FIGURES from the Hong Kong Marine Department show the port handled 1.97 million TEU in March, an increase of 7.1 per cent over the 1.8 million TEU in March of last year.
Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority reported a 5.8 per cent increase in container movement in March, having handled 2.65 million TEU compared to 2.5 million TEU in March of last year.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SWISS forwarding giant Kuehne + Nagel has posted a 12.2 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit in 2011, achieving a record high of CHF606 million (US$660 million) despite a 3.3 per cent decline in revenue to CHF19.9 billion.
In sea freight, the company achieved 11 per cent growth over the year, with the number of container units hitting three million for the first time, said the annual report.
In air freight, Kuehne + Nagel recorded an increase of 13 per cent in tonnage year on year. "The outstanding performance is based on the targeted expansion - accelerated by acquisitions - of perishables logistics activities and the successful provision of industry-specific air freight solutions," said the annual report.
Also, groupage activities were boosted by the acquisition of RH Freight, leading to a 10 per cent market volume growth, which was attributable to a growth in the full and part load and industry-specific distribution segments.
"Improvements in efficiency are expected from the further increase in the density of the overland network in 2012, the start-up of the Eurohub in Bad Hersfeld and the further standardisation of IT systems," said the chairman Reinhard Lange in the annual report.
Mr Lange said Europe performed well despite the debt crisis. "Germany recorded an outstanding development of turnover and earnings. The results of the national companies in Italy, Spain and Portugal were satisfactory."
In North America, Kuehne + Nagel restructured its contract logistics business unit, which led to better results, and its international forwarding business continued to expand despite the slowdown of economy.
In South America, the group's investments and expansion, such as in Brazil and Colombia, contributed "over-proportionally from the region's dynamic economic development and achieved a substantial improvement in volume and earnings in relation to the preceding year."
Middle East business was adversely affected by civil strife, but the group was able to maintain 2010 business levels.
In 2012 the Kuehne + Nagel Group plans to invest CHF155 million in Europe, CHF22 million in the Americas, CHF22 million in Asia Pacific and CHF19 million in the Mideast, Central Asia and Africa.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
PARTNER and shipowner Maersk McKinney Moller has passed away at a Copenhagen hospital on April 16 at the age of 98.
Maersk McKinney Moller became the joint owner of the company "Firmaet AP Moller" in 1940 and in 1965, became company chairman on the death of Arnold Peter Moller, his father, as well as chairman of AP Moller-Maersk Group.
Under his leadership, the group has grown to own the largest container shipping line in the world, Maersk Line, and to control significant oil and gas operations.
Mr Moller undertook the daily management of the group until 1993 when he stepped down to take up the role as chairman of AP Moller-Maersk until 2003.
Said daughter and company director Ane Maersk McKinney Uggla: "We are grateful that our father lived a long and eventful life. In his never failing wish to do good, together with many and great initiatives, he has left a significant mark on our time."
At the time of his death, Maersk McKinney Moller was chairman of the board of the AP Moller and Chastine McKinney Moller Foundation, the AP Moller Relief Foundation, and the Maersk Employee Foundation, which together hold more than 50 per cent of the company's A shares.
According to Wikipedia Maersk McKinney Moller was placed on the Forbes List of Billionaires as the 557th wealthiest person in the world in 2007. With an estimated fortune of DKK123 billion (US$21.6 billion), Forbes claimed he was the second richest man in Denmark after Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, until his death.
Said Maersk chairman Michael Pram Rasmussen: "AP Moller-Maersk has lost a businessman of international format and the man who, if any, can take credit for the group being among the world's leading and Denmark's undisputed largest business."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
UNITED Arab Shipping Company (USAC) has gained a US$150 million loan facility with Kuwait's Burgan Bank to support its capacity expansion of nine recently acquired 13,500-TEU ships first designated for the Asia/Middle East - Europe trade.
The seven-year loan facility will support the deployment of these ships on various north-south routes.
"We will be working closely with local and regional banks to ensure the successful implementation of our financial strategies, and expansion plans, to offer more comprehensive and cost competitive shipping solutions to our customers from around the globe," said UASC chief financial officer Basil Al-Zaid.
UASC is owned by six Gulf countries of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It owns and operates 49 containerships including the nine ultra large containerships A13s joining the fleet.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
US IMPORT shipments for March increased 11.9 per cent from February, according to trade intelligence company Zepol Corporation, which said this was not surprising due to February's low numbers.
It said that more significant is the total 2.6 per cent rise in TEU for the first quarter of 2012, compared to first quarter of 2011, as well as the 6.2 per cent rise this March from March of 2011. In addition, first quarter of 2012 outpaced the first-quarter numbers for the past three years, a statement posted on Marketwire via Comtex said.
In March US imports from China had a spike in TEU of 12.3 per cent from February, but dropped from January by 20 per cent. Total TEU imports from China for first quarter of 2012 were up by a mere 0.1 per cent from first quarter of 2011. However, a more notable increase came from Germany, which rose 20 per cent in March from February. Imports from Germany also had a significant increase of 15.4 per cent in first quarter of 2012 from first quarter of 2011.
The majority of inbound cargo to US ports rose in March from February, but failed to surpass January's TEU. The Port of Los Angeles increased in imports by 22.4 per cent from February, but is down 10.6 per cent from January.
Similarly, the Port of Long Beach rose in March by 26.8 per cent but was still lower than January imports by 13 per cent. Many US ports saw a small increase in TEU imports for first quarter of 2012 compared to first quarter of 2011. Ports worth mentioning are the Port of Houston and the Port of Charleston, which both rose over 11 per cent in first quarter, and were the only ports in the top-10-list to show increases over 10 per cent.
For Vessel-Operating Common Carriers (VOCC), there were few that rose in TEU imports from February and almost all were down from January's numbers. Evergreen Line decreased 12.9 per cent from February and 13 per cent from January.
Conversely, Mediterranean Shipping Company increased 13.7 per cent from February and 2.4 per cent from January, the only top-10 VOCC to rise from January imports in March. For Q1 of 2012, Maersk Line spiked 20.6 per cent from first quarter of 2011 and China Ocean Shipping Company also saw a large increase of 16.2 per cent for first quarter.
Zepol's data is derived from bills of lading entered into the US automated manifest system.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
ZHOUSHAN, part of the Ningbo-Zhoushan port cluster, lifted 89,357 TEU, rocketing 223.17 per cent compared to the first quarter in 2011, Xinhua reports.
In the same period, the port's throughput throughput tonnage grew 5.55 per cent to a new quarterly high of 78.94 million tonnes. Its foreign trade cargo throughput jumped 31.05 per cent to 27.74 million tonnes.
According to an unnamed manager from Zhoushan's port authority, the port's Jintang Dapukou container terminal recorded a surge in the box throughput, which was brought by four newly launched container shipping lanes. In January, the terminal lifted 16,299 TEU of international containers, breaking its monthly record.
Jintang Dapukou container terminal is currently operating eight shipping lanes. In the near future, the only West African line calling at Ningbo port's Meishan port area will also start calling at Dapukou. The terminal's throughput is expected to hit 400,000 TEU by year end.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HAPAG-Lloyd will start a new express connection Adriatic Express Service (ADX) to link Port Said and Damietta directly with Rijeka, Koper, Venice and Ancona effective from May.
It will allow faster transit times between Rijeka, Koper, Venice, Ancona, Port Said and Damietta with just four days from Port Said to Koper and to Venice six days. It also offers further connections on the carrier's global network to destinations of Far East, India, Australia, US, the western Mediterranean and the Black Sea region.
The service will deploy two vessels average capacity of 1,200 TEU equipped with sufficient reefer plugs, said a statement from the German carrier. The port rotation is as follows: Damietta, Port Said, Koper, Rijeka, Venice, Ancona and back to Damietta.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HELSINKI's Cargotec has secured a deal to supply four of its Kalmar ESC340W straddle carriers to Malaysian port operator Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, the supplier company has announced.
The 40-tonne cranes are scheduled for delivery to the company's Port Klang site in September. These latest straddle carriers will be used to replace the existing fleet with newer models as the ongoing growth of intra-Asia container traffic demands increased efficiency at terminals in the region. As the national load centre, Northport has 2,400 employees and was responsible for handling 3.3 million TEU in 2011.
Northport has a longstanding working partnership with Cargotec and boasts a fleet including 26 ship-to-shore cranes, 62 RTGs, 37 straddle carriers, and 153 prime movers. This close co-operation is reinforced by a five-year service agreement in which Cargotec will provide continuous maintenance support for the new straddle carriers.
This new four-machine deal follows a contract in which Cargotec was commissioned to refurbish and upgrade eight of Northport's ship-to-shore cranes at its Container Terminal Two.
Over the last 12 months, Cargotec has converted the older cranes to utilise the latest crane management system software and wireless remote diagnostics tools to ensure faster recovery time, higher uptime, and lower maintenance costs in the future. Most are fitted with Bromma spreaders. Port Klang also now utilises the Navis terminal operating system, a Cargotec statement said.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TWO subsidiaries of Russian Railways, TransContainer and RZD Logistics, has launched express container trains across Russia to increase competitiveness of rail container traffic.
The faster container trains on a route between Yekaterinburg and St Petersburg will offer reliable shipping service to Urals-based exporters, said RZD Logistics director general Pavel Sokolov of a route which has the capability of linking Berlin with Beijing.
The test journey in September 2011 took 68 hours and covered a distance of 2,300 kilometres leaving Yekaterinburg at 1620 hrs, arriving in St Petersburg at 1220 hrs.
The immediate aim is to cater to demand between Russia and the Baltic states in 2011. During the first nine months of 2011 international container traffic was up 21.3 per cent year on year with imports exceeding container exports in growth, up by 64.4 per cent at 322,300 tonnes.
"In introducing this train to the market, we guarantee our clients that their goods will be delivered quickly and reliably; we're reducing travel time by eliminating the need to sort carriages en route", Mr Sokolov said, reports the UK's rail.co.uk.
TransContainer's trial run of a container train three years ago on the 'Baltika-Transit from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia to the CIS countries has led to a regular schedule along the route from the Krasta railway station in Riga, Latvia to Galaba railway station in Uzbekistan of large containers bound for Afghanistan. The route experienced a 25 per cent drop in volume of container trains year on year in the first nine months of 2011 to 12,454 TEU.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
NORTHWEST China's overland checkpoint bordering Kazakhstan, Alataw Pass, moved 3.98 million tonnes of import and export cargo in the first two months, up 0.8 per cent year on year, reports Xinhua.
The cargo value grew 13 per cent to US$2.55 billion while customs revenue increased 31 per cent to CNY2.83 billion ($449 million).
The checkpoint's rail volume rose 9.3 per cent to 2.36 million tonnes while truck throughput soared 406 per cent to 32,000 tonnes during the two-month period year on year.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CHINA Railway Express (CRE), a railway express service provider owned by the Ministry of Railways, has been promoting its time-definite service, Xinhua reports.
The service includes next-day delivery and third-day delivery, by which cargo will be delivered to customers by 5pm the next day or the third day.
CRE has deployed 670 runs of trains on the time-definite service and set up cargo collecting spots at domestic 97 cities. Destination covers 144 cities, 127 of them support next-day delivery.
In March, revenue from time-definite service in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai, Jinan, Harbin, Taiyuan and Nanchang were all more than doubled compared to the same month in 2011.
CRE plans to strengthen the promotion of the service and expand its network as its next step.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KOREAN AIR is resuming services to St Petersburg from April 24 until September 29 over the peak summer travel season.
The Incheon to St Petersburg flights will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, utilising an Airbus 330-200.
Flight KE929 departs Seoul/Incheon at 1745 hrs and arrives in St Petersburg at 2220 hrs the same day. The return flight KE930 departs St Petersburg at 2350 hrs for an overnight flight that arrives at Seoul/Incheon at 1335 hrs the next day.
By resuming the Incheon-St Petersburg route during the summer season, the carrier said in a statement that it expects to provide more options and greater flexibility for passengers travelling to Russia and northern Europe.
The airline is also launching a new route to London Gatwick, its second route to London from April 28 and a new route to Nairobi from June 21.
The carrier said in a statement that it is the first airline in northeast Asia to operate a direct flight to Nairobi, adding that it plans to expand its global network further, without providing more details.
Both the Incheon-Gatwick service and Incheon-Nairobi service will be operated three times a week.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DESPITE a global downward trend for cargo, Brussels airport has seen an increase in air cargo volumes with Asia and Middle East carriers faring the best during the first quarter of 2012.
Freighter cargo grew the most at 4.3 per cent in, with bellyhold retaining the same level as last year. Cargo figures remained flat during January due to Chinese New Year but rose in consecutive months by more than six per cent.
The number of cargo flights increased by 6.6 per cent whereas the cargo volume carried grew by 7.9 per cent during March. Belly cargo on passenger aircraft recorded a growth despite the decrease of the numbers of flights, which indicates an improved aircraft payload, said a statement from the airport.
Its customers and stakeholders have been affected by the difficult economic situation, said head of cargo Steven Polmans. But opportunities for growth still exist, he said with carriers showing impressive results during this period of Korean Air Cargo, Saudi Airlines Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo and EVA Air.
"We still have routes not being served out of Brussels, so we work hard and hope we can soon have direct links with these destinations so we can continue growing the business at our airport," Mr Polmans said in a report from London's International Freighting Weekly.
It also has plans for expansion at Brucargo in a new 23,000-square-metre building with negotiations for a further 25,000-square-metre building with direct ramp access.
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
MIDEAST carrier Oman Air had announced that rising cargo income lifted its revenue by 35 per cent last year to OMR311.3 million (US$807 million), but it still posted a year-end loss, reported the Times of Oman.
The airline blamed the loss on the spiralling cost of fuel which increased 38 per cent.
Freight revenues increased by 28 per cent year on year, and the carrier's overall capacity increased 21 per cent as it continued efforts to establish a global network.
Oman Air chairman Darwish bin Ismaiel al-Balushi, also the country's finance minister, said the carrier had bucked international trends by increasing cargo volume by 13 per cent year over year.
"As a result, cargo revenues increased by OMR4.1 million, providing an important contribution to our financial results," he added. "Our cargo operations were also enhanced by the launch in 2011 of new pan-GCC and pan-European trucking services and a new partnership with the Port of Salalah, which is resulting in new opportunities to develop the Sultanate of Oman's European freight transport market."
Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
In April 1912, the Swedish army commenced rigorous testing of a Scania-Vabis truck. Since then, Scania has supplied vehicles and services for peacekeeping purposes to many countries all over the world.
For more than 100 years, Scania has supplied technologically advanced vehicles for peacekeeping and defence missions in various countries worldwide. Scania vehicles stem from the company’s modular product system, benefiting from large-scale technology development for civilian applications.
This modularity has many advantages, the greatest of which is its high scope for customisation with a limited number of building blocks. The system offers customers an exceptionally wide range of options that enables vehicles to be tailored to any type of transport.
Scania's modular product system was born in the late 1930s and has evolved ever since. Well-known for its flexibility and adaptability for various applications, it is also a basis for easier servicing, parts supply and network training. In recent years this flexibility, along with access to Scania's worldwide service network, has turned out to be a major benefit for peacekeeping forces in service in different parts of the world.
Milestones
1912: On 2 April, the Swedish army commences long-term testing of a Scania-Vabis truck. The verdict? According to Swedish army officials: “The truck coped well with the tests and must be considered well suitable for military use on roads where truck traffic is at all possible.”
1916: The Swedish army orders a four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steer vehicle from Scania-Vabis.
1916: Scania-Vabis delivers ethanol-powered trucks to the Swedish Ministry of Defence.
1924: Scania-Vabis continues to test alternative fuels (ethanol and producer gas).
1936: Scania-Vabis launches its first diesel engine – the “Royal” unitary engine. This is the first Scania engine to use standardised components and marks the start of the legendary modular product system.
1936: Scania-Vabis starts delivering several hundred engines for tanks to the Swedish army. Spark ignition engines were preferred, for which Scania-Vabis developed a special carburettor that could cope with steep tilt angles.
1939-45: During the second world war, Scania-Vabis like other heavy industries in Sweden changes over to produce various types of military equipment, e.g. tanks and industrial engines fitted to other equipment.
1943-46: Scania starts delivering 262 SKPF m/42 armoured personnel carriers (APC) to the Swedish army. This vehicle was to become long-lived in service. It was refurbished several times and continued in service on peace-keeping missions for the United Nations into the 2000s.
1949: All engines supplied by Scania-Vabis now have direct fuel injection.
1960-62: A total of 440 Scania-Vabis LA82 6x6 trucks – nick-named the “anteater” – are delivered to the Swedish defence with 10-litre turbocharged engines producing 200-220 hp. The high mobility of these heavy-duty off-road trucks was beneficial for example when pulling artillery pieces. Some were equipped as heavy-duty recovery and crane vehicles.
1961: The Scania-Vabis SKPF m/42 APCs are put into service for United Nations peacekeeping forces in Congo (UNOC).
1961: The Brazilian military tests the SKPF m/42 APC.
1962: The Swedish armed forces order 400 engines for generator sets, used for example for aircraft starting, as mobile power stations and for standby power.
1965-71: Around 1,000 Scania L36/L50 medium-duty trucks are delivered to the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV). These 4x2 trucks were powered by 4-cylinder engines derived from the 6-cylinder 7-litre engine and were often used for mobile refuelling and for transporting field kitchens.
1971: Prototypes of a new generation of off-road vehicles, the SBA111 (4x4) and SBAT111 (6x6), are developed in cooperation with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV). The vehicles had unusually flexible frames, long suspension travel and, hence, exceptional mobility. To facilitate driving and driver training, a special automatic gearbox with off-road features was developed, which was later adapted for civilian use.
1974: An innovative agreement between Saab-Scania and FMV is signed, stipulating that the supplier is rewarded a more valuable contract if service and maintenance costs are low.
1975: Production starts of a total of some 3,500 SBA111 (4x4) and SBAT111 (6x6) vehicles, of which 2,700 for the Swedish defence.
1976: The Finnish defence orders 34 SBAT111 (6x6) vehicles.
1985: After 25 years in service, the Scania-Vabis LA82 vehicles were still in good working order. More than 300 of the vehicles were re-furbished with hook-lifts to serve as bridge carriers (Ribbon Bridge) for another 15 years of duty.
1986: Scania trucks in use with the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
1986: Scania delivers its first vehicle to a NATO country (Norway) as part of an order for 1,811 vehicles in total, delivered between 1986 and 1996.
1987: Scania delivers 660 of the SBAT111 (6x6) vehicles to India and another 90 to Sweden.
1989: Scania starts to supply engines for the Swedish-built Combat Vessel 90, powered by one or two Scania V8 engines. In total more than 500 propulsion and auxiliary engines have since been delivered to the Swedish marine.
1993: Scania delivers the first serial V8 engine deliveries out of a total of more than one thousand for the Combat Vehicle 90.
1993: Scania trucks in use with the United Nations Protections Force (UNPROFOR) operation in Bosnia, retrofitted with ballistic protection for the cab.
1996: Scania delivers trucks to the French army for the first time.
1996: Scania starts delivering close to 1,000 engines to power APCs for the Spanish defence.
1998: Scania delivers first NATO-specified vehicles to the Belgian army.
1998: Scania trucks in use with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in western Sahara (MINURSO).
1999: Scania trucks in use with the NATO led UN-operation in Kosovo (KFOR).
2001: Scania delivers trucks to the Portuguese army for the first time.
2001: Scania for the first time delivers trucks with mine and ballistic protection. Scania trucks in use with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
2001: Scania signs repair and maintenance agreements for the first time with a defence customer, Finland.
2002: Scania delivers trucks to the Australian army for the first time.
2002: The Scania-Vabis SKPF m/42 APC ‘retires’ after 60 years in service.
2003: The Dutch army purchases 555 Scania 8x8 trucks, a large number of them fitted with protection kits.
2004: Scania delivers trucks to the Irish army for the first time.
2004-2013: Scania delivers 700 engines to power APCs for the Polish Army.
2005: Scania trucks in use with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
2005: Scania delivers several hundred engines to power Finnish-built APC.
2006: Scania signs lifetime repair and service contracts for 555 trucks with the Dutch army.
2007: Scania delivers trucks to the Algerian army for the first time.
2007: Scania trucks in use with the European Force (EUFOR) in Chad.
2009: Scania supplies the Finnish army with G-series four-axle all-wheel drive trucks. The agreement includes repair, maintenance and training.
2009: Scania signs a deal for a six-year repair and maintenance agreement covering 200 vehicles previously delivered to the Finnish army.
2009: Scania signs multi-year contract with Finnish defence concerning road-going trucks.
2009: Scania delivers trucks to the German army for the first time.
2010: Scania signs contract for the delivery of 31 complete defence vehicles to Luxembourg, 13 of which with mine and ballistic protection.
2011: Scania delivers trucks to the Turkish army for the first time.
2012: Some 1,500 of the Scania SBA111 and SBAT111 delivered to the Swedish defence remain in operation, 35 years after deliveries started.
Source Scania
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International business magazine JŪRA MOPE SEA has been published since 1999
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