The day began today with stevedore workers at DP World’s (DPW’s) Melbourne and Sydney container terminals refusing to work the morning shifts. This is the reaction of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to DPW’s stated position that they would no longer tolerate partial work bans from today. Now, work has all but stopped at […]
Attacks on commercial cargo ships by the Houthi rebels around the Red Sea, as well as the return of piracy off the coast of Somalia, are causing concern for traders everywhere, especially with Chinese New Year holidays only weeks away. There is no clear leadership or agreement on how to tackle the crisis. Australian traders […]
News from both Patrick and DP World this week has been all about delays and price increases. Additionally, Brisbane container terminals are recovering from the impact of the Christmas / New Year storms. Patrick Terminal Brisbane was able to recover some fallen containers last week within a 24-to-48-hour period and were operational again from 2200 […]
The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between Australia and India has now been in force for a year. Negotiations have resumed for the more ambitious Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will build upon ECTA outcomes to capitalise on the potential for closer economic ties between Australia and India. From 01 January 2024, Australian […]
In November, the government released a very important document for Australia’s maritime security. The final report of the Strategic Fleet taskforce was handed to government in June, with a public version along with the government response now online. The taskforce was established as part of a Labor election commitment, with the mission of advising government […]
Following the final negotiating round for the year on 20 December 2023, at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Members of the ‘WTO Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce’ (JSI) have reached substantial conclusions on a number of global digital trade rules. Digital trade is not just about buying and selling goods and services […]
The Australian Border Force (ABF) has issued Australian Customs Notice No. 2023/51 announcing that from 01 January 2024, disposable vapes will be prohibited imports. To read the notice (in PDF) click on this link: New Import Control on Vaping Goods. Using a phased approach, all vaping goods will be prohibited under new regulation 5A of […]
The Australian Border Force (ABF) has issued Australian Customs Notice No. 2023/50: ‘Customs Tariff Changes 1 January 2024.’ (in PDF format). The notice advises that from 01 January 2024, the preferential rates of customs duty for certain Indian, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and United Kingdom (UK) originating goods will be reduced. Australia-India Economic […]
As major containership operators pause shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, Forbes Magazine has posed the possibility that “Attacks On Ships In Red Sea Could Be First Sign Of Next Supply Chain Crisis.” They speculate that “The recent attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea by Yemini rebels […] are early warning […]
The Australian Border Force has issued Customs Notice No. 2023/49: “Prohibited Exports and Imports Regulations amendments.” It advises that on 13 December 2023, the Customs Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Exports and Imports) Regulations 2023 (the Regulations) come into effect. The Regulations amend the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 (the Prohibited Exports Regulations) and the Customs (Prohibited […]
