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In an effort to improve cargo movement amid congestion and record volume, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will begin assessing a surcharge to ocean carriers for import containers that dwell in marine terminals. Under the new policy, the ports will charge ocean carriers for each container that falls into one of two categories. In the case of containers scheduled to move by truck, ocean carriers will be charged for every container dwelling for nine days or more. For containers moving by rail, ocean carriers will be charged if the container has dwelled for three days or more. Beginning November 1, the ports will charge ocean carriers with cargo in those two categories $100 per container, increasing in $100 increments per container per day. Before the pandemic-induced import surge began in mid-2020, on average, containers for local delivery sat on container terminals under four days, while containers destined for trains dwelled less than two days. Those numbers have increased significantly, making it difficult to clear cargo off the terminals and bring in ships at anchor. Fees collected from dwelling cargo will be re-invested by the two ports for programs designed to enhance efficiency, accelerate cargo velocity and address congestion impacts throughout the San Pedro Bay. | More Information

Holiday spending has the potential to shatter previous records, as the National Retail Federation forecast that holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a previous high of 8.2 percent in 2020 to $777.3 billion and an average increase of 4.4 percent over the past five years. | More Information

The Port of Los Angeles processed 903,865 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in September, its busiest September in the Port’s 114-year history. Year-to-date, overall cargo volume stands at 8,176,917 TEUs, an increase of 26 percent compared to 2020. | More Information

Spurred on by the pandemic, older kids and young adults alike have sought comfort in childhood pastimes and are contributing to the growth of toys targeting these older demographics – a top 2021 Q4 trend identified by The Toy Association and supported by new data from The Insights Family, a global leader in kids, parents, and family market intelligence. The Insights Family’s latest data shows that collectables present one of the largest toy trends in the space for teens and tweens, as well as, cartoons that target an older audience. | More Information

There are issues and concerns that affect every business that tries to manage selling used firearms. Some of the challenges completely ward business off from selling used firearms at all. The NSSF brings to light some of the biggest challenges stores face selling used firearms and illustrates ways to overcome these barriers to grow used firearms into a place of large profit for any store. | More Information