Matson sets record fuel surcharge - 43.5%

[Aaron S]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bob Orts
Matson is not a monopoly. Any shipper can enter the Hawaii-Mainland market. Matson is the major provider, but they are not the only provider. To compare, Horizon's fuel surchage is 35% between the mainland and Hawaii and they may raise it again.

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Any shipper can't enter the Hawaii-Mainland market. Foreign shippers
are barred from servicing this market due to the Jones Act:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Ma...ct_of_1920

Horizon Lines, Matson's alleged competitor, is on the verge of filing
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-30...ummet.html

[Bob Orts]

quote:

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Originally posted by Aaron S

Any shipper can't enter the Hawaii-Mainland market. Foreign shippers are barred from servicing this market due to the Jones Act:

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I say again, any shipper can enter the mainland-Hawaii sea shipping business. To enter the market they have to abide by the rules. The rules are not much different than what applies to many other foreign businesses in the US.

If a foreign business wants to operate a hotel they must build their building according to local building codes, not the codes of their county. They can only hire people authorized to work in the US, they can’t bring over a boat load of their own country people and have them work. They must pay them a minimum wage set by the US not what they pay in their country. They must adhere to US regulations for health and sanitation at the hotel, not how they do things in their country. The list goes on and on.

[Aaron S]

Bob,

Please read this article regarding the Jones Act
http://www.trans-inst.org/jones-act.html

Foreign flagged shippers are barred from providing service between US ports. So, your assertion that any shipper can provide service is false.

This is my last posting regarding this issue. I'll let other decide who is right and who is wrong.

[Hotzcatz]

So shop local and produce whatever you can. If you don't buy imported goods then the fuel to ship the stuff here won't matter.

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"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson

[Bob Orts]

quote:

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Originally posted by Aaron S

Foreign flagged shippers are barred from providing service between US ports. So, your assertion that any shipper can provide service is false.

This is my last posting regarding this issue. I'll let other decide who is right and who is wrong.

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Please read my entire statement. Any shipper can provide service if they agree to follow the rules. This goes for shipping, supermarkets, taxis, shoe stores, trash haulers, airlines, hotels, banks, etc......

Name an industry where direct inter-state commerce is allowed yet not subject to US laws, regulations, codes or acts.

Jones Act type regulations are common in almost all industries within the US. I bet you enjoy similar protections in your employment, but don't discuss them. Care to compare?

[Aaron S]

Bob,

I read what you wrote and you are still wrong. Foreign flagged carriers are barred from providing domestic shipping service (e.g Hawaii and the mainland). So, any carrier can't provide this service unless they meet these conditions:

http://www.trans-inst.org/jones-act.html

- owned by U.S. companies that are controlled by U.S. citizens with at least 75 percent U.S. percent ownership;
- at least 75 percent crewed by U.S. citizens;
- built (or rebuilt) in the United States; and
registered in the United States.


By the way, where I work has absolutely no bearing on this discussion.

[Bob Orts]

Go to Sands Island and you will see one of the largest USFS50 foreign shipping companies operating between the US mainland and Hawaii. If they can do it so can anyone else. They are following the rules like every other industry must follow.

Let me see if I can reduce it to simpler terms. Can Jose out of Mexico City come to the Hawaii with his Mexican licensed taxi, registered in Mexico, following on Mexico safety standards, and start picking up fares off the streets of Hilo and transport them to Pahoa?

Or can Abdul come to Hawaii, open up Middle East Bank of Hawaii, hiring people from his country, paying them $8 a week, requiring that they work 7 days a week 16 hours a day, without a US work authorization and start engaging in US banking activities according to the banking regulations of Yemen, not the US?

Name one inter-state commerce industry in the US that does not have similar Jones Act type of protectionisms.

[Aaron S]

Bob,

I can't fathom why you can't comprehend what I've written. It should be crystal clear that only US flagged ships can provide service between Hawaii and the US Mainland. However, you stubbornly insist anyone can provide this service. Foreign flagged carriers are prohibited from providing service between US Ports.

This is why only Matson and Horizon Lines provide service between Hawaii and US Mainland.

I shouldn't be surprised by your stubbornness. You insisted I was wrong about the funding for the Saddle Road project despite showing you numerous links supporting my statements.

[Bob Orts]

Laws are also anti marriage because it won't allow 2 ten year old siblings to marry.

Laws are also anti family because it won;t allow convicted child molesters to adopt young children.

Laws are also anti religion because it won't allow religious sacrifices of virgin girls.

Use some common sense in your thinking, otherwise, just do what you said and make it your last response on the subject. If you want to discuss things in an intelligent manner, I'm willing. Otherwise, you bore me.

[Aaron S]

I am using common sense. The law states foreign flagged carriers can't service between U.S ports. However, you claim anyone can provide service. This statement is false. Only U.S flagged carriers can provide service between the mainland and Hawaii. This is why only Matson, PASHA, and Horizon provide service on this route.