<B>WTSA Adopting Documentation Fee</B>

The Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement is introducing a $25 per bill of lading documentation fee, applied to all tariff and applicable service contract cargo, effective Sept. 1.

The fee has been designed to address the increased costs of processing complex documentation needed in U.S. and Asia; training and retaining documentation staffs; and upgrading electronic systems for the future to provide services such as electronic bills of lading, online filing of documentation with a range of domestic and foreign government agencies.