Industry Resources

Learn about IHA’s cost-saving programs, including the International Housewares Shippers Association, designed to help members grow their business!

Trade and Tariff Developments for 2020

Significant progress has been made with regard to the issue of tariffs in the trade dispute between the United States and China. The USTR announced on Dec. 13, 2019, the completion of a Phase One trade agreement with China. U.S. tariffs on List-4B products that were subject to 15% duties set to commence on Dec. 15, 2019, were cancelled, and tariffs on List 4A products…

Efforts to Correct the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Problem Spark Further Changes

In a recent article posted on the Bloomberg website, IHA member Mighty Mug was singled out for successfully drawing the President’s attention to a vast disparity in shipping rates between U.S. and Chinese companies. The efforts to correct the United Postal Union (UPU) problem are possibly leading to other changes in US foreign policy and specifically with the U.S.’s…

Scrubbers Could Provide Significant Cost Savings

Carriers that took the risk to install scrubber installations on their ships will likely have a competitive advantage in the containership industry. Effective January 1, 2020, vessels will be required to produce sulfur emission levels less than 0.5%. Scrubber installations allow carriers to buy the less expensive higher sulfur fuel. In principle, a scrubber cleans the…

Trade and Tariff Saga Continues

Trade and tariff issues are a priority on the IHA’s government affairs agenda, with tariffs on China being the main concern. Hopefully, a “phase one” deal between the U.S. and China can be finalized to bring some relief from the 16-month trade war that’s disrupted global supply chains, but until a deal happens the tariff exclusion process and/or sourcing alternatives to China…

IMO 2020 Mandate – Delays and Uncertainty

Carriers are still struggling to provide firm information on how they intend to handle the International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandate to reduce marine pollution effective January 1, 2020. In two months, vessels will be required to have sulfur emission levels less than 0.5%. The carriers have publicly stated that this new mandate will cost the container shipping industry…

UPU Agreement a Win for Housewares Industry

The housewares industry realized a victory when the Universal Postal Union (UPU) agreed in September to revise international shipping rates to not discriminate against U.S. shippers. Founded in 1875, the UPU sets postal rates among its member countries and had a formula where it cost about $20 to mail a small parcel in the U.S., but about $5 from China to the U.S. The…

Demurrage and Detention

Shippers have been complaining for years that the rules governing demurrage and detention are unfair. Shippers are required to pick up and return ocean containers to the terminal within a specified number of days. Failure to do so will result in fees to the shipper known in the industry as demurrage and detention. Marine terminals and carriers say the potential to be…

Spot Rates Remain Volatile

Ocean container spot rates from Asia to US West Coast ports increased 25.6% for the week ending August 30th. This is welcome news for the carriers who have been battling declining spot rates for much of the peak shipping season. The good news may not last long for the carriers. Industry experts believe this sharp increase in spot rates will quickly fade away unless…

Carriers Expected to Fabricate Strong Peak Season

Analysts are now predicting that the peak shipping period from Asia to the US will be mild. This prediction is in stark contrast to last year’s peak when available space on ships was tough to secure. Many shippers were forced to pay hefty rate premiums to move cargo during their preferred shipping windows. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the prediction of a mild peak…