Huanji International, founded in 1989 with headquarter in Ningbo, is a comprehensive international company, integrating freight of sea, air and land (railway& road). It is a private shareholding company with registered capital of CNY4,000,000 and turnover of CNY150 million with 6 subsidiary companies as well as 13 branch offices total up to more than 300 professional and experienced personnel in the main ports of China. As one of the strongest and most influential forwarding&logistics companies in Ningbo, over decades’efforts, Huanji has actively grasped the market dynamics and stays abreast of service and quality relying on the geographical advantages, thereby it has gained the stable and long-term development. Huanji Int’l has built strategic partnership with many internationally known shipping companies and airlines to provide internationalized, specialized and standardized one-stop international business logistics service to clients home and abroad.

　　

Based on the people-oriented and scientifically managing concept, the company has been putting emphasis on the development of healthy and positive culture as to enhance the company influence.
We are all round the clock to supply customers with sincere, efficient,
convenient and safe services.

AIR FREIGHT

MongRonggang

MongRonggang

ADD:11F，Fortune Building，No.828 Fuming Road，Jiangdong District，Ningbo，China.
E-MAIL：hjhy@nb-hj.com
FAX：86-0574-87643092（IMPORT DEPT.）　86-0574- 87643093（OVERSEAS DEPT.）
86-0574-87643094（SALES DEPT.）　86-0574- 87643095（SEA FREIGHT DETP.）　
86-0574-87643096（SEA FREIGHT DETP.）86-0574-87643097（SEA FREIGHT DETP.）
86-0574-87643098（BUSINESS DEPT.）　86-0574-87643062（MARKET DEPT.）

ADD：Room 605,Pacific International Mansion,No.178 South Binjiang Road,Yuyao. Ningbo City,Zhejiang Province.China.
E-MAIL ：hwj@nb-hj.com
TEL：86-0574-62732178 Fax: 62732219

Department

Name

Posts

Office Tel

GM Office

Xu Hongbo

Manager

021-65086776

Finance Office

Xiao Mei

Should pay back commission

021-65086272

Lu Yan

Write-off single, the team reconciliation, billing

021-65086287

Yan Fang

Receivables, import, administrative

021-65087100

Overseas Department

Xu Jun

Overseas Maintenance

021-65086979

Zhou Xiaomian

European Development

021-65086529

Zheng Yunyun

File and part of Agent Development

021-65086397

Overseas Department

Wang Yu

Air Manager

021-65086885

Cao Hui

Air Operation

021-65086896

Wei Chunyan

Sales

021-65086809

Huang Defu

Sales

021-65086153

Zhu Guoliang

Sales

021-65086827

Maritime Operation

Sun Weiqin

Director of operations

021-65086353/6225

Liu Jia

Maritime Operation

021-65086813

Yan Wen

Maritime Operation

021-65086389/6225

Sales

Liu Peiwen

Sales

021-65087110

Xu Zhiqiang

Sales

021-65086782

Wang Yu

Sales

021-65086782

Run Single

Feng Weiqiang

021-65086782 　

Department

Name

Posts

Office Tel

　GM Office

Wang Xiangsheng

General Manager

86-0574-89070755

Ye Shanshan

Assistant Manager

86-0574-89070720

Executive Dept.

Yang Jingbo

Front desk/administrative

86-0574-89070703

Commerce Dept.　

Xu Lingyan

Commerce Department

86-0574-89070728

Shi Qiongying

Commerce Department

86-0574-89070747

Finance Dept.

Zhou Biqiong

Accounting

86-0574-89070744

Mao Chaoqun

Cashier

86-0574-89070750

Sales Dept.

YU Shengda

Sales Manager

86-0574-89070768

Zhu Kedeng

Sales

86-0574-89070705

Shen Haibo

Sales

86-0574-89070715

　Market Dept.

Wu Bifang

Marketing Director

86-0574-89070701

Ren Hui

Marketing

86-0574-89070708

Xu Jing

Dispatch/Service Director

86-0574-89070745

　 Overseas Dept.

Li Ming

Overseas Director

86-0574-89070731

Liu Jijun

Overseas Operation

86-0574-89070742

Operate Dept.

Wang Xiaoyu

FCL action/file

86-0574-89070752

Fei Hailong

FCL action/file

86-0574-89070730

Xiao Yu

FCL action/file

86-0574-89070740

Wang Wei

FCL action/file

86-0574-89070719

Zhang Xinjie

FCL file

86-0574-89070717

He Dandong

FCL file

86-0574-89070756

Chen Weiwei

LCL Operation

86-0574-89070725

Shao Xiuxiu

LCL Operation

86-0574-89070736

Zhou Jianye

LCL file

86-0574-89070726

Xia Wei

Inspection

86-0574-89070710

Master Shi

Run Single

86-0574-66194386

Master liu

Run Single

Department

Name

Posts

Office Tel

Han Yang Import and Export

Fang Yafeng

Manager

86-0574-22683097

Zhang Zhuying

Accounting

86-0574-22683096

Liu qin

Accounting Assistant

86-0574-22677322

Zhang Ming

Cashier

86-0574-22677312

Zhao Chongfen

Documents

86-0574-22677322

Lin Xiaoyi

Documents

86-0574-22683098

Ying Yunna

Documents

v22677311

No.409,Room Pacific International Mansion,178 South Binjiang Road,Yuyao City
Fax：86-0574-0574-22683099

Name

Posts

Office Tel

VPN

Sun Songren

branch secretary of the Party

27687976

0663

Yu Jian

Manager

27687976

9809

Yiao Yinji

Scheduling

27687976

2135

Li Chen

Scheduling Assistant

27687976

8192

Xuan Shanmu

Driver

27687976

2393

Guo Maoyan

Driver

27687976

2590

Zhen Qilin

Driver

27687976

2813

Zhang Xuebing

Driver

27687976

2217

Yuan Haijin

Driver

27687976

6005

Address:Block B2,Railway West Goods Yard,Yuyao City
E-MAIL:hxw@china.nb-hj.com
Fax：0574-62800503

Department

Name

Posts

Contact

Internal
Department

Xu Junhua

Manager

13685866077

Yuan Gaosheng

Client Representative

0574-63152579

Ye Kaijun

Client Representative

0574-66293772

Yu Guofeng

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Liu Anqun

Client Representative

0574-66250510

Song Jiansong

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Zhu Huanglai

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Lu Jishi

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Zhu Guodong

Client Representative

0574-66229166

He Jiantao

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Zhu Weiping

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Huang Guoquan

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Wang Hui

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Zhu Baiyuan

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Ying Xingfa

Client Representative

0574-66229166

Wu Baijun

Client Representative

0574-66229166

He Fengxian

Manager

0574-62638822

Ye Kefen

Operator

0574-62635015

Ye Wenjun

Operator

0574-62635015

Xu Mingfu

Operator

0574-62635015

Zhu Baili

salesman

0574-62638844

Qi Yinyin

salesman

0574-62638822

Li Xiaochuan

salesman

0574-62635016

Ye Debang

Driver

0574-62635015

Li Chunjian

Driver

0574-62635015

International
Department

He Zhuteng

Manager

0 574-62640199

Wang Hongjin

Finance

0574-62640199

Zheng Wenjun

sales

0574-62640199

Zhu Heqiu

sales

0574-62640199

Wu Jian

sales

0574-62640199

Han Hongya

customer service

0574-22715999

Shi Leijun

customer service

0574-22715999

Address:No. 602-604 Room,Pacific International Mansion,178 South Binjiang Road,Yuyao City
FAX:0574-62732217 　　　　62732219

ADD：Room 605,Pacific International Mansion,No.178 South Binjiang Road,Yuyao. Ningbo City,Zhejiang Province.China.
E-MAIL ：hwj@nb-hj.com
TEL：86-0574-62732178 Fax: 62732219

Source: http://online.wsj.com

There was also an announcement of a $6 per container International Security Port Surcharge (ISPS) for Far East to Middle Eastern trades.

There is also a currency adjustment factor (CAF), which will stand at 14.75 per cent of ocean freight and apply to cargo moving between the Mediterranean, that is Lebanon, Syria, Black Sea ports and north Africa - but not Israel.

A bunker adjustment factor (BAF) will also be applied to cargo in the Europe and Mediterranean trades from December as well as another BAF for both east and west bound shipments in Far East and the Indian subcontinent to Europe and the Mediterranean from January 1.

The BAF will be as follows: On shipments between Far East and north west Europe / Mediterranean, which includes Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Black Sea ports as well as north Africa and west Africa, the increases will be US$510 per TEU and $1,020 per FEU.

Shipments between the Indian subcontinent and north west Europe / Mediterranean, which includes Israel, Lebanon, Syria, the Black Sea ports, west Africa and north Africa will be subject to a BAF of $306 per TEU and $612 per FEU.

There was also news of a fuel adjustment factor (FAF) for the Far East-Mideast trades to apply to cargo in the Far East to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the India subcontinent to take effect from January 1 until January 31.

The revised FAF is, from the Far East (except Japan) to the Persian Gulf and Indian subcontinent, will be $276 per TEU and $552 per FEU. From Japan to the Persian Gulf and the Indian subcontinent it will be $238 per TEU and $476 per FEU. From the Far East (except Japan) to the Red Sea the FAF will be $369 per TEU and $738 per FEU. And from Japan to the Red Seas it will be $429 per TEU and $858 per FEU,

The Far East includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, Brunei, Cambodia and Burma.

The Persian Gulf includes Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (Persian Gulf Coastal), Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

The Indian subcontinent includes India and Pakistan.

The Red Sea includes Saudi Arabia (Red Sea coast), Yemen, Jordan, Egypt and Sudan.

(Source:www.schednet.com)

Source: www.apparelnews.net

Based on the list price for the CRJ700 aircraft, the contract would be valued at approximately $779 million US. Actual terms of the deal are confidential.

“This would be a major order for us at any time, but achieving it during the prevailing tough economic times makes it all the more significant,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The order also reflects the confidence expressed by AMR Corp. and American Eagle Airlines in our CRJ700 aircraft and we are grateful for their continuing support.”

Including the transaction announced today, Bombardier has recorded orders for 1,695 CRJ Series aircraft, and as of October 31, 2009, 1,569 of these had been delivered. More than 60 operators in 38 countries operate CRJ Series aircraft.

Source: Transportweekly

DHL Express has started offering a direct flight from Hong Kong to Surabaya, Indonesia, in a bid to facilitate the increasing volume of import cargo from Hong Kong to East Java.

The flight operates four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and will not only carry freight from Hong Kong, but also from North Asia and the US, a DHL statement said.

It said the new direct flight from Hong Kong International Airport to Djuanda Airport in Surabaya provides customers with a faster transit time of up to 24 hours, compared to the previous non-direct flight, by alleviating the need for clearance in Jakarta and domestic transportation from Jakarta to Surabaya.

The development comes after shipment volumes on DHL's Hong Kong to Surabaya routes rose by 18 per cent year on year between July and November 2009. Major shipments were from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

"Hong Kong-Surabaya is an important trade lane for DHL because China is the largest supplier of non-oil and gas products to East Java, with the value amounting to US$202.62 million in October 2009," said David Ng, senior technical advisor at DHL Express/PT Birotika Semesta.

"With this new flight, we expect to be able to significantly enhance connectivity, service reliability and on-time performance for our customers in the East Java, Hong Kong, North Asia and US."

Source: SchedNet

THE Trade Commission of Ecuador in Los Angeles has announced that Ecuadoran roses will fly to the world's most expensive rose market in Japan through Mercury's LAX airport's perishable centre with Apollo Freight handling shipments.

Hitherto the roses went through Amsterdam and Frankfurt or Miami. In the two months that the programme has been underway, nearly 45 tons of roses were moved from Ecuador to Japan via LAX.

"It has long been a goal to find a way for Ecuadorian flowers, especially roses, to reach world markets faster and at lower costs. We are very pleased that Mercury Air Cargo and Apollo Freight have developed a programme to answer this need at LAX," said trade commissioner Eduardo Borrero.

Members of the Ecuadorian Trade Commission met with Mercury Air Cargo and Apollo Freight executives following Mercury's opening of the largest on-airport refrigeration unit on the West Coast in April.

The Trade Commission wanted to bring the flowers through Mercury's LAX airport's perishable centre. Apollo Freight, a leader in perishable logistics, worked with two Asian carriers servicing Japan to obtain cargo space then worked with Operflor Cargo, an Ecuadorian freight forwarder, to secure flower shipments from Ecuador to the importers in Japan.

Said Operflor Cargo manager Roy Cisternas: "Our Japanese clients are extremely pleased with the level of service being provided by Apollo Freight at LAX as well as with the cost savings compared to transiting roses through Europe."

Apollo Freight utilises Mercury's perishable centre, located in an over 18,580 square metre airport warehouse, which allows flowers coming into LAX by air and connecting on a flight to Japan to never have to leave the airport. The flowers remain in the same warehouse for breakdown, cooling and build-up services.

Mercury Air Group CEO and chairman Joseph Czyzyk said, "Transiting Ecuadorian roses is just a small part of the perishable logistics Mercury and Apollo offer."

Source: SchedNet

Latvia is considering opening the country’s ports and communication routes for Armenia for the transportation of cargoes to the West. "I see great potential for development of the Armenian-Latvian economic cooperation. I hope that the two governments will create all necessary conditions for mutually beneficial cooperation. Creating the necessary contractual and legal framework will be a major stimulus for the development of this cooperation ", Latvia’s President Valdis Zatlers is quoted as saying at the Armenian-Latvian business forum in Yerevan, Armenian aysor.am website reports.

According Mr. Zatlers, Latvian businessmen can help their Armenian colleagues to sign profitable agreements with Western businessmen.

"It remains only to find the common ground for mutually beneficial cooperation. Latvia is ready to help Armenia to integrate into the European market, as well as to share its experience of European integration ", - Mr. Zatlers said.

Source: Port News

Source: www.eyefortransport.com

Horizon Logistics, LLC, the third-party logistics management subsidiary of Horizon Lines, Inc., has introduced a less-than-truckload (LTL) shipment rating engine for domestic U.S. shippers, adding to an existing suite of web-based logistics tools available at www.horizon-logistics.com.

The new LTL rating engine is designed to ensure price consistency, effective carrier benchmarking and competitive pricing by eliminating the cost adjustments most carriers make to compensate for lane imbalances. The company's LTL rating structure is uniquely configured to offer customers not only cost-effective pricing, but also multiple service options. The ultimate objective is a lower total cost of transportation for Horizon Logistics' customers.

Once rates are provided, shippers can use the system to automate carrier selection, bill of lading generation, load tendering and shipment tracking. The secure system is highly configurable, simple to use and accessible via the web at anytime from anywhere in the world. Horizon Logistics customers also can generate shipment reports instantly in a variety of formats including Microsoft Excel.

"Most shippers don't have the time or the resources to figure out the complexities inherent in LTL pricing within the United States," said Brian Taylor, President of Horizon Logistics. "They need a tool that provides a reliable, always competitive rate with visibility and control throughout the shipping process."

Introduction of the LTL rating engine marks another phase in the development of Horizon Logistics' transportation management system for customers. The company implemented an international ocean shipping and purchase order management portal earlier this year. Further development is planned for 2010.

Source: Transportweekly

Eddie Stobart Ltd has upgraded its refrigerated trailer fleet with the acquisition of 30 new Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated trailers.

Eddie Stobart already operates an extensive fleet of Schmitz Cargobull trailers and this latest order follows the acquisition in 2008 of 150 dual - and 100 single-temperature vehicles from the Schmitz Cargobull range.

The new vehicles will be used to deliver foodstuffs for Eddie Stobart’s grocery retail clients on routes throughout the UK and Europe.

Liveried the iconic colours and branding of Stobart Group, the new trailers have been built at Schmitz Cargobull’s UK manufacturing plant at Harelaw, County Durham. Schmitz Cargobull has invested significantly in the Harelaw facility during 2009 and the site now features what is believed to be the most advanced multi product trailer production line in the world.

The box units for the new Stobart Group trailers are made from Schmitz Cargobull’s patented Ferroplast insulated panels. A pure hardened foam, Ferroplast has the lowest thermal conduction of all known insulating materials. The Ferroplast walls of a Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated box are bonded together, to offer the highest standards of hygiene and to reduce maintenance over the whole of the working life of the semi-trailer. In fact, such is the company’s faith in Ferroplast, that the boxes are offered with a full five-year structural warranty.

Stuart Smith, Eddie Stobart Ltd’s Fleet Engineer, commented: “Schmitz Cargobull have an enthusiastic, dedicated team, which shows in the products that they manufacturer, it is a pleasure working with them.”

Source: Transportweekly

Greek Aegean Airlines has become the latest addition to the list of carriers doing business at Vienna International Airport (VIA), Austrian Times informed.

VIA bosses said yesterday (Mon) the company has launched direct connections between Vienna and Athens five times a week.

The first flight on the route was last Thursday.

VIA chiefs recently said passenger numbers at the airport fell in November by 1.8 per cent year on year to 1.38 million.

Aegean Airlines was founded in 1987 and offers flights between 50 Greek and international destinations. Around six million people used the carrier’s service last year.

The firm joined the Star Alliance partnership – consisting of 26 airlines including Austrian Airlines (AUA) and its new owner Lufthansa – last May.

Source: Transportweekly

The state-run “Delta-Pilot” company of Ukraine has successfully passed a three-month financial audit by BDO outside auditor, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine. In accordance with the final report of the outside auditor, "financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the company and that the results consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards.
State Enterprise "Delta-pilot" has existed since February 1998 piloting ships into the sea and river port of Nykolaey and Kherson regions, and also provides transit passage of ships in the river port on the Dnieper. On behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine, State Enterprise "Delta-pilot" acts as the client of design and construction of a deepwater navigable channel "Danube-Black Sea" in the mouth of Bystroye. This project will provide an opportunity to revive large-tonnage shipping in the Ukrainian part of the Danube along the route of the 7th international transport corridor.

Source: Port News

CHONGQING's Cuntan port's phase two project, West China's biggest terminal, costing CNY1.1 billion (US$161 million), will be ready for opening at the end of the year, reports Xinhua.

The 59-hectare terminal will build four 3,000-tonne berths with an annual capacity of 420,000 TEU as well as 800,000 tonnes of breakbulk and 150,000 ro-ro units. The port plans to build four more berths in its phase three project with additional capacity of 560,000 TEU. By then, Cuntan port's container throughput will reach 1.89 million TEU, becoming the biggest container terminal in Yangtze River's upper reaches.

Source: www.schednet.com

The UAE has crept into the top 15 countries in the world by the size of a country's current liner fleet and is only nation from the Middle East, according to a report by IHS Global Insight, a global research, analysis and consulting firm.
China is currently the leading operator of liner vessels globally, operating 804 vessels, with 11 per cent of the global liner fleet, and 15 per cent of its capacity. It is followed closely by Japan, with 788 liner vessels. Denmark, which ranks fifth by the fleet count, operates the second largest fleet by capacity.
The UAE ranks 15th in the world with the total number of the liner fleet at 106 vessels. Germany is the largest European Union operator of liner vessels and the country with the most vessels on order worldwide.
By the current order book, Germany will operate only two fewer vessels than China by the time the orders are completed, it said.

Source: www.seatradeasia-online.com

The head of the Australian firm Solar Sailor, pioneers of wings covered in solar panels for installation on ships, revealed in an interview with CNN that the world’s largest shipping conglomerate, COSCO is in discussions to add solar wings to many of its tankers.
Solar Sailor has created a new type of sail -- rigid wings covered in solar panels that can bend and fold depending on the direction of the sun and wind. Four of these solar ferries will be roaming the waters of Hong Kong in January and Solar Sailor is in talks to introduce them in Shanghai and San Francisco.
"When we started in 1999, oil was at $10 a barrel, no one had heard of a hybrid car and people weren't educated about global warming," Solar Sailor ceo Robert Dane told CNN. With oil now around $73 a barrel, Dane says green technologies make more financial sense than ever.
CNN reported that COSCO “is in advanced talks with Solar Sailor for the fitting of solar wings on some of its large tankers”. Another shipping company, NYK Line, launched Auriga Leader in December 2008, the world's first solar-assisted car carrier.
As a member of the UN Global Compact COSCO is keen to advance its green credentials and has looked at many options, including nuclear propulsion, something the company’s ceo and president Capt Wei Jiafu expanded upon two weeks ago at Marintec China. “As they are already onboard submarines, why not cargo ships?” he mused. Later he spoke to Seatrade Asia Online and revealed COSCO is in talks with the national nuclear authorities to develop nuclear powered ships.

Source: www.seatradeasia-online.com

According to the general director of Bulgarian Railways (BDZ), Pencho Popov, passengers of delayed trains will soon be able to receive compensation, according to Railway Market - CEE Review.

The new EU regulation, which obliges railway companies to pay compensation to passengers if the train is late at the fault of the carrier, will be implemented already next year, Popov said.

The BDZ’s readiness to pay compensation for delays might be surprising, as many eastern European countries like Romania, Poland or the Czech Republic recently asked for a suspension from the new EU directive. They argued, that they still need some time to prepare themselves for such a regulation.

Currently, Bulgarian Railways has approx. BGN 160m debt and a BGN 100m credit, that has to be paid in 2010.

Source: Transportweekly

On December 13, a new timetable came into force in Germany. At the same time Deutsche Bahn (DB) increased the ticket prices for about 1.8%, Railway Market - CEE Reviewnforms. The rise has been explained by the increasing personnel costs.
DB expects to get EUR 50m more next year through this move.

Fares for regional trains went up by 2.2%. Price of BahnCard50 went up EUR 5 (to EUR 230). BahnCard100 and reserved-seat-tickets also increased (EUR 2.50 or EUR 4.50).

The price of Schones-Wochenenede-Ticket, BahnCard25 and most of daily Bundesland tickets remained unchanged.

Source: Transportweekly

The first of 45 Variobahn trams has been ceremoniously delivered to Graz AG.
“We thank Graz AG for the trust it has placed in us”, explains Michael Daum, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH. “We worked together very successfully and can now deliver the first vehicle on time. Understandably, every operator has his own ideas on how his future trams should look.” Michael Daum further states, “Amongst other things, our competence lies in the ability to implement these visual and functional needs.”
The interests of people with limited mobility were particularly considered for the Graz tram. Thus the Variobahn is fitted with optical and acoustical information support devices. Its handrails and doors have high-contrast colouring, and the second door’s entryway has a folding ramp.

“Close co-operation with disabled persons organisations have greatly assisted us in implementing their interests,” says Annegret Schulz, Project Manager, Stadler Pankow GmbH.

The Variobahn for Graz is entirely low-floored and provides a bright and friendly interior that offers seating for 145 passengers. Furthermore, the unidirectional vehicles are designed with two multi-purpose areas in which wheelchairs and pushchairs can be conveniently moved.

Stadler Rail Group, system supplier of customer-specific solutions for rail vehicle construction, has locations in Switzerland (Altenrhein, Bussnang and Winterthur), in Germany (Berlin-Pankow and Velten), in Poland (Siedlce), in Hungary (Budapest, Pusztaszabolcs and Szolnok) and in Algeria (Algiers). The Group has a workforce of over 2,400 people around the world. The best-known vehicle series from the Stadler Rail Group are the articulated multiple-unit trains GTW (495 trains sold), the Regio Shuttle RS1 (402 trains sold), the FLIRT (547 trains sold), the double-decker DOSTO (57 trains sold) in the railway segment, and the Variobahn (264 trains sold) and the newly-developed Tango (90 trains sold) in the tram segment. Furthermore Stadler Rail manufactures passenger carriages and two-axle locomotives and is the world’s leading manufacturer of rack-and-pinion rail vehicles.

Source: Transportweekly

The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved the allocation of $ 100 million credit for the FESCO transport group. The credit, the FESCO press-service said, is part of the program for financial management and debt restructuring of the company. The credit is valid for 5 years and will have a floating interest rate tied to a number of financial covenants, with a base LIBOR + 4%, the FESCO said.
The involvement of the loan will not increase the debt burden, as the funds will be used to refinance a short-term debt, which will significantly improve the structure of balance and repayment schedule.
"The successful involvement of the EBRD loan, Sergey Generalov, President of FESCO is quoted as saying, offers our group a number of new opportunities for work in capital markets, both debt and equity."
The EBRD loan is part of the overall program of the Group, targeted at reducing the debt burden and optimization of the repayment schedule. Implementation of the program in 2009 has already helped to reduce debt by $ 300 million, with $ 1 billion 155 million in January to $ 850 million to date. Further steps according to the program, will allow reducing the debt in 2010 for another $ 300 million, Mr.Generalov said.
Transport Group FESCO is Russia's integrated transport and logistics company that provides clients a full range of services for cargo delivery "from door to door", using the capacities of their own companies. Since August 2008 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has become one of the shareholders of FESCO with 3,74% of shares.

Source: Port News

The Siwertell ship unloader offered by Cargotec has demonstrated its world-leading capabilities by winning this year’s International Bulk Journal’s (IBJ) best ship loading/unloading system award. There were four other systems short listed as finalists by IBJ, but the organisation judged the Siwertell dry bulk cargo flow system to be the most efficient, safe and innovative.

“We are delighted that our Siwertell system has been recognised in this way,” says Jonas Fack, sales director, Bulk Terminals at Cargotec.

The Siwertell ship unloader programme exploits technologies and philosophies developed over decades by a world-leading company. In defining and developing the most operationally-efficient and safest dry bulk handling terminals, Cargotec emphasises environmental performance and versatility features in both its products and services.

Jonas Fack notes that: “In developing material-handling equipment, our goal is to ensure that operators using systems supplied by Cargotec contribute to preserving the environment.”

Siwertell ship unloader systems are carefully-designed with a specific focus on sustaining environmentally-friendly operation. They offer totally-enclosed bulk handling solutions and dust-free loading/unloading systems, for various materials, with some of the highest capacities on the market.
A Siwertell ship unloader is totally enclosed from the pick-up point in the hold, which is below the cargo surface, to the transfer point at the jetty conveyor. A cleaner and safer environment is thus achieved through elimination of spillage and dust.

The Siwertell unloader programme is divided into four groups depending on the size of ship being unloaded/loaded, the rated unloading capacity, and the commodity being handled. The main difference between these categories is the supporting steel structure carrying the conveyors on the arm system. The various steel structures can accommodate different ranges of conveyor sizes and can be made to different lengths to fit different ship sizes.

Siwertell unloading/loading systems have been delivered for decades and close to 300 units have been selected by terminal and bulk operators throughout the world.

(Source: www.transportweekly.com)

The Government of India set up a high-profile committee on maritime security to enhance surveillance of the country’s vast coastline. The move follows a series of measures initiated by the government to tighten security at gateway ports, particularly in the wake of the Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Similar to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the panel is headed by a cabinet secretary and includes senior officials of various maritime security agencies, including the navy, coast guard and intelligence bureau.
“The committee will help in monitoring timely implementation of proposals relating to maritime and coastal security. It will also help in ensuring effective coordination among various central ministries and agencies and the coastal state governments/union territories,” the government said in a statement.
The Shipping Ministry earlier asked all major port authorities to acquire speed boats to beef up waterfront patrolling, and deploy marine commando units for better emergency preparedness and response.
Safeguarding the nation's security and preventing terrorists as well as weapons of mass destruction from entering the country, especially through the sea route, have been New Delhi’s top priorities since the Mumbai attacks that killed nearly 180 people one year ago.
India has 12 major ports, six each on the west and east coasts, and nearly 200 minor ports located along its 4,600 miles of coastline.
According to the latest data released by the Indian Ports Association, major ports handled 362.8 million tons of cargo during the April-November period, up 4.7 percent from 346.5 million tons in the year-ago period.

Source: www.joc.com

After a two-year downswing, the air-cargo industry appears to be in the midst of recovery – and the Asian market is the driving force behind this trend. The 4th Air Cargo China, the largest international trade fair for the air-cargo industry in Asia, will be a barometer of this upward trend. It is being held in conjunction with transport logistic China in Shanghai from June 8 – 10, 2010.

The latest figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) could be a sign of hope for the global air-cargo industry: Last month, international freight demand was only 0.5 percent lower than a year earlier, which is a significant improvement compared to the 5.4 percent decline registered in September 2009.

Above all, the driving force behind this development is the Asian market, which is beginning to grow again earlier and, above all, more quickly as a result of the diminishing global economic crisis. According to the latest statistics released by the IATA, air-cargo volume in Asia in October was 1.9 percent higher than the same period last year. So it comes as no surprise that three of the five largest freight airports in the world, i.e. Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai, are located in Asia. In a study for the Asian air-cargo industry, aircraft manufacturer Airbus forecast that the upward trend will continue to remain strong. In China, domestic freight volume (tonne kilometers) is expected to increase by more than ten percent by 2026, and commercial freight traffic with Europe and the United States is expected to increase by nearly ten percent. Given these forecasts, experts are already saying that Asia will establish itself as the world's largest air-cargo market within the next ten years, which means a great deal of potential for investors, some of which is still unused.

This positive market environment is also creating extra momentum for Air Cargo China, which has developed into the largest international trade show for air cargo in Asia since its premiere in 2004. A number of well-known airfreight forwarders have already registered to exhibit at the fair: They include Avicon, Airbridge Cargo, Cargo Italia, Eurex Airlines, Etihad, Jade Cargo, Thai Airways, ULS Airlines as well as key logistics hubs such as the Atlanta, Munich and Vienna airports and leading aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and EADS. The application deadline for exhibitors is 23 April 2010.

Besides the exhibition, the Air Cargo China Conference that accompanies the fair on 9 June 2010, the title of which is "Tomorrow’s World", will give participants an in-depth look at the trends in international air cargo with a special focus on the Asian market. Other highlights include the awards ceremony for the World Air Cargo Awards, which A-Z Group presents in a total of ten categories. They include awards for Airfreight Forwarder of the Year and Airport of the Year.

Source: Transportweekly

With ORion-PI® Network Scale Savings Axxom Software AG has developed a new approach for even more realistic and efficient supply chain optimization. The concept allows users to consider complexity costs and economy of scale effects when analysing and improving their logistics and production networks. From 2nd to 4th of March 2010 Axxom presents the approach for the first time at trade fair LogiMAT in Stuttgart (hall 5, booth 240).

Today, transport, warehousing and production costs generally are the decisive cost factors when planning and optimizing supply chain networks. However, focussing on these factors often comes up short – especially if a company owns a huge variety of product programs and value added processes. For realistic modelling and optimization of a network, economy of scale and complexity costs play an important role as they sum up to 70 percent of the added value.

Up until now, companies optimizing logistics and production networks have been holding the wolf by the ears: To put it simply, they could save costs by processing as large amounts as possible at one location.

Thereby, significant economy of scale can be achieved by consolidation of handling and production. Afterwards, however, they have to put up with long transport distances and high distribution costs. To optimize the latter, a dispersed location strategy is necessary. “With our new approach ORion-PI® Network Scale Savings we help companies to solve this conflict and to find an optimal balance by considering effects like economy of scale and complexity costs in their optimization calculations.”

Other than the new concept, Axxom will present further novelties of its product family ORion-PI® at LogiMAT, which allow integrated planning and optimization of processes along the whole logistics chain. For example, the technology company will show new functions of its software ORion-PI® Logistics Optimization for warehouse and space management. Using realistic simulations of different scenarios, the solution allows, for example, the efficient analysis and optimization of warehouse assignments, pick strategies or different warehouse and material handling technologies. The functions for warehouse and space management are also the optimal basis for an integrated logistics and staff planning. In a geometrical model of the warehouse layout built with ORion-PI® Logistics Optimization companies can plan their staff demand and deployment for different warehouse areas in detail with Axxom`s software ORion-PI® Staff Planning & Scheduling.

Caption:
Complexity Costs and Economy of Scale do not only have impact on building sand castles, but first of all on design and optimization of supply chain networks. With a new approach of Axxom companies are now able to consider these decisive factors.

Source: Transportweekly

Rhenus Svoris was awarded the prize for being the best freight forwarding company in Lithuania by a national commission of experts at the end of November. Arunas Bertasius, Managing Director of Rhenus Svoris, accepted the prize from Vytautas Levickas, the President of “Lineka”, the Lithuanian Freight Forwarders Association, at a special ceremony.

The award is presented every year at a conference, which is organized by the “Lineka” Lithuanian Freight Forwarders Association (Lietuvos nacionalinė ekspeditorių asociacija), the “Linava” Association of Transportation Companies (Lietuvos nacionalinė vežėjų automobiliais asociacija), Association of logistics and the “Transportas” trade journal. Rhenus Svoris was able to beat off a challenge from three rival companies this year. The jury based its decision on the fact that the company had continued to develop despite the difficult economic conditions in the market place. Another important criterion in reaching their decision was the company’s success in joining the System Alliance Europe cargo network at the beginning of 2009.

“The award means significant recognition by experts in our sector,” Arunas Bertasius said after the prize-giving ceremony. “It reinforces our image as a strong, growing, innovative company, which is therefore attractive to our customers.”

Rhenus Svoris was already awarded a prize for its “logistics services in 2008” by the Lithuanian Logistics Association or LLA (Lietuvos Logistikos Asociacija) at the 10th Baltic Logistics Conference in 2008. At that time, the prize related to a project, which involved Rhenus Svoris in disposing of 2,000 tons of hazardous waste from former storage depots in Lithuania.

Source: Transportweekly

THE Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in Jordan has unveiled plans to expand the facility that will involve extending the quay 460 metres and increasing the annual container capacity to two million TEU.

The expansion project is part of the port's 2009-2013 action plan that will require capital expenditure of US$235 million. This will bring total investment in Jordan's sole container terminal located on the Red Sea since 2006 to $335 million, a company statement said.

The project will be completed in stages with the final phase set for 2013, in a bid to enhance the role of Aqaba as a "strategic gateway" to the Levant region and the wider Middle East.

The plan calls for the 500,000-square-metre (124 acre) facility to double its wharf length to 1,000 metres. Two super post-Panamax cranes, each capable of 18-container reach, are scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2010, with additional units to be added as container volumes increase.

Despite the severe decline in container traffic worldwide due to the global financial crisis, ACT saw container traffic grow by 25 per cent during the first three quarters of 2009. Last year, container volume at the port surged by 42 per cent year on year to 600,000 TEU.

"APM Terminals is committed to developing and upgrading several terminals in the region and ACT is one of the major projects we are focusing on to develop as a hub," said APM Terminals India, Mideast and Africa chief Charles Menkhorst.

"Our strategy is to ensure port infrastructure keeps pace with market growth and we are taking the necessary steps today to ensure Jordan's future is served by a world-class port," he said.

During this past year, investments in ACT have included STS cranes, six rubber-tyre gantry cranes (RTGs), 100 additional refrigerated plugs, and the upgrading of the existing port facilities.

ACT is a joint venture between Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), the Jordanian government's central development vehicle for the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), and APM Terminals, which took over the management and operation of the terminal in 2004 until 2031 as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

Source: www.schednet.com

China Classification Society (CCS) has opened a branch in Panama that will also serve Central America. CCS' president Li Kejun said that the opening of an office in Panama shows the interest of the class society to contribute to the development of the maritime industry in the region and in particular in Panama. Some 13,000 vessels transit the Panama Canal every year.

Source: www.seatrade-online.com

GOVERNMENT of south western city of Chengdu has signed an agreement with Shenzhen's Jade Cargo International to build the city into an international air cargo hub.

On the same day, a Boeing 747 freighter of Jade Cargo carrying 117 tonnes of garments and hi-tech electronics took off from Chengdu airport for Vienna.

Being Chengdu's first European service, the route starts from Hong Kong, connecting Chengdu to Vienna, Amsterdam, Dubai, before returning to Chengdu, offering three flights a week.

CEO of Jade Cargo International Kay Kratky said the company decided to expand business in central and western China two years ago. After detailed investigation, Chengdu stood out from other candidates.

Mr Kratky also announced a three-step plan to develop Chengdu into central and western China's cargo hub over three to five years.

The first step is to bring the city into Jade Cargo's air route network. The carrier plans to add one extra flight every season in the future to the newly launched Chengdu cargo service.

The second step is to integrate the professional experience of Jade's freight handling arms in Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenzhen to set up a cargo handling centre in Chengdu.

The third step is to take Chengdu as Jade's hub in central and western China, to connect it with other major airfreight markets in the world and offer global transport solutions there.

Jade will send a group to Chengdu to discuss plans with the city every season with a view to adding more international cargo services.

The Chengdu Logistics Administration Office said the city is an ideal transit hub in western China for cargo from Asia to Europe, and is working on attracting cargo to Europe from neighbouring regions in Yangtze River valley, Bohai Rim and South East Asia to come to the city first for further distribution.

The government aims to achieve this in three years. Jade Cargo International is a joint venture of Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines and German investment company DEG.

Source: SchedNet

CHINA Southern Airlines has announced the start of a new cargo service from Shanghai to Frankfurt and the re-start of the old Shanghai-Chicago cargo flights after an uptick in Sino-European/US volumes, reports Logistics Week.

The Shanghai-Urumqi-Frankfurt route, offering two flights per week, has already made its maiden flight and the Shanghai-Chicago service will shortly be offering four flights a week.

China Southern considered Frankfurt as an important gateway to western Europe with high market value for its convenient road, rail, water and air transportation facilities and network that covers the European continent.

The Shanghai-Chicago route represents nearly 30 per cent of the total cargo volume China Southern flies from Shanghai to the US.

China Southern is operating two Boeing 747 freighters, both deployed on Shanghai lines. The carrier has decided to shift its cargo business focus from Guangzhou to Shanghai and will build more to the Shanghai-based network into its cargo hub.

China Southern recently took delivery of two Boeing 777 freighters with a maximum capacity of 105.9 tonnes and a range of 9,630 kilometres. The two aircraft are the world's largest and longest-range twin-engine freighters with a lower operating cost and environmental impact than the four-engine B747 freighters. One 777 will be deployed on the Shanghai-Chicago run while the other will join the Shanghai-Frankfurt service, replacing the B747 next month.

Proportionally, China Southern's European cargo service in Shanghai is small. A China Southern source divulged that the carrier still has another four B777 freighters to receive next year, which will be deployed on European services while US services will use B747s.

China Southern applied in 2008 to launch the Shanghai-Urumqi-Frankfurt cargo service in October, with frequency of three flights a week, using B777 or B747 freighters.

Source: SchedNet

The Petrolesport (PLP) handled 295 refrigerated containers of Petkum reefer, plying on the route port Guyakil (Ecuador) - Moin (Costa Rica) - Big Port of St. Petersburg, the Petrolesport authority said, adding that was the first call of the reefer at the port of St. Petersburg.

The ship is owned by Russia's largest banana trader "JFC Group» (JFC). Previously the Group JFC transported bananas using conventional container ships with a limited capacity. The company with its reefers has planned to significantly increase turnover of goods, improving control over the transportation conditions. The JFC company’s vessels will regularly call at the PLP.

Petrolesport (PLP) LLC of the Big Port of St. Petersburg is a leading stevedoring company in container handling in the Russian North-West region. The PLP provides transshipment of various goods (refrigerators, ro-ro ships, timber, general cargo). Petrolesport belongs to a group of companies Global Ports.

Global Ports Investments Plc (GPI) is a group of companies comprising the leading operators of container terminals in Russia. Included in the Group "N-Trance", which is the largest private operator on the transportation service market in Russia, CIS and Baltic states.

GPI terminals are located in the Baltic and the Far Eastern basins. GPI manages Russia's three container terminals (Petrolesport, Moby Dick in St. Petersburg and the Eastern Stevedoring Company at the port of East) and two container terminals in Finland (Multi-Link Helsinki, Multi-Link Kotka). The GPI is currently implementing the development project of dry terminal Yanino near St. Petersburg. The share of companies within the group in 2008 accounted for over 30% of the total Russian container ports.

The JFC - an integrated holding company for the production, logistics and distribution of fruits. The JFC company operates round the world. The Group companies produces, purchases, transfers and sells over 600 tonnes of fruit annually. The Group owns the “Bonanza” brand.

Source: Port News

Icebreakers of FESCO, "Far East Shipping Company will start providing ice navigation during the 2009-2010 period, the port authority said. "Magadan" icebreaker time-chartered by Rosmorport is expected at the port of Magadan on December 24, to carry out navigation there till May 10, next year. The icebreaker "Magadan" will be piloting vessels in the Magadan area.
Another two ships are heading to De Castries port. "Krasin" and "Admiral Makarov" icebreakers, chartered by «Exxon-NefteGas Ltd. The first to leave this Wednesday Vladivostok port. "Admiral Makarov" will be navigating in the Tatar Strait till April 2010, the icebreaker "Krasin" will be doing its job in the waters of the Tatar Strait and the shelf of Sakhalin Island till May 2010.
Far Eastern Shipping Company has signed a long-term contract with «Exxon-NefteGas Ltd. for piloting of vessels in the Tatar Strait back in 2004. According to the contract, FESCO icebreakers will be piloting tankers in the area until 2016.
"FESC OJSC” is a shipping company transshipping bulk and general cargo. The company’s 67 vessels of deadweight over 900 thousand tons transporting seaborne freight round the world. Net profit of JSC "FESCO" in the I quarter of 2009 increased by 31.8 times - up to 1.3 billion rubles.

Source: Port News

Evergreen Line, Taiwan, is to extend the time it takes for its China Europe service to complete one round trip by seven days. The service will now take ten weeks to complete.

In addition, a tenth ship will be added to the service, the 6,332TEU ‘Ever Elite’. The vessel will join the nine 7,024TEU ships already in the service.

"The ‘Ever Elite’ became a surplus ship further to the seasonal capacity reduction on the Evergreen's China-California TPS service, with the five 6,300TEU units replaced by 4,200TEU units in October," said a report by Alphaliner.

In a related development, Maersk Line and Safmarine have stretched their Far East-South Africa service (Safari Loop 1) from seven to eight weeks and have added an eighth 5,000TEU ship to the service

The service rotation for the Safari Loop 1 remains unchanged, with port of calls at: Shanghai – Ningbo – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – Durban – Port Elizabeth – Cape Town – Port Louis – Tanjung Pelepas – Hong Kong – Shanghai.

Source: baird maritim

A Singapore-based executive has pointed to the need to wipe out bribery relating to the bunkering industry.

“There was no professional oversight in the early days and it was easy then as it is now for the ‘crooks’ to stick their fingers in,” a source speaking to Baird Maritime on condition of anonymity said. He has previously attended a bunkering course commissioned by Singapore’s port regulatory body, the Maritime Port Authority (MPA).

Port of Singapore

The corruption issue was brought to the centre of attention when the MPA revoked Faber Marine’s license after one of its directors was convicted by local courts. This was the first conviction of its kind in 2009 but is foreseen to be only the tip of the iceberg as the MPA revealed that other suppliers were to be investigated.

Local authorities have now launched the SS 600 and the Quality Management for Bunker Supply (QMBS) audit to stamp out corruption.

More than just these official channels, the anonymous source said that expert knowledge and professional instinct was really all that was needed to eliminate corruption.

Singapore will be introducing standards to measure the flow rate of bunker fuel, hence ensuring its fair transfer. Dates for the launch of the Mass Meter have not been confirmed, but it believed that it will be introduced to the local circuit by mid-2010.

“We are still running trials on the device,” an MPA spokesperson said.

“At least Singapore is taking serious steps to beat off these kinds of practices,” said another anonymous source when comparing bunker-related bribery practices in ports in other parts of Asia and the Middle East.

Source: baird maritime

Management Information System of maintenance and repair of vessels at Amur Shipping Company (ASC) LLC was put into operation, IA PortNews reports citing SpecTech office. The system ordered by ASC was created by specialists of "SpetsTek". The system was said to be based on the TRIM EAM/MRO-system.

Amur Shipping Company is the largest river shipping company in Russia's Far East. The company business activity influences the regional economy, largely the northern territories of Khabarovsk Krai and Sakhalin Oblast.

Source: Port News

Zim Integrated Shipping Services held a naming ceremony for the Zim Colombo, a newly built 4,255-TEU vessel, at the state-owned Jaya Container Terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Zim Colombo will be deployed in Zim’s East Mediterranean Express (EMX) Service, taking the carrier’s total vessel deployment on the weekly service to 11.

The expansion is part of the Israeli carrier’s “super-slow-steaming” strategy that is expected to yield substantial fuel savings.

The EMX rotation is Busan; Shanghai; Ningbo; Shenzhen-Da Chan Bay; Port Kelang, Malaysia; Colombo; Suez Canal; Haifa and Ashdod, Israel; Izmit, Turkey; Novorossiysk, Russia; Constanta, Romania; Ambarli, Turkey; Haifa, Suez Canal, Nhava Sheva, India; Colombo; Port Kelang; Shenzhen-Da Chan Bay; Xiamen; and back to Pusan, offering a 68-day round-trip voyage.

Source: http://www.joc.com

A. P. Moller - Maersk has decided to reflagg its 307.000 DWT supertanker Maersk Newton to French flag. Maersk Newton is the ninth unit in a series of nine supertankers delivered from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Maersk Newton was delivered in February 2009 to A. P. Moller - Maersk shipping company in Singapore, and it is sailing under the flag of Singapore flag.

Source: www.maritimedanmark.dk

Cargo volumes in Indian ports expanded 13% in November at 48.2 million tonnes as against 42.5 million tonnes in the year-ago period, mainly powered by iron and coal cargo traffic.
Cargo traffic also grew 3.4% in November over the previous month.
“December is likely to witness a marginal growth due to Christmas and New Year, for which orders have already been despatched to foreign countries. But the volume growth has not been substantial,” a top official of the Indian Ports Association (IPA) said.
November witnessed the second-highest monthly cargo traffic since April 2008.
Driven by a 41% growth in coal traffic, Paradip Port, Orissa, witnessed the highest growth year-on-year at 43%, followed by Chennai Port at 27%, where increase in container traffic pushed growth.
Overall, 12 ports registered a cargo traffic growth in November with Visakhapatnam posting a 19% and Mumbai an 18% growth.
Solid cargo constituted 50% of the total cargo at major ports followed by liquid cargo (32%) and containers (18%), according to IPA data.
Three ports on the east coast—Chennai, Tuticorin and Kolkata—clocked a growth in container traffic, while JNPT’s container traffic declined by 4.4% in the year-to-date FY 10 period.
JNPT is in close proximity to Mumbai.
The four ports cumulatively account for 57.8 million tonnes (89%) of the total container traffic in the country, the data said.

Source: http://www.livemint.com

The world’s top 22 ocean container carriers lost some $11 billion in the first nine months of the year and face further losses in 2010 as the industry digs out from the worst downturn in its 50-plus history. Sixteen of the carriers that have published third-quarter results reported cumulative operating losses of $9 billion in the first nine months of 2009, according to a survey by AXS-Alphaliner, the Paris-based shipping analyst and consultant. This compares with a combined operating profit of $5.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2008.
The remaining six carriers — Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, Orient Overseas International Ltd., Hamburg Sud, United Arab Shipping and Pacific International Line — are estimated to have incurred another $2 billion in operating losses from their liner units.
The total shipping revenue of the 16 carriers publishing results — including Maersk Line, Hapag-Lloyd, China Shipping, “K” Line and NYK Line — plunged 40 percent in the first nine months, to $56 billion from $94 million a year earlier.
The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, a discussion agreement of carriers that control 90 percent of U.S. containerized imports from Asia, last week predicted losses in that trade would hit $20 billion this year, and recommended an “emergency revenue program” involving a rate hike of $400 per 40-foot container on Jan. 15. The Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, representing carriers in the U.S.-to-Asia trade, on Monday followed with its own recommendation for similar hikes.
Most ocean carriers surveyed by Alphaliner expect cargo volume and rates to recover in 2010, but most also expect to lose money next year.


Source: www.joc.com

Shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk has agreed to buy Devon Energy Corp's stakes in the Cascade, Jack and St. Malo oilfields in the Gulf of Mexico for $1.3 billion, the firms said on Tuesday.
Maersk will pay $1.3 billion for the deepwater assets, the Danish and the U.S. firms said in separate statements.
Maersk will invest a further $1.3-1.8 billion in the fields ahead of on-stream production. Over time, the investments will probably reach $4 billion, Maersk said. Maersk, which has said it wants to expand its oil operations, said its share of recoverable resources from the fields was probably more than 200 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Christian Nagstrup, analyst at Sydbank said it was a very big investment for Maersk: "200 million barrels of oil equivalents is to be added to the around 135 million that was their share in 2008."
Nagstrup said the move may solve the firm's problems with falling production. "It has long been clear that they would do one thing or another once done with investments in Qatar, and this is a really big step."
The deal involves a 50 percent stake in the Cascade field and a 25 percent stake in each of the Jack and St. Malo fields.
The Petrobras-operated Cascade field is expected to start production in 2010 and the Chevron-operated Jack and St. Malo fields are expected to start production in 2014, Maersk said.
"We have said that we wanted to invest in Maersk Oil and Gas," said Maersk's Chief Executive Officer Nils Smedegaard Andersen told Reuters.
Smedegaard said he hoped for further finds in the area, where Maersk is already active. "Hopefully (we can) also produce other things that we find out there in the same area."
Maersk is currently evaluating finds at its Buckskin deepwater field in the Gulf. "I believe Cascade will be the first field in production in the area," said Smedegaard.
Devon in November announced plans to sell its Gulf of Mexico and international assets for as much as $7.5 billion and instead focus on its onshore fields in the United States and Canada."Data rooms for all of the remaining divestiture assets will be open in the first quarter of 2010," Devon said on Tuesday.
Devon said it would use the post-tax $1.1 billion proceeds from the sale to reduce debt. It said the sale would reduce Devon's previously announced 2010 capital budget for the Gulf of Mexico by around $400 million.
The firms said the deal was subject to a waiver of preferential purchase rights held by other partners in the fields, and regulatory approvals.
"We cannot rule out that those who are already engaged in these fields want to buy more shares," Smedegaard said.
The firms expect to close the deal early in 2010.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com

MEMBER shipping lines of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (WTSA) have announced a February 15 rate increase for US-Asia of US$100 per FEU and $80 per TEU for dry cargo from Los Angeles and Long Beach, and $150 per FEU and $120 per TEU for dry cargo from other west coast ports, all-water shipments via the US east and Gulf coasts and inland point intermodal moves.

"Cargo demand continues to rise in the US-Asia freight market heading into 2010, but transpacific freight rates remain severely depressed in both directions and container lines find themselves under mounting pressure to improve revenues in order to meet customers' service requirements going forward," said the Oakland based quasi conference.

WTSA lines indicated that the February adjustments are part of a larger 2010 revenue programme, which is to include quarterly increases throughout the year as market conditions dictate.

"Carriers face a very difficult business environment in 2010," said WTSA executive administrator Brian Conrad. "Westbound cargo is going to have to make a greater proportionate contribution to overall sailing costs, if lines are to keep pace with cargo handling, equipment management, documentation and other operational requirements."

WTSA members include APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Cosco, "K" Line, Evergreen, NYK, Hanjin, OOCL, Hapag Lloyd and Yangming.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com

Source: http://money.ca.msn.com

Chinese Vice Minister of Railways Hu Yadong led a high-caliber expert delegation from the ministry’s Department of Safety that visited Knorr-Bremse in Munich at the weekend. The visit to the headquarters of the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail vehicles and commercial vehicles was the conclusion of a
trip to Europe spanning several days. One key focus of the visit was on innovations such as the eddy-current brake for high-speed trains; as they operate with zero wear, these brakes offer substantial customer benefits. At the same time, the Vice Minister was also given a demonstration of the uniform global quality standards
applied by Knorr-Bremse.

The guests from China were shown a test-bench simulation of the emergency braking of a planned Chinese high-speed train on a downhill gradient and from a speed of 380 km/h. This is the cruising speed envisaged for these Chinese trains, which will make them the fastest in the world. In just a few years' time, China will
have the world's largest fleet of high-speed trains, which goes to underline the prime importance of safety and quality. A few weeks ago, Knorr-Bremse obtained the largest order in its corporate history from China: Together with its Chinese partners, the company is to equip a total of 2,720 cars for the Chinese CRH3 high-speed train
with braking and door systems. The value of the supply agreements for this project runs to approximately €500 million.

Following the visit, the Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for Rail Vehicle Systems Dr. Dieter Wilhelm said: “This intensive encounter has lent even greater depth to the good relations between the Chinese Ministry of Railways and Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems.” Vice Minister Hu has long been familiar with Knorr-Bremse, having first met Dr. Wilhelm just a few months after he took up his position at the ministry in 2003.

Knorr-Bremse has maintained contacts with China since the late 1970s. The company's first major project in China came in 1990 and concerned the supply of complete braking systems for 96 cars for the Shanghai metro. Since then, the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Heinz Hermann Thiele, has been a key driving force behind the development of the company's business in China. Under his aegis, in the years that followed, Knorr-Bremse gradually expanded its product portfolio beyond its core business with braking systems to include automatic door systems and air conditioning equipment. Thanks to a strong local presence with five
joint ventures and its own production facility in Suzhou, the company is able to meet the high local-content requirements, as well as supplying Knorr-Bremse quality made in China. Today, Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems has a workforce of roughly 1,400 employees in China and in recent years has obtained orders relating to numerous high-speed train, locomotive and metro projects.

Source: Transportweekly

Indian Railways will increase the haulage charge on container trains three to eight per cent from January 1, reports The Hindu newspaper's Business Line section.

The haulage charge is the amount paid by container train operators to the Indian Railways for using the railway network and its infrastructure.

It is a key operating expenditure component for the container train operators. For the Container Corporation (Concor), haulage charge (also called rail freight expenses) accounted for 58 per cent of the total sales in the quarter ending September 30, said the report.

When contacted, various container train operators said they are evaluating the situation and may pass on partial or entire costs to customers.

The Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) has argued against the increase at the Railway Ministry. "We have already requested Indian Railways to reduce the haulage charges. This move will reduce the rail share of containers in the country," ACTO president RC Dubey told Business Line.

An official from a container train operating firm claimed that ever since the Railway Ministry allowed multiple container train operators in 2006, it has increased haulage charges 70 per cent.

During the same period, the rail freight charges for other commodities have gone up by 20-25 per cent at the most. Before 2006, only Concor was allowed to operate container trains.

Sixteen companies, including Concor, have a licence from Indian Railways to operatecontainer trains. In tonnage terms, the export-import container rail transportation segment has witnessed a 1.7 per cent decline in November against the corresponding period last year. The domestic container rail transportation segment has witnessed a 48 per cent growth during the period.

Source: Transportweekly

AFTER more than two and a half years of year-on-year declines, import cargo volume at major American retail container ports is expected to see three straight months of gains in early 2010, according to the monthly Port Tracker report issued by the National Retail Federation and IHS Global Insight.

"We've been seeing hints of a turnaround in our past few reports but this is starting to look like a clear trend," said federation vice president Jonathan Gold. "If retailers are starting to import more merchandise, it's because they expect to be able to sell more, and that's a good sign for the overall economy."

US ports surveyed handled 1.18 million TEU in October, the most recent month for which actual numbers are available. That was up four per cent from September as retailers hit their busiest shipping month of the year as the holiday season approached, but nonetheless down 14 per cent from October 2008 and marked the 28th month in a row to see a year-on-year decline. November was estimated at 1.09 million TEU, down 12 per cent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.05 million TEU, down one per cent from last year. January 2010 is forecast at 1.02 million TEU, down four per cent from January 2009.

The January figure would mark the 31st month of year-over-year declines, but the trend is forecast to be broken in February, when cargo is expected to total 972,391 TEU, below the one million mark because February is the slowest month of the year. But this would be a 16 per cent increase over February 2009. March 2010 is forecast at 1.02 million TEU, a six per cent increase over March 2009, and April 2010 is forecast at 1.08 million TEU, a nine per cent increase over April 2010. Port Tracker forecasts only six months in advance, so later numbers aren't yet known.

The report now expects 2009 to end with a total volume of 12.6 million TEU, a drop of 17 per cent from last year's 15.2 million TEU and the lowest since the 12.47 million TEU imported in 2003.

"The second half of 2009 has seen an improvement with 'less bad' year-over-year numbers compared with the first half," said IHS Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham. "While improving, import container traffic is projected to be weak through March due to the traditional slow season combined with the weak pace of economic recovery."

All US ports covered by Port Tracker - Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the east coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast - are rated "low" for congestion, the same as last month.

Port Tracker, which is produced by the economic research, forecasting and analysis firm IHS Global Insight for NRF, looks at inbound container volume, the availability of trucks and railroad cars to move cargo out of the ports, labour conditions and other factors that affect cargo movement and congestion.

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalogue, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services.

Source: www.schednet.com

Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd has set up a joint venture with Italian MSC Cruises, the largest cruise operator in the Mediterranean, cruise operator in the world.

The JV, named the MSC Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Company, is the first joint venture for cruises approved by the Chinese National Tourism Administration. It will be mainly engaged in the marketing of domestic and outbound travel, cruise ticketing and other tourist products.

Currently, there are 23 cruise routes that base Shanghai as a home port, and the figure is expected to double next year, according to Li Haihu, chairman of Shanghai International Port.

The JV is part of a partnership agreement the two sides signed in April which aims to jointly tap the burgeoning cruise market.

Source: http://www.chinaknowledge.com

OJSC "Far East Shipping Company (FESCO, is the major company of Transport Group FESCO) has entered on December 24th into an agreement with “MICEX Stock Exchange" for inclusion in the listing of ordinary non-documentary registered shares. As the report said the shipping company, the company authorities said.
Far East Shipping Company JSC is a shipping company transporting bulk and general cargoes. Seaborne freight by FESCO fleet, which consists of 67 vessels with a total deadweight of more than 900 thousand tons, covering virtually the entire world ocean. Net profit of JSC "FESCO" under RAS in the first quarter of 2009 increased by 31.8 times - up to 1.3 billion rubles.

Source: Port News

SWISS WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, will double capacity to six-flight a week from Zurich to San Francisco from June 2 deploying A340-300 aircraft.

"These new services complement our strong North American network and demonstrate our commitment to providing customers with access to strategic global markets with all our range of special products," said Swiss WorldCargo Americas chief Jack Lampinski.

Source: SchedNet

The International Committee on Seafarers Welfare (ICSW) on December 21 that 2010 would see a renewed focus on seafarers welfare and quality employment standards.

ICSW will be undertaking a series of major new projects based on the impetus provided by the IMO-designated “Year of the Seafarer” and the anticipated increase in ratifications of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention.

David Dearsley, recently retired from the International Maritime Employers Committee (IMEC), has agreed to chair the ICSW project team, which will complete its work over the next twelve months.

The ICSW comprises employers, represented through the ISF, seafarers, represented by ITF and government and international voluntary port welfare service providers.

A small project team will be formed to steer through the ICSW initiative.

“We have identified a range of exciting new projects to be developed during 2010 which focus on building on the strengths of the employment practices of the upper quartile of our industry and on promoting this best practice to others,” said Mr Dearsley.

The ICSW project will focus on four key areas:

Measures to explain and promote what needs to be done to comply with the ILO Maritime Labour Convention around seafarers’ welfare and wellbeing
Promotion of knowledge and best practice of seafarers’ welfare through the launch of a new online toolkit
Inauguration of an annual awards scheme to recognise those who achieve most in the promotion of seafarers health, welfare and wellbeing
Building and promoting these initiatives within the impetus created by the designation of 2010 as the IMO “Year of the Seafarer”

Source: Baird Maritime

The National Concessions Board of Costa Rica is to permit technical studies to be carried out for a $700m transhipment terminal close to the existing Port of Moín on its Atlantic coast. Results are expected within a year and a tender will be issued in mid-2011 should these suggest such an installation would be feasible.

Source: Port Strategy

Today St. Petersburg passenger port "Marine Facade" opens its winter navigation. The first passenger ferry is setting off Wednesday evening for the New Year vocational cruise. The route of the ship will be passing through Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn, "TV 100" reports. The ferry is due in St. Petersburg port after 5 days. Next ferry cruise is expected on December 31.

Source: Port News

The Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan has received the first part of technical documentation for the construction of the Baku international sea trade port on Alat settlement in south off the country’s capital, AZ Daily News reported.

Deputy transport minister Musa Panakhov says that the submitted package of documentation relating to building ground and dredging of new port canal is under active consideration.

“If no grave issues appear on documentation, then already in 2010 it will be announced a tender for construction within the first stage of new port project,” Panakhov said.

First phase of the construction is three years. Financing is envisaged from state sources within the framework of the State Investment Program.

Earlier transport minister Ziya Mammadov said that Holland’s Royal Haskoning was completing development of the Master Plan and the working project of the building of the new Baku sea port in Alat settlement.

“The Plan and project of the first stage will be prepared till the end of year, while the plan and the project of the second stage of construction of the port - till the end of March 2010. Tender procedures to choose a contractor of construction works will be finished till the end of 2009,” Mammadov said then.

Construction of the new port to be implemented by three stages will be finished by 2016.

Stage I (2008-10) envisages construction of two ferry and three cargo bridges for acceptance of containers, Ro-Ro and usual dry-cargo vessels; Stage II (2011-13): construction of three more cargo bridges; Stage III (2014-15): construction of two more cargo bridges. The project is evaluated at more than $400 million.

Source: http://www.cargonewsasia.com

This week's renewal of pirate attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden/Somalia, coupled with a local AlQaeda threat of a possible terror strike on shipping , has led UK-based security consultant NavalSecurity.Org to raise its Security Level for the area to 'High (4)'.

A freighter, a bulk carrier and a chemical tanker were all seized this week, despite a large foreign warship presence in the Gulf of Aden. Latest catch on Tuesday was the MT “St James Park”, a UK-flagged chemical tanker with a international crew of 26 on board. The vessel was hijacked en route from Spain to Thailand.

On Monday, Somali pirates captured a Greek-flagged 52,000 dwt bulk carrier “Navios Apollon” transporting fertiliser. The ship was taken en route from Tampa, Florida to Rozy, India, with a crew consisting of a Greek captain and 18 Filipinos. The ship was boarded by 10 men on speedboats in the Indian Ocean northeast of the Seychelles archipelago, according to Greek coastguard.

Earlier, pirates seized a Yemeni freighter and 15 crew members. MV “Al-Mahmoudia 2” had left the port of Aden on December 18, the Yemeni authorities said on Monday, without revealing the nature of its cargo or destination.

The Yemeni freighter and the UK-flagged chemical tanker were both intercepted by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The two attacks in the Gulf of Aden were the first since August and came as international naval missions were trumpeting the results of a year-long effort to secure the area.

On Sunday, pirates said they collected $3.5 million for the release of the Chinese bulk carrier MV “Dexinhai”. The Singapore-flagged MV “Kota Wajar” was also released this week, nearly three months after it was hijacked, following reported payment of a similar ransom.

Meanwhile, the Arabian Peninsula section of AlQaeda issued a communique by internet on December 27 announcing "retaliatory strikes" - as a response to an alleged but unconfirmed US bombing of an AlQaeda stronghold in Yemen last week killing 50 insurgents. It was threatened that strikes would be aimed against western embassies, US military bases in the Gulf region and especially against merchant ships / cruise vessels in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.

Source: Sea Trade

Hanjin Shipping on Dec. 23 added a “carbon calculator” to its Web site to let customers know the amount of emissions generated by their cargo for any given transportation segment.
The Clean Cargo Working Group helped the company to develop the supply chain carbon calculator. Its accuracy was verified by Korean Register, a not-for-profit ship classification society.
Customers can calculate the amount of CO2 emission of their cargo by inputting the origin, destination and weight of their shipment. The tool quickly selects one or more possible lanes, calculates the emission on the vessel and adds a further calculation for inland transportation for a total.
For example, a 10 ton cargo from Los Angeles to Hong Kong will travel 11,971 kilometers on the YPS route and generate 987 kilograms of CO2. An alternate route from Long Beach is also listed via the SJX route.
If the cargo must go from Long Beach to Guangzhou, China, the calculator adds the 215 km. direct trip by truck and 178 kg. of carbon emissions.
Hanjin also developed a “Green House Gas Monitoring System,” which calculates and manages the amount of the company’s green house gas emission. With the two tools, Hanjin Shipping said it will contribute to the global efforts to cope with climate changes and save costs by improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emission.

Source: http://www.joc.com

EUROPE's third largest logistics service provider, France's FM Logistics, has opened its largest logistics facility in China in Jiangsu province's port city of Taicang, Logistics Week reported.

The facility covers a floor area of 100,000 square metres and mainly provides distribution services for food, health care products and supermarkets.

Source: SchedNet

Global Project Logistics Network member Younger Niche Logistics (YNL) has the distinction of being responsible for the movement of the single largest piece of equipment ever moved by road transport in ZhangJiaGang, Jiangsu Province, China. The piece, 14m x 7.4m x 7.9m/ 86,000kgs, was moved by road from the suppliers premises to PuXiang port, ZhangJiaGang. The move, covering 30 kms, took 22 hours to complete and involved the services of local ZhangJiaGang government, the police and officials from the department of electrical power.

In order to reduce height the unit was transported minus cradles. Only once alongside vessel was the unit postioned and secured in cradles.

PuXiang port, a privately owned facility, was chosen as the load port as access from suppliers whilst still difficult was the closest with less overhead obstructions than other roadways to the public port.

YNL were instrumental in obtaining berthing rights for the ocean carrier, a foreign flag vessel, at PuXiang port.

The Global Projects Logistics Network (GPLN) is the premier non-exclusive professional project logistics network of independent companies (including project forwarders and project charterers) who are specializing in the movement and handling of international project cargo by air, sea and land as well as specialized lifts and the special handling of oversized, out-of-gauge and heavy lift cargo.

Source: Transportweekly

INDIA has floated the idea of a container freight train that would operate within the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

According to a concept paper released by India and proposed to SAARC members such a container train service would run from Bangladesh to Pakistan via India and Nepal to encourage intra-regional trade.

The proposed corridor for running the train is from Chittagong Port in Bangladesh to Katihar in India, Birgunj in Nepal and to Lahore in Pakistan, reports India's Economic Times.

"The proposal being considered could unify the entire region and will lead to a seamless, borderless trade," Ram Upendra Das, senior fellow, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), was quoted as saying in the report.

He said concept would reduce transport costs and time. "All this will get reflected in product competitiveness. Increase volumes and reduce prices for consumers," Mr Das said.

This comes after SAARC member nations - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka - recently decided to work on reducing the negative list of items that are not covered under the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, which concerns the elimination of tariffs on goods traded within the SAARC region that was signed in January 2004.

During the first half of 2009 intra-SAARC trade amounted to US$377 billion.

Source: SchedNet

AMERICAN railway giant CSX Transportation plans to accelerate work to clear tracks for double-stacked container trains to run between east coast ports and the Midwest, reports The State Journal, of Charleston, West Virginia.

The upgrade will enable double stacked container trains to travel from North Carolina through Virginia and Maryland, across West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and then into Pennsylvania and Ohio.

"Our goal is to have most of the work done by the end of 2012. We're really looking at 2015 when the expansion of the Panama Canal is to be done," said CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan.

CSX has undertaken what it calls the National Gateway project - an US$842 million public-private upgrade of rail infrastructure to accommodate double-stack container cars.

The plan calls for the double stacking of containers, increasing a train's capacity from 280 to 400 FEU. But the rail line's tunnels and bridges aren't big enough; so 60 tunnels and bridges must be enlarged or eliminated.

"One train can carry the load of more than 280 trucks, clearing space for over 1,100 cars," Mr Sullivan said. "The National Gateway will shift more than 300 million freight truck miles from West Virginia's highways to rail. Any effort to shift freight from highways to railways greatly improves safety, the environment and traffic."

CSX has pledged to contribute nearly half the project's total cost, with the federal government and a half-dozen affected states sharing the balance. Ohio has applied on behalf of the states for $258 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economy Recovery (TIGER) discretionary funds, created as part of the federal stimulus package.

Source: SchedNet

FREIGHT cargo moved by container rail operators based in India is expected to rise 16-fold over the next three years, according to a report compiled by Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) and SSKI Securities.

Container rail movement accounts for two per cent of the total freight market of three billion tonnes, reports India's Business Standard.

The prediction comes on the back of plans by Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) and private operators to raise capacity by 60 per cent by 2011-12, which is expected to increase the volume of container cargo transported by rail from six million to 97 million tonnes.

With this rise, the document predicts that nearly six per cent of cargo transported by road will shift to being transported by rail.

To handle the expected growth, container rail operators plan to add 185 rakes (variable number of railcars linked into designated units) in the next three years, the report said. It noted that market leader Concor, which handled 2.3 million TEU of container cargo in the last financial year, already has a fleet of 218 rakes.

The report added that India's container traffic has increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 15 per cent since 1991, due to rising external trade.

Source: SchedNet

CHINA Postal Airlines has launched a Changsha, Wuhan, Nanjing cargo service, reducing transit times in central Hunan province by one day, reports Xinhua.

The service, deploying Boeing 737 freighters, operates in the airlines' traditional mode of night flights with a frequency of six a week. Flight 8Y9001 or 8Y9002 departs from Changsha at 0140 hrs, stopping at Wuhan at 0245 hrs, leaving at 0335 hrs and arriving in Nanjing at 0435 hrs. The flight returns at 0645 hrs, arriving in Wuhan at 0745 hrs, leaving at 0840 hrs and back to Changsha at 0930 hrs.

The new freight route also marks itself as Hunan province's first departing all-cargo service which provides next-day delivery for mail and other cargo in the surrounding region.

Source: SchedNet

Container throughput at Shanghai port this year may drop 14% from 2008, Wang Hongquan, vice director of Shanghai Transport and Port Authority, said yesterday, reports China Daily. The city's container throughput in 2009 will be about 24m teu, according to a preliminary estimate by the port authority, lower than last year's 28m teu. Shanghai was the world's second-busiest container port in 2008, behind Singapore with 29.9m teu.

Container throughput in the first 11 months this year was 22.6m teu, down 12.28% from the same period last year, according to the statistics by Shanghai International Port Group. The port handled a total of 296m tons of dry bulk goods in the first 11 months, down 14% from a year ago.

Wang also said that Waigaoqiao Port will complete the conversion of its 180 cranes from diesel to electric power by the end of the year to reduce emissions.

Source: Port News

China Shipping Container Lines Co has said it will raise rates Asia-US rates on the containers by $300 per feu on Jan. 1. This is in addition to the $400 per feu hike that it and other Members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement agreed on December 22 to introduce as a voluntary ‘emergency revenue charge’ from January 15 until new contracts for the year come into effect in May. Container lines aim to increase fees in 2010 after a global recession led to at least $20 billion in estimated losses in 2009, according to the TSA, China Shipping Container also raised Asia-Europe rates by $150 per feu on Dec. 15.

Source: Port News

US HOMELAND Security Secretary Janet Napolitano admitted defeat in the face of 100 per cent cargo screening of shipping cargo following trials on import freight at five US ports, but blamed it all on lack of technological advances and logistical problems of intermodal containers.

The crippling cost of the programme initiated following 9/11 runs to around US$168 billion for the 10 million plus TEU coming in annually from the 21,000 shipping routes into the US, according to Ms Napolitano.

The complexity and sheer overwhelming scale of stopping every consignment which ultimately impacts overseas governments export traffic is to add an additional cost of $8 million average per entry route, specifically cited by Homelands at an amount per container of $16,800 annually.

In a report from the UK's Handy Shipping Guide, the missing of July 2012 deadline of every freight inspected is, and will continue to be an untenable goal, and only ever seen by the shipping community as a "politician's term".

Source: SchedNet

THE US Federal Aviation Administration is scrutinising the operations of American Airlines after three landing slip-ups last month, reports the Associated Press.

An American spokesman told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that it is cooperating with the FAA and conducting its own investigation.

Jetliners' wingtips touched the ground during landings during two landings on December 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and again on December 24 in Austin. And in Jamaica, a plane overshot the runway in a rainstorm on December 22, said the report.

FAA officials said in a statement that they'll also conduct a review of the events to see if there might be a larger issue. The statement says that if needed, the FAA will work with Fort Worth-based American on corrective action.

Source: SchedNet

After the Indian Ports Association (IPA) agreed to the wage-related demands of the Port and Dock Workers Federation, the proposed strike was called off.

The unions wanted the management of the 12 ports to grant 23 per cent fitment amount to port and dock workers with effect from January 1, 2007, whereas IPA, which represented the major ports of the country, was offering fitment with effect from January 1, 2009. As part of the agreement reached between both the parties, IPA agreed to pay House Rent Allowance (HRA) from January 1, 2007. It was agreed that all other allowances would be paid with effect from January 1, 2008.

"This is the best-ever settlement as the port and dock workers for the first time will have the best of both worlds as they will get the combined benefits of public sector undertakings and central pay scales. In fact, they would be drawing more salaries that their counterparts in the central government. Even their arrears for three years, would range between Rs.60,000 and Rs.2.5 lakhs,'' said Mohan Aswani, additional general secretary of Indian national port and dock workers federation (INTUC) and president Kandla Port karamchari sangh to a Mumbai newspaper. He added this could become possible at the last minute intervention of both the shipping ministry and shipping secretary.

(Source: Maritime Gateway)

The containership operated by Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) flies the Hong Kong flag, reported The Gazette.

It noted that the trophy - created in 1840 to stimulate transatlantic traffic - wasn't always a cane. Indeed, until 1880, a beaver top hat was given to the winning captain. It then became a cane capped with a 14-karat gold head.

Much of the honour is deprived of real meaning as the prize was once won in the spring ice break-up and presented to the ship that ran some risk in making it into harbour first to open the summer navigation season. But with winter-long ice breaking service, it now often means the first ship in after midnight December 31.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is to add a new weekly Asia service through the Suez Canal to Charleston, South Carolina, the deepest seaport in the US Southeast.

“Charleston's deep, wide channels and excellent productivity make it a natural fit for this service,” said Allen Clifford, executive vice president of MSC (USA). “MSC and our customers have enjoyed exponential growth in Charleston and we will continue to grow together.”

Charleston has the deepest channels on the South Atlantic coast, routinely handling post-Panamax vessels drawing up to 14 metres of water.

The ‘Golden Gate Service’, as it will be known, will call Charleston’s Wando Welch Terminal from February on a weekly basis, with the MSC Turchia being the first vessel to call.

The service will offers connections to Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan and Yantian, China; Singapore; Salalah, Oman; Freeport, Bahamas; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Singapore; Chiwan and Hong Kong, China.

The new service marks an expansion of MSC’s presence in Charleston, which has five existing weekly services to the west Mediterranean, South America, Caribbean, Africa and Europe. Earlier this year, MSC and the South Carolina State Ports Authority signed a new five-year extension to the carrier’s contract to 2017.

(Source: Container Managerment)

The Korean Register of Shipping (KR) – an IACS member classification society – has been authorized by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea as a verification body for its pilot greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. The scheme was launched on 1 January 2010 to provide a base for the country’s voluntary 2020 emissions reduction target.

Under the authorization, KR will give an independent verification of the greenhouse gas emissions assertions made by various public and private organizations participating in the scheme and provide assurances that their greenhouse gas emissions monitoring, measuring and inventory activities are properly managed and recorded.

Oh Kong-gyun, KR’s Chairman & CEO, commented: “The designation of KR as a verification body demonstrates the level of confidence that the government and the industry has in the technical competence of KR in the fast-growing field of environmental services. We all understand the importance of limiting greenhouse gases and protecting our natural environment and I’m pleased that KR is able to play such an early role in this important area. We will continue our extensive R&D work in this sector to eventually acquire CDM DOE authorization. I look forward to KR making an increasing contribution in the future”
He added: “This new authority secures a more active involvement for KR in the ‘Low Carbon, Green Growth’ economic stimulus program recently initiated by the Korean government”.

Additionally, KR recently verified the accuracy of a carbon calculator which Hanjin Shipping has added to its website to allow customers to understand the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by their cargo for any given route. This further cements KR’s role within the “green shipping” arena.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Containerised cargo at the Port of Long Beach declined 19.6% in November compared to the same period last year, but the overall downward trend showed signs of easing.

During the month, the Port's shipping terminals moved a total of 448,151 teu compared to 557,459 a year ago.

Imported cargo dropped 14.7% to 228,347 teu compared to 2008, whilst exports inched up by 4% , to 114,283 teu. The number of empty containers, most of which are sent overseas for restuffing, declined by 41.3% to 105,521 teu.

As the port entered the last month of 2009, overall container trade was down by 24.1% compared to the same period in 2008.

(Source: Container Managerment)

China's unusually high lending growth last year has sparked differences among the country's top economists as the central bank seems to be taking new measures to contract credit and control inflation.

While many economists believe that control of credit is a must to prevent serious inflation and ensure stable growth, some hold that too drastic a contraction could lead to stagflation.

"Currently the government shouldn't steer off the easy monetary policy track to avoid possible stagflation, which is symbolized by not only inflation but high unemployment," said Li Yining, professor and dean emeritus of Guanghua School of Management of Peking University.

China may get stuck in stagflation even with a mild GDP growth like 6 percent year-on-year, given the huge unemployment pressure caused by its large population, said Li, one of the most influential economists in China.

He made the remarks on the 11th annual China economic forum held by the school.

He warned that too early an exit strategy could affect employment and increase the possibility of stagflation at a time when the country's economic recovery is still not solid enough.

China initiated a massive 4-trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package in late 2008 to overcome the fallout of the global financial crisis. Its new lending was expected to amount to 9.5 trillion yuan in 2009, almost double the previous year. The ample liquidity, while helping the country meet its GDP growth target of about 8 percent in 2009, has triggered concern that the menace of serious inflation may loom large this year.

Zhang Weiying, economics professor and dean of the Guanghua school, warned that excessive credit expansion and low interest rates are the root of all financial crises in history and cause high inflation and massive toxic assets.

"We need to notice that this round of credit surge (in China), boosted by the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus plan, comes on the back of continually strong economic growth for many years," said Zhang. That means the scale of credit last year was exceptionally large.

The People's Bank of China, the central bank, raised the 3-month central bank bill issuing rate last week - for the first time since August 2009 - by 4 base points to 1.3684 percent.

The move, which was accompanied by the biggest weekly net drain from money markets in 11 weeks, prompted concern that the central bank could be heading for policy tightening and may raise benchmark lending rates in the coming months.

But Li said he believes that economic restructuring, which will make the Chinese economy less investment-dependent, more consumption-driven and energy-efficient, is more important than control of credit expansion.

"Readjustment in the economic structure is the key," he said.

Source: BizChina

The dispute now centres on the transfer of 2,000 gantry crane operators and maintenance staff from government port authority to private stevedoring companies.

Operations at the top French container port of Le Havre nearly stopped when 3,000 longshoremen walked off, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce, adding that cargo movement in five other state-owned harbour facilities were also hit last week.

Work on the Marseilles docks also stopped and 15 ships were trapped, but passenger ferries and oil shipments continued unimpeded at both ports, said the report.

Dockers also struck at Dunkirk, Rouen, Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Nantes-Saint Nazaire. The Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) union called the two strikes to pressure on the government to create 30,000 waterfront jobs as part of its reform.

The CGT now threatens further action if the government does not respond, despite its failure to force the issue by inflicting three months of rolling strikes in the past to stop the reforms.

Le Havre reports its 2009 container volume fell 10 per cent year on year to 2.2 million TEU while overall cargo shrunk 8.4 per cent to 74 million metric tons. Port interests fear more strikes will prompt shipowners to drop French ports and route cargo overland to French importers.

Source: www.schednet.com

TAIWAN'S Evergreen Marine has announced that it will increase rates from the US west coast to Asia, Australia and the Mideast starting February 15 for all dry cargo, including exempted commodities.

The rate restoration from Los Angeles will bring an extra charge of US$80 per TEU, $100 per FEU and for 45 high cube containers.

For US west coast cargo originating outside of Los Angeles the rate increase will be $120 per TEU and $150 per FEU and 40 and 45-foot high cube containers.

Source: www.schednet.com

The European Commission definitely adopted the first two big projects implemented under the Operational Programme Transport on 21st December 2009, SZDC reports.
The projects Optimization of the railway section Benešov u Prahy – Strančice and Electrification of the railway section including PEÚ Letohrad - Lichkov state border, 1st construction Letohrad (exclusive) - Lichkov state border were submitted to the European Commission in 2008. Now, it is certain that the Czech Republic will receive up to EUR 111m. for the project Benešov – Strančice and EUR 49,6m for the project Letohrad – Lichkov.

"Successful adoption of the first two big projects of the Operational Programme Transport by the European Commission shows a good sign for the near future; we are dealing with the finalization of the approval processes of many other significant transport projects. I believe that given such experience with these projects we will succeed in accelerating the approval process with the European Commission.“ said Gustav Slamečka, Minister of Transport.

The so-called Big projects have a different as well as more complex approval process than other projects. These projects of over EUR 50m. – after being approved by the Managing Body of the Operational Programme Transport (Ministry of Transport) – are submitted to be adopted by the European Commission. As for the first submitted projects, the European Commission made numerous comments that needed to be accepted. Due to multiple additions and revisions of the project application, the approval process took longer than one year. However, the Ministry of Transport in cooperation with the Railway Infrastructure Administration, s.o. has successfully concluded this process. Since the European Commission has presently been submitted other 7 big projects and other 18 are being prepared by the Managing Body of the Operational Programme of Transport to be submitted in the months to come, it is expected that other adopted big projects will soon turn up. Both projects are implemented within the pre-funding system from the State Fund of Transport Infrastructure with expected co-funding from EU-funds.

Source: Transportweekly

The state budget of Slovenia is going to cover the EUR 38m loss of the national Slovenian Railways. The company was accumulating losses since 2004.

Although the management board of the rail operator hoped for a EUR 43m worth subsidy, a smaller amount has finally been agreed with the state.

The financial support agreed with the Finance Ministry and the Transport Ministry, will allow Slovenian Railways to avoid insolvency, Limun reports.

Source: Transportweekly

The extraordinary cold weather in northern China is creating navigational hazards as well as ensuring a huge crunch on the nation’s energy supplies.

China may be forced to shut 11 percent of electricity generators connected to the nation’s main grid because of coal shortages, the Xinhua News Agency said this week.

Expanding ice cover in Bohai Bay in northern China, where Cnooc Ltd. drills for oil and natural gas, will have a “serious” impact on exploration and shipping, the government said yesterday. Cnooc’s operation in the offshore fields is “not yet affected” by the sea ice, the company said in e-mailed comments today.

Ice cover in some parts of the Bohai Sea and Huanghai, also known as Yellow Sea, may extend as much as 90 nautical miles from the coast next week and the thickness of the ice may reach 40 centimeters (16 inches), the State Oceanic Administration said on its Web site. Bohai Sea is now in a state of emergency, the administration said, without elaborating.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

The agreement, inter alia, covers the equal treatment with regard to services provisions to ships of the one country while being in the ports of the other, cooperation and granting of assistance in case of maritime accidents and cooperation concerning training of seafarers.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

In fiscal 2009 the Knorr-Bremse Group posted sales of EUR 2.76 billion (2008: EUR 3.38 billion). In a difficult economic environment the company benefited from its strong strategic position with two divisions, Rail Vehicle Systems and Commercial Vehicle Systems, in markets that developed very differently.

Despite a sharp downturn in its freight car and locomotive business, the Rail Vehicle Systems division reported an increase in sales to EUR 1.55 billion (2008: EUR 1.43 billion).

Growth was particularly pronounced in Asia, where sales moved ahead by around 80%. Here, Knorr-Bremse continues to profit from a market presence that dates back to the end of the 1980s. In line with a corporate policy geared to long-term success, measures undertaken in the Rail Vehicle Systems division in 2009 included the inauguration of a new development center for door systems in Kematen, Austria, and the topping-out ceremony for a new braking systems plant in Budapest, Hungary. In addition, in the course of the past year Knorr-Bremse made targeted acquisitions to further strengthen its market position in a number of areas in the rail vehicle sector.

For the Commercial Vehicle Systems division the global financial and economic crisis in 2009 brought a drastic fall in the output of commercial vehicles and saw sales decline to EUR 1.22 billion (2008: EUR 1.97 billion). In order to adapt processes and structures to the prevailing lower level of market activity, in 2009 further measures were implemented from the cost-cutting program that was triggered towards the end of 2008. The relevant adjustment in staffing levels was kept substantially lower than the scale of the market downturn, particularly in the research and development sector where the focus remains on ensuring that innovations are driven forward in close collaboration with customers. As part of the ongoing strategic development of the division's production plants, a new factory was set up in Liberec in the Czech Republic in 2009. As well as boosting capacity, the new facilities built by both divisions will also enable the deployment of advanced production and logistics concepts.

The three main regions into which Knorr-Bremse divides its business operations – Europe, the Americas and Asia/Australia – contributed to the development of sales as follows:

Europe
In the European region, sales declined to EUR 1.84 billion in 2009 (2008: EUR 2.46 billion). The Rail Vehicle Systems division was able to post an increase in sales in the region. The Commercial Vehicle Systems division in Europe was hard hit by the frequently reported dramatic 65% year-on-year slump in the OEM market.

The Americas
For the Americas as a whole, the Group reported sales of EUR 661 million in 2009 (2008: EUR 772 million). In North America both divisions found themselves confronted by a weaker market environment than in the previous year. The Rail Vehicle Systems division faced a challenging market backdrop in North America and was hard hit by the steep downturn in the freight car segment in particular. In the commercial vehicle sector, despite what had already been very low volumes in 2008, the market witnessed its third consecutive year of shrinking commercial vehicle output. In South America, both divisions reported a downturn in sales.

Asia/Australia
Sales at the Knorr-Bremse Group companies in the Asia/Australia region moved ahead by around 40% in 2009 to EUR 530 million (2008: EUR 376 million). The Rail Vehicle Systems division reported an increase in regional sales of around 80%. The main driver of this development was once again China, where in October Knorr-Bremse won the largest order in its over 100-year history, worth approximately EUR 500 million. Together with its Chinese partners, the company is to supply braking and door systems for a total of 2,720 new cars for the Chinese high-speed train CRH3. 1,280 of these cars will also be equipped with air conditioning systems from Knorr-Bremse. For the Commercial Vehicle Systems division, market conditions were challenging in Asia, too.

Outlook for 2010
In 2010, Knorr-Bremse is expecting the overall economic situation to remain difficult and is not anticipating any significant recovery in the commercial vehicle markets. Demand in the rail freight segment in Europe and the U.S. can be expected to remain slow. Rail-borne passenger transportation could well pick up speed.

The company's Financial Statements Press Conference will be held in Munich on March 25, 2010 at 10 a.m.

The Knorr-Bremse Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. For more than 100 years now the company has pioneered the development, production, marketing and servicing of state-of-the-art braking systems. In the rail vehicle systems sector, the product portfolio also includes automatic electropneumatic or electric door systems, air conditioning systems, control components, toilets and windscreen wiper systems, as well as platform screen doors. In the commercial vehicle systems sector, the product range includes complete braking systems with driver assistance systems, as well as torsional vibration dampers and powertrain-related solutions, such as the Pneumatic Booster System (PBS) and transmission control systems for greater efficiency and lower fuel consumption.

Source: Transportweekly

New car sales rose last year despite the recession, figures released on Wednesday have shown.

Statistik Austria reported that 319,403 new cars had been sold last year - an increase of 8.8 per cent over 2008 and the highest number since 1992.

But sales of new trucks plummeted by 23.6 per cent year on year to 28,650.
The agency around 30,000 Austrians had taken advantage of a nationwide scrappage scheme trading in an old car to get a 1,500 Euro subsidy.

The agency also reported that sales of motorbikes and scooters had fallen 10 per cent year on year and sales of used cars had risen by 4.8 per cent year on year to 773,809 in 2009.

Source: Transportweekly

DB SCHENKER has secured a four-year contract to provide transport for the Gorgon Project, a major gas project in Australia worth a total investment volume of US$25 billion.

The agreement covers the provision of integrated logistical services by DB Schenker and has a total value of about A$500 million dollars (US$350 million).

According to estimates, the Gorgon field, which is located of the northwest coast of Western Australia, holds 40 trillion cubic metres of gas.

Initial work is to begin shortly for a gas liquefaction plant to be built on Barrow Island with the first gas to be produced in 2014.

DB Schenker will transport more than two million freight tons to module production plants in Asia and/or directly to Australia. "We are proud to participate in such a significant enterprise. Providing logistical services for complex projects like this one is a challenge that we can master thanks to the experience and expertise of our specialists," said Thomas Lieb, chairman of Schenker AG.

DB Schenker's involvement in this major project underlines its role as the leading global logistical service provider of project-related, tailor-made, freight management services.

Said Schenker Australia CEO Ron Koehler: "We have established ourselves as a key player in the provision of logistical services for oil and gas exploration and production projects. DB Schenker's international network enables us to provide the contracted services at the agreed times and within the defined budget."

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Intermarine takes delivery of the Industrial Echo, the fourth in a series of 4 heavy lift newbuildings entering the fleet in the past 12 months.

Delivered in Portugal in mid January, the vessel sailed for Hamburg, Bilbao, and Gijon where the ship is loading project cargoes for Brazil and Uruguay. Nominated as the E-Class series, these 10,000 DWT vessels feature dual 250 metric ton cranes that may be combined for 500 ton lifts. With an overall length of 139 meters and
beam of 20 meters, the ships have a similar hull design as the seven Century and six Diamond class vessels operated by Intermarine services, but with increased cargo carrying capacity.

Intermarine provides regular and reliable project transportation in the Americas and Asia as well as customized services worldwide. The company has offices in Houston, New Orleans, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Seoul, Shanghai and Mumbai.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

(Source: Transport Weekly)

HONG KONG's Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (OOIL) has announced fourth quarter revenue fell 22.7 per cent to US$1.07 billion, attributing losses to volume declines of its container unit, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), whose final quarter box liftings fell 4.1 per cent year on year.

That brought full-year OOCL 2009 revenue down 35.2 per cent year on year to $3.84 billion, said the company in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Full-year 2009 container volumes decreased 14 per cent year on year. "The overall load factor was 3.8 per cent lower than the corresponding period of 2008 despite a decrease of 9.6 per cent in loadable capacity during this year. Overall average revenue per TEU decreased 24.7 per cent compared with the same period last year," said the company statement.

Transpacific fourth quarter liftings totalled 306,055 TEU, down 0.7 per cent while full-year volume came to 1,324,382 TEU, down 12.6 per cent year on year.

Asia-Europe fourth quarter liftings totalled 174,959 TEU, down 6.9 per cent while full-year volume came to 678,869, TEU down 16.5 per cent year on year.

Transatlantic fourth quarter liftings came to 90,400 TEU, down 11.3 per cent while full-year volume came to 349,308 TEU, down 17.7 per cent year on year.

IntraAsia-Australasia fourth quarter liftings came to 525,021 TEU, down 3.7 per cent while full-year volume came to 1,972,410 TEU, down 13.2 per cent year on year.

Total fourth quarter liftings came to 1,096,435 TEU, down 4.1 per cent while full-year liftings came to 4,158,487, off 14 per cent.

Revenue from the last quarter on the transpacific trade came to US$383,926, down 30.1 per cent while full-year sales on the trade came to $1,492,576, down 33.3 per cent year on year.

Revenue from the last quarter on the Asia-Europe trade came to $221,550, down 15.6 per cent while full-year sales came to $1,331,675, off 48.3 per cent year on year.

Revenue from the last quarter on the transatlantic trade came to $126,211, down 32.4 per cent while full-year sales came to $487,988 749,722, off 34.9 per cent year on year.

Revenue from the last quarter on the IntraAsia-Australasia trade came to $338,502, down 12.4 per cent while full-year sales came to $1,612,143, off 27.2 per cent year on year.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

(Source: Container Management)

Panama will spend $300 million on a liquid natural gas, or LNG, terminal and $ 130 million on a gas-fired generating plant, the country's ministry of finance said in a statement Wednesday.

The projects will help meet the country's growing energy demand, and reduce the use of liquid fuels, the statement said.

The LNG terminal will allow the country to receive, store, and then regasify LNG cargos in Colon, which is near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal.
The projects will take around five years to complete.

On Wednesday morning, the Chief Executive of Toronto-listed oil company Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. , Ronald Pantin, said the company plans to start exporting gas to Panama and elsewhere in the Caribbean in the near future.

Source: http://www.nasdaq.com

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The feeder ship "ELECTRON" calls at container terminals at the Port of Hamburg once a week. The "ELECTRON" cast off from the Port of Hamburg for the first time on 13 January 2010.

The ship, chartered by the shipping company JR Shipping in Harlingen, measures 118.3 metres in length and 18.2 metres in width, has a load capacity of 658 TEU and provides 100 reefer connections. With a deadweight tonnage of 6,860 tons, the ship reaches a maximum draft of 7.1 metres and has a cruising speed of 17 knots.

Due to its favourable geographic location as well as exceptional infrastructure, the Port of Hamburg acts as a traffic hub between overseas markets and the Baltic Sea area. Sea-borne container traffic with Poland achieved a container turnover of more than 160,000 TEU in the first nine months of 2009. This made Poland the seventh most important trading partner of the Port of Hamburg in terms of sea-borne cargo transhipments. Hamburg offers roughly a dozen departures to the Polish ports every week. This northern European port on the Elbe has therefore the densest feeder network in the Baltic Sea area.

Vostokbunker CJSC and China's Huayuan Shitun (Hunchun) concluded an agreement of intent for the supply of petroleum products. The agreement of intent was signed on January 20 in the Yangtze (China) by Sergey Zhidkov, the executive director of the VB oil terminal who had been visiting China with a delegation of Khasan region, the VB press service reports today.

According to the agreement, the Chinese company is going to purchase mazut of M-100 brand from Vostokbunker. The delivery of fuel to the territory of China will be carried out by tank trucks through the checkpoint Kraskino - Hunchun. The two sides have agreed on initially small parties of cargo, but later, when the supply system will be arranged, the minimum volume of transportation is said to be 10.000 tons a year.

The contract is expected to be signed in the third decade of February, when representatives of the Chinese side will visit the port and Slavyanka oil terminal of Vostokbunker.

Vostokbunker owns the third largest marine oil terminal in Primorsky Krai (Territory). Its annual throughput is about 40 percent of liquid fuel for inbound shipment intended for the northern regions of the Far East under the state order. Vostokbunker supply fuel for Magadan and the Kamchatka regions. Vostokbunker also produces marine fuel of its own “VB” brand and certified fuel F-5.

(Source: Port News)

Source: Transport Weekly

According to Dnevnik, last year, the carrier rescheduled for 2010 a combined 35 million leva debts to five banks, including 20 million leva borrowed from Germany’s KfW to purchase 25 Siemens diesel trains contracted by the Saxe-Coburg cabinet.
In 2009, the Ministry of Finance allocated 18 million leva for the payment of state-guaranteed loans to the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The funds will back a rescue plan to be implemented at the company, Deputy Transport Minister Kamen Kichev said. He said that there would be talks to form a strategic partnership with Deutsche Bahn in cargo transportation.
The Bulgarian government will draw up a restructuring strategy for the debt-ridden state carrier, with privatisation possibly one of the options, he said.

Source: Transport Weekly

THE rate of freight rate recovery has been far faster than anticipated because of a surge in demand in January and a shortage of boxes where they are most needed, reports Paris-based Alphaliner.

"The high spot market rates have come at a key period as contract rates for 2010 have also strengthened. Twelve-month contract rates for the Far East-Europetrades starting in January/February 2010 are reported to be about 200 per cent, higher than last year, reflecting renewed optimism about trade prospects," said the French shipping consultants.

China-to-Europe spot rates, as well as those to the US, east and west coasts increased 24 per cent in the past three months, said its weekly newsletter.

Higher vessel utilisation was marked in Asia- Europe trade lanes since Christmas, which has created repositioning problems here and there. But even that has boosted freight rates.

The Far East to Europe trade made the big gain, up 50 per cent since October from US$2,500 per FEU $3,700, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

"It remains to be seen if the rates are sustainable as the Lunar New Year holidays in China in mid-February could lead to some weakening," Alphaliner said.

Spot rates from Shanghai to the US west coast have risen 26 per cent in three months and are 17 per cent higher on shipments to the US east coast.

Asia-Australia and Asia-Africa spot rates also have risen over the past three months, but rates to the Middle East, especially to the Gulf region, remain under pressure.

The high spot market rates on the major trades from China to Europe and the United States have come at a key period as contract rates for 2010 have also strengthened, Alphaliner said.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Courage Marine has upsized its fleet with the acquisition of an elderly capesize bulker. The Singapore-listed shipowner is buying the 1981-built, 130,000 dwt, Constantinoupolis from Greek owner Dalex Shipping for $7.85m. The vessel will be the largest in Courage’s fleet and increase overall tonnage by 30%. The ship is due to join the company’s fleet in the first quarter of the year, and it said the larger vessel would offer greater economies of scale.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Singapore: Creditors of shipyard and offshore vessel owner Jaya Holdings have approved the company’s financial restructuring. Creditors, including banks, unanimously approved a scheme of arrangement for two of Jaya’s main operating companies, Jaya Shipbuilding and Engineering and Java Marine Lines.

In June last year the financially strapped company moved to suspend repayments of debts totaling over S$300m ahead of a financial restructuring. Jaya said its day-to-day operations continued as normal.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

A go-ahead on the next phase of development at Saudi Arabia's port in Dammam is likely within the next two months, according to the Director General of King Abdul Aziz Port on the country's Gulf coast.

Naeem Ibrahim Al-Naeem explained that cargo volumes are such that additional capacity will soon be needed at King Abdul Aziz Port. The decision to plan for extra container handling space and facilities was taken some time ago, but the final decision to go ahead is still awaited. However, the Saudi Port Authority is now thought likely to push ahead with the expansion project which will see the port's container capacity more than double to around 3.5m teu by 2012. The plan envisages three stages: the first will cost SR2bn ($534m) and involve a new 800m berth, six new gantry cranes and other additional equipment; the second will encompass 400m of extra quay and four more cranes; whilst the last stage will see another 800m being commissioned, plus a further four cranes.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

China Shipping Container Lines has predicted that it will see lower profits for 2009 as compared to the 130.58m Yuan ($19.5m) it declared in 2008. The declaration, posted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, did not divulge any additional information about the company’s expected bottom line. The pessimistic outlook has been credited to the global economic downturn that hit container shipping particularly hard over the past year.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

A Cambodian-flagged cargo ship that was reported to have been seized by Somali pirates has actually been held by a local court in northwestern Somalia, an official statement said Saturday, according to Xinhua.

A statement from the Berbera Port Authority where the ship had called said the local court in Berbera ordered the detention of MV Layla-S after a local businessman filed a law suit against the company owning the ship, following the destruction of the businessman's goods in a fire on another ship of the company, MV Mairiam Star.

Earlier on Saturday, Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program, confirmed the vessel had been arrested not hijacked.

Source: Sea Trade Asia

Minister for Shipping, GK Vasan stated that Indian shipping will have two significant milestones in 2011. The Indian ports' capacity will cross 1 billion tonnes and tonnage carried by ships under Indian flag will cross 10 million tonnes.

He said that the ports still need to increase their capacity to meet the growing cargo traffic.

K Mohandas, Secretary of Shipping said that the port capacity at present is around 840 million tonnes.

He added that “The growth in Indian tonnage has been slightly slow as investment has not come into the shipping sector due to economic slowdown. However, the market is picking up and Indian shipping companies, including Shipping Corporation of India, will go for acquisition of ships.”

Source: Maritime Gateway

CHINA Eastern Airlines has launched a Nanning to Rangoon service which adds its total ASEAN destination routes up to eight, reports Logistics Week.

The new flight MU20011/2 deploying 50-seat CRJ airplane flies twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays, departing from Nanning at 1000 hrs and landing in Rangoon at 1040 hrs, then returning at 1130 hrs and arriving in Nanning at 1500 hrs.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Berlin is all set for the international fresh produce sector’s premier event of the year. A total of 2,302 exhibitors from 71 countries (2009: 2,283 from 78 countries) will be present at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 from 3 to 5 February giving an unparalleled overview of global fruit and vegetable production and trade. Exhibitors at the leading trade fair for the international fresh produce trade will include all of the key global players as well as small and medium-sized companies involved in the produce value chain. The largest participations based on exhibitor numbers are made up of the following key European fresh produce trading nations, namely, Italy (413), Spain (311), Germany (244), France (239) and the Netherlands (217). The share of foreign exhibitors this year is over 89%. Some 50,000 trade visitors from 125 countries are expected to attend the trade fair and accompanying conferences. This includes the industry's key decision makers, wholesale and retail buyers, fruit and vegetable growers and import-export business representatives.

Mexico is the official FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 partner country. The northernmost Latin American nation, which is celebrating its bicentennial year as an independent country in 2010, is planning it's biggest-ever appearance at the world's leading trade fair for fresh produce. Mexico will be represented by a large number of growers, organisations and trade associations in Hall 25 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. A main focal point will be the largest variety of Mexican fresh fruit and vegetables ever presented in Europe. According to the WTO, Mexico is the world's tenth-largest agricultural exporter. Ms Ana Graciela Aguilar Antuñano, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASERCA will be a guest speaker at the FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 opening ceremony on 2nd February at the ICC Berlin and will officially host the partner country's reception afterwards.

Parallel to FRUIT LOGISTICA, Messe Berlin will be hosting FRESHCONEX 2010, the international trade fair for fresh produce convenience, in Hall 1.1 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

Fresh produce market figures

Nearly 1.5 billion tonnes of fruit and vegetables produced worldwide
According to information from the AMI (agricultural market information service) in Bonn, 800 million tonnes of vegetables (excluding melons) and nearly 700 million tonnes of fruit (including melons) were produced worldwide in 2009. Fruit and vegetable production levels have increased steadily over the past few years. Apples, grapes, oranges, melons and bananas are the world's leading fruit varieties, accounting for around 60% of global production. The range of vegetables is more diverse with the three leading varieties (tomatoes, head cabbage, cucumbers) accounting for only 30% of the total production volume. More than 10% of the global production of major fruit varieties are traded cross-border. For fresh vegetables, this figure is only 3% to 4%. The EU is the world’s largest importing region for fresh fruit and, if trade between the EU member states is taken into account, for fresh vegetables as well. Otherwise, the EU ranks second to the USA as an importer of fresh vegetables.

Fresh produce grown in the EU: less fruit, more vegetables

The amount of fruit harvested in the EU declined by 2% in 2009 to 37 million tonnes. While a slight decrease was seen in the size of the apple and citrus harvests in the 2009/10 season, there was an increase for most stone fruit varieties. Vegetable production in the EU increased by 3% to 62 million tones. This was primarily a result of bigger harvests. The area under cultivation remained essentially unchanged. Spain is the leading exporter of fresh vegetables. While the country's exports declined by 6% (3.7 million tonnes) in the 2008/09 fiscal year, the current 2009/10 season has been marked by a significant increase in exports. Supply pressure continued until the second half of December. Cool temperatures and storms in some regions decreased supplies. As a result, exports in the first few months of 2010 are expected to be only slightly above last year's levels.

Significant production increase in Germany
The volume of commercially cultivated fruit in Germany increased by nearly 10% over the previous year to 1.4 million tonnes. Significantly more stone fruit was harvested in 2009 following a series of crop failures in 2008. The commercial production of vegetables exceeded the record set in 2008 by 5% to reach nearly 3.7 million tonnes in 2009. More vegetables were grown on open farmland and in greenhouses. There was also a moderate increase in the production of mushrooms. German imports of fresh vegetables (3 million tonnes) and fresh fruit (5.1 million tonnes) showed a slight increase in 2009. In contrast, exports of fresh fruit and vegetables, which were marked by rapid growth over the past few years, decreased by around 5%.

German produce sector generates EUR 19 billion in sales
According to AMI estimates, some 2,350 fresh produce companies in Germany generated turnover of EUR 19 billion in 2008. Due to higher prices, sales figures for 2009 are expected at best to remain at the previous year's level, or may indeed show a slight decrease. While the amount of fresh fruit purchased by private households in Germany decreased by around 1% in 2009, the volume of fresh vegetables remained essentially unchanged compared to 2008. However, consumer spending decreased by 5% for fresh vegetables and by 8% for fresh fruit.

Average annual consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in Germany: 68.7 kg per person
The GfK, a market research company based in Nuremberg, analysed fresh produce purchasing and expenditures in 2009 for private households in Germany. According to the survey, each household purchased 82.4 kilos (2008: 83.5 kg) of fresh fruit at an average price of EUR 1.51 per kilo (2008: EUR 1.62). In addition to this, 63.2 kg (2008: 63.5 kg) of fresh vegetables were purchased at an average EUR 1.79 per kilo (2008: EUR 1.88).
Based on per-person consumption figures for 2009, the following fruit are the most popular in Germany: apples (9.0 kg), bananas (7.1 kg), oranges (4.2 kg), clementines (2.5 kg) grapes (2.2 kg), strawberries (1.7 kg), nectarines (1.6 kg), pears (1.4 kg), pineapple (1.4 kg) and watermelon (1.2 kg). As regards the per-person consumption of fresh vegetables the ranking is: tomatoes (4.9 kg), carrots (3.6 kg), cucumbers (3.3 kg), onions (3.1 kg) sweet peppers (2.5 kg), iceberg lettuce (1.6 kg), cauliflower (1.0 kg) asparagus (0.9 kg), leek (0.6 kg) and white cabbage (0.6 kg). The most recent figures from 2008/2009 show that per capita consumption in Germany averages 68.7 kilos of fresh produce: fruit (38.9 kg) and vegetables (29.8 kg).

First-class conference programme
FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 offers an outstanding conference programme with comprehensive background information and valuable insights for international fresh produce trade professionals. Taking place on the day before the trade fair officially opens (2 Feb.), the 29th Fresh Produce Forum addresses the question: "Top image but low returns. Does fresh produce need a relaunch?"
Guest speakers at the opening ceremony include Ms Ana Graciela Aguilar Antuñano, Chief Executive Director of ASERCA (Apoyos y Servicios a la Comercialización Agropecuaria), Mexico, Mr Emmanuel Jacquin, Head of the European Commission Fresh Produce Unit, and Dr Christian Göke, Chief Operating Officer, Messe Berlin GmbH (opening remarks). Keynote speaker at the opening ceremony will be Mr Oliver Weidner, Director International Quality Management, Lidl, Germany.
Six Hall Forums will be presented on the three days of the trade fair. Topics of the seminar series organised by FRUCHTHANDEL MAGAZINE (Düsseldorf) include: "The retail trade in Europe – making the most of the crisis" (3.2.), "Mexico – a partner with great potential" (3.2.), "Agribusiness – partnerships in the produce food chain" (4.2.), "New marketing norms in Europe – How is the trade coping?" (4.2.), "Improving sourcing through product coding and standardisation" (5.2.), "Innovation in the fresh produce business – new trends in packaging" (5.2.) Events at the Fresh Produce Forum and the six Hall Forums will be simultaneously translated in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
Outstanding achievements in the fresh produce trade will be honoured with the following industry awards: "Grüner Merkur" (2.2.), the new "FRUCHTHANDEL MAGAZINE Retail Award 2010" (2.2.) and the FRUIT LOGISTICA INNOVATION AWARD 2010 "FLIA" (5.2.).

(Source: Transport Weekly)

Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russia has announced it enacts its earlier reported changes (September 10th, 15th, 2009 N1643, N1691 Acts) in customs clearance procedure from 1 November 2010, the FCS press office said.

The agency said the amended regulations were postponed (the order of the FCS September 15, 2009 N1691 was to come into force on March 1st 2010, as reported by the "PortNews IAA) since the customs posts facilities and infrastructure of the airports, sea and river ports have not been arranged for the regulations fulfillment and it will take customs authorities additional time to be prepared. Besides, the FCS statement said, the businessmen, involved in export and import, have applied to the agency to leave more time for fulfilling the conditions imposed by the new order.

"The FCS of Russia is working on changes in order to include more categories of commodities and persons transporting goods and vehicles, for which it would be inappropriate to apply the mandatory customs clearance in areas close to the state border of Russia, as well as listing such cases when new requirements for customs regulations and procedure would not be applied ", the FCS statement said.

Source: Port News

A Finish operator’s ship laden with containers heading for St. Petersburg port, lost three containers at sea. The incident occurred near the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, "TV 100" channel reports.

Some reports said, one of the boxes allegedly contained hazardous materials. The Swedish Coast Guard aircraft failed to spot as yet the lost containers. The investigation into the incident is said to begin when the ship arrives at St. Petersburg port.

Source: Port News

The Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport of the RF Ministry of Transport (RosMorRechFlot) announced that the data of Magadan seaport (MCSP) was listed in the Russian Register of Seaports (November 18 2009 N AD-235-p decree). The agency assigned the MCSP a serial registration number T-3, the Rosmorport’s Magadan branch statement said.

In accordance to a decree by the Ministry of Transport (April 1, 2009 N 51 "On approval of the Register of Russian Seaports") RosMorRechflot has been entrusted registering Russian seaports. The Register includes seaport location information, list of operators of marine terminals and its services, main technical characteristics of seaports and other information.

Port of Magadan is the largest round-year navigable seaport in the Russian North-East. The port’s icebreakers ensure navigation from November to May. Freight traffics via Magadan include largely fuel and other commodities for the needs of Magadan region.

Source: Port News

The Regional Cooperation Agreement for Combating Piracy (ReCAAP) has called on vessels plying sea lanes to search for missing tug ‘Asta’.

Speaking to Baird Maritime, ReCAAP expressed fears that the boat might have been repainted or have had its name changed.

This is second such incidence of a tug going missing. ReCAAP said that the first incident occurred in April 2008 involving the Singapore-registered tug, ‘PROSPAQ 1’ remains, to this day, missing.

In the latest incident the ‘Asta’ was reportedly towing a barge ‘Callista’ to Cambodia on February 5 when it disappeared off the eastern coast of peninsula Malaysia. There were twelve crewmembers on board the vessel and no cargo on the barge.

ReCAAP did not name the vessel owner except to say that vessel was to dock in Cambodia on February 9.

Source: Baird Maritime

KAWASAKI Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line) has reached an agreement with US-based Air Tiger Express Companies, Inc (ATEC), to acquire 51 per cent of ATEC's shareholding to boost its logistics business.

The deal involves the acquisition of an initial 26 per cent stake in ATEC, with an option to purchase a further 25 per cent, reports the UK's Transport Intelligence.

New York-based ATEC is an international freight forwarder and provider of integrated logistics services that has offices and agents worldwide, employing around 750 staff. Its major subsidiaries are Air Tiger Express (USA) Inc, Air Tiger Express (Asia) Inc and Shenzhen Airport ATE Intl Freight Co Ltd.

"K" Line's international logistics business mainly comprises "K" Line Logistics that focuses chiefly on air and ocean freight forwarding and Century Distribution Service whose core area of business is buyer's consolidation, the report added.

Source: SchedNet

The amount of unitized cargo traffic in the port of Helsinki in January came to 705,000 tonnes, which indicates an 8% growth from January in the previous year. The amount of export goods increased by 16% from the comparison period. Compared to the year before, imports also increased a little.

The number of passengers was 541,000 in January, indicating almost a 6% decrease from January in the previous year.

Source: Transportweekly

CHICAGO's biggest land developer, CenterPoint Properties, is beating the drum to attract mostly west coast containers through America's largest inland port, the US$3 billion CenterPoint Intermodal Centre at Joliet 40 miles southwest of Chicago.

CenterPoint, owned by the California Public Employees Retirement System (CALPERS), the largest pension fund in North America, it has already developed nine million square feet of industrial facilities within the Joliet complex over the last six years.

With two Class I railways - the Union Pacific and the BNSF - serving the 6,000 acre site with its sprawling container yards, warehouses and 25 miles of shunting tracks, the facility aims to become the leading distribution hub of MidAmerica with its easy access to the north-south I-55 and the east-west I-80 expressways.

"We always go into these ventures in partnership with a Class I railroad and in this case we have two of them. These are the west coast railroads, so the almost all of the volume is coming from the west coast," CenterPoint Intermodal Centre vice president Jared Zerbe.

He said the facility has direct access to the BNSF Logistics Park in Chicago as well as to Union Pacific's Joliet Intermodal Terminal.

The logistics park lies on both sides of a US Army Training Centre, once known as the Joliet Arsenal where ordnance was made and warehoused between 1939 and the early '90s.

The US$3 billion investment at full build out breaks down into two segments. On the southern side of the army camp is the BNSF base, previously called CenterPoint Intermodal Center Elwood, which will become a US$1 billion CenterPoint investment when fully built. North of the camp is the Union Pacific base, called "UP Global 4", and is expected to be a $2 billion CenterPoint investment at full build out.

While some clients are in place - Wal-Mart being the biggest - there remains much space available, and Mr Zerbe sees ocean carriers setting up operations there to marshal and turn around containers, and having logistics providers rent space to run consolidation and deconsolidation operations for distribution throughout the central United States.

Other tenants include Georgia Pacific, Bissell Homecare, Cypress Medical Products, Clearwater Paper, Partners Warehouse, DSC Logistics, NFI, JB Hunt, Schneider Logistics, Maersk Distribution Services, Bridge Terminal Transport.

CenterPoint, said Mr Jared, focuses on the development, ownership and intensive management of industrial real estate and related road, rail and port infrastructure.

Which means that while it is in real estate, the company is looking for opportunities to enlarge its share of the value chain, said Mr Zerbe, even seeing it running transport units of its own in the long-term.

For example, CenterPoint is bidding to run Virginia Ports container operations now that the authority is considering privatising operations. "We are one of three bidders on this project with the other two bidders being SSA/Goldman Sachs and Carlyle. The Virginia state government is examining the bids and the overall privatisation idea, but has not yet decided they will definitely privatise," he said.

CenterPoint terminals already include the $350 million CenterPoint Intermodal Centre (CPIC) in Suffolk, Virginia; the $300 million CPIC in Kansas City, Missouri; the $150 million CPIC in Savannah, Georgia; the $250 million CPIC in Manteca, California; the $300 million CPIC in Houston, Texas; the $100 million CPIC in Dallas, Texas; the $100 Ford Chicago Manufacturing Campus; the $500 million CPIC in Rochelle, Illinois and the $500 million CPIC in Crete, Illinois.

Source: SchedNet

Zaliv Shipyard’s 50-mln-euro portfolio of contracts includes several ships to be built until 2011, Ukrrudprom reports quoting Nikolai Kuzmenko, the chairman of the ZS JSC’s supervisory board as saying at a press conference yesterday.

The shipbuilding industry hit by the global financial crisis had in 2009 orders shortages, the official said, but in the past three months Zaliv Shipyard (Kerch, Cremea) has been considering the possibility of 20 new shipbuilding projects. Some of them, he explained, for a series of several ships.

There are some 5-6 projects in the portfolio of orders, Mr. Kuzmenko said, for complete vessels. The first ship, ordered by a foreign customer, with advanced European equipment is to be build at Zaliv dockyards by late 2010.

Mr. Kuzmenko highlighted the company had been building ships ordered for oil and gas industry, "not more than 50% of all contracts". He added the Zaliv Shipyard would be willing to construct oil platforms, reminding Kazantipskaya oil platform that was built by Zaliv.

The official was optimistic about the prospects of shipbuilding industry development in Ukraine. Given the recent major orders outflow to Asian shipbuilders from Europe, Ukraine in the next 15 years could take on a market niche of Romania, Croatia, Poland shipbuilders.

Shipbuilding plant "Zaliv" JSC is one of the leading shipbuilders in Eastern Europe. The company specializes in the construction of tankers, chemicals and container carriers, drilling platforms for oil and gas industry. Since 1992 the company has been building ships for export. In 2006 the plant was integrated into AvtoKrAZ Holding. According to the company’s statistics, it ended up last year with a net profit of 33.4 million hryvnia against a net loss 87.7 million hryvnia the company had in 2008. Net income was 280.5 million hryvnia, up 16.67% over 2008. The volume of production grew by 37%, up to 451 million hryvnia, Ukrrudprom reported.

Source: Port News

A Russia-flagged "Irtysh" ship (owned by Irtysh Shipping Company, the operator of Palmali Shipping Services & Agency Co. LTD, home port of Taganrog) was driven aground by rough seas in the vicinity of Cape Foros at the port of Bourgas (Bulgaria). The vessel was serving the Greece – Romania route, the Russian Ministry of Transport press service reported, citing Marine Rescue Coordination Center of MT.

As of today, the stranded ship is 200 meters offshore. It has 35 tons of diesel fuel on board. The 9-member crew (Russian citizens) are safe, no environmental danger reported. Eight tugs have attempted to refloat the ship recently but failed. The damage survey did show any breaches. The ship’s diesel fuel will be off-loaded to a barge, the report said.

Source: Port News

Under the umbrella of EuropeAid, the IRU Academy organised, in partnership with European Profile, a two-day seminar in Azerbaijan to help both the public and private sectors meet the requirements of the upcoming AETR legislation of Driving and Rest Time Rules by September 2010 and the implementation of the Digital Tachograph in non EU AETR Countries on 16 June 2010.

Source: Transportweekly

For the first time, the European Union’s Marco Polo Project has granted financial support to a road transport company, Emons Cargo, for an innovative congestion alleviation system based on a highly efficient double-loading transport concept that decreases the number of trailers on roads by one third, thus significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Emons Cargo, which already featured in the first “IRU Best Industry Practice Report”, is a member of the Dutch IRU Member Association TLN.

Source: Transportweekly

Hong Kong: Titan Petrochemicals has warned it will report substantial losses for 2009 due to the drop in shipbuilding activity and low demand for its single-hulled tanker fleet. In the first half of the year the Titan lost HK$53.4m ($6.8m) and the company warned its operating performance for the second half of 2009 would reflect a further deterioration in its business. For the first nine months of the year Titan’s losses widened to HK$305m. “The deterioration of operating performance is primarily due to the weak market conditions in the shipbuilding business, as evidenced by the lack of newbuilding orders and a significant increase in the supply of double hull tankers which negatively impacted the demand for our single hull fleet,” the company said. For its shipyard in Quanzhou the company is now targeting shiprepair for bulkers and tankers.

Source: Sea Trade

Vietnam: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Bach Dang Shipyard have opened a joint venture ship engine manufacturing plant in Vietnam. The factory in Haiphong will produce 22 engines a year with power capacity of between 2,600 kilowatts and 23,500 kilowatts according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport. It is the first engine plant to open in Vietnam as the country’s shipbuilding industry aims to increase local content in its vessels.

Source: Sea Trade

Y.M. Kim, who is also CEO of Seoul, Korea-based Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. “Governments, international organizations, local communities, ports and marine terminal operators worldwide are focusing new attention on cargo shipping
operations – at sea and shoreside – with an eye toward cutting air and water pollution. This new authority permits TSA carriers to work together, and with
their shoreside customers and partners, to address strategies and best practices that ensure both environmental protection and trade growth.”

TSA, since its inception in 1989, has provided Asia-U.S. shipping lines with authority to meet and exchange limited market information in order to adopt common industry standards and practices, represent the industry before government bodies, and establish non-binding guidelines that help stabilize otherwise volatile rate levels and shipping practices.

“Environmental issues and strategies are definitely a new area of involvement for TSA, but in many ways it’s a logical progression,” said TSA executive administrator Brian M. Conrad. “TSA, and carrier groups like it in other trades, routinely adopt common service standards in providing equipment, in designing information systems and in regulatory compliance. Environmental programs are going to play a critical role and entail major investment in carrier operations; it makes commercial sense that these be undertaken, where feasible, based on joint research, sharing of best practices, and coordination to promote environmental responsibility and operational efficiency.”

A vital first step that TSA lines believe can yield immediate, significant results, Mr. Kim indicated, is through information-sharing on carrier “slow-steaming”
strategies. Under slow-steaming, carriers reduce the speeds of a string of vessels,with each vessel burning significantly less fuel and producing lower emissions. Industry studies have shown that a reduction in vessel speed from 24 to 18 knots per hour reduces consumption of marine bunker fuel by 60%; reduces consumption of heavy marine diesel oil used in onboard operations from 190 to 177 tons per sailing; and cuts vessel CO2 emissions by more than 350 tons per day on a sailing lasting from two to four weeks or more, depending on route.

But challenges have surfaced as use of slow-steaming has become more widespread, Mr. Kim explained. “To achieve true, lasting environmental benefits from slow-steaming, carriers need to share information that will help them reduce emissions without disrupting carrier service levels,” he said.

In the future, Mr. Kim added, it will be important for carriers, ports, terminals, regulatory agencies and customers to communicate and jointly address issues such as
running ships in port off shoreside power; disposal of waste bilgewater; use of alternative fuels at sea and in terminal operations; and programs to replace
and retrofit harbor truck fleets.

Mr. Conrad noted that TSA has, during the last two years, held a number of meetings with individual customers and shipper groups to discuss a range of cost and
operational issues in the Asia-U.S. freight market. “While carriers and shippers have not covered environmental matters in any detail so far,” he said, “customers have expressed interest in doing so because of the potential service and rate impacts, and the potential benefits of extending their internal green
initiatives to include their entire global supply chains.”

(Source: Sea Trade)

Singapore: The nine member lines of the Asia – West Africa Trade Agreement have have announced a two-stage $500 rate increase. The nine member lines of AWATA will be increasing rates by $250 per teu from 1 April for shipments from Asia to West Africa and a further $250 per teu from 1 June. The lines said the increases were necessary to be able to continue to meet the needs of their customers. The nine member lines of AWATA are: China Shipping Container Lines, Delmas, CMA CGM, Gold Star Line, Maersk Line, Mitsui OSK Line, Pacific International Lines, Safmarine Container Lines and Mediterranean Shipping Co.

(Source: Sea Trade)

Unconfirmed reports from Australia suggest that DP World is contemplating raising $884m through an initial public offering of some of its local assets.

The Dubai-based operator will, nevertheless, retain a substantial stake in the business, which will be listed on the stock exchange as DP Australia, reports claim.
DP World, which has a strong presence in the Australian market, has seen the entry of Hutchison Port Holdings into the local stevedoring sector in recent years challenge the former duopoly it once enjoyed alongside Asciano Ltd.

(Source: Port Strategy)

PD LOGISTICS, a member of the PD Ports Group, has been awarded a contract to handle all imports of Tsingtao Beer from China on behalf of the UK's largest independent drinks manufacturer and distributor, Halewood International.

Under the agreement, PD Logistics receives the beer from sea containers landed at Felixstowe and unloaded into PD Logistics' 500,000-square-foot onsite warehouse for bonded storage prior to onwards despatch.

The contract with Halewood International increases the volume of bonded products that PD Logistics handles. To accommodate Tsingtao, PD Logistics has had to expand its wet bonded area from 80,000 to 165,000 square feet while allowing for further expansion.

"With the Tsingtao agreement in place we needed to identify a partner, who was able to offer a large, bonded warehouse facility as close to the port as possible, which would enable us to maximise the efficiency of our supply chain," said Halewood sales chief James Wright.

"We were aware of the excellent reputation of PD Logistics bonded facility and the comprehensive shipping connections enjoyed by the Port of Felixstowe. The decision was easy to make and we look forwards to what we hope will be a long and fruitful relationship with PD Logistics."

"The agreement with Halewood marks an important milestone for the PD Logistics warehouse operations at Felixstowe, reinforcing its position as an important wet bond facility and major import centre for bonded beers, wines and spirits," said PD Ports bulk logistics managing director Jerry Hopkinson

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Russia will export East Siberian crude oil to Japan for the first time, with a tanker scheduled to set sail Friday, Kyodo News International reports.

The tanker, which will leave the port of Kozmino near the Russian city of Nakhodka, will dock at the Keiyo Sea Berth in Tokyo Bay in early March.

The 100,000 tons of oil, whose bid was won by trading house Mitsui & Co. from Russian oil firm TNK-BP, was purchased by Kyokuto Petroleum Industries Ltd., the Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture-based refiner jointly owned by ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Y.K. and Mitsui Oil Co.

East Siberian crude offers an advantage over a range of Middle East crude due to its lower transportation costs stemming from the geographical proximity of the Kozmino port to Japan. Although Mideast oil takes two to three weeks to be delivered to Japan, the Siberian oil takes only two to three days.

If Japan can procure East Siberian crude in a stable manner in the coming years, it would enable it to diversify sources of its oil needs and save transportation costs. Japan currently depends on the Middle East for 90 percent of its oil needs.

Japan has been importing some crude produced at the Russian Far Eastern island of Sakhalin.
Russia plans to export a further 300,000 tons of crude from the Kozmino port to Japan over the subsequent one month.

Concerning the nature of the shipments, a source close to a major trading house said, ''These transactions signify a sort of trial to check what features the East Siberian crude has.''
Kozmino is the eastern end of the projected 4,800-kilometer pipeline to transport East Siberian oil to the Pacific side.

Since the 2,100-km eastern half of the pipeline has not yet been laid, crude is to be transported to Kozmino by rail until 2014, when Russia says it will complete the pipeline in its entirety.

Siberian oil has been so far exported to such destinations as Hong Kong and South Korea from Kozmino, which the Russian government appears to perceive as a key export base for customers in the Asia-Pacific area.

Source: http://www.istockanalyst.com/

Meanwhile, HPUK is considering using the site temporarily for offshore wind farm work.

In a letter, Harwich International Port local authority liaison committee members, Paul Davey, HPUK’s head of corporate affairs, said: “The original consent was received in 2006 and permitted construction of the deepsea container terminal. The consent requires construction to commence within 10 years.

“As a result of the global economic downturn and resulting recession in the UK, it is currently forecast that demand in the UK will not justify construction within that timeframe.”

HPUK hopes the period of consent can be extended by five years to 2021.

Source: Port News

Container shipping lines in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA) are recommending a further general rate increase (GRI) on ocean cargo moving from the U.S. to Asia. The move is part of an ongoing effort to restore rate levels after a sharp drop in the second half of 2009. U.S.-Asia freight rates are currently at the same levels as in early 2008.

Effective April 1, 2010, WTSA carriers say they intend to raise dry cargo rates by US$300 per 40-foot container (FEU) and $240 per 20-foot container (TEU). Lines have additionally proposed that refrigerated cargo rates increase on April 1 by US$300 per FEU and $240 per TEU for U.S. West Coast cargo, and by $500 per FEU and $400 per TEU for all other cargo, including minilandbridge, inland intermodal and all-water shipments from the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts.

“Despite modest improvements in cargo demand and rates in recent months, all carriers continue to lose money in both directions between the U.S. and Asia,” explained WTSA executive administrator Brian M. Conrad. “This has put sustained pressure on the westbound backhaul segment of the market to make its full contribution to roundtrip costs, particularly given cargo imbalance, equipment repositioning and other constraints unique to the trade.”

Source: Transport Weekly

Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) has announced that it achieved a net profit of AED 114.39 million on revenues of over AED 1.16 billion for the year 2009, representing an Earning per Share (EPS) of 53.9 fils. The company also reported total assets of over AED 2.2 billion, a growth of 29 per cent over 2008 figures.

"ADSB is proud to announce results for 2009 that are the best in the company's history so far. The company's performance has remained strong despite the economic downturn and it was an honour for us in 2009 to start important new projects for the UAE Navy, the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA) and the Bahrain Navy," said ADSB's CEO William Saltzer.

The Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Ship Building convened on 14 February 2010 and reviewed the audited financial results for the year ending 31st December 2009. The Board announced that it will recommend to the shareholders to approve the payment of a 10 per cent cash dividend (10 fils per share) to the shareholders of record, ten days after the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is scheduled for 12 April 2010, with a backup date of 19 April 2010 in case it is needed to meet quorum requirements.
ADSB's Chairman of the Board of Directors, Homaid Abdulla Al Shemmari commented, "ADSB continued to perform strongly throughout 2009, reinforcing its role as a truly strategic asset for Abu Dhabi and the region. We are grateful for the continued commitment from our UAE and GCC customers, and we look forward to strengthening our position as the leading naval shipbuilder and provider of naval support services to the GCC region in 2010."

Source: http://www.wam.org.ae

From Sunday February 28, 2010 at noon, Terminal Pacifico Sur Valparaiso (TPS) resumed its commercial operations for passenger and cargo vessels, after the service interruption as consequence of the earthquake that affected Central and Southern Chile. TPS’s main quay front, made up of berths 1, 2 and 3, is fully operating. At the same time, operations in berths 4 and 5 remain suspended for security reasons, pending a structural evaluation.

The Logistic Support Extension Zone (ZEAL) and southern access to the port did not suffer damage and they are operating normally, as is TPS’s equipment and IT systems. Reception and freight forwarding services resumed on Saturday February 27th 2010 at 3:30 pm.

TPS restarted its service, attending two vessels whose operations had been suspended since early morning on February 27 2010 after the earthquake had happened, in order to assess possible damages and security conditions to continue working. That same day, it was not possible to carry out commercial operations, due to tidal fluctuations. On Saturday and as an exception, TPS handled the LST ‘Valdivia’ – a Navy rescue vessel –, which was loading relief supplies for the Southern zone of the country - the most affected by the catastrophe.

As ports in Southern and Central Chile have been affected TPS expects an increase in the use of its facilities. As a result, the company, along with the Port Authority and Customs, are considering approving an increase of the terminal support areas in preparation for a potential and unpredicted growth in import and export cargo flows.

Although no TPS employees were injured TPS is checking the family situation of each one of its workers, in order to provide assistance if necessary.

Meanwhile CM has learnt that the epicentre of the earthquake was in the south of Chile – Region VIII where the Tsunami struck the coast causing massive destruction with more than 700 deaths reported at the current time.

Infrastructure damage (highways, buildings, ports and airports) was mainly concentrated in the area between regions VI – IX.

Although it has not yet been possible to obtain an accurate report of the extent of the damage to ports in these regions as communications are still very limited, CM understands that the Ports of Lirquèn, San Vicente, Talcahuano and Coronel which are located close to the epicentre are closed and apparently the Port of San Antonio is currently assessing damages and is closed until further notice.

(Source: Container Management)

During 1st and 2nd March, the 10th Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference (TPM) was held in Long Beach, USA. China Merchants International Holdings and its subordinate business unit including Chiwan Container Terminal (CCT), Shekou Container Terminals (SCT), China Merchants Maritime Logistics (CMML) and China Merchants International Cold Chain (CMIC) for the third time sponsored this event, to enhance its brand visibility and influence in the United States and global market.

On 28th February, the Chinese traditional Lantern Festival, China Merchants sponsored the cocktail networking event. Traditional Chinese elements such as the red lantern, couplets, traditional clothing were brought to the party to reflect a strong Chinese culture.

TPM conference was organized by the Journal of Commerce, held annually in the United States, which is the most influential event in the global shipping industry, attracting buyers, shippers, logistics experts and other high-end business participants all around the world.

More than 10 delegates from CMHI, CMML, CMIC, CCT, and SCT attended the meeting and take this chance to pay visit to other customers in the region during this period.

Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Transportation showed that the country's container throughput experienced a substantial year-on-year growth of 25.5 per cent to 11.4 million TEU, thus returning to the pre-downturn level before August 2008, Xinhua reported.

Aggregate throughput tonnage of the Chinese ports increased 32.9 per cent to 637 million tonnes. Seaports contributed to a tonnage of 439 million tonnes, up 30.4 per cent. River ports recorded a total tonnage of 197 million tonnes, up 38.9 per cent.
In this month, half of those port with a throughput of over 100 million tonnes achieved growth faster than 30 per cent. Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan recorded a growth of 50.5 per cent and Shanghai was up 45 per cent. The two ports made the greatest contribution to China's total tonnage.

Shenzhen also showed a consistent growth tendency which accelerated increasingly faster. Growth of ports in southern China is surpassing those in the north.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

British property and transport firm the Peel Group is in talks to sell a stake in its airports unit to fund a joint-bid for Britain's only listed ports company, Forth Ports , Reuters reported.

Forth Ports said it had rejected a US$920 million takeover bid from a consortium made up of Deutsche Bank's RREEF infrastructure fund, Arcus and the Peel Group but that it would talk to suitors after its annual results on March. 22.

Media reported that the Peel Group was in talks with Canada's Vancouver Airport Services about the potential sale of its airports business.

Peel Airports is comprised of Liverpool John Lennon, City Airport Manchester, Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley airports and could raise around $303.9 million according to media reports. .

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

GUANGZHOU customs becomes the first customs in China to roll out an online mail tracking system allowing customers to check the real clearance status of international mail in the south China on keying in the mail reference number, Xinhua reported.

The system provides information of the express or ordinary mails from or to cities in Guangdong (except Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Jiangmen), Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Anhui, Guizhou, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shandong and Inner Mongolia. Users can check when and whether mail has been cleared.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Container terminals at the Port of Oakland are using Zebra Enterprise Solutions’ radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to comply with the Port of Oakland's ban on polluting trucks, Entertainment Close-Up reported.

On December 2, the container terminals at the Port of Oakland announced that all trucks delivering cargo containers must install RFID devices for identification and register in eModal's TruckerCheck system.

As of January 19, the terminals are enforcing a new Port of Oakland ban on trucks with engine year models earlier than 1994 from picking up or dropping off cargo at the port. In addition, model year 1994 to 2003 trucks must be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters or engines that meet equivalent standards.

The ban requires the Port of Oakland's container terminals to deny entry to drayage trucks that don't meet these standards, which are set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Approximately 3,000 trucks work at the port.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

“New York Highway”, a pure car carrier owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and Taiyo Nippon Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., arrived at the port of Muroran in Hokkaido, Japan on March 9, 2010 and completed her final duties as a car carrier. She was built in 1985 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. and has been employed in the transport of a huge number of completed cars throughout the world in her 156 voyages. This “swan song” voyage to Muroran was her 157th voyage but without cargo, just to transport herself to the port for a new duty involving the development of a modern ship recycling system in Japan. The recycling system is a pilot project organized by Maritime Bureau of MLITT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism) in Japan.

The Japanese Ship Owners’ Association (JSA) had requested its member companies to offer ships to the pilot project from an early stage. After the Maritime Bureau’s official invitation to the project, “K” Line, a member of JSA, nominated the “New York Highway” and contracted the sale of the vessel to Teraoka Co., Ltd., a member of Muroran Ship Recycling Study Group which was awarded the project by Maritime Bureau. The management of the group will be done by Japan Marine Science Inc. and Teraoka Co. Ltd. with other members executing the project.

Dismantling of ships tends to be carried out in developing countries where labor cost is low and demand for scrap steel is strong. But there has been an argument internationally that pollution to the environment and labor accidents due to unsafe operations in developing countries should be corrected. In May 2009, Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009 was adopted by IMO aimed at protecting the environment and improving the safety of laborers in ship recycling facilities.

One of the most important requirements of the convention is keeping an inventory of hazardous and harmful materials onboard, showing the exact location and quantity, with such inventory to be submitted to a ship recycling facility with all updated data once the ship is handed over to such a facility.

In spite of the new convention not yet having come into effect, “New York Highway” already has proper inventory in compliance with the guidelines for the development of the inventory of hazardous materials. Her inventory was made in advance with the good assistance of the Japan Ship Technology Research Association and approved by class NK.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

SAVANNAH's Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), has announced it has increased its capacity for reefer containers at its Garden City Terminal with the completion of 10 new electrified refrigerated container racks.

The new racks bring to 44 the number of reefer racks at the Port of Savannah terminal, which can now accommodate 1,056 containers, said a statement from the port authority.

"The completion of these refrigerated container racks reduces diesel consumption and increases our capacity for cold-storage exports," said GPA executive director Curtis Foltz.

The authority said it has more than doubled its refrigerated cargo volume in last six years with an increase of 120 per cent. In the past two years alone, volume has increased 19.8 per cent.

"Before electrified refrigerated container racks were brought online in 2008, diesel generators were used to power refrigerated containers in tandem with wheeled parking spots with electrical hookups," said the GPA statement. "Now, for every 10 racks placed into service, the GPA saves about 540,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, which would have been used to power diesel generators. With a total of 44 racks online, the GPA avoids using more than 2.376 million gallons annually."

(Source: www.schednet.com)

HONG Kong's Census and Statistics Department has reported a six per cent year on year decline in the city's port cargo throughput for the fourth quarter.

Outward cargo led the drop, falling nine per cent year on year to 103.7 million tonnes while inbound cargo also slipped, dropping five per cent leaving import figures unchanged year on year.

Also noteworthy was the distinction between seaborne and river cargo, the former of which dropped 10 per cent to 161.6 million tonnes, with the latter reporting a two per cent increase.

Though overall inbound cargo fell, several countries significantly increased their shipment volumes to the city. Most notable among these were Australia, Malaysia, and the United States, with 126 per cent, 46 per cent, and 19 per cent year on year tonnage increases respectively.

On the outbound side, the most significant increases were seen in shipments to Taiwan, mainland China and Thailand, each receiving 66 per cent, 36 per cent and 17 per cent more cargo respectively. Germany, Korea, and the Philippines meanwhile experienced declines of inbound Hong Kong tonnage, falling 23, 18 and 11 per cent respectively.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

CHINA'S largest private air carrier, Hainan Airlines, is to shift to a cargo sales method based on regions by integrating regional network resources from its existing mode based on cities, Logistics Week reported.

The move is a strategy to increase air cargo sales in view of slackened downturn-hit market since 2009 by allowing smaller neighbouring cities to sell the services of a larger city in the same region.

The report said the new method can double the carrier's regional sellable resources. For example, the five cities in the East China region - Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Nanjing - has a total of 30 sellable cargo services on an individual basis, but after implementing the new mode, these five cities can sell each other's services and thus raise the number of regional sellable services to 89.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

UAE-based cargo carrier Midex Airlines was suspended recently after a routine audit conducted by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The company is said to have failed to fill in key postholder positions.

Postholders are appointed by the company, but are subject to ratification by the GCAA. According to a report by the UAE National, Midex president Issam Khairallah attributed the mishap to the recent death of two former postholders, and the inability of Midex to secure a confirmation for one of its replacement appointees.

Midex recently purchased two Boeing 747-200s to meet increased demand for charter flights in Afghanistan and Iraq, increasing its fleet to a total of nine.

The carrier first started its operations out of Abu Dhabi in 2008 with daily flights to Paris. Following the global downturn, this was cut back to just one a week. Midex currently carries 150 cargo tonnes a day, down 50 tonnes from its 2008 forecast.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

AIR China's latest operation figures showed that the carrier achieved a strong growth of 55.1 per cent in its cargo volume and an increase of 6.3 per cent in its passenger volume in January, Logistics Week reported.

The carrier's cargo volume amounted to 90,700 tonnes. Domestic cargo volume rose 37.1 per cent to 52,200 tonnes while international cargo volume surged 86.2 per cent to 34,300 tonnes. Cargo volume on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan lines rocketed 111.3 per cent to 4,002 tonnes.

Passenger volume in the same month totalled to 3.4 million. Domestic passenger volume increased 5.4 per cent to 2.8 million. International passenger volume rose 11 per cent to 490,000 persons. Passenger volume on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan lines went up 11.4 per cent to 108,000 persons.

Passenger load factor fell 0.2 percentage points to 77 per cent, while general load factor increased 6.1 percentage points to 67.8 per cent.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Singapore: BW Gas Ltd., the world’s biggest mover of liquefied petroleum gas, has idled four LPG carriers because rates plunged so low that each vessel was losing the company about $25,000 a day, Bloomberg reported.

The Berge Racine (pictured) will idle until the end of the year, when it will be given to new owners, Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chief executive officer of parent company BW Group, told the financial newswire, confirming a note sent to clients. Three other carriers will also stop trading until freight rates improve, he said.

“The conditions are so bad and have been bad for so long we see this as a painful but necessary decision,” Singapore-based Sohmen-Pao said. “It’s impossible to say how long we will be putting them into lay-up.”

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Seoul: Hyundai Merchant Marine said Sunday it plans to expand its fleet on its Asia-Middle East route as part of efforts to meet rising demand.

The shipper plans to add two more container ships on April 19 that leave from South Korea and call at ports in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Currently, Hyundai Merchant operates four 4,600 teu container ships along the route.

The company said it also plans for the vessels to call at more ports in China and Iran to meet demand.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

WHAT makes The Containership Company (TCC) the low-cost shipping company it claims to be is not necessarily lower rates, but simplicity of operation, co-founder Jakob Tolstrup-Moller told London's Financial Times in a recent interview.

Unlike the multi-port calls of full-service shipping lines, TCC ships will sail from Taicang, an obscure port facility within the precincts of Shanghai, directly to Los Angeles and straight back again. Fees would be structured in a simple fashion and vary with fuel prices.

With just US$25 million of capital, the company has fallen short of its $60 million fund-raising initiative, said the report. Currently listed on an over-the-counter exchange in Norway, TCC plans to issue a stock market listing later in the year.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

THE biennial China Maritime Exhibition will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wanchai from Tuesday March 16 to Thursday March 18 featuring 20 shipbuilders and other marine interests from 10 countries.

Nine engine and propulsion system manufacturers are exhibiting as are eight interior furnishings and seating suppliers. They will be joined by six deck machinery suppliers, 16 marine equipment manufacturers and a similar numbers of the world's best known names in marine electronics.

Also exhibiting will be classification societies, bunker suppliers, marine media, governments, educators and NGOs.

Marine Money magazine will sponsor a series of conferences on March 16 at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, next door to the HKCEC and on March 17 the Hong Kong Ship Owners Association will present a Senior Executive Forum: Future of Shipping followed by a luncheon sponsored by leading classification society Det Norske Veritas.

The guest speaker there will be Doug Woodring of Project Kaisei, who will describe his experience of investigating the North Pacific Gyre and make suggestions as to how this enormous mess of plastic and other land sourced garbage can be removed.

To conclude the Hong Kong Ship Owners Association is combining with the Marine Department of Hong Kong to present a "Year of the Seafarer" awards luncheon for the maritime industry on March 19.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Demolition of single-hull tanker may not lead to an increase in charter rates this year because most of them were not attracting much cargoes in 2009, Mr Martin Stopford, Managing Director of Clarkson Research Service Ltd, said.

Single-hulled carriers secured 2.5 bookings a ship in 2009, down from about seven in 2004, Mr Stopford elaborated.

Over that period, 80 per cent of single hulls were scrapped, converted or marginalised in the charter market.

According to Exim News Service, owners of the world’s biggest operator of supertankers, on the other hand, are anticipating the elimination of single-hull tankers to buoy freight rates this year.

Such vessels are due to face tougher trading restrictions this year under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules.

The phase-out of single-hull tankers has been much faster than the declining fleet statistics suggest, he explained. This means that the 2010 phase-out effect could be a bit of a damp squib.

The Baltic Dirty Tanker Index, an overall measure of the cost of shipping crude oil, averaged 581 points in 2009, a decline of 62 per cent from the year before, according to data from the Baltic Exchange.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian backed shipping line is set to link distant parts of Southeast Asia with Papua New Guinea, the South Pacific and Australasia. Starting next week, MBF Carpenters Shipping will deploy a 910 teu ship, Osnabruck, on the intercontinental route. The Osnabruck has been taken on charter at $4,300 a day according to Maersk Broker and is one of four similarly sized ships operated by the company.

MBF Carpenters's principal activities are merchandise retailing and wholesaling, automotive and machinery sales and service, transport and shipping agents. In addition, it provides financial services, ship repairs, agricultural products and owners of property and investments. The Group operates in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Australia. It is part of MBF Holdings, a Malaysian conglomerate.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Bangladesh will aim to persuade China to use Chittagong port as a commercial outlet for its southern Yunnan province, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said on Sunday.

"It will be a great achievement if China agrees to use our Chittagong port, which we want to develop into a regional commercial hub by building a deep seaport in the Bay of Bengal," she told a news conference.

The offer for Chittagong port to Beijing will be discussed when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits China from Wednesday on a five-day itinerary, Moni said.

The south Asian country has taken plans to build an $8.7 billion deep-sea port in three phases to raise bulk cargo handling capacity to 100 million tonnes and container handling to 3 million teu annually.

Presently the port handles 30.5 million tonnes of bulk cargo and 1.1 million teu annually.

Port officials said when built the port would serve Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar and the northeastern region of India.

To use Chittagong port China will need a road or railway link or both between Kunming, the capital of southern Yunnan province with Chittagong via Myanmar, Moni said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to China would discuss the 1,800 kilometres Chittagong-Kunming road and rail network through Myanmar to boost trade, commerce and technical assistance between the two countries.

Source: http://www.seatradeasia-online.com

Los Angeles: The Containership Company (TCC), the new budget Scandinavian line, has selected TraPac Container Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles as its US west coast gateway.

“Los Angeles welcomes The Containership Company to our Port and our City,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “As the newest entrant in the Trans-Pacific cargo trade, TCC will give local businesses another option for importing and exporting goods and materials to the major inland industrial and manufacturing center northwest of Shanghai. Congratulations to TCC, the TraPac container terminal and Port officials for bringing this service to Los Angeles.”

TCC will operate a weekly service between Los Angeles and the Modern Terminals facility at the Port of Taicang, in the Jiangsu province of China. Starting in April, The Containership Company will offer “no frills” service for importers and exporters seeking a cargo link between Southern California and Taicang, a thriving manufacturing center approximately 40 miles northwest of Shanghai.

“We are thrilled to work with the Port of Los Angeles and TraPac to bring this new service to Southern California businesses,” said Jakob Tolstrup-Møller, The Containership Company’s Chief Executive Officer. “This will be a no-frills port-to-port service that we hope will appeal to shippers looking for a new partner and a more direct link to the vast inland manufacturing base of the Jiangsu province .”

The first vessel, the Taicang Dragon, will sail from Taicang Port on April 17th and arrive at the Port of Los Angeles on May 3rd. The ship, along with others that will rotate into the service, has the capacity to carry between 2,500 and 3,000 teu. TCC executives believe their new service could generate 250,000 teu annually between L.A. and Taicang.

The Containership Company AS (TCC) is a Norwegian-registered container line managed from Copenhagen with operations in Europe, Asia and the United States. TCC’s management team has an average of more than 25 years in international container trade. The line’s container equipment fleet and flow is outsourced to Eagle Hill Container Management. Norton Lilly International is TCC’s global agency.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Manila: Thome Shipmanagement is set to grow its fleet by 30 ships over the next few months on the back of three new clients. The Singapore-based ship manager says it has three new principals, Norwegian owner Solvang, Sirius and another undisclosed Swedish owner. “We will have 30 ships coming over to the fleet in the next few months,” said Olav Eek Thorstensen, chairman of Thome. The majority of the new ships will come from a recently signed a joint venture agreement with Solvang, an owner of 18 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels. Gearing up for growth Thome opened a 1,065 sq m extension to its Manila regional headquarters at the weekend. The company expects to employ a further 25 to 35 people in the Manila office this year. However, Thome could lose some vessels currently on its books with Frontline setting up its own ship management operation in Singapore. Currently all the Norwegian owners’ ship management is contracted out to Thome and V.Ships. While the Frontline plans to continue using both managers some tonnage will be managed inhouse in future. At present Thome has 138 vessels under technical management, and a further 10 are managed by sister company Timur Ship Management.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Manila: Negros Navigation Co (Nenaco) said it has emerged from rehabilitation after posting profits for three consecutive years.

“With the corporate rehabilitation behind us, our objective now is to sustain our profitability. We will continue to modernize our fleet and we will be relentless in finding ways on how to improve further our operations,” Sulficio Tagud Jr., Nenaco chairman and chief executive said in a statement.

The Regional Trial Court of Manila ordered the termination of Nenaco’s rehabilitation proceedings on February 26 on account of the successful implementation of its rehabilitation plan, the shipping firm said.

Nenaco sought protection from creditors in 2004.

Owned by KGLI-NM, which is a joint venture between Negros Holdings & Management Corp. and KGL Investments, Nenaco recorded a net income of P412 million last year, jumping 124 percent from P184 million in 2008.

Nenaco attributed the profits to “revenue-enhancing initiatives coupled with stringent cost-management measures” that it implemented during the year.

Last year, Nenaco acquired two additional cargo vessels with a capacity of 300-teu each.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Singapore: Singapore Shipping Association president SS Teo is calling for a proposed Singapore EXIM bank to be extended to shipping. In his capacity as a nominated member of parliament Teo strongly supported a recommendation by the Economic Strategies Committee to set an Export – Import (EXIM) Bank in Singapore. “I would also like to propose that the EXIM Bank facilities be extended to shipping,” Teo said in a parliamentary debate. “In view of the capital-intensive nature of the shipping industry and its need for financing, an EXIM Bank would be a useful instrument to extend the range of financing solutions available to shipowners/operators with a good track record,” he said. Teo added this would assist the growth of Singapore as an International Maritime Centre and as a hub for shipping investments. He also welcomed the extension of a port dues concession for a further six months to 30 September, a measure introduced last year to help shipping companies through the economic crisis. He also noted though shipping was not out of the doldrums yet and there was a threat of overcapacity. “As such, we hope that the port authority will be able to extend the port dues concessions past the 30 September 2010 deadline. Any proposed cost increase that could have a detrimental effect on the shipping recovery should be withheld for at least another one year,” Teo said.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Dalian: Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is looking to bolster its presence in the northern Shandong city of Yantai. The shipbuilder expects to receive a permit from Chinese officials within three months to build a shipbuilding yard there to go alongside its 2007-established block building facility, DCCS. When DSME founded DCCS it had aims of building large ships there but Beijing has enforced rules whereby foreigners cannot build ships larger than 100,000 dwt, a ruling that has irked many others including Samsung in Ningbo and STX in Dalian. Now, DSME is keen to have a shipbuilding subsidiary in Yantai, focusing on 30,000 dwt ships.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

The motor vessel Industrial Achiever, a specialized Roll on - Roll off semi-submersible vessel, recently loaded two massive Cold Boxes for an LNG plant under construction in West Africa. Built at a fabrication plant in New Iberia, Louisiana, the 700-ton boxes were transported to Houston by barge where they were trans-loaded to the Industrial Achiever for the subsequent ocean journey to West Africa.

The Cold Boxes loaded onto the Industrial Achiever on a roll on basis from barge to ship utilizing the vessel’s Ro-Ro ramp capable of handling pieces up to 1,200 metric tons. This operation was performed by self-propelled multi axle heavy lift trailers (SPMTs). As the trailers slowly moved across the ramp and onto the ship, the computer controlled resting pads automatically adjusted up and down to keep the pressure of load equalized across the length of the cold box.

“The pace of the loading operation is extremely slow as not only are the pressure pads on the SPMTs constantly adjusting to maintain equalized pressure, but the vessel is constantly transferring water between its ballast tanks. This ballast transfer counteracts the ever increasing weight that is rolling across the stern to keep pitch of the vessel constant” commented Captain Bert van der Laan, Intermarine’s port captain.

“Once in position, the boxes were lowered onto specially fabricated stands that hold the box such that the trailers may be removed. These stands are specifically positioned to transfer the weight of the boxes into the structural ribs of the vessel. The box is then heavily secured in place to eliminate any shifting while at sea” continued Captain van der Laan.

Although appearing rather simple, this operation required hundreds of hours of detailed engineering work to determine all the potential forces involved, the strength and placement of the stands and securing materials, and the overall stability of the vessel. Once completed, this plan was thoroughly reviewed and accepted by the vessel master, the cargo owners, warranty surveyors and the stevedores to insure all aspects were covered.

This type of heavy lift transport is a hallmark of Intermarine capability. Operations such as this have been performed by Intermarine throughout the world and with pieces weighing more than 1000 tons.

Intermarine offers regular services in the Americas, intra-Asia and Europe as well as constructs customized project voyages worldwide.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

According to the German travel industry association DRV, the number of passengers on sea cruises by German operators grew 13.2% to more than 1mn in 2009, which is three times the number 10 years ago. Turnover grew 14% to just under EUR 1.93bn (USD 2.66bn). DRV expects the market to continue to grow at a double-digit rate in 2010.
Partly because of insolvencies of operators, the number of river cruise passengers decreased 3.2% to 396,000 and turnover 4.3% to EUR 423mn.

The average price of a cruise day was EUR 193 on sea cruises and EUR 136 on river cruises, Logistics Finland informs.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The French Port of Marseilles Fos said container throughput rose by 24 percent year-over-year in January and February to 159,202 20-foot equivalent units as trade recovered from the global recession.

Trade with the Far East fueled a 30 percent jump at Fos, which handled 121,218 TEUs, while Marseilles improved 10 percent to 37,985 TEUs thanks to recovering markets in North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Container volume in the first two months of the year through February amounted to 1.59 million metric tons (up 31 percent) and led general cargo to a 19 percent improvement to 2.39 million metric tons.

Conventional traffic also contributed with 42 percent growth to 310,000 metric tons as demand for steel products continued to grow, although roll-on, roll-off traffic was down 16 percent at 490,000 metric tons in the aftermath of a slump in trade with Corsica and Sardinia.

The revival in the local steel industry – and imports of raw materials -- nudged dry bulk volume back to normal levels at 1.54 million metric tons (up 41 percent) courtesy of a 40 percent increase in vessel calls.

Liquid bulk volume rose by a third to 530,000 metric tons on the strength of the chemicals industry -- aided by the ever-rising bio-fuels sector, which gained 26 percent to 160,000 metric tons.

Source: http://www.joc.com

Singapore: Norwegian classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV) has established a Clean Technology Centre (CTC) in Singapore and has selected the city state over the likes of Shanghai and Hong Kong to become the hq for its sprawling Asian operations.

The facility at the DNV Tech Centre in Science Park has a staff strength of 25 research engineers and advisors, though it expects to quadruple its headcount to 100 in four years.

DNV’s chief executive officer, Dr Henrik Madsen, said “one of the roles is to certify technology so that people who have invented new technology can have an independent party like ours to sort of give a stamp to that the technology is a good one and investors can invest in it safely”.

Dr Madsen also revealed that DNV will make Singapore its headquarters for its Asian operations with effect from next month. Thus far, DNV has not had a de facto hq for Asia.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

Hong Kong: Orient Overseas International Limited, parent of containerline OOCL, reported full year results heavily in the red today, but still performing better than its peers. The Hong Kong containerline recorded a 2009 net loss of US$402m, compared to 2008’s $114m net profit.

While the second half was far stronger than the first six months results were depressed by a $25m loss from discontinued operations related to its property development business and a $10m revaluation loss on Wall Street Plaza.

The sales proceeds and associated disposal gains from OOIL's sale of its property development arm OODL were not included in 2009 accounts as the announcement was made on 18th January 2010 but will impact 2010 results.

Revenue fell 32% year-on-year, better than 1H09’s 35% revenue decline and rose 11% half-on-half.

Compared to 1H09, 2H09 container volumes rose 8% but average freight rates inched up by only 2%.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

Taipei: Taiwan's Evergreen Line is talking to yards at home, in Korea and Japan to buy as many as a dozen new boxships of between 7,000 and 8,000 teu in size.
"Evergreen is discussing with Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese shipyards," a local quoted company vice president Hsieh Chih-chien as saying earlier this month. "They will quote prices to Evergreen before the end of April."

Evergreen is especially bullish on intra-Asia trades following the opening of a huge new trading bloc between China and the ASEAN nations.

Traditionally, Evergreen has been a strong supporter of Japanese yards, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in pole position for this latest order.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

Singapore: Golden Ocean has become the first company to dual list on the Singapore Exchange under a cooperation with Oslo Bors. The John Fredriksen owned company completed its secondary listing on SGX on March 18. The listing was by way of an introduction and no new capital has been raised at this time. “We are very pleased to be the first company to achieve a dual listing in Oslo and Singapore,” said Herman Bilung, ceo of Golden Ocean. “We already have a significant operational presence in Singapore and the main driver for our drybulk business is the fast growing emerging economies in Asia.” "Golden Ocean is the first listing under our cooperation framework with the Oslo Bors. We look forward to more of similar listings on the two exchanges,” said Lawrence Wong, executive vice president and head of listings for SGX. “By taking advantage of the dual listing framework, companies will benefit by having the access to a wider and deeper capital market. Investors of both exchanges too will benefit from more investment choices," he added DnB NOR Markets acted as sole global coordinator in the secondary listing.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has successfully completed its second major ship conversion project by converting a fisheries vessel into an oceanographic research vessel, Exim News Service informs.

The work was undertaken for the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa.
The conversion comprised setting up of three laboratories, installation of new deck machinery, provision of upgraded accommodation, fitting of a gondola, housing sub-bottom profiler, navigational echo sounder, sound velocity probe, etc.

As part of the conversion, additional electronics and navigational systems such as GMDSS station, Inmarsat-C with LRIT, Radar, LAN system, and Live TV system were installed on the ship.

The vessel, which was originally a Japanese government class, has now been converted into IRS class.

To carry out the conversions, more than 100 new drawings were made in CSL and approved by IRS. Besides, CSL carried out routine dry dock repairs on the ship.
The contract for the conversion was signed on June 5, 2009, and the vessel arrived at CSL on December 15, 2009, and sailed off after the completion of work on March 12.

The successful completion of the project has enhanced the reputation of CSL in the conversion market and reiterated CSL’s expertise in the sector.

(Source: Transprt Weekly)

The Port Klang Authority's (PKA) move to reduce the free storage period for full container load containers at Northport and Westports from five days to three, looks set to be delayed again, despite assurances to the contrary, Business Times reported.

On December 31 2009, PKA had issued a directive that it would go ahead with the implementation of the decision to reduce the period in which containers can be stored at Port Klang for free to three days or more specifically, 72 hours.

A three-month grace period, which ends on March 31, however, was given to help players in the shipping industry prepare for the transition phase.

During the grace period, shippers (importers and exporters) are charged for storage only after the fifth day.

PKA chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng said the regulator is now rethinking its move to implement the ruling at the end of March, following objections from stakeholders.

An announcement on the issue is expected to be made this week.

One possibility being discussed is to have the free storage period shortened to 96 hours, rather than 72 hours as indicated in the circular issued on December 31.

The implementation of the new law has been postponed several times in the last eight years, following objections from some players in the shipping community in Port Klang who feel they were not quite ready yet.

It was reported that 80 percent of the containers in Port Klang could be cleared within three days, but the remaining 20 percent, or 10,000 containers, could not be done within the short period.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

- Kansas City Southern (KCS) has acquired the Puerta Mexico intermodal facility at Toluca and in a few days KCS (Mexico) will add a direct train service from Lazaro Cardenas to Puerta Mexico, providing Mexico City importers and exporters with a service featuring improved consistency and reliability and better transit times, according to the company.

"Puerta Mexico is well positioned on KCS’s International intermodal corridor, making it a valuable enhancement for our cross border service offering," said David Starling, KCS president & COO.

With its connection to the KCS rail network, Puerta Mexico serves the industrial centres of Mexico and the US, several important seaports and the Toluca-Mexico City industrial corridor.

The Toluca facility provides intermodal rail and truck services, warehouse storage and has the only inland customs clearing facility in Mexico. In addition to train services, Puerta Mexico offers multimodal terminal services and on site customs and bonded warehousing facilities to ocean carriers, intermodal and other logistics service providers.

With an estimated capacity exceeding 150,000 containers and more than 2m tons of cargo per year on more than 130 developed acres, the facility essentially doubles the intermodal capacity available to the greater Mexican central valley and alleviates congestion in the region.

(Source: Container Management)

APM has won a 25 year concession at the Port of Monrovia in Liberia as part of a public tender process.

The terminal operator responded to a public tender issued by the Liberian Government in December 2009. Bidders were asked to rehabilitate the existing marginal wharf, develop container and general cargo operations in the terminal and take on responsibility for marine services throughout the Port.

It is part of a private participation initiative that aims to bolster the national economy and create jobs in the capital city of Monrovia. The port is in urgent need of rehabilitation and upgrading to modern levels.

The strife-riven area has suffered from the impact of not one, but two civil wars in the last couple of decades that damaged its infrastructure and resulted in huge loss of life. Growing investment in the region is no doubt part of the Liberian government’s peace-keeping strategy.

Construction on the quay wall is to begin immediately, followed by a new berth, more efficient yard handling procedures and the installation of new equipment to make the port more competitive, capable of handling modern, deep-draft vessels.

APM Terminals CEO, Kim Fejfer says that APM will be working closely with the IMCC, Port Sector Reform Program and the National Port Authority on the next steps of the process to ensure a smooth transition and “to improve the port infrastructure and create a much stronger economic engine for the national and regional market”.

(Source: Port Strategy)

Maritime engineering and environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning has just won first place in a competition to create a concept for Hamburg’s central dock area, based on a sustainable urban maritime development.

The competition, organised by Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), invited applicants to produce an innovative and appropriate concept that could potentially restructure the port’s 125ha Central Terminal Steinwerder and, in one variation, incorporate a valuable container facility with capacity for 3.5m teu, while introducing environmental and sustainable features.

Royal Haskoning’s winning concept, entitled ‘Port Evolution’, proposes a CO2 neutral, automated and truck-free container terminal with optimised land use. By adopting the truck-free approach the team were able to minimise the size of the container terminal to about 4/5 of the site area leaving space for public access to a wetland park and to other areas accessed by public transport including water taxi.

The proposal also involves creating a new port administration building with public spaces for training, exhibitions, a restaurant and a viewing area – as well as creating an area of public interest by moving an historic lighthouse. The project will include landscaping and open water, green areas and public amenities, and the introduction of aesthetically pleasing noise and visual barriers by the implementation of a water wall.

Further, the construction of a channel for water circulation from the water park will incorporate electricity generating tidal current turbines, plus two further wind turbines with the ability to generate 10% of power for the terminal. A covered, insulated and refrigerated container storage building, with photovoltaic panels on its roof, will reduce electrical energy requirements for cooling and generate a proportion of the power required.

HPA will be taking forward the transformation of the area over the next few months by preparing plans followed by a formal application process.

(Source: Port Strategy)

The Chilean port of Valparaiso is reported to be 90% operational following the recent earthquake, however ports close to the epicentre at Concepcion have fared less well.

According to the Valparaiso port authorities, the port has six berths operational (sites 1 to 4, 6 and 8), while sites 5 and 7 are still undergoing review to establish constraints and short-term repairs.

However, the port of Talcahuano has been badly affected, with berths 1 to 3 totally collapsing and currently submerged. Worse still, major cracks have appeared in paving material, resulting in the loss of significant amounts of infill material. The cost of getting the port operational again has been estimated at $100m.

At San Vicente Port, SVTI, the container handling facility, has survived relatively intact, although a major problem remains given the collapse of many of the access ways to the terminal. Embankments are being built to overcome these new bottlenecks. Berth 1 has sustained serious damage.

At Lirquen harbour, berth 2 at the breakbulk terminal has re-opened, although berth 1 has been reported to be unusable.

The four berth box terminal at Coronel Port was reasonably unaffected, although power was initially lost to the gantry cranes. The general cargo terminal, however, did sustain some damage.

At San Antonio, there was some movement of terrain across berths 1-5, with one crane at Puerto Panul actually falling into the sea. Two phenol tanks were ruptured, resulting in the loss of 800 cubic metres of material, some of which was washed into the sea.

(Source: Port Strategy)

THE International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) at its recent Berlin meeting, has launched a campaign to demand greater government effort to suppress piracy that threatens the lives of seafarers off Somalia.

ITF delegates plan to build momentum through the summer and deliver a petition containing half a million signatures to governments by World Maritime Day on September 23, reported London's International Freighting Weekly.

"The Time to Beat Piracy" campaign wants governments "to close the circle on protection of ships", and "those states now ducking their responsibilities to stand up and follow the example of those which are actively involved in combating the threat", said the report.

The Berlin meeting also agreed to support, "where appropriate" more armed military personnel on ships, in addition to the commitment by flag states of naval vessels, but remained opposed to arming seafarers.

It also declared that it was "gravely concerned by attempts to prevent the payment of ransoms and considers that it is the duty of the shipowners and flag states to take all necessary measures to swiftly reunite hostages with their families".

The union said it was unforgivable that the major flag-of-convenience states had "done little more to fight piracy than sign pieces of paper".

Said ITF maritime co-ordinator Steve Cotton: "The reality is that seafarers are risking their lives transporting the world's goods through areas that are daily growing more dangerous. That situation is not going to change without dramatic efforts to address the problems of Somalia and its people and grasp the nettle of confronting and prosecuting piracy."

(Source: www.schednet.com)

MITSUI OSK Lines (MOL) is to call at London Thamesport instead of Felixstowe as it alters rotation on the Africa Rainbow Northern loop (ARN), that connects to New World Alliance's Asia Europe Express (AEX).

"The decision by MOL to relocate this service is a great vote of confidence for London Thamesport," said Hutchison Ports UK CEO and owner of Thamesport David Gledhill. Hutchison also owns the Port of Felixstowe.

The ANR service will deploy three 2,100-TEU and follow a revised rotation of: London-Thamesport, Tangier, Abidjan, Tema, Lagos, Abidjan, Vigo, Antwerp, Zeebrugge and London-Thamesport.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

SINGAPORE's Neptune Orient Lines, owner of southeast Asia's big container line, APL, plans to boost capacity seven per cent this year as rates and trade rebounds and the global economy appears to recover, reports Bloomberg.

APL will charter as many as ten 6,000-TEU ships, said NOL chief executive Ron Widdows in an interview, adding that he also hopes to have 10 laid-up ships back in service in June.

In January, APL experienced its largest monthly traffic increase in six years as American and European retailers restocked shelves. Mr Widdows estimated that transpacific volumes would likely increase five per cent this year industry-wide with even greater growth expected from Asia-Europe trade lanes.

London's Drewry Shipping Consultants said that container lines likely lost about US$20 billion in 2009 because of slumping trade, overcapacity and price wars.

Mr Widdows also told Bloomberg that carriers has been "reasonably successful" in securing higher transpacific rates in annual contracts due to start around May. APL, Maersk and 13 other lines are seeking to raise rates by $800 FEU to US west coast in new contracts.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Mumbai: State run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) plans to enter into joint ventures with major power companies such as NTPC to provide dedicated arrangements for shipping their requirements of coal to India.

The plan is modelled on the lines of SCIs proposed joint venture with SAIL for import of up to one million tonnes of coking coal. The SAIL agreement is expected to be finalised by end of this month.

“We plan to acquire few assets immediately after the agreement with SAIL, which would give us good ground to target power companies,” UC Grover, director technical and offshore, SCI, told Financial Chronicle.

SCI initially plans to approach NTPC, which had a coal import target of 12.5 million tonnes for financial year 2009-10. Based on its progress with NTPC the company then plans to approach other public sector and private companies such as Coal India, JSW Energy and Adani Power who have huge coal import targets, to ferry their coal requirements in the coming years.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

THE Port of Marseilles reported that its Fos container terminal enjoyed a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in volume to 160,000 TEU, which helped to provide the greater harbour's four per cent year-on-year overall cargo increase to 13.5 million tonnes in the first two months of the year.

The container volume increase included a 10 per cent boost to 38,000 TEU from the port's other facilities, attributed to "recovering markets in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean", reported London's International Freighting Weekly.

(Source: www.Schednet.com)

APM Terminals has invested US$176 million to upgrade the Apapa Container Terminal at Nigeria's Lagos Port Complex.

The bulk of investment at the APM-managed facility related to IT infrastructure development, manpower development, and the purchasing of new cargo handling equipment, the Lagos Daily Independent reports.

Chief among the purchases was the acquisition of a third Liebherr LHM 500 mobile harbour crane. Valued at $8 million, the new LHM 500 - scheduled to arrive by early-April - is expected to markedly enhance the terminal's operating capacity.

A number of rubber tyre gantry cranes was also introduced at the facility in March of this year, adding to the four STS cranes acquired during the first half of 2008.

(Source: www.Schednet.com)

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) continued to experience positive growth during the month of February and has recorded three consecutive months of increased trade through its ports.

“Three consecutive months of double-digit growth at the Georgia Ports Authority is a positive sign that overall market conditions have improved considerably since last year,” said executive director Curtis Foltz."

Superior services, logistics and facilities allow the GPA to grow its’ market and further establish Georgia’s ports as a strategic gateway in the South Atlantic.”

Overall tonnage for February 2010 reported gains of 29.7 percent, which brings the GPA’s year-to-date volume for the first eight months to a 2.7 percent increase compared with the same time period last year.

Container volume showed strong growth, posting a 20.6 percent increase in TEUs compared with the same period last year for a total of 202,620 TEUs in February 2010.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

The Port of Felixstowe is celebrating after winning one award, and being runner-up in a second category at Suffolk County Council’s ‘Creating the Greenest County Awards 2010’.

The port’s Travel Plan won the Business Transport Award at a ceremony attended by over 200 guests to celebrate the environmental excellence of businesses, schools, and community groups across Suffolk.

The Travel Plan seeks to reduce the environmental impact of the port’s 2,400 employees as they journey to and from work. As well as encouraging greater use of public transport, the Plan has reduced significantly the number of employees travelling in a Single-Occupancy Vehicles (SOV). The port has achieved this by launching a car-sharing website to encourage employees to ‘lift-share’, and by encouraging the use of alternative forms of transport.

Facilities at the port for cyclists, including refurbished cycle sheds and the provision of a cross-port cycle path, have also been improved.

The UK’s largest container port was also runner-up in the Business Waste category for its waste management system. The accolade recognised the port’s achievement in reducing the quantity of waste and recycling a greater proportion of the waste produced. Over 50% of the port’s waste is recycled and the scheme has so far diverted over 3,300 tonnes of waste from local landfill sites.

David Gledhill, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd (‘HPUK’), which owns the Port of Felixstowe commented:

“This award is a great credit to the environmental team here at the port. At HPUK, we take our commitment to our local community and to the environment very seriously. The Creating the Greenest County concept aligns with our aspirations of continuing our drive towards improved sustainability. Being a part of the ‘greenest county’, and as green as we can be, benefits our employees, our neighbours, the economy and the environment.”

The Suffolk port is also PERS certified and accredited by the IEMA Acorn Scheme. PERS (Port Environmental Review System) is a system administered by EcoPorts Foundation, which focuses on good practice for the port sector. The Acorn scheme is an Environment Management Scheme offering recognition for organisations evaluating and improving their environmental performance.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The supervisory board of the port of Marseille Fos authority has approved Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) as operator to develop its future Fos 4XL container terminal.

This move confirms the conclusion of a call for proposals process launched in February 2008, when the Port of Marseille Fos issued a tender call for the development of the new Fos 4XL container terminal.

The port authority said executive management was convinced by HPH’s “Twin Hub” concept. Fos 4XL will be developed by HPH Northern Europe as a “Twin Hub in the Med” of its Rotterdam facilities, linked to its “sister terminal” by a comprehensive multimodal network.

“This green and state-of-the-art terminal will support an ambitious strategy of Euro-Mediterranean consolidation” said Port of Marseille Fos officials.

Featuring a 1,200-metre quay and 75ha of yard space, the €600m investment will bring additional capacity of a minimum of 1m teu in Marseille Fos.

Details of the Fos 4XL operating concession will be discussed in the coming months. Construction and operation of the new terminal will be aligned with market demand and it is not expected that Fos 4XL will start commercial operations before 2017/2018.

(Source: Cargo Systems)

AIR CARGO demand rocketing in response to global economic recovery, says Lufthansa Cargo CEO Carsten Spohr.

"We are experiencing a marked upswing especially in Asia," he said in a statement. "Ongoing market developments are giving rise to a degree of optimism for 2010. The crisis has bottomed out and demand is rising steeply."

The Lufthansa group said in its recent annual report that it expects the cargo division to return to an operating profit by next year after posting a record loss of EUR171 million (US$233.6 million) for 2009.

As the global economy recovers, more goods are being shipped around the world and cargo planes are filling up again, said Reuters. IATA said last week it sees 2010 cargo demand growing by 12 per cent, more than making up for last year's slump. A third of world trade by value is in goods sent by air, so any uptick in air cargo volumes around the world indicates that the global economy is doing better.

Lufthansa Cargo also announced that it would reduce its short-work week programme in April and May and end it entirely in September, after the traditionally weaker summer months.

"Our strategy has paid off. At the very onset of the crisis, we quickly and drastically reduced our costs. We then selectively expanded capacity for customers so as to actively open up new markets," said Mr Spohr.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

AIR CHINA will launch its first non-stop flights between Beijing and Manila in May departing from Beijing Capital Airport at 0800 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and arriving at 0055 hrs the next day.

Flights to Beijing from Manila will depart at 0630 hrs local time on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and arrive at Beijing at 1110 hrs. The service will deploy a Boeing 738.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Wilhelmsen Ships Service in the Eastern Mediterranean has broken a milestone barrier for its Liferaft Exchange (LRE) programme. The 600th vessel has just changed over its liferafts in a scheme operated by Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s international network. The programme offers a popular dockside exchange service ensuring that in-date liferafts are always carried on board ship, eliminating delays caused by servicing.

It is almost three years since the LRE program was launched, and the momentum continues to build as more and more customers choose Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s solution. There are now 640 vessels using the LRE agreement in the Eastern Mediterranean Area. Approximately 2,500 liferafts have been exchanged on Greek and Cypriot vessels. Since 1 January 2010 100 new vessels have joined the programme.
”We are very optimistic about the future of the LRE programme,” comments Vangelis Taratsas, Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s Sales Manager for Greece. “It helps bring us closer to what we all want - to become the shaper of the maritime services industry. We are able to use our extensive customer reference list as a powerful sales tool in front of new potential customers.” He adds “The LRE operation is strongly supported by Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s technical expertise and sales team.”

(Source: Transport Weekly)

Global ship spares logistics specialist GAC Marine Logistics (GML) has opened a new office in Chennai, India to house its fast growing dedicated customer service team.
Chris Steibelt, Managing Director of GML says that the function has outgrown its initial start up office within six months: “With a capacity for 13 staff, GML now has greater flexibility to handle more of our international client portfolio as well as enhance our 24/7 coverage.”

The India Customer Service desk is led by Customer Service Manager Mrs Rajshree Kurup who has over fifteen years experience in the time-sensitive specialist field of ship spares logistics. The team works closely with other offices in the GML network located in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Greece, Rotterdam and Sao Paolo to ensure seamless delivery service.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

Siemens Mobility is to install a highly efficient traction power supply for the “Downtown Line”, Singapore’s new driverless metro line. The contract was awarded to Siemens by Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore, the local authority in charge of planning the mass rapid transit network for Singapore’s Ministry of Transport . Siemens will supply and install the complete medium-voltage and traction power supply system for this 40-km-long metro line. Some of the substations, installed with inverters, are capable of feeding surplus energy back into the power supply network, which improves both energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

The city-state of Singapore already operates a modern mass transportation system and is the world’s leader in driverless heavy metro systems. To hold this leading position, Singapore is investing in the expansion with a new metro line. With a route length of 40 kilometers and 33 stations, the Downtown Line will make a major contribution to improving daily commuter traffic as it will provide a direct connection between the northwestern and eastern parts of the city to the downtown business district and the Marina Bay. The metro line, which runs completely underground will carry up to 500,000 passengers daily and is expected to shorten travel times considerably. The Downtown line is to be completed in three phases, with the first phase scheduled to be completed in 2013.

“This order is an important milestone for our market positioning in Asia and underlines our leading position in terms of environmental-friendly technologies,” said Dr. Jörg Schneppendahl, head of the Complete Transportation business unit of Siemens Mobility.

Siemens Mobility is supplying the complete medium-voltage system, the traction power supply system and is responsible for project management, manufacture, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the power supply systems.

Efficient recovery of braking energy
Siemens will also install inverters on the new metro line. These inverters are used for the traction power supply of DC railways, where the exchange of energy between trains is often incomplete. Installed in the substations, the inverters transfer the surplus braking energy from the metro trains into the medium-voltage system. This energy can also be used to supply more distant electric loads such as rail vehicles operating on different line sections or even elevators, escalators and lighting systems.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

JAPAN's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and engine maker Akasaka Diesels have developed a filter to cut diesel particulate matter, the most dangerous form of ship pollution as it penetrates human lungs.

The filter was recently fitted to an MOL Group-operated coastal ferry, the Sunflower Kogane, for testing and the device removed up to 80 per cent of harmful particle matter.

The device is made of smaller silicon carbide ceramic fibre filters, a heating system that burns off accumulated matter to prevent clogging, thus enabling it to remain in constant service.

Based on the success of the recent test, MOL and Akasaka have decided to further upgrade the filter to ready it for installation on main and auxiliary engines in ocean vessels.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

PRIVATE security contractors shot and killed a Somali pirate in a gun fight that left two skiffs riddled with bullets, raising questions over who has jurisdiction over a growing number of armed security contractors on merchant ships in pirate infested waters.

The Panama flagged UAE-owned 2,886 ton Almezaan, with her 17-man crew, was 60 miles south of the pirate port of Haradheere en route to Mogadishu when it was attacked twice by seven pirates in two fast-moving skiffs.

The Almezaan was hijacked twice last year while making the same voyage. This time security contractors fired shots to repel the first attack but when the gang came in for a second approach the guards aimed to kill.

A Wikipedia under the ship's name, said the vessel has been attacked three times by Somali pirates.

The first attack and capture took place in May 2009, when the vessel, said to be taking wheat and used vehicles to Mogadishu, was captured and taken to Harardhere. It was released on May 6, reportedly without a ransom and after it was confirmed that it had been hired by a local trader.

Wikipedia also said the second attack was November 8, 2009. The ship was held off Garacad and released on November 19, after a ransom was paid. The ship was believed to be carrying small arms, ammunition, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades, but this was later denied by its Dubai-based the owners.

Most recently, one pirate was hit numerous times with small arms fire and the attacking skiffs were riddled with bullets, reported The Associated Press.

Despite a substantial naval presence, pirate attacks have not abated and the pirates have moved farther out to sea as the number of warships increase. The European Union Naval Force said guards aboard the Almezaan when pirates approached it twice before firing broke out.

The 3,600-ton Spanish frigate Navarra arrived and found seven pirates, including one dead from bullet wounds of a smaller calibre indicating he had been shot by security contractors aboard the multi-purpose Almezaan, and not by the larger calibre weapons aboard the helicopter gunship, said the EU's Cmdr John Harbour.

Spanish forces arrested the six surviving pirates, removed the dead pirate and sunk the larger mothership. Spain said it would return the body to the Somali government and transfer the suspects to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution if the cargo ship's crew identified the detainees as their attackers.

"This will be scrutinised," said Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the UN's anti-piracy programme. "Who are they responsible to? Somebody has been killed and someone has to give an accounting."

But Patrick Cullen, an international relations lecturer at the Barcelona-based International Politics Institute and the co-author of an upcoming book on private maritime security companies, said: "Regulating maritime security companies is a very grey area."

Crews are becoming adept at repelling attacks and many more shipowners are using private security guards. Pirates are becoming more aggressive in response, using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at ships to intimidate them into stopping.

In Somali waters, it is often difficult to distinguish between pirates and fishermen until the boats are very close. Maritime experts have expressed fears that security guards could open fire on bone fide fishermen.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

JAPANESE shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has announced the promotions of its president Akimitsu Ashida, who will become the chairman of the board, and its senior managing executive officer Koichi Muto, who will soon become the company's new president.

The new appointments will be confirmed by the board following the annual general meeting of shareholders on June 22, said a company statement.

Mr Muto, 56, was born in Aichi Prefecture toward the middle of the southeastern side of the main Honshu Island. He graduated from nearby Nagoya University with a bachelor of economics after which he joined MOL in 1976.

In June, 2008, he was made a member of the MOL board having been appointed senior managing executive officer, having been made a junior managing executive officer as a board member in 2007 after serving as a junior managing executive officer without board membership in 2006.

In June, 2004, Mr Muto was made executive officer and in 2003 was appointed general manager of the corporate planning division, before which he served as general manager of bulk carrier in 2003.

In April 1999, MOL merged with Navix Line Ltd and in June 1994, and Mr Muto was made managing director of MOL's German operation.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Copenhagen: The soon to be launched The Containership Co. has been granted an operating license in China. Franck Kayser, chief operating officer of TCC, said the Chinese Ministry of Transport had granted the company a license to operate liner services in China. The company has also chartered two boxships, the 2,900 teu vessel Champion and the 3,000 teu vessel California Senator. TCC plans to launch its first service between Taicang, China and Los Angeles on April 17.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Singapore: OCBC Investment Research has suspended its coverage of Rickmers Maritime as debt issues drag on. “In what is essentially a dragged-out and uncertain situation, we do not find offering a rating on Rickmers Maritime productive - as such we are suspending coverage of the trust,” said Meenal Kumar, analyst, OCBC Investment Research said in a note. Earlier this week auditors Pricewaterhouse Coopers questioned the shipping trust’s ability to continue to continue as a going concern causing Rickmers Maritime’s share price on the Singapore Exchange to plunge 25.6% over two days. The auditor noted the Singapore-listed shipping trust had $138m in unfulfilled capital commitments for not taking delivery of vessels and $780.7m in funding requirements over the next 12 months. Rickmers Maritime also had $128.7m in borrowings due over the next 12 months. “The key determinant of the outcome is how close the banks and the sponsor are to reaching an overall agreement,” OCBC said. Rickmers Maritime has been in discussions with its financiers for 12 months now, but is yet to reach agreement.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

More than 42 companies have acquired the bidding rules for the $812m port concession being offered by Costa Rica in Limón province.

The concession will be for a new port capable of handling panamax size vessels. Development will be in two phases: the first will create 900 metres of quay and the second a further 600 metres. Full implementation will be completed by 2016.

Source: Port Strategy

Poor port infrastructure complicates the development of transit freight traffic through the territory of the Russian Far East to Europe, Viktor Ishayev, the Russian President’s envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District said in an interview with Interfax agency.

"We hear sometimes that the railroad is unable to cope with the volumes, as rail cars accumulate at the ports. The railroad does its job pretty well. There is no infrastructure at ports yet. Someone there creams off revenues from each ton, kilogram but invests nothing in the development, building terminals ", Interfax quotes Viktor Ishayev as saying.

According to the envoy, the Far East region has been unable for many years to implement plans for transit flows due to the lack of port infrastructure development. "That's why we did not have the transit. Transits in the world are growing, while we’re having a reduction ", said Mr. Ishaev

Source: Port News

RN-Bunker (a subsidiary of Rosneft OJSC) became part of the Russian Association of Marine and River Bunker (RosMorRechBunker) PortNews IAA reports quoting the Association president Vitaly Kovalev. The Association board of directors in their March 25 decision admitted the two members RN-Bunker and NefteKhim-Bunker. According to Vitaly Kovalev, the Association bunker companies control about 70% of the bunkering services market at the Russian ports.

RosMorRechBunker Association was established on June 23, 2005 in St. Petersburg. It comprises more than 25 companies specializing in the supply of MFO to marine and river vessels, representing all the major shipping regions of Russia.

Source: Port News

Early this month a subsidiary of LUKOIL-BUNKER, LUKOIL-Bulgaria Bunker has provided MGO DMA 0,1 S max fuel for vessels at the port of Constanta (Romania), LUKOIL-BUNKER statement said.

LUKOIL-Bulgaria Bunker of LUKOIL-BUNKER is providing bunkering services in Bulgaria (Bourgas and Rosenets, Varna, Rousse, Lom and Vidin).

LUKOIL-Bunker LLC is a subsidiary of LUKOIL, the largest Russian oil company. The company specializes in fuel oil supply at the sea and river ports of Russia and Bulgaria, as well as the wholesale supply of marine fuel oil.

Source: Port News

Federal State Unitary Enterprise RosMorPort has announced bidding for the state contract for the development of technical documentation and construction of 8 marine terminals at the sea port of Sochi (Imeretinka, Adler, Kurgorodok, Khosta, Matsesta, Dagomys, Loo, Lazarevskoe), RosMorPort statement said. The contract worth some 919 million rubles.

The general construction design and renovation of 8 terminals project was completed by InzhTransStroy Corporation LLC jointly with Marine Transportation Projects LLC, Institute IMIDIS CJSC (Study of Bridges and Other Engineering Structures), RosIntekKo LLC, Center for Vehicle Safety Systems LLC. The project includes construction of 3 new marine terminals in Imeretinka, Matsesta and Dagomys, as well as reconstruction of the 5 existing terminals in Adler, Kurgorodok, Khosta, Lazarevskoye and Loo.

The completion of the terminals was reportedly scheduled in the I quarter of 2013.

The project would restore passenger service along the Black Sea coast, to boost tourism development in the Krasnodar region, as well as improve transport network between coastal settlements. The infrastructure building is carried out in accordance with the Russian Govt’s Program of Olympic Objects and Development of Sochi as Mountain Resort (December 29, 2007 N 991).

Source: Port News

Shanghai: Lloyd’s Register and the China Classification Society have teamed up to offer long-term technical support to China’s fast-expanding rail industry - and to target the international market as well. The development builds on as existing partnership agreement in the marine sector: CCS-LR Technical Services Ltd is a 50-50 joint venture between Lloyd’s Register Asia, a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group, and Far East Marine Surveyors Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CCS.

Li Kejun, the President of CCS, paid tribute to the "established foundation of co-operation" between CCS and Lloyd’s Register in the marine sector, and said further co-operation in the rail transport sector would fully utilise their combined reputations, brands, technology and international resources to support China’s rail construction boom.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

AP MOLLER-Maersk subsidiary Safmarine has announced it will terminate all Asia-Europe services, citing a desire to focus instead on its core continental lines from the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

The cessation will apply to all Asia-Europe strings, including those to Iberia, Northwest Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Italy. Asia-Africa lines meanwhile will remain unchanged, American Shipper reported.

Safmarine will ship its final Asia-Europe deliveries by June 30, though large accounts subject to contractual obligations would undergo a phased withdrawal through till the end of the year.

The withdrawal was not unexpected as the company said last summer it wished to cease transpacific operations due its inability to secure a profit.

(Source: Container Management)

DANISH shipping giant will add Vietnam on May 12 to its slow-steaming 14-ship Trans-Pacific 6 (TP6) service.

Maersk Line's announcement came just after Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and OOCL said that they will add a direct call at Vietnam's Cai Mep deepwater port to their South China Sea-Japan Express to the US west coast also starting in May.

The TP6 becomes the first Vietnam service with postpanamax ships, starting with the 9,000-TEU-Mathilde Maersk arriving on May 12 at the SP-PSA International Terminal in Vung Tau 50 miles south from Ho Chi Minh City at the mouth of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai River.

Eastbound, the rotation will be Tanjung Pelepas, Vung Tau, Shenzhen-Yantian, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles. The westbound rotation will be Los Angeles, Yokohama, Nagoya, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, and back to Tanjung Pelepas.

Service for southern Vietnam will continue on the westbound rotation for transshipment at Hong Kong for its feeder services. The carrier said Vietnam service to and from the US east coast will remain unchanged.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Safmarine announced the reintroduction of the ME 3 shipping service between the Mediterranean and West Central Asia.
According to Safmarine Liner Director, Jan Scheck, the reintroduction of the service is aligned with Safmarine’s plans to strengthen its presence in the dynamic Mediterranean/Black Sea region. It also supports Safmarine’s renewed focus on its core markets of the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.
The ME 3 service is being reintroduced as a dedicated product for the Mediterranean – Middle East/India trade after its temporary withdrawal in 2009. While offering best in class transit times, the new ME3 is designed for direct Turkey coverage with a direct call in Ambarli.
According to Scheck, “The focus of the revised ME 3 service is on providing an improved product, rather than on increasing capacity, hence the decision to add a direct call at Ambarli and to deploy smaller vessels on the revised service.”
The reintroduction of the ME 3 service also complements the product enhancements made to the ME1 service whereby the ports of Gioia Tauro and Port Said have been removed from ME 1 (since these will now be covered on ME3) and replaced with eastbound calls at Algeciras and Aqaba. The ME 1 service will also offer an exclusive, direct North Europe to Aqaba connection which will be the fastest in the market.
Says Scheck: “The combined product changes on ME 1 and ME 3 will also lead to an improved Intra-Middle East service as these services will provide more frequent departures from West and North India to Jebel Ali and the ports served in this region.
“Similarly we will be able to offer an additional weekly sailing from the Gulf area to Pipavav and Jawaharlal Nehru. The addition of Aqaba to the ME1 rotation will also enable a fast and direct service from Jordan to Jebel Ali and West and North India.”
Five vessels, with an average FFE of 1400, will be deployed on the ME 3 service, which will have a port rotation of: Pipavav (India) – Jawaharlal Nehru (India) – Jebel Ali (UAE) – Salalah (Oman) – Port Said (Egypt) – Ambarli (Turkey) – Gioia Tauro (Italy) – Port Said (Egypt) – Jebel Ali.
The first effective vessels in the new ME 3 rotation are:

• Westbound: Nedlloyd Asia 6LF/1006 departing Nhava Sheva on 11 April
• Eastbound: Nedlloyd Asia 6LF/1009 departing Ambarli on 29 April

First effective vessels in the new ME 1 rotation are:

• Westbound: Maersk Kithira 8KF/1006 departing Jebel Ali - 8 April
• Eastbound: Maersk Kimi 8JF/1007 departing Felixstowe (United Kingdom) - 18 April

(Source: Transport Weekly)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL), along with Akasaka Diesels Ltd, has developed a diesel particulate filter (DPF) for vessels that use marine heavy fuel oil, Exim News Service reports.

Tests showed that the device removed more than 80 per cent of particulate matter (PM) from diesel emissions.

In the test, a DPF was installed on the main engine of an MOL Group-operated coastal ferry, the Sunflower Kogane.

This test marked the first successful use of a self-regenerating DPF on a large vessel using marine heavy fuel oil.

The Sunflower Kogane (9,710 GT main engine: 9,267kw) is operated by the Diamond Ferry Co., Ltd, an MOL Group company.

The DPF includes filters made of silicon carbide ceramic fibres, which remove PM from the exhaust.

An internal heating system automatically burns off accumulated PM in the filter to eliminate clogging.

This eliminates the necessity for cleaning by seafarers and allows the filter to be used continuously.

Installation of the new DPF will potentially reduce soot emissions from vessels on ocean cargo routes as well as those entering and leaving ports and operating their engines while at berth, thus helping curtail possible effects of exhaust emissions.
Following the success of the experiment, MOL and Akasaka Diesels will further upgrade the DPF to ready the device for practical installation on diesel main engines and auxiliary engines of large-scale ocean-going vessels.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

THE China Shipping Development Company's net profit fell 80.2 per cent year on year to CNY1.06 billion (US$1.5 million) drawn from its 2009 revenues of CNY8.73 billion, a decline of 49.3 per cent.

The domestic business accounted for 61.9 per cent of the shipping revenues and international sales accounted for 38.1 per cent from shipping, according to its annual report.

Oil volumes made the biggest contribution - 57.6 per cent or CNY4.9 million to shipping revenue - up 21.4 per cent to 126.2 billion tonnes year on year. Bulk revenues were down 61.3 per cent to CNY3.6 million with volume down 23.8 per cent year on year to 95.4 billion tonnes.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

THE northern route of Hamburg Sud's European-Mediterranean service now includes a stop at Turkey's TCEEGE Terminal, prompting the cessation of a call on Izmir, another Turkish Aegean port, which will only be served on the route's southern leg.

The call at TCEEGE, a deep-water terminal with extensive seaward and landward capacity, is expected to help the company guarantee faster and congestion-free handling. With access to a nearby rail station linked to Turkey's northern industrial areas, the facility also benefits from the ability to serve as an intermodal hub.

The EMS also includes calls at Felixstowe, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Gothenburg, Aarhus, Antwerp, Alexandria, Piraeus, Beirut, Kumport, Gebze, Gioia Tauro, Valencia, Lattakia and Salerno.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Tokyo: MODEC, Inc, Mitsui & Co, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines have agreed to invest in the chartering of an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage & Offloading System) to the Brazilian national oil company (Petrobras). The facility is being supplied to Petrobras for use at the giant deepwater pre-salt oil field currently under development off the Brazilian coast.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines finalized their capital investment in the Dutch company Tupi Pilot MV22 B.V. (hereinafter “MV22”), the subsidiary established by MODEC, Inc. to undertake this project. Further, on 30th March 2010, MV22 procured the financing for the project from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and private Japanese banks and signed the loan agreement.

MODEC, Inc. has been converting an existing VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) tanker into an FPSO under the ownership of MV22 for charter to Petrobras. The FPSO is expected to be engaged in oil production for 15 years (with an annual extension option) at the pre-salt area oil field off the Brazilian coast and the operation will commence at Tupi area in the 4th quarter of 2010.

Off the Brazilian coast, the vast oil reserves lie beneath a layer of rock and salt at a depth of between 5,000 and 6,000 metres. It is estimated that more FPSOs will be required to fully develop the area. As the world’s first attempt to develop oil deposited beneath a layer of rock and salt, the oil industry shows strong interest on the progress of this project.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

New York: Containership owner Danaos Corp is in discussions with banks, shipyards and export credit agencies over financing for 26 newbuildings it has on order at Asian yards. John Coustas ceo of Danaos said the company was facing significant new-building installment payments during 2010 and 2011, for which we its does not currently have financing finalized. “We have been in discussions with our current lenders, export credit agencies and the shipyards constructing the 26 new containerships, which are scheduled to be delivered to us between this spring and mid-2012,” he said. The principal focus of the talks is addressing the cash requirements for 2010 and 2011. The shipowner has 26 panamax and post panamax boships on order. The orders comprise five newbuildings at Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry; nine at Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction; eight at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and two at Sungdong Shipyard.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Maersk Line will start imposing a $10 fee for “no-shows” on every container that shippers book for export on one of its trans-Pacific services that does not show up at the ports of Los Angeles and Oakland as of May 1.

Under the pilot scheme, Maersk Line will also pay shippers a compensation fee of $10 for every container that they have booked for export that gets “rolled” or bumped off an outbound ship at those ports as of May 1.

The pilot scheme is limited to cargo booked for export on Maersk Line’s TP-8 trans-Pacific service at the two ports.

“It’s a very small micro-pilot,” said Mary Ann Kotlarich, a spokeswoman for Maersk Line in the United States.

“It’s supposed to be a give and take,” she said. The fee would be imposed on containers “if they fail to arrive for loading for any kind of North American cargo that’s going to Asian ports. If we roll, we want to do something on that as well.”
The pilot scheme is limited to exempt commodities, such as waste paper and scrap metal.

“We are looking to see if we can start changing that customer behavior,” she said. About 25 percent of the cargo booked for export on Maersk Line fails to show up.
She said the carrier has been notifying its customers of the pilot scheme in the last two weeks.

Source: http://www.joc.com

Mumbai: Great Eastern Shipping has modified a double suezmax order at Hyundai Heavy Industries into a trio of VLCCs.

The private Indian firm ordered the suezmaxes at the height of the price scale back in June 2008 but has now successfully renegotiated for a series of 318,000 dwt ships to be delivered by April 2012.

The order marks a return to VLCC ownership for Great Eastern, which sold its last single hulled supertanker two years ago. No prices were mentioned by Great Eastern in this order rejig.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Nantong: Two seafarers are missing after an explosion and fire ripped through a liquefied natural gas carrier sailing from China. The 1995-built, 2,999 dwt, Golden Crux 18, operated by Daiichi Tanker Co, was at the mouth of the Yangtze River when an unexplained explosion ripped through its engine room. According to the Chinese authorities 12 of the ships 14 crew managed to abandon ship safely as fire rage uncontrollably through the vessel. However two Filipino seafarers are missing as a result of the explosion. Of the 12 rescued seafarers 11 were Filipinos and one was a Mynamar national. The Panama-flagged vessel was sailing from Nantong to South Korea at the time of the explosion.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

THE UK's Neptune Maritime Security has issued a statement stressing the need for professional security contractors to protect ships against Somali pirates after a group of sea-robbers were repelled recently with loss of life by armed guards aboard the Panamanian-lagged 2,886-ton Almezaan multi-purpose freighter.

"This recent incident serves to highlight the fact that maritime security is a specialist field, and one in which the margin for error is non-existent," said the statement from Neptune, a group of ex-Royal Marine Special Boat Service commandos who have set themselves up in business recently.

"Recent events can only be seen as a signal failure by certain parties to ensure that all laws governing the use of maritime security were followed," said the statement.

The statement said that they were subject to international laws and not the pirates. "Recognition of this special status is at the core of Neptune Maritime Security's selection and operating procedures," said the statement.

"We at Neptune Maritime Security can assure clients that incidents like this most recent one in the Gulf of Aden are mitigated by our specialists before they even set sail," said the group organised by ex-Royal Navy/Royal Marine Special Boat Service commandoes.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

THE Irish Continental Group, (ICG) a container shipping and ro-ro ferry company, suffered a 25.7 per cent box volume decline in 2009, but found that its ferry business suffered little in the global economic downturn.

"People are not letting the economy affect their social habits as regards travel whereas their buying strategy has influenced a marked downturn in freight traffic," said the company statement.

Dublin-based ICG's pre-tax profits fell 24 per cent to EUR50.7 million (US$67.5 million) drawn on revenues of EUR260.5 million, themselves down 23.2 per cent from 2008 sales of EUR342.9 million.

ICG chairman John McGucklan said while passenger volume dropped only 2.7 per cent and cars a slimmer 0.3 per cent, ro-ro traffic fell 18.7 per cent and container throughput was down 25.7 per cent.

Mr McGucklan said that despite the challenges that all shipping groups would face in 2010 he was confident that the restructuring carried out in the recent past together with the substantial investments in modern tonnage and terminal facilities would enable the group to compete aggressively in a tough market.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

MV Delmas Nacala and FV Reiman beat off sustained pirate attacks on the evening of March 31st, the attacks being conducted by two separate Pirate Action Groups (PAG), Eu Navfor Public Affairs Office reported.

The attack on the MV Delmas, Antigua and Bermuda flagged 22525-dwt ships, came in the early evening of March 31st some 600 n. miles east of the Seychelles. Two attack skiffs were identified by the ship, which started maneuvering and increased speed. The pirate boats pursued the Delmas and opened small arms, RPG fire. Delman resisted with appropriate counter maneuvers and increased speed. All the crew are reported safe and well.

The same evening, roughly 600 n. miles to the North West of the Delmas attack, a separate Pirate Action Group assaulted the FV Reiman. Reiman, a Taiwan-flagged merchant ship, with Indonesian and Taiwanese nationals crew, spotted a mother boat which began an assault shooting small arms fire. The Reiman also applied speed and maneuver tactics to evade and drive off this attack. In this case the crew were safe and well although one crew member has an injury to his leg.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

(Source: Port News)

Joint venture with existing agent Crescent begins operations April 6
MISC Berhad will open its own shipping agency in India as a joint venture with its existing third party agent, Crescent Shipping Agency India Ltd.

The new company, MISC Agencies India Pvt. Ltd., will start operating April 6.

The Malaysia-based carrier said the Indian unit will initially handle agency responsibilities at Mumbai and New Delhi, with Mumbai-based Crescent covering all other locations.

MISC connects the key ports of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) and Pipavav on its independently-operated Halal Express Service with two loops. The weekly Halal Express, deploying a total of 12 vessels, covers the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East trade lanes.

The carrier, part of state-owned Petronas, recently launched the East India Container Service, linking Yangon, Myanmar, and Chennai, a major gateway on India’s east coast.

(Source: Journal of Commerce)

Evasive maneuvers, military assistance safeguard vessels
Pirates attacked two merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden in the last two days, but both ships escaped.

One of “K” Line’s container ships, the Hamburg Bridge, was attacked and fired on by pirates in a high-speed boat about 250 miles east of the Gulf of Aden in the late afternoon on Monday.

“K” Line said the ship sustained some minor damage to the hull, but quickly accelerated and took evasive maneuvers. After about 45 minutes, the pirates ended the pursuit.

“K” Line said none of the crew aboard the Panamanian-flag ship was injured in the attack and no oil leaked from the hull.

In a separate incident on Sunday, six pirates aboard two skiffs fired rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at the Torm Ragnhild but were unable to gain control of the ship.

After the Danish-flag chemical tanker sent a distress signal, a nearby French aircraft flew to the location where the ship was trying to evade the attackers by speeding up, zig-zagging and spraying its fire hose, the multinational anti-piracy force said on Monday.

"The skiffs broke off their attack after sighting the aircraft," the statement said, adding that a Japanese aircraft spotted the pirates' mother ship in the vicinity, identifying it as an Indian-flag dhow named Safina Al-Gayatri.

The Turkish warship TCG Gelibolu shadowed the Safina as it carried the skiffs to Somalia's coast, where the pirates abandoned the dhow, said the anti-piracy force, which is based with the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain.

(Source: Journal of Commerce)

Brisbane: Salvors have started an internal transfer of fuel oil onboard the bulker Shen Neng 1 stricken on the Great Barrier Reef. Bunker oil is being transferred within the Cosco-owned ship to stabilise it before an attempt to refloat the vessel. “This morning we’ll again get on with transferring oil from vulnerable tanks to more secure tanks to minimise the risk of further oil spilling into the water,” said Patrick Quirk, general manager, Queensland Maritime Safety. “This can initially be done during daylight hours so that we can see and take care of any oil which could enter the water during this process however our aim is for zero damage.” Once fuel has been transferred internally the process of a ship-to-ship transfer is expected to start in the next 24 to 48 hours. “Any reports that we’re ‘refloating’ the ship today are probably a little premature – safely refloating the ship is the goal of course but transferring the oil is the next stage in our step-by-step risk-based approach,” he said.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

The Dutch navy claimed a rare victory in the war against international piracy earlier in the week after marines abseiled from a helicopter to seize control of a captured container ship following a shootout with Somali hijackers, the Independent reported.

One Dutch marine was slightly injured during the storming of the German ship MS Taipan, which had been boarded early on Monday by 10 Somali pirates from small boats armed with machine guns. The 15-man German crew of MS Taipan had radioed for help after taking refuge in a secure cabin on board the ship.

The Dutch frigate Tromp was called to the scene and caught up with the MS Taipan some 560 miles off the Somali coast because the German crew had managed to shut down the ship's engines. The vessel was almost at a standstill as the pirates boarded, the Dutch navy said.

Despite the damage to the ship's bridge, the MS Taipan was then able to continue its voyage from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Djibouti. The marines detained the 10 Somali pirates on board the ship.

The raid was described as an exceptional feat as most attempts to stop piracy on the high seas usually result in captured ships being left in the hands of their hijackers because of fears for the safety of the crew.

Piracy increased globally by 40 percent last year, with almost half of the 406 incidents attributed to Somalis.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and its lawless coastline is a haven for pirates. At least 17 ships and more than 240 crew are believed to be held by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Large ransoms have become a way to make money in the impoverished nation.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

RUSSIAN agri-industrial exporter Sodrugestvo-Soya has conducted the first successful test of a single-box rail-to-ferry system near Kaliningrad, which, once operational, can save shippers up to 25 per cent on delivery costs.

The test was conducted using four specialised containers provided by Transcontainer, each of which contained a meal-feed shipment. The boxes were sent by rail from Shpovka Station to Baltiysk, where they were loaded on to a rail ferry and sent to the port at Ust-Luga. From there, the shipment was transported along the Kaliningrad Railway line to TransContainer's terminal at Kuntsevo-2 station. Trucks then hauled the boxes for the remainder of the journey.

The intermodal system, although complicated, is susceptible to much lower tariff rates, and is expected to help exporters significantly cut back on transportation costs.

The Ust-Luga-Baltiysk ferry line is a federal project designed to link the east-west supply chain by serving as an access point for road transport, rail transport, and large roll-on/roll-off vessels.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on Line)

'This customer-centric move focuses on the market-oriented adjustment of Evergreen Line’s existing global service network,’ said a company spokesperson.  ‘Cargo can be easily connected into Evergreen's global liner network to help customers deliver better and quicker results.'

The US West Coast - Asia - Mediterranean (UAM) service, starting on May 10 from Kaohsiung, will replace current Asia-Pacific-North West Coast (PNM) and Far-East Mediterranean (FEM) services, which were introduced last October as an interim measure.

The UAM service will operate with a total of 14 U-type (5,364teu) vessels.  The first vessel to depart will be ‘Ever Unison 0132-104e’ from Kaohsiung on May 10, 2010. The first sailing from the Port of Tacoma will be May 23. 

The port rotation is as follows:
Tacoma - Vancouver - Tokyo - Osaka - Qingdao - Shanghai - Ningbo - Kaohsiung - Hong Kong - Yantian - Tanjung Pelepas - Colombo - Ashdod - Alexandria - Taranto - Genoa - Barcelona - Valencia - Taranto - Colombo - Tanjung Pelepas - Kaohsiung - Hong Kong - Yantian - Shanghai - Ningbo - Tacoma.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on Line)

“The Inchcape 23 will be a welcome addition to the Middle East fleet,” said Chris Stone, Executive Vice President - Middle East & India. “We plan to put her to good use supporting our marine services activities in the Gulf region."

The vessel was built by Lyme Boats of Exeter and is classed with Lloyd’s Register. With an overall length of 22.50 metres, the aluminium vessel is powered by twin 670 BHP Caterpillar diesels and operates at a service speed of 22 knots. She has a personnel carrying capacity of 23 and can carry 25 tons of cargo on her after deck.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on Line)

OOCL also announced that from all Asian countries except Japan to Hong Kong, Macau and South China there will be a currency adjustment factor (CAF) for all dry and reefer cargo of $20 per TEU, $30 per FEU and $30 per 40-foot high cube containers from May 1.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

"Ten to 12 years ago, we had a very high level of activity in this area but after the tiger crisis, much of the cargo base disappeared. In 2009, we decided to take a closer look at certain markets. We were recently awarded new business out of the area and have already established two new services catering for exports," said Per Folkesson, Hoegh Autoliners' head of region south Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa.

"In trying to establish a first class service portfolio, we believe it is critical to have an agency network supporting us, which can provide regional synergies. In Jardine, we believe that we have found the right partner," said Mr Folkesson.

Said Jardine Shipping Services CEO Terence Sit: "From our network of offices across the region, we look forward to providing ro/ro customers with the exemplary levels of service and customer care for which Hoegh Autoliners is widely recognised."

Under the deal, Jardine will provide port agency, logistics, sales and customer services.

Hoegh Autoliners is an international provider of ro/ro vehicle transportation services with 1,350 employees, which globally operates 40 PCTCs (Pure Car and Truck Carriers) through a worldwide network of 33 offices in four regions. It transports around 1.5 million car equivalent units (CEU) every year.

Jardine Shipping Services is a subsidiary of the Jardine Matheson Group and has been in business for over 150 years. It offers liner agency, port agency, logistics and other shipping related services in the Asia Pacific region through its network of 59 offices.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Throughput at the Group’s flagship terminal in Singapore declined 13.1% over the previous year but its contribution of 25.1m teu helped Singapore retain its position as the world’s busiest container port for the fifth consecutive year.

The Group’s terminals outside Singapore recorded total throughput of 31.8m teu, 7.1% lower than 2008, the smaller decline being explained by some countries, such as China, being less affected by the global crisis as well as the contribution from new port start-ups in Chennai and Vietnam.

Overall the Group’s revenue dropped 12.7% mirroring the volume decreases, while net profit suffered a comparatively smaller decline of 6.1% as a result of controls on capital expenditure and cost-cutting measures implemented since the end of 2008.

The Annual Report states that despite the challenging conditions, PSA’s balance sheet remains on a firm footing with a gross debt equity ratio of 1.13 times at the end of 2009.

“2009 would be remembered as one of the world’s most difficult years with the near meltdown of the financial markets resulting in a global recession and a plunge in world trade. Like everyone else, PSA was adversely affected,” said Fock Siew Wah, PSA group chairman.

“As we enter the new year, we retain a very cautious outlook and are not sanguine about a swift recover,” he added.

Referring to 2009 being the year of the Bull in the Chinese Zodiac, Eddie Teh, group CEO said that the year had turned out to be “a year of unprecedented hardship and challenges for the port and shipping industries”.

“PSA was not spared as the Group saw its first ever decline in containers handled across its 28 ports worldwide. The last two months of 2009 and the first two months of 2010 showed tentative signs of recovery but all indications point towards a slow and drawn out recovery with different regions rebounding at different rates,” he said.

“The fear remains that a macro-economic storm will be inevitable to clear all the excess global production capacity that was created,” warned Teh.

(Source: Seatrade Asia)

The third party agent Mumbai-based Crescent Shipping will cover services all locations in India.

The carrier recently launched its weekly East India Service (EIS) between east India and Myanmar with routes from Yangon, Chennai, Colombo, Chennai and back to Yangon. This adds to its weekly halal express service (HES) in Colombo, which covers the Far East, southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East trade lanes with 12 vessels.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Total new deliveries for the year are expected expand the global fleet by as much as 9.6 per cent, Paris-based Alphaliner analysts have reported, with April orders alone set to account for an additional 150,000 TEU.

The rise in capacity is being met by a rise in demand. Sixteen new April ships, each over 5,000 TEU, have been assigned to new loops because of new ship purchases with Geneva's MSC expecting two new 14,000 TEU ships.

Continued slow steaming in response to high fuel costs, combined with the approach of the peak season have also absorbed a large part of the new supply.

The number of ships left idle now amount to less than nine per cent of the global fleet.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

"Let us keep making every effort to reach a consolidated ordinary profit of JPY100 billion (US$1.05 billion) for FY2010, and a consolidated ordinary profit of JPY150 billion FY2012," he said in a speech marking the company's 126th anniversary.

Using analogies of the rai-cho snow grouse weathering harsh winters, but soaring in springtime, and to the first millennium Japanese general Sakaro, who successfully deployed warships that could speedily reverse themselves, Mr Ashidad outlined MOL tactics past, present and future.

Mission Sakaro, he said, involved reducing the size of fleets in the face of oversupply and diminished demand. It was now being superseded by Operation Gear-Up, in which first move was to increase the company's current reduced speed of one to two knots to a figurative 10 knots in coming months.

"We ended FY2009 in the black, while the world's other major ocean shipping companies fell into the red. This has validated my belief in the benefit of what I term 'centipede management', that is, diversifying risks by having multiple business sectors - the many legs" of a centipede so that any weakness in one or more "legs" does not cripple or hinder the organisation as a whole," he said.

"The containership business, which had no choice but to suffer large deficits due to the severity of the economic recession, is now conserving its strength like the rai-cho in winter, and preparing to welcome the return of spring through the scaling-back of its fleet size to the minimum required operational level, ongoing cost saving efforts, and making attempts to stimulate a self-sustaining market recovery," said Mr Ashidad.

"They are also taking steps such as slow-steaming to reduce fuel consumption. I really expect the containership business, by taking a leaf from the behaviour of the rai-cho, to achieve a turnaround in the term of this plan and once again fly high in the warmth of spring," he said.

"The most urgent task facing us is to return the container business sector to a robust and healthy state. Needless to say, it is very important that the brain and body of the centipede, that is all levels of administrative support, give their utmost support to the various business sectors and remain active at a high operational level," added Mr Ashidad.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

A demonstration by Greenpeace protesters, which involved chaining themselves to the mooring ropes, induced the shipping line to surrender the cargo to Dutch officials.

Environmentalists say trading in whales is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), an agreement of which Netherlands has signed, but neither Japan nor Iceland have. While contracting states agree to the principles of CITES, the convention does not have the force of law and is not a binding treaty, according to the Wikipedia entry.

Despite vessel's papers approved by port custom officials the containers were removed from the ship.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

The one-over-three diesel electric vehicle has single and twin-lift capacity of 40.6 tonnes and 50 tonnes respectively under the spreader, which has full side-to-side shift of +/- 290 mm and a seven degree maximum skew.

With a working full-load lift speed of 18m/min and 26m/min with empties, the vehicle has a top driving speed of 25kph. It is powered by a Volvo-Penta Stage IIIA compliant T8012 engine, producing a continuous power output of 375 Kw from the gen-set.

To avoid the need to have lines on the legs and pumps up high, Liebherr has located the electric motors and tanks operating all hydraulics for the travel drive on each sill beams, giving faster response time, performance and ease of maintenance. As a result, the driver’s cab uses drive-by wire technology for steering and braking.

The Killarney plant developed its first proto-type three years ago, which has since undergone extensive field testing at Belfast Container Terminal (BCT). This was followed by a second and subsequently a third unit, produced last year, each incorporating modifications identified during test operations. All three test models are still fully operational at BCT.

(Source: Container Management)

MSC said it has been giving 14 days free time, but the practice was limiting the number of containers at a time of shortage.

"Due to the global shortage of equipment and the need for faster turnaround times for MSC's containers, MSC can no longer afford to tie down its equipment for longer than its stipulated tariff free-time," the company said in a notice to trade.

Exceptions will be made when proven necessity can be demonstrated, said MSC.

(Source: Schednet)

"Damage to containers is a problem that affects all of us. When a container is returned to us damaged, it has to be repaired - which entails both direct and indirect repair costs," said Maersk.

(Source: Schednet)

Evergreen chairman Chang Yung-fa released the information in an interview in a Japanese newspaper, and US Evergreen spokeswoman May Barbara Yeninas confirmed the report, said American Shipper.

Mr Chang said the company is considering 32 ships in the 8,000 TEU range, 20 in the 7,024-TEU range, 20 in the 5,364-TEU range and 20 feeders of 2,000-TEU.

Paris based Alphaliner says Evergreen is the world's fifth-largest container line, with 148 ships of 551,490 TEU, including 87 owned ships of 319,263 TEU and 61 of 232,227 TEU.

(Source: Schednet)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

OOCL also announced that from all Asian countries except Japan to Hong Kong, Macau and South China there will be a currency adjustment factor (CAF) for all dry and reefer cargo of $ 20 per TEU, $ 30 per FEU and $ 30 per 40-foot high cube containers from May 1.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

“The current supply and demand balance remains fragile,” Morten H. Engelstoft, chief operating officer at Maersk Line, told the annual Containerisation International Global Liner Shipping Conference in London.

Engelstoft said the reported increase of just more than 1 percent in U.S. retail sales in February far outpaced growth in U.S. containerized import volume. “So apparently restocking is the driver of the increase in demand,” he said.

Because of that, “We do see continued demand growing more slowly than what we are seeing in the first half of this year,” Engelstoft said.

That would be poor news for ocean carriers depending on strong demand expansion in the coming peak season to help push through continued rate increases. Engelstoft said despite rapid growth from last year’s historic lows, prices remain below what carriers need to maintain profitability.

“Rate increases and rate levels remain at a fragile level,” he said. “We see rate levels being at about a break-even level. But no one is in this business to operate at something less than profitable level.”

Maersk, the world’s largest containership operator, lost $2.088 billion last year, partly the result of what the carrier said was a 28 percent decline in average rates in 2009 from the year before.

Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates, author of the Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation said he was more upbeat, forecasting 11 to 12 percent growth this year for trans-Pacific imports.

“The importers are being very cautious,” he said, but “stocks are still thin and consumers are coming back, as we see in the March numbers on retail sales that were just released. I think the second half of 2010 will be relatively strong.”

(Source: JOC)

Empty containers must be shuffled around the world to be refilled, requiring millions of ship, truck and rail journeys that yield no revenue.

"It's a huge expense, a huge headache for the industry," said Neil Davidson of London-based Drewry Shipping Consultants. The net cost of moving empties is around US$7 billion a year, said analysts.

The possible solution: a mass-market foldable shipping container.

Industry officials say trucks, trains, barges and ships could carry four times as many containers if they were folded and stacked on top of each other. That would cut the cost of moving empties by as much as 75 percent, saving billions of dollars, say analysts and the makers of the foldable containers.

The world's biggest container shippers, including AP Moeller-Maersk, CMA-CGM, NYK Line and Evergreen Group, say they are waiting for proof that foldable containers work and are affordable before they will commit to investing.

Because of their complexity, foldable containers would cost at least $4,000 each, roughly double the cost of normal containers. The boxes must be able to withstand the heat, cold and salt water of the high seas, and the rough handling of dock cranes.

On ships, containers are stacked up to 10 deep, so each one needs to be able to withstand 350 tonnes of weight. They also must work within the standardised systems used worldwide in highly automated ports.

After decades of attempts, recent engineering developments, society's need for a greener product and shippers' need to save fuel costs are bringing the foldable containers nearer to market.
Compounding the push has been the huge global trade boom of the 2000s, fuelled by China joining the World Trade Organisation and boosting exports to $1.2 trillion in 2009 from $249.7 billion in 2000. The number of shipping containers doubled as the industry grew at 10 per cent a year, to roughly 16 million.

The shipping container -- a steel, rectangular box usually 20 or 40 feet long (six to 12 meters) -- is the building block of global trade, greatly raising the productivity and efficiency of shipping and port operations since coming into use in 1957.
Cutting the expense of moving empties would raise profit margins at a time when the shipping industry is reeling from the financial crisis -- the industry reported losses of about $20 billion last year, according to Drewry.

"It would solve a lot of problems," says Davidson. "But it comes down to economics and engineering: Can you make it work?"

Since the 1970s, there have been several efforts to crack the puzzle. In the first, an Australian company developed a container in which all the sides detached. But the sides kept getting separated from each other, and the container never caught on. There were other unsuccessful attempts in the 1980s and 1990s -- they were too heavy, or fell apart or took too long to put together.

Engineers say recent innovations, to make reinforced steel lighter and composite glass sturdier and more flexible, as well as new design ideas, can meet the technical challenges.

Rene Giesbers, heir to a central-heating fortune in Rotterdam, in 2007 designed a composite fiberglass container and started a company, Cargoshell. He is hoping for help from the Dutch government in the form of a green label that would give companies buying his container tax breaks.

The container's vertical walls fold inwards, giving it an X shape as it collapses on itself. He says his container saves 75 percent of the fuel needed to transport it, and says the material is as strong as steel but won't rust and requires less maintenance. He says he has a contract with a manufacturer and plans on selling the first containers by this summer.

Boston-based Compact Container Systems has also come up with a design for a container that also folds by hinging at its side walls. It demonstrated its first prototype at a trade fair in November and is now working on revisions.

Simon Bosschieter, a 28-year-old engineer from the Netherlands, designed a container with folding walls that slide into each other. He says his company, Holland Container Innovations in Delft, has a manufacturing partner and is planning to put its first containers on the market by this summer. He says the containers are made with a steel alloy and are sturdier than others.

Indian banker Avinder Bindra designed a container that, like HCI's, has sliding walls. But his folded containers are stacked vertically instead of horizontally, which he says makes them more balanced and makes it possible to use standard lifting equipment to move the stacks. His company, Simpri Investments, is in the final stages of completing a prototype, he says.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Asked about the one-sided nature of the debate, WISTA-UK spokesman James Brewer said: "There were two speakers for and two against. The only real contra speech was by Andrew Griffiths. He felt they were unsuited to be high-level leaders in the Royal Navy. So there was no clear opposition."

After the debate Jim Davis chairman of the proceedings and head of International Maritime Industries Forum, concluded that attitudes to women as ships captains was changing.

"By a process of osmosis, the position of women in the world is becoming almost the same as that of men," he said.

Backing the motion, Susan Hawker, principal lecturer in international trade at London Metropolitan University, said women were suited to the challenge of leadership despite social distractions of creating families.

"We should not need reminding how capable women are; in a far shorter time than men, they have made it to the top. Women have become prominent at every level," she said.

Allan Ashby, of Ashby Marine Consultancy, supported this claim that leadership and less likely to take risks, which makes them more suited to the kinder and gentler shipping industry of today.@FAXTEXT What opposition there was came from Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Andrew Griffiths, who said: "We are equal, but we are different. We have never had a woman commanding a ship at sea, or rise to the rank of admiral. I do not see many Lord Nelsons or Thomas Cochranes coming forward."

(Source: www.Schednet.net)

Under the terms of the concession agreement with PSA, three companies were assigned to undertake port operations, marine services and a free zone for warehousing and developing a duty-free industrial zone, the report said.

(Source: www.Schednet.net)

The OOCL London was named by sponsor Lady Rebecca Jane Purves, wife of Sir William Purves, former Group Chairman of HSBC.

Mr CC Tung, Chairman and CEO of OOIL Group, hosted the ceremony which was held at Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island.  Guests of honour included Mr I S Roh, President and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries and Mr SY Bae, President and Shipyard General Manager of Samsung Heavy Industries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Tung said, “Throughout the recession, OOCL has maintained our commitment to deliver superior customer service, working with our customers to sustain and enhance their supply chains in a rapidly changing environment. In this endeavour, we are extremely fortunate to have dedicated partners such as Samsung Heavy Industries. The efficient service and excellent quality vessels built by Samsung Heavy Industries have helped OOCL maintain our competitive edge through good times and bad.”

Mr Tung added, “We are pleased to see that after a very tough year for the container shipping industry in 2009, demand seems to be recovering, albeit tentatively. However, many uncertainties remain and the industry is still looking at a tremendous capacity overhang. It could be three to four years before the supply and demand balance reaches equilibrium. We will continue to listen to our customers’ needs and provide sufficient tonnage to cover demand.”

The OOCL London will be deployed on the EU Loop C service, in response to the recovery of demand on the Asia-Europe trade.

The port rotation is: Rotterdam / Hamburg / Southampton / Singapore / Shekou / Hong Kong / Kaohsiung /Ningbo / Shanghai / Xiamen / Kaohsiung / Hong Kong / Shekou / Singapore / Port Kelang / Southampton and back to Rotterdam in a 70-day round trip.

 (Source: Container Management)

The BDI reached on November 19th 4661 points, the Index maximum for 2009. In May, 2008 BDI gained its highest level ever, more than 11700 points, beginning its slump in mid-July the same year. In Dec.5, 2008 it was at 663 pts, a minimum BDI rate.

BDI is an index that reflects changes in the value of the marine transportation of raw materials: metal, iron ore, coal and grain. The index includes three other indexes of freight rates, different sizes of ships for which they are calculated - Capesize, Supramax and Panamax. Dynamics of changes in BDI allows investors and market traders to analyze major trends in world demand and supply. Often the index is considered as the main indicator of future economic growth (if the index increases) or recession (if it falls), since the raw material on which the index is calculated, has a low potential for speculative operations.

 (Source: Port News)

The Chinese carrier will start adding the larger capacity vessels to the string on April 24 and phase all of them in by the end of May.

In addition, Cosco will add a port call at Ningbo into the CEN service, which it operates as part of the CKYH Alliance (Cosco, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin).

“Although we are still in a very challenging market financially, we have had many requests from both importers and exporters to restore capacity on this popular trade route and to consider adding a Ningbo call,” said a spokesman for Cosco USA.

“It should be noted however, that we are still in a precarious position as far as current freight levels and the rising cost of moving cargo,” the spokesman said.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we will see some freight growth this year and hope that freight levels can increase to the point that further capacity can return to our trans-Pacific services," he said.

 (Source: Port News)

From May 7, the Mozambique Zuid Africa Service (MZX) will cover Durban, currently served by the Asia-East Coast South America Service (CSW). MZX frequency will also be increased from 10 days to seven, but in doing so will drop Indian Ocean Island port calls, which will then be covered by a new dedicated service, the Indian Ocean Islands Express (IOX).

The southbound CSW service will call at the new Ngqura port, 20 kilometres from Port Elizabeth, instead of Durban. MOL will also set up a new Angola Shuttle (AOS) to meet rising demand from Luanda.

"One major objectives in MOL's new mid-term "Gear Up! MOL" management plan, is to focus on emerging trades and countries. We are the only Asian carrier that calls at the port of Ngqura as a hub port, which not only accommodates much larger ships, but is also designed to offer efficient transshipment," said MOL's liner manager TK Konishi.

Said Transnet terminals operations chief Nosipho Damasane: "Transnet Port Terminals looks forward to MOL's development in Ngqura and to the growth of partnership to both companies' mutual benefit."

The new service rotation for the Asia-East Coast South Africa service (CSW) is: Xingang, Dalian, Qingdao, Busan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ngqura, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paranagua, Sao Francisco Do Sul, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Ngqura, Singapore, Hong Kong and back to Xingang.

With the new second call at Ngqura, which only opened last October, on its intra-Africa service, the revised SWX rotation will be: Durban, Ngqura, Cape Town, Walvis Bay, Abidjan, Tema, Lome, Cotonou, Douala, Ngqura and back Durban. This commences with the sailing of the MOL Heritage (Voy 0902A) on May 21 from Durban.

The new MZX service cuts out the Indian Ocean Islands at Port Louis, Reunion and Tamatave, but soon will include a call at Port Klang with a new rotation of Singapore, Durban, Maputo, Port Klang and Singapore starting May 8.

The Angola Shuttle Service (AOS) will have the following rotation: Ngqura, Luanda and Ngqura. It commences with the sailing of the MOL Silver Fern (Voy. 0011A) on June 4 from Ngqura.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

The joint service will be called INDFEX 1 and will use five 4,000 TEU vessels, with Wan Hai supplying two and the other partners one ship each.

The port rotation will be Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Kelang, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Port Kelang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pusan.

(Source: Port Strategy)

"K" Line will add both Savannah and Jacksonville to AWE-4, one of its Asia-North America East Coast service loops.

"K" Line is a member of the CKYH Alliance that also includes COSCO, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping.

"We welcome the AWE-4 service to Savannah and look forward to working with all of the carriers participating in the service, along with the cargo owners that make up this excellent new opportunity," said Curtis Foltz, GPA executive director.

The new service will deploy nine vessels, each with a 5,500 container capacity, in cooperation with Mitsui OSK Lines - seven operated by "K" Line and two by MOL.

The port rotation includes: Ho Chi Minh, Shekou, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Savannah, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

With this in mind, the report makes recommendations regarding the duration of Operation Atalanta, the World Food Programme and the vessels being used by the programme and contributions from the insurance and shipping industries to combating pirates in the region

Methods used by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean remain basic. The success of Operation Atalanta and other efforts means that pirates have been forced to operate further offshore in the Indian Ocean, increasing their risk of detection as they have to use larger vessels. Given this displacement of piracy further into the Indian Ocean, it is all the more important that Atalanta has the right capabilities.

The report agrees with the increasingly robust action taken against pirates by Atalanta forces, arguing that there is a need to change the perceived risk/reward ratio for pirate activity. It welcomes the EU’s agreements with Kenya and the Seychelles to prosecute pirates, and the negotiations now taking place with other states in the region and is waiting see the number of successful prosecutions that will result.

The report argues that there will be no solution to the problem of piracy without a solution to the root causes of the conflict on land in Somalia. Accordingly it supports EU efforts to deal with Somalia’s problems by building up the security sector in line with democratic norms, providing humanitarian assistance and assisting the authorities in Somaliland to strengthen their coastguards.

If the piracy problems of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean are not robustly tackled, there will be copy-cat piracy elsewhere on the world’s shipping lanes adjacent to failed states or regions where a government’s writ fails to reach.

The report, which will be available online shortly at: http://www.parliament.uk/hleuc/ also identifies capability shortfalls which prevent improvements to the effectiveness of Atalanta, including airborne surveillance medical facilities and tanker support for re-fuelling.

(Source: Container Management)

(Source: Transport Weekly)

(Source: Transport Weekly)

To retain weekly service, the New Falcon loop will add two ships to the six 2,500-TEU vessels to include calls at Gioia Tauro and Valencia.

The revised rotation will be Singapore, Bandar Abbas, Jebel Ali, Damman, Jubail, Jebel Ali, Salalah, Gioia Tauro, Valencia, Salalah, Colombo and back to Singapore.

This is the second service between Asia and the Middle-East to be extended to Europe, reported Containerisation International, the first being UASC's AGX1 service, which reportedly will become a re-instated AEC1 service to north Europe.

According to MDS Transmodal, cargo growth from Asia to the Middle-East and south Asia is expected to increase 16.2 per cent to 4.7 million TEU this year and 25.7 per cent to 1.5 million TEU on the return leg.

From the Mideast-south Asia to Europe, volume is expected to rise 2.5 per cent to 1.4 million TEU and increase 3.6 per cent to 2.2 million TEU on the return leg.

The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index posts the average spot rate from Shanghai to Dubai on April 9 was set at US$705 per TEU, seven per cent higher than in mid-October. From Shanghai to the western Med, it was 44 per cent higher at $1,846 per TEU.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

PIL's 4,250-TEU Kota Labai, with 400 reefer plugs, docked at Hamburg on April 15 where 2,032 TEU were loaded and unloaded at the HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT), marking the termination of the first voyage of the resumed service. The next FES ship, the same-sized Wan Hai 510, arrives on April 22.

The FES service had been suspended at the end of 2008 and replaced with a slot charter operation. "Since the cargo flows on the Asia route have picked up, PIL and Wan Hai have now reinstated their service," said the joint company statement.

FES also calls at Antwerp and Rotterdam. On the return leg, the service docks at Port Kelang, Singapore, Shenzhen-Shekou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong and Guangzhou-Nansha.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Topics to be covered include ‘Power & Propulsion’, ‘Electronics’, ‘Safety’ and ‘Green Technology’ and will be presented by a range of high-level speakers from the maritime industry.  Confirmed speakers to date include Jaakko Eskola, president of EMEC and group vice president of Wartsila Ship Power; Lars Munch Antonsen, general manager, group marketing & CRM of Aalborg Industries; Kjeld Aabo, director of promotion, marine low speed at MAN Diesel SE; Roger Harfouch, Sales Director, Vizada and Philip Padfield, CEO, Eniram.

Jaakko Eskola, president of EMEC, said, ‘This Forum comes at an ideal time as the industry is recovering from a turbulent year and finally has the opportunity to look forward. Collaboration between Europe and the Middle East has always been strong and the EMEC will be presenting a series of seminars by experts from across Europe, who will cover a range of important topics and share in-depth European technical expertise.’

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President & Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, SMEM will celebrate its fifth event, having grown year on year since its inception in 2003.  SMEM 2010 will take place from 26-28 October at Dubai World Trade Centre.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese announced that ships in the southern part of the reef marine park would have to regularly report their location and route to authorities. This would be backed up by radio and satellite tracking of ships to improve safety and further protect one of the country's most precious environmental assets, he said.

The new rules effectively extend requirements that apply to ships in the northern part of the reef park to a large area that runs roughly from Mackay to Bundaberg and extends more than 100 kilometres east of the Queensland coastline.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia

The Marseilles-based, company, which operates the third-largest container ship fleet, was unable on Tuesday to announce a badly needed restructuring package, amid disagreements over the Saade family’s continuing control of the company.

Rodolphe Saade, who is the carrier’s deputy chief executive and the son of founder and non-executive chairman Jacques Saade, told the Financial Times his father had decided to pursue an IPO after the successful conclusion of a restructuring.

“Our objective is to find investors and eventually, in a couple of years from now, go public,” he said. Any IPO would be structured to ensure the family, who arrived in France as refugees from Lebanon’s civil war in 1978, retained control, Saade said.

CMA CGM has been in discussions with its creditors since September on a potential deal to restructure the line’s financial obligations to lenders and shipyards after the worst year in container shipping’s history threatened its future.

In December, the company announced a preliminary deal with its creditor banks under which Philippe Soulie, a veteran French businessman with a financial background but no shipping experience, took over in January as chief executive from Jacques Saade, the 72-year-old founder.

“He knows how to count. And we know how to run a shipping company, so together it’s only positive,” Rodolphe Saade told The Journal of Commerce in an interview in February.
The company has since missed deadlines to finalize an agreement, which it hoped to announce in April. The carrier received $80 million in new funding in February from a group of 75 creditor banks, to which it owes $7 billion, and expected to get the balance of the $500 million it had been promised “within weeks,” Saade told The Journal of Commerce at that time. But the carrier has not announced any further funding since then.

A successful restructuring of CMA CGM’s debt is a precondition for lenders to finance CMA CGM’s orderbook of 30, mostly large container ships from Korean shipyards.

In January, Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries sold a new ship built for CMA CGM – the CMA CGM Kessel – to another owner after the company was unable to provide the cash to pay for it.

People involved in the restructuring discussions have indicated that several investors are determined that the family should lose control. Potential investors include Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and a consortium of Louis Dreyfus, the French shipowning company, and Goldman Sachs, the investment bank.

CMA CGM wants between $350 million and $500 million in fresh equity.

Saade told the Financial Times that investors are happy with the family’s retaining control. The two largest container shipping lines – Denmark’s Maersk Line, the market leader, and Mediterranean Shipping Company, the number two – are family controlled.
“Family companies run their businesses in a much better way than others,” Saade said.
In common with other lines, CMA CGM reported a strong start to the current year, with net profits for the first quarter of $270 million on revenue of $3.2 billion.

Source: http://www.joc.com

Under the new schedule, two container carriers MSC are to call at Saint-Petersburg port for the first time.

MSC Rhone will call at the port replacing MSC Maria and MSC Canberra instead of MSC Iris. MSC Rhone called at the port, berth 83, for handling operations. 

Source: Cargo News Asia

Zhang predicts that the company will witness a growth of 5.4 percent and 7.5 percent respectively for its carrying capacity and freight amount of containers in 2010.

Meanwhile, the company will extend reach into the shipping market of Vietnam, Southeast Asia and South America, besides the operation of exiting routes to Europe and the US, in a bid to improve its network construction around the world.

Source: Cargo News Asia

The orderbook as at 1 May 2010 stands at 655 ships for 4.16 Mteu, which represents 31% of the existing cellular fleet. It has fallen from the peak recorded at 7.02 Mteu in July 2008 or 60% of the fleet at that time. As a percentage of the fleet, the orderbook had peaked at 64% in November 2007. Based on current delivery projections and assuming no fresh orders are placed between now until the end of the year, the orderbook will fall to 3.14 Mteu or 22% of the fleet by December 2010.

(Source: Sea Trade)

The service now calls at ports in Shanghai, Tokyo and Nagoya, while the stop at Kobe has been removed from the port rotation, which is as follows: Xiamen, Yantian, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Long Beach, Oakland, Tokyo, Nagoya, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian and Hong Kong.

The service will also in future deploy six instead of five containerships. However, the average vessel size has been reduced from 5,591 TEU to 5,100 TEU. All the ships are provided by "K" Line.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

Source: www.transportweekly.com

The 2009 Index maximum, at 4661pts was posted on November 19th. In May, 2008 BDI gained its highest level ever, to over 11,700 points, beginning its slump in mid-July the same year. In Dec.5, 2008 it settled at 663 pts, a minimum Baltic Dry Index rate.

Baltic Dry Freight is an index reflecting changes in the value of the overseas shipments of basic commodities: metal, iron ore, coal and grain. The index includes three other indexes of freight rates, different sizes of ships for which they are calculated - Capesize, Supramax and Panamax. Dynamics of changes in BDI allows investors and market traders to analyze major trends in world demand and supply. Often the index is considered as the main indicator of future economic growth (if the index increases) or recession (if it falls), since the raw material on which the index is calculated, has a low potential for speculative operations.

(Source: Port News)
 

The upward trend appears to be continuing for April, as Wilhelmsen Ships Service today signs an agreement with Sinotrans Shipping Ltd Hong Kong to provide services covering approximately 750 port calls per year.  Sinotrans is one of China’s largest shipping companies in terms of self-owned dry bulk fleet size so the agreement with the Hong Kong subsidiary is an indicator of their trust in our offer.

“The agreement with Sinotrans is a significant gain for Wilhelmsen Ships Service” comments Capt Gur Prasad Kohli, General Manager, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Hong Kong.  

The March achievement marks an upturn in business, and is among the best monthly performances in the company’s history. 

Frederic Fontarosa, Business Director Ships Agency and Bunkers comments “The Sinotrans agreement will significantly boost the figures for our monthly port calls figures. Aside from this the increases that we have seen in the last couple of months indicate that ships agency is back on track, as the financial crisis appears to be receding.” Fontarosa adds “In spite of the shipping market still being weak, Wilhelmsen Ships Service is strengthening its position in the marketplace.

This is thanks to a number of new agreements which the company has put in place for rendering husbandry services and includes not only the Sinotrans contract but a husbandry agreement recently signed with Torm Shipping of the Philippines as well.  
Wilhelmsen Ships Service supplies Unitor marine products, technical services, ships agency services and maritime logistics.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The four sculptures were transported aboard the CMA CGM Fidelio between Zeebrugge and Shanghai on the French Asia Line services (Europe/Asia). As for the largest sculpture, Flatbed Trailer by Wim Delvoye, it was loaded as a special shipment on three 40-TEU flat rack containers, a statement from the shipping group said.

The works of art are being displayed at the Art for the World sculpture exhibition, which features 20 sculptures by leading artists from the international and Chinese contemporary art scene.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

From June 1, rates from northern Europe to Israel will increase by US$100 per TEU while rates from the west to the east Med will rise $98.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

The Europe Caribbean Service, ECS, will be run with 6 vessels of 2,200 TEUs, in a weekly service with the following rotation: Rotterdam, Tilbury, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Kingston, Cartagena, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Puerto Limon, Kingston and Rotterdam.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

The new site highlights initiatives the carrier is undertaking on board vessels and at its terminals to reduce air emissions and protect water quality.

"Moving our customers' cargo and supporting global trade are our key objectives," said Eng Aik Meng, president of APL. "Equally important is the need to operate responsibly in managing our environmental footprint at sea and on land."

According to the website, http://www.apl.com/environment/, APL has implemented numerous measures to minimise the impact of trade on the environment.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)
 

Scomi Marine in a statement said the proposed acquisition was expected to contribute positively to its earnings and net assets. Following the completion of the acquisition, Trans Advantage will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scomi Marine.      
Trans Advantage is involved in the provision of marine transportation services which includes vessel chartering, managing and operating, in relation to the carriage of coal.

Trans Advantage transports coal using panamax vessels and has been appointed to carry 1.5 million tonnes of coal in Malaysia. Last year, the group transported 28 million tonnes of coal globally.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Yang Ming will deploy one of five modern 4,200teu vessels within the CKA Consortium that already consists of Hanjin, STX Pan Ocean, Sinotrans and another new entrant, slot charterer, Grand China Logistics.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

The Paris-based news and analysis agency, said the liner fleet comprises 5,905 vessels, including ships of all types that are deployed on liner trades, with cellular ships accounting for 95.9 per cent of the total, or 13.4 million TEU, of which 0.9 million TEU are currently idle.

The remaining 4.1 per cent is shared by non-celled containerships, multipurpose tonnage and ro-ro ships.

"It took 17 months to reach the 14 million TEU mark from the previous millionth landmark, almost twice as long than before. The longer interval has been largely due to the effect of the crisis, with delivery deferrals, increased scrapping and the shift of non-cellular vessels out from the liner trades," said the Alphaliner report.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

April consumer prices rose 2.8 percent from a year earlier, below Beijing's full-year target of 3 percent but up 0.4 percentage points from March, the National Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday. Food prices jumped 5.9 percent, up from March's 5.2 percent rate.

"Growth in the consumer price index is still mild compared with our economic recovery and inflation in other countries," said a bureau spokesman, Sheng Laiyun. "But we are facing big inflation pressures in the short term."

Foreign companies and investors are watching Chinese inflation because any government moves to cool prices might slow economic growth. That could hurt the global recovery if it weakens demand for foreign iron ore and other imports.

"Overall, we don't see this as threatening yet for the economy," said Standard Chartered economist Jinny Yan. She said inflation is likely to rise further, possibly hitting a peak of 4 percent in June, but Beijing is unlikely to hike rates while the global outlook is uncertain amid Europe's debt crisis.

"Recent events should rule out an imminent rate hike," she said. "What they will do is observe external markets for a while longer before deciding what to do."

China's economic growth accelerated to 11.9 percent in the first quarter, driven by Beijing's 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus.

The government worries about a surge in housing and other asset prices and is trying to use lending curbs to prevent a dangerous bubble while avoiding an across-the-board rate hike that might slow growth.

Despite those controls, the statistics bureau said Tuesday that housing costs in 70 Chinese cities rose by a record 12.8 percent in April over a year earlier. Analysts say it may take several months for the effect of government controls to show.

Also in April, lending by Chinese banks rose to 774 billion yuan, up from March's 510.7 billion yuan, the central bank reported Tuesday.

Wholesale prices climbed 6.8 percent in April from a year earlier, a 0.9 percent increase over March's rise. That can lead to higher consumer prices down the line as retailers pass on higher costs.

Inflation was driven by cold weather that hurt the spring harvest and high prices for fuel and imported commodities, said Sheng, the statistics bureau spokesman. He said the biggest rises in April food costs were 14.9 percent for vegetables and 16.4 percent for fruit.

Other data Tuesday showed China's economic recovery still on track.

April retail sales rose 18.5 percent from a year earlier, up 0.5 percent from March's growth rate, while industrial output increased by 18.8 percent. Investment in factories and other fixed assets rose 26.1 percent in the January-to-April period over a year earlier.

"High growth and low inflation in the first half of the year looks set to segue rapidly into lower growth and higher inflation in the second half," said Tom Orlik, an analyst in Beijing for Stone & McCarthy Research Associates, in a report. "But there is little in today's data release to force a change in the government's policy agenda."

(Source: China Daily)

In its new configuration the service will offer regular service with connections through the Kingston Container Port in Jamaica to key markets in the Caribbean, Central America, East, and South America via the CMA CGM global service network. The revised service cuts import transit times by three to six days.

Also at Halifax, Maersk has announced that it will commence a new weekly direct service connecting the Port with North Europe and transhipment connections to the Far East Asia.

The new service will open new markets opportunities for Atlantic Canadian exporters in particular with the seafood and agricultural industries. The first vessel on the new rotation is expected to arrive at the Port of Halifax on May 18.

(Source: Container Management)

Under the agreement Southern Air would initially provide three Boeing 747 freighter aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance, said MASkargo managing director Shahari Sulaiman.

"Maskargo also has an option to lease up to five aircraft, which will provide additional flexibility to meet demand for additional lift capacity and to develop the ability to service new markets," he said at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

"We will be requiring a fourth aircraft by July with an option to increase to five units if there is commercial justification to do so," Mr Shahari said.

Southern Air initially will provide MASkargo with three Boeing 747 Freighter aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance, said a joint statement from the two companies.

MASkargo also has an option to lease up to five aircraft, which will provide it additional flexibility to meet growing demand for lift capacity and to develop the ability to service new markets, said the statement.

"As the air freight market has shown encouraging signs of growth in recent months, we are excited that we can offer more value from our new partnership with Southern Air," said Mr Shahari.

"The addition of these aircraft, combined with Southern Air's scalable operating platform, will allow us to respond to our customers' growing capacity requirements and expand our important charter business," he said.

"The full freighter aircraft we are leasing from Southern Air have improved fuel burn efficiency, higher payloads, and are fitted with nose and side cargo doors. This will allow us to accommodate larger specialised and oversized cargo loads and expedite the loading and unloading process. These features translate into faster delivery times and expanded service capabilities for our customers," said Mr Shahari.

Said Southern Air CEO Daniel McHugh: "This new partnership provides MASkargo the ability to leverage our industry-leading cost efficiencies and the opportunity to expand into our next wave of Boeing 777 Freighter deliveries."

The Boeing 747s Southern Air is delivering to MASkargo will bear Southern Air livery.

MASkargo is the air cargo division of Malaysia Airlines and operates four B747-200, two B747-400 and one A300-600 freighter covering the world's major cargo hubs. It also offers bellyhold capacity on Malaysia Airlines passenger aircraft serving 100 destinations worldwide.

Southern Air is a Norwalk, Connecticut, based US air cargo carrier specialising in the provision of block space and aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance services (ACMI). It operates 16 Boeing 747 Freighters and is the first ACMI operator to run the new Boeing 777 Freighter. Its first two 777 Freighters began service in the first quarter of 2010. The company has plans to operate up to six 777 Freighters.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

"We express our condolences to the victims, and hope that the area will be rebuilt as quickly as possible," said the Japanese carrier in a statement.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

The Europe Caribbean Service, ECS, will be run with 6 vessels of 2,200 TEUs, in a weekly service with the following rotation: Rotterdam, Tilbury, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Kingston, Cartagena, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Puerto Limon, Kingston and Rotterdam.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)

The 2009 Index maximum, at 4661pts was posted on November 19th. In May, 2008 BDI gained its highest level ever, to over 11,700 points, beginning its slump in mid-July the same year. In Dec.5, 2008 it settled at 663 pts, a minimum Baltic Dry Index rate.

Baltic Dry Freight is an index reflecting changes in the value of the overseas shipments of basic commodities: metal, iron ore, coal and grain. The index includes three other indexes of freight rates, different sizes of ships for which they are calculated - Capesize, Supramax and Panamax. Dynamics of changes in BDI allows investors and market traders to analyze major trends in world demand and supply. Often the index is considered as the main indicator of future economic growth (if the index increases) or recession (if it falls), since the raw material on which the index is calculated, has a low potential for speculative operations.

Source: Port News

ABG's stake in Great Offshore has come down to 7.35 per cent from 9.50 per cent following the transaction, it added.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

The company also announced it is considering starting a Taiwan-flagged shipping line and is now recruiting "ambitious and hardworking individuals" to cope with the expansion.

The new CAX service will call at Ningbo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Shekou, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and return to Ningbo.

TS Lines has also deployed a new THK-2 service with a single 1,100-TEU moving at 18 knots to rotate from Hong Kong to the Taiwanese ports of Keelung, Taichung and Kaohsiung before returning to Hong Kong.

The company expressed optimism about the potential of the Bohai-Bay area, and in March acquired a feeder service called HKH that links Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao and Hong Kong.

The line’s existing JTK and JTK-2 services, running between Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, have more capacity with ships of 2,700-TEU and 2,000-TEU. Its MidEast CME service will re-deploy 3,100-3,500-TEU vessels in response to increasing demand.
The JTK-2 service has extended itself to Indonesia from May to handle heavier cargo flow between China and the Asean countries. This connects Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan.

All reefer containers will be replaced with new units this year.
New reefer boxes will have the latest technology in energy-saving, the company statement said. At the end of 2009, TS Lines said it had expected a turnaround in the container market and, ahead of rivals, leased 33,000-TEU to cope with the growth in trade.

TS Lines’ throughput in 2009 came to 1.17 million TEUs. In the last quarter, the firm’s container volumes increased by 25 per cent year-on-year.
TS Lines operates 33 services with 31 vessels ranging from 1,000-3,500-TEU with total capacity of 63,000 TEUs, and is the 24th biggest container shipping line in the world.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The journey from Hamburg to Port Klang takes 24 days, with only a single stop in the Red Sea. The return leg primarily caters to the demand for transport capacity from Asia to the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, and from there to northern Europe.

The full rotation for the AEC-1 is: Hamburg, Rotterdam, Port Said, Jeddah, Port Klang, Shanghai, Busan, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Port Klang, Khorfakkan, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Jubail, Khorfakkan, Jeddah, Port Said and returning via Antwerp to Hamburg.

UASC continues to operate its Far East-Europe direct service AEC-2 with its own fleet of 6,900-TEU vessels. Both their scheduled liner services are handled at the Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH). There are also a number of different slot charter agreements, including to the Indian Subcontinent.

UASC will be implementing the following peak season surcharge applicable to all westbound shipments from Asia to all Red Sea destinations.

The rates, effective from May 15, are: $ 200/20’, $ 400/40’ and $ 400/40’ HC, Exim News Service informs.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The liner fleet comprised 5,905 vessels, including ships of all types deployed on liner trades, with cellular ships accounting for 95.9 per cent of the total, or 13.4 million TEUs, of which 0.9 million TEUs are now idle.

The remaining 4.1 per cent is shared by non-cellular containerships, multipurpose tonnage and ro-ro ships.

"It took 17 months to reach the 14-million TEU mark from the previous million landmark, almost twice as long than before. The longer interval has been largely due to the effect of the crisis, with delivery deferrals, increased scrapping and the shift of non-cellular vessels out from the liner trades," the report added.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

Under the agreement, the Korea Export Insurance Corporation will

Also, the deadline of debt repayment was extended until December 31st 2012.

An official from SLS said, "With the management normalization plan, we will try our utmost to be reborn as a blue-chip company through self-saving efforts such as cost reduction, salary cut, etc."

The shipbuilder had applied for a debt workout in December last year and a due diligence was conducted by creditors group for two months since mid-January.

SLS has been rocked by many cancellations, one as a recent as this week.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

STX Offshore won orders for a total of six bulk carriers from two unidentified European shipping firms, STX Group said on Thursday in a statement.
STX Offshore's European operation, STX Europe, secured a separate order for platform supply vessel, it added.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

The base will cover 68.4 hectares and have a storage capacity of 3.2m cubic meters. Sinopec will invest RMB 3bn in the base and plans to complete the construction in two years.

The base will include eight crude oil tank zones and will have 32 storage tanks in total. The base will also be equipped with a 22-kilometer pipeline that will be able to transport 20m tons of oil a year.

A million-ton ethylene project and ten-million ton refinery project began construction on Tuesday, according to Sinopec. These projects will make Tianjin the largest oil refinery base in northern China and the largest ethylene manufacturing base in China.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia)

The Treasury Ministry wants to issue the new tenders in May, according to TVN24.
Among the assets for sale are the dry dock at the Gdynia yard and most of the yard in Szczecin.

The sale of the yards to a Qatari investor fell through last year after the buyer, represented by Stichting Particulier Fonds Greenrights fund, failed to pay for the purchase, despite transferring a deposit of €8 million.

(Source: Transport Weekly)
 

The smaller vessels have been replaced by the 2,808-TEU Northern Vitality and the 2,480-TEU MSC Canberra, reports Paris-based Alphaliner.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

The news came as German travel giant TUI, the Hapag-Lloyd's largest shareholder with a 43.3 per cent stake, announced its own financial results.

Hapag-Lloyd revenue was up 13.4 per cent to $1.6 billion from $1.42 billion, based on a five per cent increase in container volume and an eight per cent increase in freight rates with another big contribution from cost cutting.

The shipping line went after high paying cargo and volumes increased on Far East and Latin American routes.

TUI, whose exposure to Hapag-Lloyd in equity and loans totals $3.2 billion, expects the carrier to post a full-year profit if the container shipping market continues to improve.

(Source: Transport Weekly)

(Source: www.schednet.com)

(Source: www.schednet.com)
 

Blue Lines is a jv involving parties from Singapore, Oman and India as well as Topaz Shipping.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia online)
 

JES was buoyed last week by the decision from Baosteel to get three 23,000 dwt bulkers built at JES.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia online)

(Source: www.schednet.com)
 

This historic ship is expected to arrive at Penang on June 5 and Selangor on June 21. The project is the result of collaboration between the governments of Oman and Singapore and is expected to strengthen diplomatic ties while reliving history of the 9th century ship. It is also intended to promote the cultures of Oman and Singapore while learning about cultures at the same time.

"This is a once in a lifetime voyage for everyone on board the ship and those participating countries. It is a chance not to be missed for everyone to see for the first time a 9th century ship and its journey to the Far East, which clearly depicts how the Arabian first began trading with the Asian," said Dr Chan Jee Kei, managing director for Opal Asia Shipping Sdn Bhd.

Appointed as the agents in Malaysia, Opal Asia Shipping and Archipelago Asia Shipping Sdn Bhd will be responsible for coordinating the arrival of the Jewel of Muscat in Malaysia.

Dr Chan said he was delighted being the one appointed for the welcoming of the Jewel of Muscat and its crew to Malaysia.

Both Opal Asia and Archipelago Asia are seeking sponsorship from any interested organisation, to ensure the success of this project in Malaysia. "Sponsors will be given a grand acknowledgment during the ceremony and this is a once in a lifetime event which will be documented by the National Geographic Channel," said Dr Chan.

For further information, kindly contact Dr Chan at 363 3309 or Ms Shirlene at 3030830/3343 2018.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

"The rate of deletions is diminishing due to improved employment prospects and as the fleet has been purged of most over-aged units which are the prime candidates for scrapping," said Paris-based Alphaliner.

"The scrapping rate will likely fall in coming months as the summer peak season boosts demand for tonnage, in spite an influx of expected new capacity. This contrasts with last year's situation, when scrapping peaked in July 2009 in what should have been the traditional peak season," it said.

According to Alphaliner records, the idle fleet has declined to a 15-month-low with 5.3 per cent of the fleet idle, down from a high of 11.7 per cent recorded in December 2009.

(Source: www.schednet.com)

The port terminals wing of the Danish shipping and oil group will sign a memorandum of understanding this week with state-owned Chongqing Port and Logistics Group in conjunction with a visit to Denmark by Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming.

Soren Hansen, senior director of corporate business development in APM Terminals, said no money would change hands at this stage, but Maersk aimed to invest in the Yangtze facility in the short term.

"Growth rates are so high and concentrated on the river so obviously this is a place we really want to be," Hansen said.

He said that the entire region of Sichuan, which is home to 100 million people, only has an annual throughput of 400,000 TEUs annually, so the growth potential is large.

Source: Cargo News Asia

The CSAV Lingue is on charter to Compania Sud Americana de Vapores ("CSAV") under a six-year, fixed-rate time charter. The CSAV Lingue is the third of a total of four 4250 TEU sister ships to be chartered by Seaspan to CSAV.

Source: Transport Weekly

These changes will allow a wider port coverage with the best transit times between Asia and the US Gulf coast, extended service from North China via Pusan's transhipment hub, and an additional exit port for US exporters with access to the CMA CGM Group’s Middle and Far East destinations.

“With these additional calls to Pusan and Mobile, the group is now offering excellent port coverage for its customers in South East Asia, South, Centre and North China as well as Korea. Moreover CMA CGM remains the single company offering direct calls between Asia and the Gulf of Mexico with the best transit times on the market”, said Alain Schmid, deputy vice-president North America Lines.

The new PEX3 rotation will be as follows: Singapore, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Shanghai, Pusan, Panama Canal, Manzanillo, Houston, Mobile, Miami, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Tangiers, Jebel Ali, Singapore.

Source: http://www.cargonewsasia.com

“Singapore is one the busiest ports in the world and with a free market economy and political stability, many shipping companies are making this their home,” says Julian Padilla, chairman of the IRS Board. “With the opening of our Singapore office, we will be closer to ship operators who can benefit from our technical consulting services, including preparation/submittal/approval of the SOPEP, PCSOPEP, Garbage Plan, Ship Security Plan, Safety Management System, Loading Manual, Trim & Stability booklet, and so on.”

Zhang Shang Chun, IRS Singapore principal surveyor, says: “Our team in Singapore is drawn from the elite of the local and international maritime community. The team members have an excellent working relationship with the local shipowners and have immense knowledge of the international and national laws.”

Padilla says IRS, which currently classes over 1,300 ships, is an organisation committed to promoting safety and quality in shipping. “As part of our contribution to help overcome the acute shortage of trained marine professionals, we extend our available resources to the whole maritime industry through our International Register Training Institute (IRTI), which has been accredited by the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA). The courses offered by us include auditing Maritime Safety Management Systems and various courses related to the ISPS Code, Marine Surveyors, and so on.”

“We aim to be the complete partner to the maritime fraternity. We take pride in embracing our core values of providing excellent and reliable services and in our total commitment to quality and ethical practices. The opening of the Singapore office is another step in our commitment to offer our customers a comprehensive and high quality service, wherever they are in the world,” he adds.

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

(Source: Sea Trade Asia on line)

Source: www.schednet.com

Owned by politician turned mining magnate Yusuf Merukh, the company on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s state-owned airplane producer Avic International Holding to supply Merukh with a total of 60 airplanes and ships worth $10 billion, Merukh Enterprises president director Rudy Merukh said on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Merukh will supply Avic with 50 million tons of coal, nickel and copper over 30 years, beginning this year, Rudy said.

Merukh will acquire from Avic: 24 Y12IV airplanes, six H425 helicopters, nine Chinese ARJ21 jets, six Boeing fixed wing planes, six ships with carrying capacities of 8,000 tons to 15,000 tons, nine Panamax coal-carrying vessels, as well as hotels and office towers in Beijing and Shanghai worth a combined $300 million.

Source: www.schednet.com
 

Source: www.schednet.com

Cargoitalia plans to deploy its latest aircraft on a twice-weekly service from its Milan hub to Shanghai Pudong. In October, the service will increase to three times weekly.

The latest aircraft, a new conversion leased from Boeing Capital, has a larger 90-tonne payload than the airline's first two MD11 aircraft and a forward cargo door, making loading easier.

The aircraft is slated to enter service in July, and is expected to operate a programme of charter flights. It will then provide operational cover for Cargoitalia's other aircraft when they receive C-checks in August, before entering scheduled service in September, said a statement from the carrier.

Commercial director Roberto Gilardoni said: "We greatly look forwards to the arrival of our latest aircraft, the opportunities opened up by its improved design and enhanced capabilities, and the expansion of our network to include the important mainland China market."

Cargoitalia said it plans further fleet expansion from 2012, and is currently evaluating various aircraft types to take it through its next development phase.

Source: www.schednet.com

The PS-5 will offer a weekly capacity of 5,200 TEU and will link Busan, Shanghai (Waigaoqiao and Yangshan), Los Angeles, Oakland, Yokohama and back to Busan with the ships APL Liberty, APL Korea, APL Thailand, APL China and APL Philippines.

Paris-based Alphaliner described the PS-5 as a peak season service started in the 2004 and re-activated in 2005, 2008 and 2009 with a varying rotations.

Last year's PS-5 called Kaohsiung, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Guangzhou-Nansha, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Oakland, Kaohsiung, said the report. CSCL/Evergreen slow down FE-USEC service.

Source: www.schednet.com

The COSCO Malaysia is on charter to COSCO Container Lines Co., Ltd. ("COSCON") of China under a twelve-year, fixed-rate time charter. The COSCO Malaysia is the fourth of eight 8500 TEU sister ships and the sixth of a total of eighteen vessels to be chartered by Seaspan to COSCON.

Source: Transport Weekly

While the company credited 12 per cent savings from aggressive cost-cutting, rising rates, experienced elsewhere in the industry, eluded the feeder-short sea world because of competition for market share.

Nonetheless, RCL increased volume seven per cent to 600,917 TEU in the first three months, reported London's Containerisation International. The company also expressed concern that 22,000 TEU capacity shoe horned into the Asia-Europe trade was bound to have a depressing effect on freight rates.

Source: www.schednet.com

It will be operated by an unknown number of 2,900-TEU ships, reported American Shipper on the following rotation: Tanjung Pelepas, Jebel Ali, Djibouti, Jeddah, Port Sudan, Djibouti and back to Tanjung Pelepas.

Djibouti and Port Sudan will be the main ports at the East Africa end of the loop. "These two are served via transshipment via either Salalah or Jeddah and direct calls will allow us to improve the service by providing a more reliable, on-time product," said Safmarine Africa trade manager Dirk Geens.

Source: www.schednet.com

Source: Sea Trade Asia

"The situation is still unchanged," said Transnet spokesman Mboniso Sigonyela, reported the South African Press Association. "I'm sure there will be meetings, but nothing has been confirmed."

The United Transport and Allied Trade Union (UTATU) and South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) have been on strike since last week after they rejected an 11 per cent wage offer.

Economists warned yesterday a "no work, no pay" strike running longer than a week would end up costing workers dearly. "It is stupid to strike for longer than a week," said Dawie Roodt, chief economist of the Efficient Group.

Transnet spokesman John Dludlu said strikers had caused some ZAR30 million (US$3.9 million) in damages to Transnet equipment. Economists put the loss to the economy at anything between ZAR1 billion and ZAR15 billion.

London's Containerisation International reported that the unions said their members "remain steadfast in the withholding of their labour until a settlement is reached".

In a joint statement following meetings with the Commission for Conciliation and Mediation, SATAWU and UTATU said "management walked away from any negotiated settlement".

Source: Sea Trade Asia

Westbound from Europe to USA, Canada and Mexico 
- US$ 400 per 20’ container 
- US$ 500 per 40’ container

Eastbound from USA, Canada and Mexico to Europe 
- US$ 320 per 20’ container 
- US$ 400 per 40’ container

Source: Sea Trade Asia

The additional stock issue is part of the financial strategy of the Group to raise equity capital to improve the balance sheet structure, further reducing the debt burden and finance production and investment activities of the Group, FESCO CEO Sergei Generalov said. 

Transport group FESCO, formed on the basis of the Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO), is a largest Russian container operator. The Group has its own vessels fleet of over 1 million DWT. The Company’s own container fleet is over 50,000 TEUs. Total capacity of its handling facilities exceeds 1.6 million TEUs.

Source: Port News

There were 189 ships sailing under foreign flags early this year with total deadweight of 12.3 million tons. The average deadweight of offshore vessels is about 65,000 tons (tankers – 80,000 tons). The average age of foreign-flagged tankers is just 6,2 years.

According to Sergei Buyanova Russian International Ship Register "does not solve by itself the whole problem of return of Russian ships under the flag of Russia, and the main provisions of the Registry require substantial overhaul.  "A long-term strategic results can be achieved by only a comprehensive and interlinked solution aimed at revival of the country economy related to shipping, primarily the national shipbuilding industry, through the state regulation of monetary relations, optimizing and improving tax and customs legislation.

In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Transport with participation of specialists of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) and MinPromTorg of Russia has prepared a draft Federal law "On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in Connection with the Implementation of Measures for Support the Russian Shipbuilding and Shipping." The bill is expected to be coordinated with concerned ministries and departments.

Source: Port News

"Starting from January, carriers decided to cut the number of shipments to the US from Asia. This situation is expected to continue for the immediate future, although how long is not exactly clear," Brad Parkins, purchasing agent for Newbury, California's Giant Bikes, reported in the Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.

"Giant, as well as other importers, has been experiencing periodic challenges booking shipments this year due to container space shortages," he said.

The report noted that combined high demand from importers to move Asian products to market and fewer containers are causing prices to soar.

"Rates did drop too low last year and all of the companies were losing big money. But they started to cut space, and artificially increase demand with the crescendo coming before Chinese New Year," said Arnold Kamler, president of Parsippany, New Jersey bike importer Kent International.

"Every single company dishonoured their contract and as an importer you had the decision to stick to your principles and demand the contract be honoured and get no containers shipped, or compromise and pay higher and higher prices," he said.

The situation has prompted carriers participating in the Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (TSA) to demand an US$800 rate increase per 40-foot container on the Asia to US trades in new contracts, which would push freight rates back up to 2008 levels.

According to the report, China Cosco and China Shipping expect the higher rates to be accepted.

"I expect freight costs will be about 80 per cent higher than one year ago. They were too low one year ago, but they have gone too high which is normal," said the Kent company president.

"We expect the freight rates to soften in the summer. Space remains tight but will loosen in about one month. You can get all the space you need now if you do not mind paying stupidly high prices," he said.

Source: www.schednet.com