The American Association of Port Authorities says delays in setting technical specifications for Transportation Worker Identification Credential card scanners could force ports to shoulder extra costs.

CaroTrans, a non-vessel operating common carrier and ocean freight consolidator, has opened a branch office in Le Havre, France.

The North European containerport market bounced back strongly from the economic downturn. Total demand reached 57.9 million TEUs in 2011, representing an increase of 22 percent since 2009. The eastern Baltic is seeing particularly strong growth.

U.S. ports plan to spend more than $46bn over the next five years in anticipation of fierce global competition for exports and imports, a report by the American Association of Port Authorities shows.

International trade data indicates that U.S. import shipment volume for May, measured in TEUs, increased 5.6 percent from April and 3.5 percent from May 2011.

In international trade news, import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to increase 4.8 percent in June compared with the same month last year, and year-over-year increases are expected to continue into the holiday season shipping cycle, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

As Panama continues to grow and invest in infrastructure, RILA is keeping a sharp eye on the new opportunities emerging for retailers. According to a recent RILA member survey, 59 percent of retailers reported that their supply chains include distribution to and from Latin America, and 58 percent consider entering or expanding Latin American operations in the next five years.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo is now serving Vancouver, B.C., with flights from London's Heathrow International Airport every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Caribbean logistics unit of Crowley Maritime Corp. has nearly doubled the size of its distribution center in Puerto Rico, with acquisition of a second warehouse next to its existing 70,000 square-foot facility distribution center in Guaynabo.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo has introduced four new flights from Chicago, linking the U.S. Midwest to the carrier's network of more than 350 destinations worldwide.