INDIA's Transglobal Inland Container Services in Thrissur, Kerala, has sent the first consignment of food products to the International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), Vallarpadam, reports the Hindu daily of Chennai.
The export consignment belonging to Global Exporter was loaded on to the vessel, Rajiv Gandhi at ICTT.
Announcing the opening of the ICD (inland container depot), Transglobal chairman MA Nazer said that the new facility would offer excellent services for handling and temporary storage of import and export containers.
Its 4,645-square feet warehouse is equipped with modern handling system of forklifts and reach stackers, while providing electronic data interchange (EDI) networks on site, he said.
Mr Nazer also said that they had established a single window system that includes all customs formalities inside ICD which ensure smooth transition at ICTT Vallarpadam. The International Container Terminal will get further strength and support from this ICD facility, making trade and transport fast and safe.
Transglobal chief executive NS Ramachandran said the INR550 million (US$10.7 million) depot is being promoted as a total logistics operator hub. The ICD has specialised in transport, warehousing and network operations, providing top class and comprehensive services under one roof.
The ICD operations of the group is being supported by a full-fledged skilled team of dedicated people with the latest infrastructure facilities, said the Hindu report. With the commencement of ICTT operations at Vallarpadam, the group has already received invitations from various international companies to join hands for international shipping and logistics support, Mr Ramachandran said.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CONTAINER volume through state-run harbours of the Philippines Ports Authority (PPA) increased six per cent to 417,842 TEU in January year on year with domestic box movement up 20 per cent to 162,539 TEU while foreign boxes fell one per cent to 255,303 TEU.
Import containers increased by three per cent to 129,510 TEU, while exports decreased five per cent to 125,793 TEU, reported the Philippines Business Mirror.
According to PPA data, its more than 100 ports nationwide handled 12.67 million tonnes for the first month of the year, about one per cent more than the 12.53 million tonnes it handled last year. Foreign cargo increased two per cent to 6.93 million tonnes.
Data showed import cargo slowed two per cent to 4.59 million tonnes with export cargo up four per cent to 2.34 million tonnes. Domestic cargo increased two per cent to 5.73 million tonnes.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DEUTSCHE POST-DHL has acquired the 24 per cent stake held by the Lemuir Group in its joint venture, DHL Lemuir Logistics, in India for an undisclosed figure, Transport Intelligence of UK reported.
Through the share acquisition, Deutsche Post DHL now owns a 100 per cent stake in the joint venture in the subcontinent. Following the purchase, the company has been renamed DHL Logistics Private Ltd.
Oscar de Bok, CEO, South and Southeast Asia, DHL Supply Chain, said, "Our partnership with Lemuir has substantially reinforced our foothold in the Indian domestic logistics industry. It has helped to put us on the road of accelerated growth."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is expected to give its approval for the launch of Ningxia Cargo Airlines, the first cargo carrier based in western China.
The new cargo entity, based in the Ningxia Autonomous Region, has a registered capital of CNY120 million (US$18.98 million). Shanghai Chongda International Freight Co, which has a 40 per cent holding, is the major stakeholder, while Shanxi Tongyang Investment Management has a 25 per cent stake. The remaining shareholders are Shanxi Xiangyu Logistics Co, Xian Huijie Logistics Co, and Shanxi International Air Freight.
The new venture has a Boeing fleet of 737 and 747 freighters and it plans to use pilots and MRO professionals from Turkish Orex Orbit Express Airlines, reports the Maryland's Air Transport World.
Industry analysts said it will be difficult for Ningxia Cargo to make a profit initially because of the downturn in the air cargo industry and weak competitive position of domestic cargo carriers. FedEx, UPS and DHL, mainly in economically stronger eastern China, dominate China's air cargo market.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CHINA Cargo Airlines, the joint venture of Eastern Airlines and Cosco, has inaugurated a new cargo service connecting Shanghai and Chongqing to Amsterdam, Xinhua reports.
The new service offers two flights per week using Boeing 777 aircrafts, bringing an extra capacity of 100 tonnes weekly to Chongqing.
China Cargo Airlines is the fourth air cargo carrier that launches European service at Chongqing. Shanghai-Chongqing-Amsterdam service is its third international cargo service launched at the city.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
RUSSIA's AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) won't make money on the first its two Boeing 747-8 freighters for six months, but hopes to profit from China's "Go West" policy with heavy loads from Chengdu and Chongqing to Europe, says airline president Tatyana Arslanova.
"We're swimming against the stream," Ms Arslanova said during a Frankfurt ceremony to mark the delivery of the second aircraft, also noting a 75 per cent profit decline to US$59.3 million of its parent company Volga-Dnepr Group.
ABC is taking advantage of the "Go West" policy that boosts industrial growth in western China with a focus on IT manufacturing, and has started service to Chengdu three times a week. Chongqing joins the schedule from this summer, taking ABC's mainland China destinations to six from three a year ago.
ABC sales vice president Wolfgang Meier described the move as "part of our strategy to diversify and strengthen to other [European] industrial centres, and we can't rule out others."
An advantage ABC claims over rival operators on the Asia-Europe lane is that it is serving Russian manufacturing centres. It has added new routes to Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk with Khabarovsk in Russia's far east following soon.
Ms Arslanova said the new plane, increasing the ABC fleet to twelve 747 freighters, brought a double-digit improvement in unit costs against its 747-400s. The operating economies they offer meant they would be deployed primarily on the Beijing and Shanghai routes.
Volga-Dnepr Group revenues increased 10 per cent to US$1.74 billion in the first 10 months of 2011 year on year. Cargo volume was up 14 per cent to 372,500 tonnes with ABC contributing 104,960 tonnes as the group increased freight-tonne kilometres eight per cent. Overall ABC achieved a load factor of 71 per cent.
There is some uncertainty as to the exact extra payload the 747-8F can carry, reports Roswell, Georgia's Air Cargo World. Analysts have claimed the aircraft ended up eight to 10 tonnes heavier than first expected, limiting payload and range. But Boeing 747 programme manager Elizabeth Lund says a redesigned wing more than compensates for this.
The plane is 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, giving four additional main-deck and three more lower-hold pallets; this translates to a 16 per cent higher revenue cargo volume with Boeing promising a 140-tonne payload. A senior ABC executive at the Frankfurt delivery ceremony, said the carrier had already flown 135 tonnes and hoped improvements would increase it to 145 tonnes.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-04-24
The 8,100 TEU APL Finland represents the maiden voyage of the six-member shipping company alliance’s weekly Far East/Europe service to Scandinavia’s busiest container port.
Gothenburg, Sweden ‐ The recently established G6 Alliance has added direct service Gothenburg, Sweden to its weekly Far East/Europe port rotation with the first vessel call of the APL Finland at APM Terminals Gothenburg, the busiest container facility in Scandinavia.
The G6 Alliance was created in December 2011 through the consolidation of the New World Alliance member lines APL, of Singapore; Hyundai Merchant Marine, of South Korea; and Mitsui O.S.K, of Japan, with Grand Alliance member lines NYK, of Japan; OOCL, of Hong Kong; and Hapag-Lloyd, of Germany. The new alliance operates a combined fleet of more than 90 containerships on nine strings serving more than 40 ports in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East.
The G6 weekly call is the second direct service linking Gothenburg with Asia, and will provide links to the Chinese ports of Shanghai and Ningbo, as well as Singapore in Southeast Asia; Jeddah on the Red Sea; Tangier, Morocco in the Mediterranean and Bremerhaven and Rotterdam in North Europe.
“We are very proud to welcome the G6” said APM Terminals Gothenburg Managing Director Keld Pedersen, adding “we have added two new liner services this year with MacAndrews (with service to the British Isles) and now the G6, which further strengthen our commercial service as the largest container terminal in the Scandinavian area.”
Gothenburg’s container terminal handled 810,000 TEUs in 2011, and as of January 4th has been operating as APM Terminals Gothenburg. The 25-year concession agreement calls for the investment over $15 million over the next five years, including three new super-post Panamax cranes as the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network establishes Gothenburg’s deep-water facility as a major North European hub for the growing Scandinavian and Baltic markets.
Source APM Terminals
Icelandic Group PLC is delighted to announce that it has achieved Marine Stewardship Council certification for all its cod and haddock originating from Iceland.
The Icelandic Group Companies – which in the UK are Seachill, Coldwater and Icelandic UK – will now be able to supply cod and haddock from Iceland with the sustainable fisheries ecolabel of the MSC. All gear types have been included – trawled, line caught and seine net – enabling cod and haddock to be bought fresh or frozen in retail, wholesale or food service.
Icelandic Group is now taking a leadership role and is exploring making the certification an inclusive process for the Icelandic fishing industry through certificate sharing mechanisms. Following the certification, all cod and haddock from Iceland fisheries – a total allowed catch of 160,000 tonnes of cod and 50,000 tonnes of haddock per year – will be eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel.
Lárus Ásgeirsson, CEO of Icelandic Group, said: “We’re delighted to receive MSC certification, following an extremely rigorous process involving peer reviews within the public consultation process. Iceland has a long and proud history of supplying high quality fish, and now with the independent certification of the Marine Stewardship Council, it can be sold as sustainable.”
“The decision to undergo MSC certification for Iceland cod and haddock was market driven and is a clear sign to our customers that we are committed to the highest levels of sustainability possible. This is an outstanding result for Icelandic Group as a whole and for our companies.”
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive, MSC, said: “It is a great pleasure to congratulate Icelandic Group on the historic MSC certification of their cod and haddock fisheries. These fisheries enjoy a strong reputation for sustainability and I am delighted that Icelandic Group chose MSC certification to demonstrate that sustainability to the market.
There is now a clear business case for MSC certification and this is particularly true in the Northern Europe markets where Icelandic cod and haddock are sold. Icelandic Group’s commitment to MSC certification clearly aligns their brands with the highest standards of demonstrable sustainability those markets are asking for. “
Source MSC
National Holding Company "Uzbekneftegas" reported on the activities in the first quarter of the year. Mining enterprises of the Republic in view of foreign investors produced natural gas at 103.8% of forecast volumes, liquids production - 100% of the forecast.
Gas processing plants also produce liquefied natural gas and polyethylene.
Industrial enterprises of "Uzbekneftegas", taking into account foreign investors under the production sharing agreements, in the 1st quarter of 2012 produced output of more than 2 trillion soums ($ 1.08 billion on the rate of Central Bank of Uzbekistan), which is - 100.8%, with growth at constant prices 104.2%. Consumer goods worth 147.3 billion soums ($ 79.5 million), or 107.6% of the budgeted figure, were produced.
Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
ESPO calls for transparent methodology to justify allocation of TEN-T funding to projects of common interest.
In a unique common appeal, more than 25 European transport organisations, covering all modes and nodal points, urged EU policy makers to safeguard the 32 billion Euro budget that has been allocated to EU transport infrastructure within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in the 2014-2020 budget. If the EU wants a transport infrastructure network that can meet traffic demand and support economic activity, it will need at least 250 billion Euro by 2020 according to European Commission estimates. This sum will remove bottlenecks and complete missing links in the core network of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). A further 250 billion Euro will be needed to improve the comprehensive network, in order to provide accessibility to the core network. With the open letter that was issued this afternoon, the European transport industry expresses its collective concern that not enough funds will be available to cover investment needs. The 32 billion Euro, earmarked by the European Commission to the core network in the Connecting Europe Facility, only covers a small share of the investment needs. It furthermore represents only 3% of the total EU budget for the period 2014-2020. But this modest share is nevertheless under huge pressure from Member States who are keen to cut it down to even more marginal proportions. This would turn the proposed review of the Trans-European Transport Network policy into a sand castle, to the detriment of Europe’s economy.
The initiative for the open letter was taken by the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP). EFIP Director Isabelle Ryckbost pointed at the fact that the proposed transport budget actually compensates important cuts in regional funds. “It is important to put the proposed TEN-T budget into perspective. The 32 billion might seem a serious increase at first glance. We must however bear in mind that at the same time, other sources of funding for transport infrastructure will be reduced or even removed. This is certainly the case for the transport funding possibilities in the European Regional Development Fund in some regions, but will also count for other sources of funding like the Marco Polo programme, which in the future will have to be financed through this same TEN-T budget. The 32 billion proposed is therefore a vital minimum and must be guaranteed more than ever.”
Given that ports form one of the cornerstones of the new TEN-T policy, ESPO actively supports the campaign to safeguard the 32 billion Euro budget. “We are however not asking for a blank cheque”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, “As ESPO, we insist that TEN-T funds should only be spent on projects that generate measurable EU added value, in terms of transport efficiency, sustainability and/or territorial cohesion. We have therefore invited the Commission to develop a transparent methodology that would justify TEN-T funding so that in the end genuine ‘projects of common interest’ are supported.”
The full open letter can be read on the ESPO website where the ESPO position on the TEN-T review can be found as well.
ESPO
2012-04-24
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Hussein Dabbas as Regional Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), based in Amman, Jordan with effect from 1 June 2012.
Dabbas has served as President and CEO of Royal Jordanian Airlines since 2009. That was the culmination of a career at the carrier that spanned over three decades during which Dabbas held various positions in the airline’s commercial departments. Dabbas takes over from Dr. Majdi Sabri who will retire from IATA after the leading the association in the MENA region since 2001.
“I welcome Hussein to IATA. His decades of aviation experience will help IATA to deliver its many important global programs in the fast growing MENA region. I also thank Majdi for his many years of dedicated service to IATA and the aviation industry of the region,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
"I am excited to be joining IATA and look forward to contributing to the development of aviation in the MENA region. Aviation is a critical component of the region’s development and exhibits a tremendous potential for growth. In the Middle East alone, the aviation sector currently supports 2.7 million jobs and $129 billion in economic activity. I look forward to leading IATA’s efforts regionally to ensure that aviation can continue be an economic catalyst by growing safely, securely and sustainably,” said Dabbas
IATA’s mission is to represent, lead and serve the airline industry. IATA brings together some 240 member airlines. Flights by these airlines account for 84% of all international scheduled air traffic.
IATA has 28 member airlines across the MENA region, including some of the fastest growing airlines in the world. From its Amman Regional Office, IATA supports the MENA region with access to the full range of IATA’s activities, programs and services. This includes flagship programs such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit, Simplifying the Business, and Checkpoint of the Future as well as the full range of IATA’s Industry Settlement Systems.
IATA
In the morning on April 23, 2012 the port of Odessa visited the liner Discovery (the length of 168 m, flag Bahamas). There were 600 passengers onboard, mostly British, Australian, Americans and New Zealanders. Odessa met the guests with music of municipal brass band and sun whether, perfectly suitable for familiarization tour. At 11 in the morning, when foreign visitors went for sight-seeing tours, the bus with inmates of boarding school №87 for visually impaired children approached the board of the ship.. According to information of ship’s captain Alexandr Tkachuk, British cruise company Voyages of Discovery supports few relief funds for diseased children in different countries, including well-known House Without Steps (Philippines), International Wheelchair-bound Children Fund and others. Thus, the charterer was kindly disposed towards the offer of the captain to accept the children onboard the ship. By force of crew members was organized familiarization tour and lection about the geography of navigation of the liner. After that the children were pleased by the concert. In addition the children were feed with lunch and presented with souvenirs. The pleasant impressions were mutual and possibly, the event may occur again during the second call of the liner to the port of Odessa (on October 2012).
Odessa Commercial Sea Port
THE Panama Canal Authority (ACP) plans to modify the canal's pricing structure to "align toll charges with the value the route provides".
The ACP said in a statement that the proposal aims to increase the number of segments from eight to eleven vessel types. It establishes a new segment for container/breakbulk vessels. In addition, it also breaks down the tanker segment into three distinct segments and incorporates the roll-on/roll-off vessels into the vehicle carrier segment.
If approved, the Panama Canal market segmentation scheme will include the following segments: full container, reefer, dry bulk, passenger, vehicle carrier and ro-ro, tanker, chemical tanker, LPG, general cargo and others.
The authority plans to introduce the new charges in July. Under the proposal, the ACP aims to increase the tolls for the following segments: general cargo, container/break bulk (new segment), dry bulk, tanker (redefined segment), chemical tanker (new segment), LPG (new segment), vehicle carrier and ro-ro (merged segment), and the segment known as others. The remaining segments will not be adjusted at this time. Additionally, there will be changes to tolls applicable to small vessels based on vessel length, to incorporate adjustments not previously considered.
"This proposal continues to align the Panama Canal tolls to the value, benefit and quality the route provides, and maintains the competitiveness of the Panama Canal," said ACP chief executive Alberto Aleman Zubieta.
As part of the tolls adjustment process, the ACP has established a consultation period from April 20 - May 21, during which the ACP will receive formal written comments, opinions and written requests from interested parties to participate in the public hearing, which will be held in Panama City, Panama, on May 23.
"The ACP will continue its dialogue with the industry to develop a pricing structure that meets the needs of our customers - one that benefits them and Panama," Mr Aleman Zubieta said.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DUBAI's Emirates Shipping has announced it will impose a general rate increase (GRI) of US$250 per TEU on cargo from the Far East and south east Asia to east Africa from May 1.
This is the second GRI on the same trade lane announced by Emirates Shipping, registered in Dubai and commercially run from Hong Kong, in April. The world's 59th largest carrier recently increased the rate at the same level of $250 per TEU on April 15.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ANTI-PIRACY security measures are proving more effective with 20 per cent fewer successful attacks in 2011 year on year, but ransoms demanded have increased 77 per cent from 2010, according to the Willis Marine Market Review.
London shipbroker Willis Group's review said cargo insurance buyers continue to enjoy the benefits of a soft market, achieving reductions in premium and deductibles, as well as increases in limits, at little or no additional cost.
"Despite ever-dwindling returns to insurers, competition for business remains fierce with a flurry of new entrants creating excess capacity," the review said.
"These are difficult times for the maritime industry. World shipping is in recession, the economic turmoil continues to dampen demand, pirates are seizing property and crew and increased sanctions demand further resources and attention," said Willis Global Marine CEO Alistair Rivers.
"For many, the year began badly with the loss of the Costa Concordia cruise liner [off Italy in January with 32 dead]. It was a timely reminder that 100 years on from the loss of the Titanic, disasters on this scale are still possible. The liability aspects of this loss will be of far greater significance to insurers as matters evolve throughout the year," he said.
The review reported February's insurance renewals were "disproportionately confrontational and protracted" as shipowners operating in one of the worst economic environments for a generation contested even inflationary increases. "On average, rate increases of four per cent were achieved," the review said.
Excess capacity in the Asian marine insurance market is putting pressure on rates as local and foreign insurers compete for market share. Asia is now home to half of the insurance world's merchant fleet, 14 of the top 20 ports and three of the largest ship building nations, said the review.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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