Cotton, the fabric of our lives, the canvas for our favorite concert t-shirt, and one of the United States’ biggest export commodities. That was the focus of my eye-opening recent visit to Austin, Texas and the American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) conference.

This ubiquitous and often underestimated commodity accounts for millions of tons in exports to overseas destinations every year where it is spun into yarns and eventually ends up as our new favorite t-shirts, jeans and more.

I know. Cotton sounds simple. But believe me, it’s not. That’s why I’ve made it a point to get schooled on the ins and outs of the cotton trade.

As a proverbial new kid on the “dock” it can be challenging to know exactly how to share who and what you are in an industry littered with globally recognized brands and many new tech start-ups. 

One of the best things about operating a membership driven organization is that the members themselves are the one’s who have the say in the future of that organization. They have a tremendous impact on the processes, future development, governance – and they also happen to be the authoritative voice for an entire industry seeking to understand “how” and “why” NYSHEX could work for them.

So, here are the top things four of our members want you to know about NYSHEX:

News of increased tariffs and threats of trade wars have been all over the front page in recent weeks. There have been claims that the U.S. trade deficit is a problem and that narrowing it is important for GDP growth. As a company enabling international shipping, we believe in more free trade, not less.

Happy Strategic New Year!

The fireworks and dragons of Chinese New Year have passed, but for TPEB shippers based in the US, the excitement is only halfway through. Another new year and new season of challenges is fast approaching.

Today we announced the appointment of new members to our board of directors and the launch of our governing NYSHEX Member Council.  This announcement follows the Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) December 2, 2017 approval of our governance model which enables us to maintain a fair, transparent and compliant process of ensuring the interests of our members.