Negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters are focused on working conditions, work rules, harassment and safety, the Teamsters union said, saying the latest round of UPS negotiations wrapped up this week. After these issues are addressed, negotiations will then turn to economic issues including pensions, health care and wages, the union said. The UPS contract is the largest collective bargaining agreement in the country, the union said: The UPS and UPS Freight contracts cover about 250,000 Teamsters. The current five-year agreements expire July 31, 2013. Negotiations are to resume Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America will hold its annual conference at the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif. April 7-10.

Overseas Shipholding Group, one of the world's largest publicly traded tanker companies, filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions Nov. 14 for itself and certain operating subsidiaries in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, it said. It said it intends to use the Chapter 11 process to significantly reduce its debt profile, reorganize other financial obligations and "create a strong financial foundation for the Company's future." Some subsidiaries, including those that manage the company's facilities in Manila, Singapore, Greece, London and Newcastle, did not file for reorganization. OSG said it plans to continue to serve customers without interruption while it reorganizes its debt, and has adequate cash to allow the company to continue operating as usual.

The Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund and the Carlyle Group's Global Alternative Asset Manager said they will invest $210 million for a minority holding in Export Trading Group, an African agricultural commodities supply chain manager. It's the first investment by Carlyle's Sub-Saharan Africa Fund and the Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund. ETG owns and manages a vertically-integrated agriculture supply chain with operations in procurement, processing, warehousing, transportation, distribution and merchandising. It has more than 7,000 employees in 30 African countries.

The International Chamber of Commerce set new uniform rules on forfaiting to govern the international forfaiting market estimated at more than US$300 billion annually. Forfaiting is a financial transaction designed to aid trade finance. It involves buying receivables from exporters. The forfaiter assumes the risks involved in the receivables in return for a margin on the deal.

U.S. import volume in October, measured in TEUs, was down 6.8% from September and another 4.8% from October of last year, Zepol said, to a total of 1,433,446 containers imported. For the remainder of 2012, U.S. imports will most likely decline as the peak season ends for importers and consumption begins to wane, the report said. The U.S. had a drop in imports from Asian countries this month of more than 5%. China fell 8.2% from September and 2.4% from October of 2011, but Japan increased in TEUs to the U.S. by 14.2% from September and from last October by 1.7%. The Port of Los Angeles, which accounted for 24% of U.S. imports in October, fell 6.4% from September and another 5.7% from last year. The Port of Newark/New York fell 24.8% from September. The Port of Tacoma had a 2.3% increase in TEUs from September, and an even larger increase from last October by 36.3%. Maersk Line fell 13.5% this month, and Mediterranean Shipping by 9.6%. But APL Co had a 12% rise in imports, Zepol said.

OIA Global said it acquired International Transport Services, a Cleveland-based provider of global transportation, and warehousing and distribution services. The acquisition broadens OIA's network of owned offices from six to seven in the U.S., and to 28 worldwide, it said.

India will be the fastest-growing market for U.S. exports due to the country's emerging middle class, said a report by HSBC Commercial Banking. Exports to India will expand an average of 12% per year between 2016 and 2020,it said, then grow close to 10% a year from 2021 to 2030. It said other emerging trading partners include China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico and Poland. Over the medium term, the value of U.S. exports to Asia (excluding Japan) is forecast to rise at an average annual rate of 8% 2021-2030. The companion HSBC Trade Confidence Index said U.S.-based importers and exporters are maintaining a steady confidence about their expected trade volume during the next six months. Some 48% of U.S. importers and exporters foresee their trade volumes increasing, it said

Security Cargo Network will provide INTTRA’s ocean shipping solutions to all members of SCN, they said. The deal allows SCN members to plan, execute and track ocean shipments through a single network, simplifying and streamlining their ocean shipment transactions, they said.

CIT Group launched CIT Maritime Finance to originate and underwrite blue water vessel financing, it said. Svein Engh was appointed managing director and group head of the business. CIT Maritime Finance will offer senior secured loans, sale-leasebacks, and bareboat charters to owners and operators of oceangoing cargo vessels including tankers, bulkers, container ships, car carriers, as well as offshore vessels and drilling rigs, it said.