Providing additional details of the upcoming round of talks, the International Longshoremen's Association said its negotiating sub-committee, called the 20-member committee, will meet with the employer's smaller negotiating committee in Delray Beach, Fla., Aug. 22-24, as expected (See ITT's Online Archives [Ref.12073142]). The union said it will likely call full Wage Scale meetings in early September. ILA ports from Maine to Texas "are also currently engaged in local bargaining," the ILA said. In New York, the NYSA and ILA have scheduled local negotiations for Aug. 28-29 in Newark, N.J.

June air freight volume was up 0.8% from the previous year, said the International Air Transport Association. This brings seasonally adjusted June demand about 2.5% above the low reached in the fourth quarter of 2011, it said. There was strong growth for Middle East airlines (17.9%) and improvement in North American air freight demand. "The uncertainty that we see in the global economic situation is being reflected in air transport's performance, said IATA Director General Tony Tyler. "Freight markets gains have been mostly very weak." North American carriers' freight demand grew 1.8% compared to the previous June, while capacity shrank by 1.0%. Middle East carriers had a 17.9 % increase in demand and a 14.2% increase in capacity, with much of the demand for moving goods between the Middle East and Africa and also toward Europe and Asia. African airlines had a 15.9% increase in demand and a 12.1% increase in capacity, IATA said. Asia-Pacific airlines reported a 3% decline in demand, with a 1.3% cut in capacity. Latin American airlines recorded a 1.4% decline in demand while capacity grew by 12.5%.

Atlas Air Worldwide announced earnings for the second quarter of 2012 and reaffirmed guidance for full-year earnings of $30.9 million, compared with $23.8 million in the second quarter of 2011. Revenue totaled $424.7 million in the second quarter of 2012 and $349.6 million in the second quarter of 2011.

DHL Global Forwarding announced the launch of an additional direct Less than Container Load service from Shanghai to Dubai, making it the second direct LCL service to connect China and the UAE. This new trade lane also connects some other cities such as Doha and Kuwait City. The service is operated by Danmar Lines, the in-house carrier of DHL Global Forwarding.

After a brief delay, the American Association of Exporters and Importers has begun gathering information for its fourth annual Benchmarking Survey. "We generally try to release the survey during April so we can release preliminary results during our Annual Conference in June," said AAEI President Marianne Rowden: "This year's survey was a bit delayed because we added questions about the Centers for Excellence and Expertise."

UPS second-quarter results were nearly flat with a year ago, with revenue of $13.35 billion, vs. $13.19 billion a year ago, and operating profit of $1.79 billion, vs. $1.75 billion. International revenue was down slightly to $3 billion as the segment remains under pressure due to weaker global economies and reductions in exports from Asia, it said, with international operating profit of $454 million. Export volume increased 0.8% over the same quarter last year, with European growth mostly offset by double-digit declines in exports from Asia to the U.S. and Europe.

The International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO, plans to affiliate with the worldwide International Dockworkers Council, said ILA President Harold Daggett. "We are looking to build strong solidarity with waterfront workers in the United States and around the world," Daggett told 200 ILA Wage Scale delegates gathered in Delray Beach, Fla., July 19 for negotiations with U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX). "The ILA enjoys strong bonds of solidarity with our sister union on the U.S. West Coast, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and with transportation workers around the world through our affiliation with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)." The ILA leader said he announced his union's affiliation at Wage Scale meetings to fortify the union's bargaining position with East and Gulf Coast employers belonging to USMX. The current ILA contract expires Sept. 30.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue will this week meet with government and business leaders of South Korea, China, and Japan. Beginning in Seoul, Donohue will deliver a speech to AmCham Korea and other business organizations on the” challenges and opportunities” of implementing the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, the chamber said. He will meet with President Lee Myung-Bak and other top officials and later sign a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote the small and medium enterprises of both countries, it said. In Beijing, Donohue will meet with senior Chinese leaders, participate in an investment conference cosponsored by the U.S. Chamber designed to attract job-creating Chinese investment to the United States, as well as unveil a new Chamber publication, Faces of Chinese Investment in the United States, it said. Concluding the visit in Tokyo, Donohue will meet with senior government and business leaders to urge Japan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations on the same strong terms adopted by other participants. He will also meet with AmCham Japan and the U.S.-Japan Business Council, which recently integrated its activities and management into the U.S. Chamber's International Division.

The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry remained unchanged in May from April, after a one-month rise, according to the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI). The May 2012 index level (109.6) was 16.3 percent above the April 2009 low during the recession. BTS reported that the level of freight shipments in May measured by the TSI, 109.6, declined 3.8 percent from the level of December 2011 (114.0), which was the all-time high since 1990 when BTS’ TSI records began.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) announced today the integration of the two organizations, effective immediately. “This is a win-win for our organizations and for the businesses we represent,” said Thomas Donohue, chamber CEO. “By bringing together the USJBC’s expertise on Japan and the Chamber’s strong platform and programs in Washington and Asia, we can maximize the value to U.S. companies with interests in Japan and the region.” The integration comes at a “timely moment” given the important issues on the bilateral economic agenda, including Japan’s possible participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, the potential for new levels of cooperation on energy, and need for pro-business policies that will support trade and stronger economic growth in both economies, the chamber said.. The USJBC will continue to set its priorities and positions on these and other bilateral economic issues while operating as part of the chamber, it said. “The USJBC’s official alignment with the U.S. Chamber will amplify the voice of the American business community on U.S.-Japan economic relations,” said Charles Lake, USJBC chairman. “Japan is a critical market for many U.S. companies, and we have major opportunities to do even more trade with Japan. “ USJBC President James Fatheree will retain the title of president and chief operating officer and continue to be responsible for day-to-day operations of the USJBC while assuming broader responsibilities as senior director of the U.S. Chamber for Japan and Korea.