Cosco's Capt. Wei Jiafu Announced as Keynote Speaker for 2012 Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Capt. Wei Jiafu, chairman of Cosco Group, will be the opening keynote speaker at the 12th annual Journal of Commerce Trans-Pacific Maritime container shipping conference on March 5-6, 2012, at the Long Beach Hyatt and Convention Center, in Long Beach, Calif.

Many TPM attendees will fondly remember Capt. Wei's 2004 speech at the fourth annual TPM. In addition to leading one of the world's top container lines and possessing a broad global perspective, he is one of the great public speakers of this or any other industry, said Peter Tirschwell, senior vice president for UBM Global Trade, parent company of The Journal of Commerce.

In August, Capt. Wei was appointed chairman of the board and secretary of the party committee of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co. Prior to that, Capt. Wei had been Cosco Group's president and CEO since November 1998. He has also served as managing director of many Cosco subsidiaries both in China and abroad and, as a key member of the senior management team, was in charge of corporate asset operations and management. In 1993, as president of Cosco (Singapore), Capt. Wei led its public listing, which marked Cosco's first step into the international capital market.

In recent years, he has received a number of distinguished awards honoring his many contributions to the international shipping industry, including 2009 placement on Business Week's list of the 40 Most Influential People in China.

TPM is the largest and most important gathering in the North American container shipping and logistics industry. The annual event, the largest of its kind in the world, brings together more than 1,500 senior executives from ocean carriers, ports/terminals and railroads, to importer-exporters, truckers and others involved with containerized cargo movements in and out of North America. It takes place in early March, at the start of the trans-Pacific trade's annual service contracting cycle. In 2011, the event drew nearly 1,800 attendees.

For 2012, the Trans-Pacific Maritime conference will delve into many of the greatest challenges currently facing the industry, including the impact of mega-ships on rates and the structure of the industry; the outlook for supply and demand given the widening economic performance gap between East and West; and many North American-specific issues such as possible longshore labor disruption, carriers withdrawing from chassis involvement and logistics and regulatory challenges for U.S. exports.

For the first time, TPM 2012 will include a special full-day trans-Pacific Refrigerated Container Transport/Cool Cargoes track on Day 2 of the event. The track -- on Tuesday, March 6 -- will include an opening speaker and four panel sessions specifically addressing trans-Pacific reefer cargoes, technology, logistics and market issues.

Registration for this event will open shortly. For more information about the event, or to view the preliminary agenda, please visit: http://www.joc.com/events/trans-pacific-maritime-conference-2012 .

To view daily news visit www.joc.com . For all media enquires, including article reprints, please contact Editorial Director Paul Page.

About The Journal of Commerce: Since 1827, The Journal of Commerce has been the most trusted source of intelligence for international logistics executives to help them plan global supply chains and better manage day-to-day transportation of goods and commodities in the United States and internationally.

JOC members have access to our weekly print and digital magazine and Web site, as well as a 10 percent discount on all JOC events and trade shows, UBM Global Trade Directories and select PIERS products. Authoritative editorial content in the form of daily news, weekly analysis and regular features ensure our members have the information and data necessary to understand the issues facing trucking, rail and maritime transportation. Members enjoy access to By the Numbers, an exclusive weekly compilation of key industry statistics that provides detailed views of current market trends across all modes. Regular market intelligence reports -- utilizing PIERS trade data -- include Top 100 Imports and Exporters, quarterly Top 40 Container lines, Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic Maritime Forecasts and Top Container Ports and Terminals. Market-sector supplements, including Breakbulk, Cool Cargoes, 3PL, JOC Guide to Trucking and others, ensure all modes are comprehensively covered.

About UBM Global Trade

UBM Global Trade is the leading provider of proprietary data, news, business intelligence and analytical content supporting commercial maritime, rail, trucking, warehousing and logistics industries worldwide. The company's portfolio of more than 100 online, print and interactive workflow business solutions includes The Journal of Commerce, Breakbulk, RailResource, PIERS and an array of international trade and transportation databases and directories. UBM Global Trade, a subsidiary of UBM LLC, is headquartered in Newark, NJ, with offices throughout the United States. For more information, explore www.ubmglobaltrade.com or call 800-223-0243 (+1-973-848-7250 outside the U.S. or Canada).