Register now for The Global Cold Chain Alliance Assembly of Committees! Being held in Washington, DC, this annual event is free and open to all members. The Assembly of Committees is the best opportunity of the year for IRTA members to meet with the other Alliance Core Partners (IARW, WFLO and IACSC) to discuss key issues, learn about the industry, participate in discussions with colleagues, share experiences, and more. Click here to register!

Transportation Committee: Raising Standards

The IRTA Refrigeration Transportation Committee meeting on Monday afternoon will cover all issues affecting transportation of refrigerated commodities. Led by Chairman John LaRue (Port of Corpus Christi) topics to be included on this years’ agenda include a discussion on the current status of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) implementation, current capacity of refrigerated trucking, and an end-users perspective on the railroads contribution to refrigerated logistics.

The committee will also provide input on two programs under consideration for IRTA members: a cargo insurance program for perishable commodities and driver-care programs offered at refrigerated warehouses.

Four Seasons Hotel

Once again, The Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC will serve as the venue for the annual Assembly of Committees. The Alliance has negotiated an excellent group rate of $214/night—nearly $400 less than the published weekday rate. To book accommodations, call the Four Seasons at +1 202 342 0444. The cut-off date is July 6.

Latest IRTA Report in the Mail

Check your mailboxes for the latest issue of the IRTA Report.

In this Issue:

· Transportation Issues Discussed at Annual IARW-WFLO-IRTA Convention

· IRTA Elects New Officers at 2007 Annual Convention

· Chris Kozak Honored as IRTA Executive of the Year

· New Technology Offers Routing and Load Planning Optimization

· Increased Cold Capacity & New Technology Boost Rail as a Transportation Option

· Managing the Risk of Goods in Transit

· Q&A with Rebecca Brewster, President and COO of the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)

and much more!

Click here to read the IRTA Report online.

Australia Cold Chain Conference

From August 19-22, 2007, the Refrigerated Warehousing and Transportation Association of Australia (RWTA) and the Global Cold Chain Alliance will jointly host a cold chain conference and exhibition in Queensland, Australia at the beautiful five-star Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove Resort.

Under the theme “Competitive Advantage in the Global Cold Chain” topics of discussion, among others, will include:

· Supply Chain Labor Issues

· Primary Freight

· Product Traceability

· Temperature Tracking

· Intermodal Developments

· Risk Assessment

Situated along Australia’s Gold Coast, which is renowned for its magnificent beaches, the Hyatt Regency offers a luxury spa, two championship golf courses, and world-class dining. For more information, visit www.sanctuarycove.regency.hyatt.com.

Additional information is also available from the RWTA website.

Customs Duty Eliminated for Reefer Vehicles in India

India Government on Thursday May 3, 2007 passed the Finance Bill for the current fiscal year of 2007 -08 in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament. Finance Minister, GOI conceded to some demands of the domestic industry to reduce customs duty on refrigerated trucks. The bill is expected to finally remove customs duty on refrigerated motor vehicles from the existing level of 10% to 0% and bring down the excise/countervailing duties to 8% — in a bid to boost the food-processing sector of the country. The minister also announced other fresh excise and customs duty concessions, which are expected to benefit sectors like food processing, retail and packaged foods.

The effect of this reduction is estimated to encourage the entry of more players in the India reefer market. Recent studies have indicated that India will require about 5000 additional refrigerated trucks over the next three years to meet the demand of India’s rapidly growing retail market. Cold chain logistics players like Container Corporation of India, Gateway Distriparks, Radhakrishna Foodland are expected to be the major beneficiaries of the bill.

New Email Extension at Headquarters

Within the next week, all outgoing e-mail correspondence from IRTA will be sent from the e-mail extension gcca.org. Please make sure you are able to receive mail from this extension. All e-mails to association staff may still be addressed to the irta.org extension. (For example, if you are trying to reach Megan Kalaski, you may address your e-mail to mkalaski@gcca.org or mkalaski@irta.org.) Please address all technical questions to Sara Martin.

Government & Legislative Affairs

DHS Awards $200 Million to Ports to Improve Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will award $202,269,793 in federal grants to help 183 public and private entities improve security in and around port facilities. See full story from the American Association of Port Authorities.

Congress Includes $400 million for Port Security Grants in FY 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations

While funding for port security has been on the increase in the years following 9/11, this year Congress is making port security a priority. The current wartime supplemental bill includes additional funds to bring the FY'07 funding level to $400 million, and now the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee continued this level for FY'08. See full story from the American Association of Port Authorities.

EPA Offers Reduced Fines to Companies that Self-Disclose Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency audit policy offers reduced penalties to companies that self-police their programs, promptly disclose and correct any violations discovered, and take steps to prevent future violations. See full story from the Truckload Carriers Association.

China to Release First Regulation on Food Recall

China will release the country's first regulation on food recall by the end of this year as part of efforts to improve food safety, a senior official has said. The move by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine comes in response to a recent spate of food safety scandals. See full story from Chinadaily.com.

Industry News

IRTA members are encouraged to submit company news or articles of interest for publication in Cool Moves and/or the IRTA Report. Please e-mail all items to Tori Miller at Cold Chain Headquarters.

Rail Recession Continues

Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down from last year during the week ended May 19, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Traffic was impacted by continued flooding in the Midwest. See full story from the Association of American Railroads.

U.S. Ports Expanding to Keep up with Import Growth

U.S. Ports remain confident that aggressive infrastructure expansion will keep pace with the relentless growth of Asian trade. See the complete Special Report from Supply Chain Management Review.

Roehl Transport Acquires Blume Refrigerated Trucking Ops

Blume Farms Land & Cattle has agreed to sell its Dorchester refrigerated trucking operations to Roehl Transport. According to the Marshfield News-Herald, Roehl will operate the 100-plus unit fleet as Blume Refrigerated. See full story from WisconsinAg connection.

Chiquita Sells 12 Refrigerated Cargo Vessels for$227 Million

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. today announced it has signed definitive agreements to sell its 12 refrigerated cargo vessels for US$227 million. The ships will be chartered back from an alliance formed by Eastwind Maritime Inc. and NYKLauritzenCool AB. The parties also entered a long-term strategic agreement in which the alliance will serve as Chiquita's preferred supplier in ocean shipping to and from Europe and North America. See full story from PR Newswire.

Canadian Challenger Motor Freight has Purchased Lodwick Transport

Challenger Motor Freight has purchased Lodwick Transport, a 60-truck, Beaverton, Ont. long-haul refrigeration carrier. Under Challenger, Lodwick will operate about 180 units. Challenger is one of Canada's largest for-hire carriers, running 1,500 trucks and 3,300 trailers. See full story from Today’s Trucking.

Fenway and Roadlink Acquire World S.S. Inc.

Fenway Partners and Roadlink USA acquire third party logistics provider World S.S. Inc. See full release.

Shipping Lines Announce Voluntary Rate Increases

Shipping lines that carry U.S. exports to Asia announced Tuesday voluntary rate increases for agricultural products such as hay, grains and animal feed. See full story from The Journal of Commerce.