Industry Resources

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

MOL, NKY and K-line to Merge

The International Housewares Shippers Association has been informed by MOL, NYK and K-line of their intentions to consolidate their container shipping divisions into a single operating entity. In the meantime, it is business as usual, and all three companies will continue to operate and serve their customers as they do today on an ongoing basis. Some key points of the…

Space is Tight, Are Your Protected?

Container ships sailing from China to the U.S. have remained full since Hanjin unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy at the end of August. Specific areas, such as Ningbo and Shanghai, are providing far greater challenges for shippers to secure space than the Southern China region. Ocean carriers have been actively rolling cargo from Shanghai and Ningbo for over a month. Some…

Hanjin Bankruptcy is a Game Changer

It was only a matter of time before the unthinkable happened in the shipping industry. On August 31, 2016, Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy protection sending shockwaves through the shipping industry. Bankruptcies are not new to the shipping industry. There have been numerous bankruptcies over the last 15 years with the most notables being Cho Yang in 2001 and Hainan POS in…

Possible Impacts of Hanjin’s Bankruptcy on Current Shipments

By: David P. Street and Brendan Collins, IHSA Legal Council As you are probably aware, Hanjin filed for bankruptcy protection in Korea on Wednesday August 31st. The filing came just a day after the company creditor's discontinued financial assistance of more than USD $896 million to keep the company operating. The Korean bankruptcy court will determine whether Hanjin should…

Hanjin Financial Issues

Although the International Housewares Shippers Association (IHSA) does not have a contract with Hanjin, we wanted to address their current financial situation. As expected, Hanjin did file for court receivership on August 31 after losing support of its banks. The court will decide whether Hanjin will continue to operate or be dissolved. This process normally takes two months…

IHA Announces Prop 65 Protection Insurance for Members

The International Housewares Association is partnering with Wells Fargo Insurance to provide a new insurance program that can help members mitigate their liability under the California Proposition (Prop) 65 legislation. The Prop 65 Protection Program provides protection from the costs associated with defending a Prop 65 lawsuit specific to plasticizers, including fines,…

Mounting Losses Persist for Container Lines

Carrier profitability, or lack of profitability, is causing uncertainty with shippers heading into the busiest shipping period of the year. After reaching historical lows, container rates from Asia to United States have stabilized. Although stabilized, the rates have not rebounded to profitable levels. Hanjin and Hyundai are two carriers that have been fighting off bad…

Are you selling product online directly to consumers?

There seems to be an increase in the number of reported lawsuits levied by plaintiffs against IHA members alleging that the Terms and Conditions of their online ecommerce websites violate New Jersey’s arcane Truth-in-Consumer Contract, Warranty and Notice Act (“TCCWNA”). These lawsuits don’t have to prove there has been a loss or damage suffered by the consumer. Your company…

Asia to U.S.A. – Spot Rates Increase

The International Housewares Shippers Association (IHSA) has been closely monitoring freight rates in the Asia to United States market. The carriers have made eight attempts to increase freight rates in this market since May 2015. Every attempt failed until July 2016. The biggest obstacle to the previous attempted increases was simple economics. The amount of capacity in the…