b'30American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(SOLIDcontinued fromPashaGroupagrees,Infra-page 28) structureplanningtakestime andalargeamountofcapi-e NVirONmeNtalc ONcerNs tal,andretrofittingvesselsis VanDijk says one of thealso a long, expensive process biggest challenges Californiafor vessels that do not have to ports face today, with regardcomply with these regulations toautocargo,isthestatesoutsideofCalifornia.Ro/Ro newenvironmentallaws.vessels charter worldwide and TheOcean-GoingVesselsmay only visit California once AtBerthRegulation,man- in the vessels life.datedbytheCaliforniaAirDespitethischallenge, ResourceBoard(CARB),however, in early October Port requires that each vessel visitof Los Angeles announced that to a regulated California portairpollutionfromitsopera-or marine terminal must usetions is at its lowest level since a CARB Approved Emission2005,thefirstyeartheport Control Strategy (CAECS).begantrackingemissions.In CARBstates,Thepur- addition, 2023 was the Ports poseoftheregulationistobest year for reducing green-First batch of leapmotor electric vehicles shipped from China to Europe reducehoteling(orat-berth)housegases(GHGs),which emissionsandassociatedare down 24%. European auto logistics seeking visibilityhealthimpactsfromdieseleV c halleNgesauxiliaryenginesonboard in fluctuating market for new vehicles vesselsdockedatCaliforniaAnotheremergingauto ports. Under the rule, emis- cargo challenge is the safety EU tariffs on China could alter vehicle trade flows but there are other fluctu- sions must be captured whileissue relating to electric vehi-ating factors influencing Europes auto logistics. Ro/Rovesselsareatberthcle (EV) batteries.starting January 1, 2025. Thisconcernhasbeen By Stuart Todd, AJOT VanDijk says the best wayintheheadlinesrecently.In tocomplywiththeCARBSeptember, a truck transport-A major talking point into EU tariffs could be to pro- storage capacity in port zonesregulationistouseship-to- ing lithium-ion batteries over-Europesautomobilemanu- duce in Europe. BYD is build- and at inland compounds wasshore power when unloadingturned in San Pedro near the facturingindustryanditsing a plant in Hungary whileseverely squeezed, driving upautocargo.Thismeansves- Port of Los Angeles, causing a supply chain is the Europeanits Chinese rivals are expand- logistics costs. selsuselandsideelectricityfire that continued to burn for Unions (EU) recent decisioningthroughjointventuresHowever, Frank Schnelle,while at berth instead of run- days, closing some terminals toimposeheftytariffsonwith European counterparts. Executive Director designateningdiesel-fueledauxiliaryand disrupting port operations.China-made electric vehiclesWithouttheuncertaintyoftheBrussels-based Asso- on-boardengines.PortofThe need to keep EV bat-(EV)enteringthetradingthat EU tariffs on Chinese EVciationofEuropeanVehicleLong Beach says shore powerterieschargedthroughthe bloc and its impact on alreadycould have on demand and vol- Logistics, told AJOT that thecuts air pollution from ships atduration of the shipping pro-weakeningmarketdemandumes, European auto logisticsoverall (congestion) situationberth by 95%. cess is also a challenge. Wal-for new vehicles. players have already had plentyat the ports had fundamen- VanDijkaddsthatthisleniusWilhelmsenexplains Fromnextmonth,theyon their plate in 2024. tally improved compared torequirement is a financial burden(SOLIDcontinued on are set to rise from 10% to upEarlier in the year, therethe beginning of the year. fortheportandtheterminal.page 31)to 45% for the next five years.were reports of traffic jamsA reaction to the weak It follows an EU probe whichat Europes vehicle-handlingdemand has been the reduc-concludedthatChinawasportsasstocksofvehiclestioninproductionbysome providingsubsidiestothebuiltup.Ironicallyenough,OEMs,whichhasresulted nations automakers resultingthis was largely due to Chi- in a slight decrease in inven-in unfair competition. neseEVscloggingupthetory levels. Additionally, the Forconsumers,itcouldautomotive supply chain. bottlenecks in transportation mean higher EV prices, under- capacityhavealsoeased. mining the EU goal of beingr O /r Os queeze Imports from Chinese OEMs carbon neutral by 2050. Ro/ro vessels were waitingtoEuroperemainstable. The hike in import dutiesoutside ports sometimes for upHowever,makingastate-werecalculatedbasedontosevendaysbeforeunload- (VISIBILITYcontinued estimates of how much Chi- ingvehicleswhileonshoreon page 31) Shaper class rendering of a WW vessel.nesestateaideachmanu-facturerhasreceived.The EuropeanCommission(EC, the EUs executive) set indi-vidual duties on three major Chinese EV brandsSAIC, BYD and Geely.eu s plit ONt ariFFsEUmemberstateswere split over the tariffs. Germany, whose automobile manufactur-ingindustryreliesheavilyon exportstoChina,condemned themasprotectionist.Volk-swagensaidtariffswerethe wrong approach.Chinahasconsistently denied the existence of sub-sidiestoitsautomakers and described the ECs findings as artificiallyconstructedand exaggeratedandthreatened retaliatorymeasuresagainst theEUsdairy,brandyand pork processing industries. Despite the vote in favor ofthetariffs,EU-China negotiationsaresettocon-tinue, and the coming weeks are likely to reveal whether a trade war can be avoided.Chinese automakers answer'