American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.784071; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.150754; American Dollar to Euro = 1.179539; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008879; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052519.

The American Trucking Associations applauded congressional leaders for introducing legislation to repeal the antiquated federal excise tax on the purchase of new trucks and trailers. “First implemented over a century ago to help finance America’s effort in World War I, the FET has become the largest excise tax on any product, adding $24,000 to the cost of each new clean-diesel tractor-trailer,” said American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear. “Keeping this antiquated tax on the books imposes an enormous hardship, particularly for the small fleets, family businesses, and independent truckers who make up the overwhelming majority of trucking. Removing this burden will allow motor carriers to replace their trucks with modern, safer, and cleaner equipment, which will in turn provide a boost to manufacturing jobs. Our industry is grateful to Reps. LaMalfa, Pappas, LaHood, Carbajal, and Miller for their leadership on this issue to improve highway safety, reduce emissions, and strengthen our economy.” The FET began in 1917 to help finance World War I. Today, it is the highest percentage federal excise tax – at 12 percent – levied on any product, amounting to a $6 billion annual burden on the trucking industry.

The Finnish Transport Workers' Union (AKT) has ended a two-week stevedores' strike. The union made the announcement shortly before 8pm on Wednesday. The AKT board unanimously accepted the deal, union boss Ismo Kokko said. "A new collective agreement has been born," he told Yle. According to Kokko, there will be salary increases of 6.3 percent over the two-year contract period. On top of this, he said there will be a so-called "delayed instalment" amounting to 1,100 euros per worker. Earlier in the evening, the National Conciliator's office said in a tweet that a negotiation result had been reached in the labour dispute. The dockworkers' strike, which has been going on for two weeks, has virtually halted all exports and imports through Finland’s harbours and slowed postal deliveries.