Global Eventus Update - August 23rd

Canada Rail Lockout: The Canadian Government has stepped in to end the temporary work stoppage by forcing arbitration between the railways and the Teamsters, the Canada Industrial Relations Board will assist with mediation. Canadian Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the labor board to extend the terms of the current agreements until new agreements are signed. MacKinnon said he expects the labor board to reach a decision in the next few days. Right after the lockout ended and the union announced its plan to challenge the government ordered arbitration, the Canadian workers union issued a 72-hour strike warning to Canadian National (CN).

ILA: No further updates currently.

Chile Pass: The Cross-Andes Pass closed August 20th and 21st due to poor weather conditions. Due to the 2-day closure, the congestion to cross to Chile is high with about 2,500 trucks waiting to cross from Argentina. We will continue to monitor the congestion and provide updates on any significant delays.

South Africa Delays: The Port of Cape Town port authority has advised of four crane breakdowns at the terminal, leaving only five cranes operational this week. Three of the four broken cranes are expected to be repaired before the end of this week, but the port authority has not provided an ETA on repair for the fourth crane that requires more significant repairs. These breakdowns have resulted in major delays at the terminal. In addition to the crane issues, severe weather is forecasted for Cape Town from August 21st- 25th. They are expecting strong winds, high swells and fog that could cause further delays at the port. We will continue to monitor the situation and advise of any significant delays.

SOE Deadline: On September 19th the temporary code brokers were able to use for importers who were not yet certified will be inactive and the NOP Import Certificate will be invalid without the importer certification code. We are working to clarify guidelines on product shipped prior to 9/19 and arriving after the deadline with a valid NOPIC but the importers are not certified. As we receive clarification we will advise. If anyone needs help understanding the certification process please reach out. Congratulations to all who have been certified

*photo credit AJOT.com/CN railways