages that East and Gulf Coast ports now have over their

       West Coast counterparts for Asian imports
(http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=spec1&sid=44551)

Conference keynote speaker Nils Andersen, chief executive of A.P. Moller-Maersk, noted that, "Ocean carriers exist not to operate ships but to help customers solve problems and operate their companies more efficiently." To achieve that, he said, carriers must price their services profitably, attack infrastructure problems, improve business processes and find ways to operate in a more environmentally friendly way. Additional details on Andersen's keynote address are available at http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=spec1&sid=44546.

To view the free stories, visit http://www.joc.com. For information on a full-access subscription to the print and electronic versions of The Journal of Commerce, call 1-888-215-6084 (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET) or email cbizservices@sunbeltfs.com.