Top 10 Ocean Liner Market Shares -- January 2006

The fast facts for March begin with a challenge. Can you name one of the world's top ten 10 largest ocean container lines in terms of volume as of January 2006?

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A twistlock is a bolting device which connects ISO containers among themselves and/or with land-based carrier vehicles, or vessel. The twistlock is inserted into the standardized angle fittings (or corner castings) in the corners of the container and/or the containers to the fixed bolting devices on the vehicle or vessel. These devices are found both on land vehicles and on deck or in the loading space on container vessels.

Source: Translated and adapted via AltaVista Babel Fish Translator:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twistlock

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When discussing the movement of ocean containers, sometimes the devil is in the details. One may wonder and ask themselves, 'how is a container held in place on trucks, railcars and on ocean vessels?'

Well, this month's ocean "Buzz" word answers that very question! A twistlock defines the very small, yet critical tool that helps ensure containers remain stable on land and on sea while in transit. Containerization always focuses on the revolution and evolution from bulk cargo movement into standard containerized shipping boxes (also commonly known as "containers"), but often the little pieces of equipment so vital in the success of safe containerized ocean transport are overlooked.

Therefore, in appreciation of the forgotten "little heroes" of the ocean freight supply chain, it appears appropriate to take some time to give appreciation to the "twistlock." The twistlock is the little device that connects containers to each other, to the chassis, to the rail car, to other containers and ultimately to the vessel. Leave it to your local AIT team to keep you "connected" on ocean terminology!

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In the January and February 2008 AIT eNewsletters, the increase in US exports spurring a limited supply of ocean containers was discussed. This shortage remains critical in the USA mid-sections. Furthermore, not only has the ocean container supply been impacted, but the availability of container chassis supply that the ocean carriers and truckers depend on has suffered as a result of this shortage.

As a reminder, AIT export customers should prepare when possible to allow for as much lead time prior to booking and shipping cargo, especially when sourcing single and multiple container shipments from such markets as Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver. These intermodal markets are often "demand" areas for ocean equipment; and import empty "turns" occasionally do not become available fast enough to supply the export booking demands. Plan as early as possible to avoid delays in securing ocean container equipment. Call AIT to assist in planning for alternatives when your primary routing options do not exist.

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Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS) and BAF/FAF Advisory = Asia to USA

Fuel surcharges such as the EBS, BAF and FAF have remained relatively stable in February but recent spikes in the price of oil per barrel may have an impact on these charges. As a result, changes may be announced by the ocean carriers, so don't hesitate to reach out to your AIT representative for verification on your EBS BAF/FAF levels.

Full Export Vessels: ZIM Line USA Gulf Service

As mentioned above, the following is a recent advisory from Zim Line indicating their current back log for export service to Asia. Ships remain full with various carriers to all geographic regions. Please speak with your AIT representative to determine the best routing and carrier selections considering the full vessel situation.

"Please note that due to a tremendous increase in the cargo for Mobile and Houston, the AGX vessels are closed for bookings. We are not accepting any bookings for the AGX for a minimum of two weeks, to allow the backlog of cargo to clear. We may or may not open vessels within the 3 weeks following, depending on how the bookings are. Please check back with us on Feb. 25.
Please note that the rate we quote now will not be valid when the vessels open for bookings, approx in mid March, as the quote is valid for 30 days. Please check back with us at the end of February. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

India: Mumbai / Port of Jawaharlal Nehru Experiencing Congestion

The February 26 issue of the Journal of Commerce reported that Port of Jawaharlal Nehru terminal operator DP World has asked India's state-owned Container Corp. to operate regular dedicated northbound trains to reduce congestion at its box terminal at the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru. This action is a result of a backlog of import boxes, at the port destined for major northern inland container depots, which increased to nearly 4,000 TEUs Feb. 22 at India's busiest port. As of press time, no congestion fees have been enacted to compensate for the limited space on terminal.

U.S. Lines Acquired by CMA-CGM

It was announced in December 2008 that the France-based ocean carrier CMA-CGM would acquire Santa Ana, California based U.S. Lines. U.S. Lines focuses primarily on the trades between the United States and Australia/New Zealand as well as service between the United States and South China. For the time being, U.S. Lines will continue to operate as a separate brand within CMA-CGM.

Kenya: Political Unrest Remains

Several ocean freight carriers continue to report instability in Kenya and are not able to offer through bill of lading service or accepting bookings until further notice.

Reminder: Alameda Corridor Surcharge (ACS) Advisory

As of January 1, 2008, the new ACS levels are: $19/$38/$39/$42 per 20'/40'/40'HC/45'. This is for all cargo transiting via intermodal rail corridors to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Two Reminders for the Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach:

Container Handling Fee coming in 2008: The fee is estimated to be $35 per-TEU or $70 per-FEU and the start date has not yet been announced.

The Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach has announced it will also add a Container Fee for Loaded Containers effective January 1, 2009. The proposed fee will be $15 per TEU.

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Spring has almost sprung! AIT will be participating in the Trans Pacific Maritime Conference March 3 and 4 in Long Beach, California, to learn about the market outlook for the next Asia Import Contract Negotiation Season as well as expectations of the forthcoming contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association. More to follow!

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On behalf of the entire AIT Ocean Systems Team, enjoy the remaining days of winter and thank you for your strong support as we approach Spring 2008.

One item forthcoming in the April 2008 AIT Ocean Systems Newsletter Edition: A new and exciting "Buzz" word of the month.

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In many editions of this e-Newsletter, we often report on and discuss how the laws of supply and demand affect the air cargo industry. Peak Season from Asia is an example, when increased demand for fixed capacity causes air rates to rise as supply of air cargo shipments increase due to holiday buying. Conversion of older fuel inefficient aircraft such as the B747-200 to the newer B777 and B787-freighter add supply of capacity to the market, which should bring prices down or stabilize prices as demand stays consistent.

A major factor affecting the numerous US flag air carriers is supply; there are too many carriers for the demand in the market (and there used to be more - remember TWA, Republic, Pan Am, Braniff, etc?) Although this is more of a passenger issue than air cargo, it still adversely affects our industry. An interesting article was found on www.cnnmoney.com on February 21, 2008, titled "Why Delta-Northwest won't work." The subtitle stated, "Industry consolidation is supposed to cure the airlines' most intractable problems, right? It won't."

Any outsider or industry insider would assume that should airlines like Delta-Northwest, United-Continental, American or US Airways, or any combination thereof, merge, the first thing they would do (unions and other considerations not withstanding) is eliminate redundant lane segments, retire older aircraft, and cut costs while maintaining the combined market share. This is where the "right?" and the "It won't" come into play from the subtitle.

The article states, "But belt-tightening isn't driving the Delta-Northwest talks, according to published reports. The "new" Delta doesn't plan to cut many jobs or reduce much capacity. They don't even plan to drop any hubs."

"Instead, they plan to boost revenue by leveraging their global network to seize market share. It makes sense in theory: Northwest has an extensive Asian presence while Delta has a large European and Latin American network. The problem is, size alone won't stimulate demand. The new Delta would have to use its larger footprint to steal customers from competitors - a tough proposition if other airlines merge too."

"The only way Delta-Northwest plans to save money is through cutbacks in Northwest's Minneapolis base, and by combining their respective airport operations, reservation lines and technology departments. Even so, the costs savings would be negligible - and possibly offset by any deals to secure the approval of the airlines' labor unions. If Delta agrees, say, not to lay off pilots, then it can't reduce the number of planes or routes it flies."

At one point in time, the US flag carriers will have to concede to the forces of the market. $100 per barrel fuel is again cutting into the small profits the post-bankruptcy carriers have eked out over the past year. Passenger demand is seasonal at best. Internet providers such as Web-Ex advertise to the business community the ability to meet without the cost and time of flying. Right now, however, as the article concludes, "For some reason, in the airline business, people always forget that bigger doesn't mean better."

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This month we also note the book, "Airline Choices for the Future", which goes into greater detail on this growing trend.

By Kostas Latrou and Mauro Oretti

Review by Dr. Angela Cheng-Jui Lu

The formation of alliances and the combining of forces between airlines through mergers or acquisitions have become an unavoidable trend, due to limitations on obtaining traffic rights and resources. Airline alliance expert Angela Lu reviewed this book and concludes that the publication of this book is timely and the authors' insightful observations are highly useful.

www.aerlines.nl

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On that note, the following article appeared in the web site Air Cargo Asia Pacific:

Friday, February 8, 2008

European media group Die Welt says the WOW Cargo Alliance - Lufthansa Cargo, the freight division of Japan Airlines, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo - is in trouble and may be discontinued.

It quotes a Lufthansa Cargo source saying the market 'has not become sufficiently aware of the advantages offered by the alliance.'

Rival air freight alliance SkyTeam Cargo - headed by Air France-KLM Cargo, Delta Airlines and Korean Air Cargo - also is having trouble, Die Welt says, adding that member companies of both groups increasingly have been competing rather than cooperating.

Air Cargo Asia Pacific, February 08, 2008

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As if that wasn't enough to bring the doldrums to any airline executive ...

Transportation and logistics executives say the migration from air cargo to ocean cargo will likely continue, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, as shippers look for ways to trim supply chain costs.

A report in Cargonews Asia states, "the hefty rate differential between the two modes is a major driver for shippers' growing preference for shipping by ocean."

For example, shipping a container from China to the U.S. west coast costs 10 times more by air, and rising fuel prices are pushing that figure even higher.

Furthermore, ocean carriers are offering faster transit times and more reliable service, which is making it even harder for air carriers to compete.

worldtrade@bnpmedia-email.com

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On February 24, 2008, the Associated Press reported that "Virgin Atlantic carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel…in an effort to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jets."

This was a tremendous effort put forth on the part of Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic to at least try something to improve the environment. It is interesting that the article notes that some analysts "praised the jumbo jet test flight" which flew from London to Amsterdam without passengers, while others "criticized it as a publicity stunt," noting some "scientists are questioning the environmental benefits of biofuels." One of the engines was fueled by a biofuel mixture of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. The plane carried pilots and several technicians.

Paul Charles, Virgin Atlantic spokesperson, said it will take weeks to analyze the data from Sunday's flight, predicting this biofuel would produce much less CO² than regular jet fuel.

"It's great that somebody like Richard is willing to put some of his billions into an experiment aimed at reducing the climate change impact of aviation," said James Halstead, an airline analyst at the London stockbroker Dawnay Day Lochart. "But there are a lot of unanswered questions about the usefulness of biofuels in the battle against global warming," the article quoted.

The AP article notes, "the flight is the latest example of how the world's airlines are jumping on the environmental bandwagon by trying to find ways of reducing aviation's carbon footprint."

Virgin Atlantic should be commended for at least trying, and those critics who say it was merely a publicity stunt should perhaps consider to be more proactive by offering their own alternative solutions.

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by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.18.08

Throwing its hat into the ranking ring with Yahoo! and MSN's City Guides (to which TreeHugger was a contributor), Popular Science has crunched some numbers and ranked America's 50 Greenest Cities.

The publication used survey data and government statistics from National Geographic Society's Green Guide and the US Census Bureau for American cities with populations over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. After compiling all these stats and dividing them into four categories -- Electricity, Transportation, Green Living and Recycling/green perspective -- each city was scored (out of a possible 5 or 10 points) and ranked.

PopSci's greenest city is ... drum roll, please ...

Portland, Oregon, with a score of 23.1 (Electricity: 7.1 Transportation: 6.4 Green Living: 4.8 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8) out of a possible 30. The Rose City earned big points for having half of its energy generated by renewable sources; when it comes to transportation, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation; when it comes to green living, it has 35 LEED-certified buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Rounding out the top five cities are San Francisco, Boston, Oakland and Eugene, Oregon, followed by Cambridge, Mass., Berkeley, Calif., Seattle, Chicago and Austin, Texas. In addition to the list, PopSci has put together an informative gallery, spotlighting some of the more innovative programs and projects underway in these green cities.

Source: www.treehugger.com

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February 15, 2008 (Computerworld)

Green computing promises an enormous win for IT: a chance to save money -- and the environment. Many companies are trying to go greener, but a few truly stand out. Here are the top 12 green user companies, as well as the green dozen IT vendors. For more on the winning users, see the profile stories on each (links below).

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?
command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=312485&source=rss_news10

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Air Cargo e-News weekly, 2/9/08

Airbus said in its latest Global Market Forecast the company foresees market demand for some 24,300 new passenger and freighter aircraft valued at $2.8 trillion between now and 2026, more than previously expected.

Airbus said it now foresees an average annual delivery to the market of about 1,215 aircraft, up from the previously forecast 1,130 aircraft deliveries per year.

"Demand will drive the need for more fuel and eco-efficient airliners to cope with traffic growth and the need to replace older generation less efficient aircraft," Airbus said in its statement.

Air freight will be fastest growing segment of the deliveries, as freight ton kilometers should increase annually by about 5.8%. That will create demand for some 3,800 freighter aircraft deliveries, nearly 900 of them will be factory built, at a value of around $200 billion, Airbus said.

Passenger traffic, according to the Global Market Forecast, is expected to grow at an average rate of about 5% a year, leading to a near threefold increase in the forecast period, and will remain resilient to the cyclical effects of the industry.

"Air transportation is definitely a growing industry contributing to economic development and generating wealth around the world," said Airbus Chief Operating Officer of Customers John Leahy. "We are committed to being a key player in making this industry eco-efficient by providing the most technologically advanced products and responding with a full 'life-cycle' approach."

Airbus said the greatest demand region will be the Asia-Pacific, which will account for 31% of the total world demand, followed by North America at 27%, and Europe by 24%. Some 30 additional emerging economies, India and China being the largest, including Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Vietnam - with a combined population of almost three billion people - will continue to grow increasingly prominent by 2026, Airbus said.

"Airbus foresees a demand for some 1,700 very large aircraft, seating more than 400 passengers like the A380," by 2026, the company's statement said.

"This is valued at $527 billion, and represents 19% of the total value of passenger and freighter aircraft deliveries. Of these, nearly 1,300 will be passenger aircraft, with another 400 or so required for freighters able to transport over 120 ton's of payload," Airbus said in its report.

George Frey, Flying Typers / Air Cargo News
February 18, 2008

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Friday, February 8, 2008

The first commercial ocean trial for SkySails technology - where cargo vessels harness wind power using a computer-controlled kite/sail - has taken place during a Beluga SkySails voyage from Germany to Guanta, Venezuela.

The ship arrived at Guanta on Tuesday of this week, having departed Germany on January 22.

Beluga SkySails only deployed the kite mid-Atlantic, well into the voyage, but SkySails project manager Verena Frank said it had saved between 10 and 15 percent in fuel consumption, worth US$1,000 to US$1,500 per day.

It is estimated that as crews become more comfortable with the system and the inevitable bugs are ironed out, the kite will be able to be deployed for longer and fuel savings will increase by another five to 10 percent. - Jack Handley

Air Cargo Asia Pacific, February 22, 2008

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Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, meaning Town of the Hurdled Ford,) is the largest city in Ireland and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Founded as a Viking settlement, the city has been Ireland's primary city for most of the island's history since medieval times. Today, it is an economic, administrative and cultural centre for the island of Ireland, and has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city.

In a 2003 European-wide survey by the BBC, questioning 11,200 residents of 112 urban and rural areas, Dublin was the best capital city in Europe to live in, and Ireland the most content country in Europe.

The common name for the city in Modern Irish is 'Baile Átha Cliath' ('The Settlement of the Ford of the Reed Hurdles'). 'Áth Cliath' is a place-name referring to a fording point of the Liffey in the vicinity of Heuston Station. 'Baile Átha Cliath' was later applied to an early Christian monastery which is believed to have been situated in the area of Angier Street currently occupied by St Valentine's (R.C.) church. Due to its length, it is sometimes abbreviated as BÁC.

The subsequent Scandinavian settlement was on the River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey, to the East of Christchurch, in the area known as Wood Quay. The Dubh Linn was a lake used by the Scandinavians to moor their ships and was connected to the Liffey by the Poddle. The Dubh Linn and Poddle were covered during the early 1800s, and as the city expanded they were largely forgotten about. The Dubh Linn was situated in the area of the park of the Chester-Beaty Library in Dublin Castle.

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History

The writings of the Greek astronomer and cartographer Ptolemy provide perhaps the earliest reference to human habitat in the area now known as Dublin. In around A.D. 140 he referred to a settlement he called Eblana Civitas. The settlement 'Dubh Linn' dates perhaps as far back as the first century BC and later a monastery was built there, though the town was established in about 841 by the Norse.

The modern city retains the Anglicized Irish name of the former and the original Irish name of the latter. After the Norman invasion of Ireland, Dublin became the key centre of military and judicial power, with much of the power centering on Dublin Castle until independence. From the 14th to late 16th centuries Dublin and the surrounding area, known as the Pale, formed the largest area of Ireland under government control. The Parliament was located in Drogheda for several centuries, but was switched permanently to Dublin after Henry VII conquered the County Kildare in 1504.

Dublin also had local city administration via its Corporation from the Middle Ages. This represented the city's guild-based oligarchy until it was reformed in the 1840s on increasingly democratic lines.

From the 17th century the city expanded rapidly, helped by the Wide Streets Commission. Georgian Dublin was, for a short time, the second city of the British Empire after London. Much of Dublin's most notable architecture dates from this time. The Guinness brewery was also established at this time. The 1800s were a period of decline relative to the industrial growth of Belfast; by 1900 the population of Belfast was nearly twice as large.

Whereas Belfast was prosperous and industrial, Dublin had become a city of squalor and class division, built on the remains of lost grandeur, as best described in the novel Strumpet City, by James Plunkett, and in the works of Sean O'Casey. Dublin was still the primary centre of administration and transport for much of Ireland, though completely bypassed by the Industrial revolution. The Easter Rising of 1916 occurred in the city centre, bringing much physical destruction. The Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War contributed even more destruction, leaving many of its finest buildings in ruins. The Irish Free State rebuilt many of the buildings and moved parliament to Leinster House.

Through The Emergency (World War II), until the 1960s, Dublin remained a capital out of time: the city centre in particular remained at an architectural standstill. Interestingly enough, this made the city perfect ideal for historical film production, with many productions including The Blue Max, and My Left Foot, capturing the cityscape at this time. This became the foundation of later successes in cinematography and film-making.

With increasing prosperity, modern architecture was introduced to the city, though a vigorous campaign started in parallel to restore the Georgian greatness of Dublin's streets, rather than lose the grandeur forever. Since 1997, the landscape of Dublin has changed immensely, with enormous private and state development of housing, transport, and business. (See also Development and Preservation in Dublin). Some well-known Dublin street corners are still named for the pub or business which used to occupy the site before closure or redevelopment.

Since the beginning of Anglo-Norman rule in the 12th century, the city has served as the capital of the island of Ireland in the varying geopolitical entities:

• the Lordship of Ireland (1171-1541)
• the Kingdom of Ireland (1541-1800)
• the island as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922)
• the Irish Republic (1919-1922)

From 1922, following the partition of Ireland, it became the capital of the Irish Free State (1922-1949) and now is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. (Many of these states co-existed or competed within the same timeframe as rivals within either British or Irish constitutional theory.) One of the memorials to commemorate that time is the Garden of Remembrance.

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Multicultural Dublin

Despite having a long tradition of emigration that continued up until the early 1990s, Dublin now has a sizeable number of immigrants. Foreign nationals in Dublin are primarily young and single and the biggest numbers come from across the European Union, particularly The United Kingdom, Poland and Lithuania but also from right across the European continent. There are also considerable and growing numbers from outside Europe, particularly China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. 10% of the Republic of Ireland's population is now made up of foreign nationals, and Dublin is home to a disproportionate number of new arrivals to the country - for example, 60% of Ireland's Asian population lives in Dublin even though less than 40% of the overall population live in the Greater Dublin Area. One tangible manifestation of this multiculturalism is in the spread of new ethnic food stores, notably on Parnell Street and Moore Street.

Education and research

Dublin is the primary centre of education in Ireland, with three universities and several other higher education institutions. There are 20 third-level institutes in the city. The University of Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland dating from the 16th century. Its sole constituent college, Trinity College, was established by Royal Charter under Elizabeth I and was closed to Roman Catholics until Catholic Emancipation; the Catholic hierarchy then banned Roman Catholics from attending it until 1970. The National University of Ireland (NUI) has its seat in Dublin, which is also the location of the associated constituent university of University College Dublin (UCD), the largest university in Ireland; although it is located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, just outside the city boundary. Dublin City University (DCU) is the most recent university and specializes in business, engineering, and science courses, particularly with relevance to industry. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical school which is a recognized college of the NUI, it is situated at St. Stephen's Green in the city centre. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth, another constituent university of the NUI, is in neighboring Co. Kildare, about 25 km (16 mi) from the city centre.

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is a modern technical college and is the country's largest non-university third-level institution; it specializes in technical subjects but also offers many arts and humanities courses. It is soon to move to a new campus at Grangegorman. Two suburbs of Dublin, Tallaght and Blanchardstown have Institutes of Technology: Institute of Technology, Tallaght, and Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown.

The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (DLIADT) support training and research in art, design and media technology.

Dublin Business School (DBS) is Irelands Largest Private Third Level Institution with over 9,000 students. The main campus for the college is Aungier Street.

Dublin is the home of the Economic and Social Research Institute, a government think-tank on all matters economic and social.

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Population

The city of Dublin is the entire area administered by Dublin City Council, but can also refer to the contiguous suburban areas that run into the adjacent counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. This area is sometimes known as 'Urban Dublin' or the 'Dublin Metropolitan Area'.

The population of the administrative area controlled by Dublin City Council was 505,739 at the census of 2006. At the same census, the Dublin Region population was 1,186,159, and the Greater Dublin Area 1,661,185. The city's population is expanding rapidly, and the Greater Dublin Area is estimated by the CSO to reach 2.1 million by 2021. Today, approximately 40% of the population of Ireland lives within a 100 km (62 mi) fan radius of this east coast city.

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Economy and infrastructure

Dublin has been at the centre of Ireland's phenomenal economic growth over the last 10-15 years, a period (often of double-digit growth) referred to as the Celtic Tiger years. Living standards in the city have risen dramatically, although the cost of living has also soared. Dublin is now the planet's 16th most expensive city (8th most expensive city in Europe, excluding Russian cities). However, it has the fourth highest wages for a city in the world, ahead of both New York City and London, though behind Zürich, Geneva and Oslo.

Historically, brewing has probably been the industry most often associated with the city: Guinness has been brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery since 1759. Since the advent of the Celtic Tiger years, however, a large number of global pharmaceutical, information and communications technology companies have located in Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. For example, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, PayPal, Yahoo! and Pfizer (among others) now have European headquarters and/or operational bases in the city and its suburbs. Intel and Hewlett-Packard have large manufacturing plants in Leixlip, County Kildare, 15 km (9 mi) to the west.

Banking, finance and commerce are also important in the city - the IFSC alone handles over €1 trillion a year. Many international firms have established major headquarters in the city (e.g. Citibank, Commerzbank). Also located in Dublin is the Irish Stock Exchange (ISEQ), Internet Neutral Exchange (INEX) and Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX).

The economic boom years have led to a sharp increase in construction, which is now also a major employer, though, as of 2007, unemployment is on the rise as the housing market has begun to see supply outstrip demand. Redevelopment is taking place in large projects such as Dublin Docklands, Spencer Dock and others, transforming once run-down industrial areas in the city centre. Dublin City Council seems to now have loosened the former limits on "high-rise" structures. The tallest building, Liberty Hall, is only 59.4 m (194.9 ft) tall; already under construction in the city is Heuston Gate, a 117 m (384 ft) building (134 m including spire). The 120 m (394 ft) Britain Quay Tower and the 120 m (394 ft) Point Village Watchtower have been approved. Construction has started on the latter. Also the U2 Tower will be the tallest building on the Island of Ireland when it is finished.

In 2005, around 800,000 people were employed in the Greater Dublin Area, of whom around 600,000 were employed in the services sector and 200,000 in the industrial sector.

Economic growth is expected to slow in the coming years, with the Irish central bank predicting medium-term growth rates of around 3-5%. While this represents a slowdown relative to the early Celtic Tiger years, it is still stronger than growth in most other wealthy countries.

Transport

Road network
Dublin is also the main hub of the country's road network. The M50 motorway (the busiest road in Ireland), a semi-ring road runs around the south, west and north of the city, connecting the most important national primary routes in the state that fan out from the capital to the regions. As of 2008, a toll of €2 applies on what is called the West-Link, two adjacent concrete bridges that tower high above the River Liffey near the village of Lucan.

To complete the ring road, an eastern bypass is also proposed for the city of Dublin. The first half of this project is the Dublin Port Tunnel which opened in late 2006 and mainly caters to heavy vehicles.

Air and sea transport
Dublin is at the centre of Ireland's transport system. Dublin Port is the country's busiest sea port and Dublin Airport is the busiest airport on the island.

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Government

The City is governed by Dublin City Council (formerly called Dublin Corporation), which is presided over by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who is elected for a yearly term and resides in the Mansion House. Dublin City Council is based in two major buildings. Council meetings take place in the headquarters at Dublin City Hall, the former Royal Exchange taken over for city government use in the 1850s. Many of its administrative staff is based in the controversial Civic Offices on Wood Quay. The City Council is a unicameral assembly of 52 members, elected every five years from Local Election Areas. The party with the majority of seats decides who sits on what committee, what policies are followed, and who becomes Lord Mayor. Chaired by the Lord Mayor, the Council passes an annual budget for spending on housing, traffic management, refuse, drainage, planning, etc. The Dublin City Manager is responsible for the implementation of decisions of the City Council.

Source: Wikipedia

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Belmullet, (official name: Béal an Mhuirthead), is a market town with a population of around 2,000 lying on The Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, in the west of Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet."

Belmullet has two bays, Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay, joined by Carter's canal running through the town.

History

In 1822, a coastguard station was built at what is now Belmullet town. In 1825, William Henry Carter, a local landlord and architect, decided to establish his own settlement and a new pier was built by the Fishery Board and Carter in 1826. W.H. Carter's stated objective was to "create a home market for produce that did not previously exist nearer than thirty miles by land" and his aim was to thrust the older village of An Geata Mór (Binghamstown), a village founded by the powerful Bingham family on the Mullet peninsula into a secondary position.

Belmullet established a monthly cattle fair, and the town began to take trade from An Geatta Mór. The Bingham family fought back but their village was more or less deserted by the cattle traders by the late nineteenth century.

The area around Belmullet was impacted by the Great Irish Famine in the 19th century and in the next 100 years many people emigrated from the area to the United States and to England.

Into recent years, improvements in the Irish economy has reversed population decline and Belmullet has seem some immigration.

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Culture and tourism

Although officially part of the Mayo Gaeltacht, it is both an English- and Irish speaking town. The area plays host in summer months to students enrolled in local Irish language summer schools.

John Millington Synge's play, The Playboy of the Western World, was based on his experience of the Belmullet area. Synge also wrote a poem entitled "Danny" about a character who was murdered by a group of local men as he was on his way back into Belmullet from Bangor Erris.

The area is popular for fishing, with both fresh-water and sea-angling off Broadhaven Bay. Watersports are also common, with surfing, windsurfing and sailing.

Source: Wikipedia

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You can access the federal registers and obtain current information about many notices and rules (pending and final):

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/browse.html

The current day's issue is usually posted by early afternoon and an archive dates back to ten years.

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Effective April 28, 2008, AES reporting requirements for license exceptions administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) will change. United States Principal Parties in Interest (USPPIs) and their authorized filing agents (AES filers) must follow the new reporting requirement to prevent the return of fatal errors from AES.

The Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) will be required for license exceptions reportable under the following license codes:

• C38-TSR
• C41-RPL
• C42-GOV
• C43-GFT
• C44-TSU
• C45-BAG
• C46-AVS
• C47-APR
• C48-KMI
• C49-TAPS
• C50-ENC

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Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to Inspection Fees, Import/Export Licenses, and Import/Export License Exemptions pertaining to importation, exportation, and transportation of wildlife.

While F & W proposes to eliminate requirements for parties not directly involved in the importation/exportation process, some current exemptions could be eliminated.

F & W states that user fees are not intended to fully fund the wildlife inspection program, which includes both a compliance monitoring function, involving services to the trade community, and a vital smuggling interdiction mission focused on detecting and disrupting illegal wildlife trade and that the proposed fee increase will appropriately focus only on recovering costs associated with services provided to importers and exporters engaged in legal wildlife trade. The intent is to shift the payment of services from taxpayers as a whole to those persons who are receiving the government services.

Full details of the proposed rule are at the following link:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-3330.htm

F & W will accept comments received or postmarked on or before April 25, 2008.

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