IRU African Symposium on trade and road transport facilitation brings together ministerial, policy and business delegates from 20 African countries to drive economic and social development by promoting and facilitating trade and international road transport.
Casablanca - The newly created IRU Permanent Delegation for Africa today held a kick off Symposium on Trade and Road Transport Facilitation in Africa<http://www.iru.org/en_eventcasa2012> under the patronage of His Excellency, Mr Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Organised in partnership with the Ministry of Equipment and Transport of Morocco, the Transport Federation of the General Confederation of Employers in Morocco (FT CGEM), and the African Union for Transport and Logistics (UATL), the Symposium brought together some 200 participants from over 20 African countries, including transport ministers from nine African countries*, as well as representatives from regional and global organisations and key public administrations, such as Customs, tax and port authorities, to address the key role of goods and passenger road transport in driving economic and social development at local, national, regional and global level.
Opening the Symposium, IRU Secretary General, Martin Marmy, stressed: "Considering the questions arising from the development of inter-African trade, economic growth at local or regional level requires the efficient connection of local and regional trade to the global economy. It is therefore crucial that trade, and more particularly international road transport, are facilitated through the implementation of harmonised procedures that have been tried and tested worldwide."
Participants concluded that all public and private actors involved in the transport and logistics chain should join efforts to support economic and social development in Africa, notably by effectively implementing the key UN multilateral trade and transport facilitation instruments, such as the TIR Convention, to promote and further facilitate national and international road transport and allow it to drive progress, prosperity and ultimately peace on the African continent.
On this occasion, a Cooperation Protocol was signed between the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Morocco, the FT-CGEM and the IRU to formalise their commitment to work together to achieve this common objective.
International organizations and financial institutions, such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the World Bank, the African Development Bank Organisation, the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and the Islamic Development Bank, all expressed their strong interest in collaborating with the IRU to contribute to the economic and social development of the African continent.
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* Benin,Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Morocco, Mauritania and Togo.
IRU
2012-05-07
The IRU has established a Permanent Delegation and Regional Committee for Africa in Casablanca, Morocco, and appointed Adil Gaoui as the IRU's General Delegate for the continent. This historic development unites road transport associations from 20 African countries, which expressed a willingness to promote inter-African trade and international road transport by implementing the key UN multilateral facilitation Conventions.
The International Road Transport Union<http://www.iru.org/> (IRU) is pleased to announce the creation of an IRU Permanent Delegation in Casablanca, Morocco, and a Regional Committee for Africa in response to the collective demand of the governments and road transport associations of 20 African countries[i], which expressed their strong will to promote and facilitate inter-African trade by road transport, to interconnect African countries and link their trade to the global economy.
Adil Gaoui has been appointed the IRU's new General Delegate for Africa. He brings a wealth of experience from the Superior Institute of Transport and Logistics in Casablanca, with a special expertise in the road transport sector and in the development of regional transport and logistics training centres.
IRU Secretary General, Martin Marmy, stated, “This is an historic step in the development of the IRU’s scope of activities. African governments, trade and transport industries have strategically recognised that promoting and facilitating international road transport can genuinely expedite economic growth and development by driving trade, progress and prosperity everywhere.”
Members of the IRU Regional Committee for Africa formalised their commitment to work together by signing a Resolution on the need for African States to accede to and implement the key UN international Conventions on the facilitation of trade and international road transport. The Resolution calls upon the governments and competent authorities of African countries to:
- Work in close cooperation with associations representing transport and logistics in a constructive spirit of public-private partnership;
- Implement at national level the necessary procedures to ratify the key UN international conventions to facilitate trade and international road transport including, as a priority, the UN Harmonization and TIR Conventions;
Mr Marmy concluded, “The IRU today is proud to offer its more than 60 years of experience and expertise in facilitating and securing trade to assist and contribute to driving economic development in Africa, by “working together for a better future”.
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[1] Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Tunisia
IRU
Vilnius International Airport (VIA) continues to show a steady upward trend in passenger numbers: in April 2012 the passenger traffic soared by 39.4% compared to the same period last year.
In April the passenger volume amounted to 159.2 thousand passengers; the number of flights equalled to 2,515 flights, showing a 17.6% increase. In the fourth month of this year, the most popular destinations among passengers were Frankfurt, Riga, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki and other cities. The preferred airlines among passengers were airBaltic, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air, Ryanair and Small Planet Airlines.
A holiday rhythm could already be sensed in the middle of spring. The seat occupancy on the regular flights to resort destinations, such as Barcelona, Paris, Rome, skyrocketed to 80% and more in April. Irregular flights – to Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Tenerife and elsewhere – were rather active as well. Their total number equalled to 270 flights. The resort of Antalya was especially popular, with the number of tourists amounting to a nearly half of all the passengers on irregular flights.
The average 55.9% passenger growth rate was achieved in January – April of this year. In four months of this year, the airport handled 551.3 thousand passengers, in contrast to 353.7 thousand passengers in the same period in 2011.
31 European cities in 36 airports will be reached from Vilnius Airport during this summer season. 40 direct regular flights will be operated from the capital of Lithuania. 21 airlines will offer regular flights during the summer season.
Vilnius International Airport
ASIA-EUROPE spot rates have increased 13.2 per cent to US$1,934 per TEU over the last two weeks in the wake of the latest round of rate hikes, according to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI).
Last week rates from Shanghai to Europe increased $46 per TEU, after rising $180 the week before.
Asia-Mediterranean rates are also up, rising 2.8 per cent to $2,033 per TEU last week.
Rates from Asia to the US remained flat last week, with west coast rates dipping 0.1 per cent to $2,412 per FEU and east coast rates edging up 0.6 per cent to $3,579 per FEU.
Across all trades covered by the index the SCFI was up 0.9 per cent for the week to 1,501.46 points.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GERMANY's Hapag-Lloyd has announced it will increase the rates on all shipments from Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) to south east and north east Asia by US$100 per TEU from May 15.
Also, the carrier will implement a $500 per TEU general rate increase for services from Japan to Indian subcontinent from June 1.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ANTITRUST fines from the EU and Swiss authorities totalling CHF59 million (US$64 million) has resulted in a CHF40 million first quarter loss for Switzerland's Panalpina Group.
First quarter gross profit amounted to CHF364 million, a fall of three per cent drawn on revenues of CHF1.5 billion, up seven per cent. Gross profit margin increased to 23.6 per cent.
Asia Pacific showed continued growth for Panalpina going into 2012. First quarter gross profit in this region reached a new record of CHF78 million, an increase of four per cent.
Latin America also posted growth. Currency adjusted, gross profit in this region was up by 2.4 per cent at CHF40 million.
Weak consumer markets persisted in Europe, the Middle East and Africa leaving gross profits at CHF178 million, and CHF68 million for North America.
Ocean freight volume was up seven per cent year on year, reaching record highs and "continued to outperform the market", but air freight was down eight per cent reflecting the weakness of the wider market, said the company statement.
"While we did very well in ocean freight, gaining market share, we knew that the first quarter would be a difficult one for air freight, especially in comparison to last year's exceptional first quarter," said Panalpina CEO Monika Ribar.
Panalpina said it expects the air freight market to decline in the first half of 2012 resulting in a zero growth market for the full year. In ocean freight, Panalpina expects a market growth of four to five per cent. "The group's target is to outperform the market - in air freight as of the second quarter," said the statement.
Panalpina said it will appeal the European Commission's antitrust fine. "We believe the amount is not justified; we are going to appeal to the European General Court," said Ms Ribar.
Panalpina was fined with others by the EC for antitrust violations in air freight surcharges made before 2008.
"The economic environment remains volatile and visibility low, but we remain confident that we can reach our targets," said Ms Ribar. "We have acquired a lot of new business and demonstrated cost discipline."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ASIAN container lines can expect a rebound in revenue after first quarter losses from Chinese New Year holiday slowdown and depressed freight rates, according to Evergreen Group vice chairman Bronson Hsieh.
April has seen a rash of freight rate increases on intra-Asia routes on the back of Asian export demand with further increases of US$100 expected in coming weeks since the introduction of rate increases from the Intra-Asia Discussion Agreement (IADA).
Mr Hsieh also believes the industry will "rebound moderately this year under these better operating conditions", because of rate increases across the board.
This, he told the Taipei Times, is supported by its leasing of 10 mega-vessels to Korea Infrastructure Investments Asset Management due for delivery in fourth quarter.
In the first quarter, rising oil prices ate into revenue of container shipping with Taiwan's Yang Ming Marine Transport marking its highest net loss of NT$5.39 billion (US$184.39 million), with Evergreen struggling at NT$3.26 billion, but still up year on year. Wan Hai Lines clawed back market share from its shorter intra-regional routes at NT$327.89 million, again better than the deeper loss of NT$533 million loss fourth quarter 2011.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GLOBAL freight volumes could quadruple by 2050, according to a study from a group representing 34 affluent nations, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
An OECD unit, the International Transport Forum, said that while the short-term outlook for trade and freight is bleak, "conditions for returning to growth exist".
Faster growth is expected in non-OECD countries. The study anticipates freight growth to be 2.5- to 5.5-times that of less affluent non-OECD countries by 2050, compared to 1.5- to 2.5-times in the richer OECD nations, according to the Transport Outlook 2012 report.
"The impact of the current economic crises could well be a permanent loss of output rather than a direct return to pre-crises growth path. Freight volumes could grow by a factor of four," the report said.
"Governments will have to complete a balancing act between reducing debt while maintaining growth and avoid policy-induced slowdowns. Conditions for growth exist. Pessimism about a prolonged slump need not extend to the longer run," he said.
The study said often freight volumes grow in line with output, but sometimes they are "decoupled" and grow more slowly. But the report also said "for the near- to medium-term and in particular for emerging economies, the high freight growth scenario appears more likely".
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CSAV's recovery programme seems to be working if the monthly revenue of US$1,797 per TEU is anything to go by, says London's Containerisation International, adding that that level or return has not been achieved by the troubled Chilean carrier since late 2010.
CSAV's "evolution of liftings" charts the dramatic decline in the liner's throughput following its strategy to dispense with uneconomic services and/or slot charter business to reduce exposure.
Only 146,000 TEU was carried by CSAV in March compared to the 309,000 TEU peak a year previously at the height of its expansion, said the report.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
UK-BASED Freightliner, previously part of British Rail before 1990s privatisation has placed an order with rolling stock supplier VTG for a fleet of two-FEU Ecofret Shortliner railcars.
Ecofret Shortliner railcars enable Freightliner to maximise port and inland capacity, reduce CO2 emissions and increase network utilisation by maximising the number of boxes that can be moved on one service, reports the British International Freight Association's (BIFA) newsletter.
Freightliner, through the use of new railcars and its ability to haul longer, heavier trains, using the state of the art PowerHaul locomotives, is creating Shortliner services, which enables it to increase the number of FEUs hauled per train by 42 per cent in comparison to a standard Class 66 service hauling 24 wagons while still fulfilling TEU market demand.
Freightliner says the new cars complement its existing 60-foot car fleet ensuring maximum utilisation of both FEUs and TEUs. Its capability to haul longer, heavier trains ensures more containers can be moved by rail removing trucks from the roads.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GEORGIA's inland capital of Tbilisi, far away from the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumiin, is emerging as the key logistics hub of the country with better connections to other national urban centres as well as Azerbaijan, Armenia and other central Asian nations.
"Out of 4.5 million tons of containerised cargo which moves in Georgia - 50 per cent have a relationship with Tbilisi. Tbilisi Logistics Centre (TLC) will cater for the demand for first class warehouses. It will be focused on import warehousing and commissioning/distribution of consumer goods," said TransCare AG chief executive Ralf Jahncke.
"The centre has a direct railway connection to Georgia Black Sea ports - direct railway connection to Azerbaijan and Armenia to cut transport costs and consolidate different types of cargo storage into one facility," said Mr Jahncke.
Today, old renovated Soviet-era storage facilities, with a few private centres built by companies will soon be augmented by the TLC, scheduled to open by the end of 2013, reported Tbilisi's The Financial newspaper.
Near the Avchala Railway Station on the Tbilisi Railway Bypass Project, the TLC will stand as a centre for multi-modal transport in the region, said the report. The project was developed as a result of a joint venture between Germany's TransCare AG and TLC Property Management, the latter being a landowner and co-investor.
With US$26 million to $38 million to be invested, the centre is expected to generate a return of 25-35 per cent in the coming seven to eight years. The main shareholder is TLCPM (45 per cent), while five per cent of the funding was secured by TransCare AG, said the report, which added that the project is supported by the US Government's Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI).
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GERMANY's Weiss Rohlig has opened a new project forwarding division in Taiwan to meet growing demand for outsize cargo solutions in its latest development to build a regional project cargo network across Asia.
The company said the expansion is being managed by the corporate project division in Vienna, headed by Franco Ravazzolo, who said: "We are looking to expand our footprint across the region as well as focusing on opportunities in the fast expanding intra Asia market. This development will also enhance the global co-operation between Gebruder Weiss and Rohlig Logistics."
The new business unit will be headed by Willie Tseng who spent more than 30 years with NYK Line. Mr Tseng has extensive experience of managing and costing a wide range of multimodal cargo projects in Taiwan.
"We are delighted that Willie Tseng has joined the Weiss Rohlig team to head up the project cargo department in Taiwan. He brings with him a wealth of experience in this dynamic sector of the industry," said Holger Stoelker, managing director, Weiss Rohlig, Taiwan.
Weiss Rohlig has a global network with more than 6,000 employees and 153 branches in 43 countries. In Asia, the joint venture of Gebruder Weiss and Rohlig Logistics is represented at a total of 37 locations in seven countries.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
JAPAN's Yusen Logistics posted a 30.2 per cent year on year net profit decline in fiscal 2011 to US$31.2 million, despite a 92.2 per cent increase in revenue, which produced a 26.8 per cent rise in operating profit to $77.4 million.
Blaming weak US and European demand, the logistics arm of Japanese shipping giant NYK said another factor was a slow down in Asian economies, as well as the Japan's earthquake and tsunami and floods in Thailand.
"Although volumes increased in some regions temporarily, due to demand related to recovery from the twin natural disasters in Japan and heavy floods in Thailand, the international logistics market was generally stagnant," said Yusen of severely disrupted supply chains.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
RUSSIA's Global Container Service Group (GCS), of Rostov on the Don, has begun taking delivery of 224 railway flatcars ordered from Moscow-based Transmashholding's Engels plant.
The flatcars are to be used on block trains operated by GCS intermodal subsidiary Ruscon, which moves 150 000 TEU a year on routes from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk to European Russia, reports London's International Railway Gazette.
Traffic includes automotive components for factories in the Elabuga special economic zone operated by Ford, Isuzu, Voith Turbo, Saint-Gobain, Rockwool, Air Liquide and PD FibreGlass. GCS said it also plans to increase its fleet of long-term leased flatcars to more than 450 units.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
AIR France-KLM recently announced an operating loss of EUR597 million (US$783 million) for the first quarter of 2012, down 82 per cent year on year, drawn on a six per cent increase in revenue of EUR5.6 billion.
The airline described the first quarter as "tough" in its statement due to tremendous increases in fuel and employee costs as well as the slowdown in airfreight activities.
During the first quarter, cargo traffic declined 6.1 per cent, capacity reduced two per cent and load factor dropped 2.9 points to 64.9 per cent. Revenues on cargo shipment shrank 3.3 per cent year on year to EUR744 million and the operating result was a negative EUR68 million.
Operating costs rose nine per cent and by six per cent without fuel expenditures. The fuel cost increased 17.9 per cent by EUR255 million to EUR1.68 billion. Also, increase in salary and rise in pension costs push employee costs up six per cent to EUR1.91 billion. This attributed to a negative EUR597 million in operating result.
Looking ahead, the airline reaffirms cost-cutting position. It expects the annual fuel bill to increase EUR1.1 billion and the first half results will be "below the level of last year." But it hopes the results will improve in second half due to the gains from its "Transformation 2015" programme, which has been implemented to drive the company to achieving sustainable growth through measures to reduce controllable costs by 20 per cent to restore an industry average, to refocus on customer service and to simplify the entire organisational structure.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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