This memorandum was formerly titled "Direct Shipment of Goods Regulations". No changes have been made to these Regulations. This memorandum now includes a hyperlink to these Regulations in a new Guidelines and General Information section. The memorandum also includes new references to sources of the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) information. The updated document can be downloaded at: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d13/d13-1-2-eng.html

Air Canada said Thursday that it has received confirmation from the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union Local 2002 that the airline's in-flight service crew schedulers have ratified a new collective agreement. The agreement has also been approved by the Air Canada board of directors. The four year agreement is in effect until March 22, 2015. Air Canada's 76 in-flight service crew schedulers coordinate work schedules for flight attendants.

In related news, the CAW has bargained a tentative agreement with Air Canada for 46 Flight Operations Crew Schedulers based in Montreal, after six months of negotiations. The crew schedulers are represented by CAW Local 2002. The tentative agreement was reached early Thursday morning, weeks after members voted overwhelming in favour of taking strike action. The collective agreement had expired on May 22. A ratification meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 17 in Montreal. Details of the agreement will be released once the members have ratified the new agreement.

The Journal of Commerce reports that Mediterranean Shipping Co. said it is reconsidering its operations at the Port of Antwerp a pilot strike paralyzes shipping at Europe's third-largest container hub for the fourth straight day. The world's second largest ocean carrier, which accounts for over two-thirds of Antwerp's container traffic, has begun diverting some calls from its main European hub to the neighboring port of Rotterdam. The strike, over government plans to raise the national retirement age from 63 to 65, is preventing more than 70 ships, including over 20 MSC container vessels, from entering or leaving the port. The port authority said the strike action is costing around $1.3 million hourly. Antwerp pilots, dockers and lock operators joined Belgium's first general strike in more than two decades on January 27, shutting down the port for 24 hours. Container shipping has also been disrupted in Rotterdam for the past two weeks as dockers at APM Terminals' facility stage walk outs in a dispute over a new labor contract linked to government pension reforms.

Today's Trucking - Springtime road restrictions in Manitoba will now take into account changing weather conditions instead of relying solely on pre-set start and end dates, the Government of Manitoba announced Wednesday. Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said that truckers will see a shorter period of spring road restrictions as a result of the policy changes.

Family Day - Monday, February 20, 2012 in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; for the purposes of calculating the accounting period, February 20, 2012 will be considered a holiday for these provinces and any late accounting penalties will be waived without the client having to submit an application. This applies to transactions that were accounted for in the affected provinces and released between February 13, 2012 and February 20, 2012. Should you have any questions concerning the late accounting penalties, please contact Bob Ellah by phone at 613-960-5102 or by fax at 613-960-5112.

United States (U.S.) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has received numerous questions concerning the importation of instruments of international traffic (IIT) with residue of bulk products. CBP prepared this document to assist the trade community in understanding the obligations for transporting carriers concerning the advance electronic cargo information and importers for entry requirements. The document can be downloaded at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_outreach/.

By Peter G. Hall, Vice-President and Chief Economist - Talk casually to anyone about the US housing market, and you're likely to get a good volley of the latest reasons why it is never coming back. Data have been so weak for so long that it's not hard to become convinced that this is just part of a 'new normal' of lower activity. But something is stirring in the market: housing starts jumped 11 per cent in the latter half of 2011 from the average level in the preceding 30 months. Is the market telling us something? More of the commentary here.

Air Canada confirmed Tuesday it is business as usual for the airline and that its customers can continue to book Air Canada flights with confidence, following the announcement of voting results by the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) which gave union leadership a strike mandate if a tentative agreement is not reached. ACPA represents approximately 3,000 pilots employed by Air Canada. Air Canada has been in negotiations with ACPA since October 2010. Following the rejection of a first tentative agreement reached in March 2011, conciliator-facilitated talks resumed in November 2011.

Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said Wednesday she had received written confirmation from Air Canada and the union representing its pilots that they will submit to an extended mediation process. Both parties in the dispute have said they remain committed to a negotiated settlement, and accepted the offer from Ottawa to have a new mediator appointed to the talks.

The Ministère des Transports du Québec reminds heavy vehicle users and shippers that, as each year, authorized load limits are reduced during the spring thaw period in order to take into account the weaker load bearing capacity of the road network during that period. For the 2012 spring thaw period, the FORECASTED dates the load restrictions start and end in each of the thaw zones and can be found here.

The Quebec Ministry of Transport will implement the annual spring thaw weight restrictions in March 2012. Effective February 20, 2012, CP will not accept/ingate any overweight containers. Overweight loads will be returned to the Shipper at their own expense. For Domestic shipments where CP performs the drayage weights must be reduced and evenly distributed in the unit in order to avoid possible charges and fines associated with the Quebec Spring Thaw restrictions. CP will not accept responsibility for any such charges. More here.

The regulations amending the special economic measures for Iran have been published and can be found at:

Iran: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2012/2012-02-15/html/sor-dors7-eng.html

Syria: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2012/2012-02-15/html/sor-dors6-eng.html

Air Canada said on Monday it is confident of avoiding a damaging labour disruption involving its 3,000 pilots, and talks will continue even as a possible strike deadline nears. "It is business as usual, and customers can continue to make their travel plans and book in confidence," Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said in an email. The Air Canada Pilots Association says they do not want a strike, although the pilots are voting on whether to give their bargaining committee a mandate to walk off the job. More at Reuters http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCATRE81C1FG20120213.

Reuters - The main terminals at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport were evacuated due to a bomb threat, Dutch military police said on Monday. "We have evacuated the terminals and are investigating the report of a bomb. The area has been sealed," said a spokesperson. "Security has been increased at the airport." He said the two main terminals - 1 and 2, the international terminals - were evacuated. He declined to provide details about the reported bomb threat and declined to confirm local media reports that a man in a toilet claimed to have a bomb. The airport website reported flight delays and a spokesman at state-owned Schiphol Group said they were studying whether the bomb threat would lead to cancellations.

Port Metro Vancouver businesses move more than $200 million of cargo every day, and efficient operations are a key to continued success at Canada's largest gateway. The new Container Truck Efficiency Pilot Program is a six-month GPS communication pilot program that will benefit Port terminal operations, truckers and trucking companies. As part of the Port's ongoing efforts to work in collaboration with industry partners to improve efficiency and reliability, this new pilot program builds on several initiatives already underway, including a review of how container trucks currently access the Port, a new decal program and the terminal operator gate compliance initiative. More here.

The Government of Canada is committed to enhancing our economic ties with China. To highlight the success of our trade relationship, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the Cuntan Port in Chongqing, China, on February 11, 2012, where he witnessed the arrival of the first container shipment of pork from Canada to this region. It is expected that this first container shipment will open the door to even greater growth of Canada's exports to this burgeoning market. Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor offers access to world-class logistics and distribution facilities, secure, efficient and reliable routes for import and export of goods. More at: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=656569.

The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, on Friday announced the successful conclusion of a second round of negotiations to modernize the Canada-Costa Rica Free Trade Agreement. The original agreement entered into force in 2002 but did not include provisions in areas such as cross-border trade in services, financial services, investment and government procurement. An expanded agreement would create greater opportunities for Canadian businesses in many sectors, including construction, manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications. More here.

Container shipping lines in the Canada Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (CTSA) have adopted a General Rate Increase (GRI), effective March 15 2012. Effective March 15, 2012, member carriers in the Canada Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (CTSA) say they intend to raise Asia-Canada rates by US$400 per FEU, with other equipment sizes rated per formula, applicable for all CTSA origins and destinations. These rate increases are interim, and are subject to any additional subsequent increases. CTSA is a discussion forum of 10 major container shipping lines serving the trade from Asia to ports and inland points in Canada.

American Shipper reports that member ocean carriers in the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said Thursday they will seek cumulative rate increases of $800 to $1,000 per FEU between March 15 and May 1, ahead of annual eastbound transpacific service contract negotiations in spring. The rate increase guidelines follow what TSA called a "successfully implemented" interim rate increase on Jan. 1. TSA lines will first seek a $300-per-FEU hike on March 15, followed by increases of $500 per FEU to U.S. West Coast ports and $700 per FEU to all other destinations from May 1. "The March general rate increase is intended to bring Asia-U.S. freight rates back up to near 2011 contract levels, establishing a baseline for upcoming contract negotiations," the organization said in a statement. The lines also indicated that further additional revenue and cost recovery initiatives would be considered for later in the year, after a review of market conditions and outlook for the second half of 2012.