On April 10 at the Customs sq. in front of the building of the port of Odessa was a solemn meeting devoted to the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the city from invaders. For hundreds of port workers and students to the Naval Lyceum with an appeal to keep holy the memory of soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom of the homeland, asked the chief port of Yuri Vaskov, Honorary President of the State Enterprise "OMTP" Nikolai Pavlyuk, Director of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, Vladimir Sevryukov, chairman of the trade union committee of the port Vladimir Zaikov, Chairman of the Board of Veterans port Nicholas stout. Speakers expressed their deep gratitude to generation, through the sacrificial feat which was achieved a great victory and restored the national economy. Those who came to the rally commemorated the liberators moment of silence. By the Eternal Flame monument, a monument dockers who died during World War II, laid wreaths and flowers.
Source Port of Odessa
2012-04-11
CA-NEWS (KG) - Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Omurbek Babanov signed a decree approving a draft agreement on air communication between the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the Government of Azerbaijan on March 30.
Under the decision the Minister of Transport and Communications is authorized to sign the draft agreement on air communication between the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the Government of Azerbaijan with the right to introduce not crucial changes and additions on behalf of the Government of Kyrgyzstan.
Source central asian news service
CA-NEWS (KZ) - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev held the session in Astana yesterday, where report on the National Bank’s progress in 2011 was discussed, the presidential press service said.
The meeting was attended by Head of Presidential Administration Aslan Musin, Chairman of the National Bank Gregory Marchenko, Deputy Prime Minister Kerim Kelimbetov, Chairman of the Board of National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" Umirzak Shukeev, Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Bakhyt Sultanov, Finance Minister Bolat Zhamishev, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Bakhytzhan Sagintaev, as well as the Head of Committee for Control and Supervision of Financial market and Financial Organizations within the National Bank.
"The Government should help stimulate activity of domestic banks. Apart from that, it should mainly focus on stabilizing BTA and Alliance Banks that have undergone debt restructuring," the press service added citing Nazarbaev.
Earlier in 2009-2010 three Kazakhstan-based banks – BTA, Alliance and Temir – resorted to debt restructuring schemes. BTA is currently negotiating a second debt restructuring with its creditors.
Head of State pointed to the poor quality of the loan portfolios and low lending activity. He emphasized that threats to the global economy are still there, Eurozone problems are still remaining unsolved. And all of these factors will have their effect on the national financial system of Kazakhstan.
President gave some specific instructions related to the tenge exchange rate, anticipated inflation corridor of 6-8% and streamlining of the nation’s accumulation pension funds.
Besides, he broached some aspects of the National Fund’s assets management, further development of the insurance market, and concerted monetary policies with the Customs Union member states.
BTA Bank defaulted in 2009. In September 2010, BTA Bank completed the first restructuring of its debt. As a result, the bank’s debt was slashed from $16.65 to $4.2 billion. After the restructuring it is controlled by National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna"(81.48 percent). The bank’s creditors received over 18 percent of shares after the restructuring.
BTA Chairman Anvar Saidenov proposed a second restructuring letter to shareholders to evade bankruptcy on December 23. The bank defaulted on its $150 million coupon payment in January 2012.
Source central asian news service
CA-NEWS (KZ) - Business activity increased by 3% in Kazakhstan in March 2012, the Statistics Agency said.
"Industrial leaders noted an increase in demand for finished products, which led to the growth in production volumes of their businesses in March this year compared with the previous month," the press service added.
Index of business confidence, which characterizes the change in business activity, increased by 3 percentage points and amounted to (+9)%.
Many heads of industrial enterprises expect the growth in their organizations in the short term until June 2012.
Prior to June 2012, (67)% of companies expect the immutability of the financial and economic activity compared to the current moment of (22)%, also an improvement and (9)% - a recession.
Source central asian news service
Scania and the South Korean equipment manufacturer, Doosan Infracore, have agreed to further increase their current cooperation. According to a Letter of Intent, Scania, from 2014, will not only supply engines for Doosan’s articulated dump trucks and large wheel loaders but also other products within the Doosan range.
“In the long term, we are estimating delivery of well over 3,000 engines annually to Doosan Infracore. This cooperation has strengthened our position in the growing Asian market,” says Robert Sobocki, Senior Vice President and Head of Scania Engines.
Doosan Infracore is well positioned within the Chinese market. Several models from a total of over 20,000 machines sold annually in China will be powered by Scania engines.
“We have tested Scania’s engines in our products and they meet our expectations for reliability, outstanding performance and high fuel efficiency. We also appreciate Scania’s modular concept. One engine platform for all emission levels is of great benefit. For instance, it helps in our design installation work and thanks to Scania’s global service network, our customers also get access to excellent support.” says Andrew H. Choi, Sourcing Director at Doosan Infracore.
Robert Sobocki adds “Our engines fulfill our OEMs’ expectations and their experience tells us that not only do we have powerful systems to offer, the fuel efficiency has also improved.”
Scania industrial engines will manage Stage IV and Tier 4 final with EGR and SCR technology but without a particulate filter. The newly developed engine platform is the same for all emission levels ranging from Stage II to Stage IV and is extremely reliable.
Source Scania
BP announced a deal with FedEx to offset the carbon emissions of over 200 million FedEx Envelopes shipped worldwide yearly.
Through the carbon-neutral FedEx Envelope shipping program, FedEx will calculate the carbon dioxide released through FedEx Envelope shipments on an annual basis and purchase the equivalent amount of carbon offsets from BP’s not-for-profit, BP Target Neutral scheme. This will neutralize the equivalent amount of CO2 emissions by supporting investments in low carbon development projects that reduce or remove carbon from being released into the atmosphere.
These projects also create additional environmental, social and economic benefits locally. They include a biogas farm facility in the Netherlands, a reforestation project in the Tanzanian Southern Highlands that is converting degraded grassland to commercial forest and a landfill gas collection system at Thailand’s first sanitary landfill.
The agreement between BP Target Neutral and FedEx makes FedEx Express® the first global express transportation company to offer carbon neutral envelope shipping at no extra charge to the customer.
“Through EarthSmart, FedEx continues to lead in sustainable shipping. To offset our FedEx Envelopes, we chose BP Target Neutral based on how thoroughly they vet and research their projects, the added oversight of the independent assurance panel that monitors Target Neutral and the affordable rate structure,” says Mitch Jackson, VP Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corporation.
”This is a milestone agreement between BP Target Neutral and FedEX,” said Andrea Abrahams, BP’s Global Director for BP Target Neutral. “It is one of many examples in which businesses throughout the world can play their part in reducing impact of carbon emissions on the planet.”
BP is the Official Oil and Gas Partner for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralymics and BP Target Neutral is the first ever Official Carbon Offset Partner of a summer Games.
The carbon neutral program extends to all FedEx Envelope shipping options, including FedEx First Overnight®, FedEx Priority Overnight®, FedEx Standard Overnight®, FedEx 2Day®, FedEx Economy 2Day® A.M. and FedEx Express Saver®. More than 200 million FedEx Envelopes are shipped around the world every year.
Source BP
On April 10 at the Customs sq. in front of the building of the port of Odessa was a solemn meeting devoted to the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the city from invaders. For hundreds of port workers and students to the Naval Lyceum with an appeal to keep holy the memory of soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom of the homeland, asked the chief port of Yuri Vaskov, Honorary President of the State Enterprise "OMTP" Nikolai Pavlyuk, Director of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, Vladimir Sevryukov, chairman of the trade union committee of the port Vladimir Zaikov, Chairman of the Board of Veterans port Nicholas stout. Speakers expressed their deep gratitude to generation, through the sacrificial feat which was achieved a great victory and restored the national economy. Those who came to the rally commemorated the liberators moment of silence. By the Eternal Flame monument, a monument dockers who died during World War II, laid wreaths and flowers.
Source Odessa Commercial Sea Port
MEMBER carriers of Asia Australia Discussion Agreement (AADA) has announced they will increase the rates for services from China and Hong Kong to Australia from May 15.
Freight rates for all outward shipments from China and Hong Kong to destinations in Australia will increase US$300 per TEU and US$600 per FEU for both dry and refrigerated cargo, said the AADA statement, adding that "this increase will apply in full on top of existing ongoing market rates and will be subject to accessorial surcharges applicable at the time of shipment."
AADA consists of 13 carriers serving the trade from north and east Asia to Australia. Its members include: ANL, CSCL, Cosco, Hamburg Sud, Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), "K" Line, Maersk, MSC, MOL, NYK Line and OOCL.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE latest report posted by Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI) asserts that China's shipping market has hit the bottom since the rate collapse last year, Xinhua reports.
According to the report, the China Shipping Prosperity Index (CSPI) in the first quarter of this year is 86.35 points, lower than the prosperity 100-midpoint border, falling 3.6 points compared to the last quarter, but rate of decline has been shrinking.
Though most carriers are still pessimistic, the China Shipping Confidence Index (CSFI) has gone up 9.58 points to 68.92 points compared to the last quarter.
Since the carriers' rate restoration schemes in March led by Maersk, shipping rate has gone up to and is remaining at the level from US$1,300 to $1,400, nearly doubled that of month ago. The report said the rate increases will continue for a while but will be affected by cargo volume in the long run.
SISI's survey shows that 52.6 per cent of the carriers consider that it will be a trend to ally with other carriers as a temporary solution to overcapacity.
Besides, Chinese carriers also will get support from the government. Ministry of Transport spokesman He Jianzhong said that the government is working on measures to boost the shipping industry, including encouraging shippers and carriers to share risk while at the same time, urging consolidation through mergers.
SISI also predicts that the CSPI index will see rapid growth in the second quarter which will bring shipping back towards profitability.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CONTAINER carriers in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (WTSA) has proposed a new round of rates increases for US to Asia services with effect from May 15.
For dry cargo, rates will increase US$50 per FEU from Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to Asia. And for all other cargo, moving via all-water or intermodal service from Pacific Northwest ports, from inland US points and from the US east and Gulf coasts, the increase will be $100 per FEU, said a WTSA statement.
Additionally, a proposed increase of $200 per FEU will be applied to shipments for French fries, frozen vegetables and miscellaneous refrigerated cargo not covered under commodity-specific programmes, for all origins and Asian destinations.
WTSA executive administrator Brian Conrad said "successive rate adjustments taken in recent months have been modest and aimed at incrementally restoring rates in the trade to compensatory levels after a period of significant erosion."
"The diverse and often seasonal nature of westbound traffic makes it necessary to adopt multiple increases for cargo moving under contract throughout the year."
WTSA comprises 10 major container carriers, which include APL, Cosco, Evergreen Line, Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), "K" Line, NYK Line, OOCL and Yang Ming.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
OVERHANGING overcapacity in container shipping and weak European demand may well scupper recent rate increases and the sudden rise in the spot market, warns Drewry's latest quarterly Container Forecaster.
"Five new services are being launched in the transpacific before June and we believe that this will put continued pressure on the spot rates and the ability for carriers to push through increases they are seeking in May contract negotiations. This year will see another 59 ships of at least 10,000 TEU enter the global fleet," said the London maritime research consultancy.
"Given that Asia-US demand is still uncertain, this desire to re-introduce so much new capacity, rather than lay-up tonnage, could be a de-railer if there is a weak peak season. The cascading of larger vessels into the north-south trades is also becoming more noticeable and could also be a threat to their stability," said the report.
"We concur and forecast that east-west freight rates including fuel will rise by as much 13.7 per cent this year, but we should not be lulled into a false sense of security by the considerably higher spot rates in the weekly rate indices and think that all is now fixed," said the report.
"Ocean carriers have implemented GRIs [general rate increases] on both the headhaul Asia to Europe and Asia to US trades, but until very recently, even the largest 15,500-TEU vessels in the Asia-north Europe trade were not making money," the report said.
"Recent losses and the high fuel prices have forced the industry into a re-structuring which was started at the end of last year. Many carriers have now grouped together on the core Asia-Europe trade to pool their largest ships into fewer services and to share costs. This was unlikely to have happened several years ago, but has been forced out of necessity," it said.
"Nobody saw the huge $800 per TEU rate increases coming on the Asia-Europe trade and the timing of this bemused virtually everyone. Few believed it would be successful, but carriers have stood firm during a period when load factors have not necessarily been in the high 90s on the headhaul leg," said the report.
Said Drewry container research chief Neil Dekker: "Until the inherent structural capacity is truly tackled, we will continue to have periodic and violent bouts of overcapacity that will keep rates and operating margins yo-yoing up and down. Carriers do not see the severity of their situation since the number of ships in actual full term lay-up is fairly small."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE obscure defendants, technically owners of a stricken containership Rena, which was wrecked on a reef off a popular New Zealand holiday spot in October, have been charged with causing the country's worst environmental disaster in decades.
Daina Shipping, not be confused with Diana Shipping, and reportedly a unit of Greece's Costamare Inc, has been charged that it discharged harmful substances after its 3,360-TEU Liberian-flagged vessel struck a reef about 12 miles off Tauranga, north island New Zealand.
Daina Shipping Co, not associated with the disaster until now, is the registered owner of the vessel and has overall responsibility for the operation of the ship, reported the Associated Press of New Zealand. The Rena was chartered to Geneva's Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world's second largest container carrier after Maersk.
A Google search did not produce a reference for Daina Shipping. Nor did a scan of the Costamare website, which lists under "Corporate Details": Costamare Inc, Costamare Shipping Company, Ciel Shipmanagement, all Athens-based as well as Shanghai Costamare Ship Management of Shanghai, and C-Man Maritime of Manila.
The New Zealand charges carry a maximum fine of NZ$600,000 (US$488,000). The owners face an additional daily fine of NZ$10,000.
The ship's captain and second officer have already pleaded guilty to operating the ship in a dangerous manner, releasing toxic substances and to altering the ship's documents. They will be sentenced on May 25.
Marine officials said high winds and seas have battered the wreck, causing more containers to fall into the sea and spreading oil still leaking from the ship.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
FIREMEN have yet to determine the cause of a reefer container fire at the Port of Fremantle, south of Perth, Western Australia, which destroyed 11 boxes, most of them empties.
But one containers, which belongs to a hire and servicing company Container Refrigeration, contained oil, according to firemen.
Firemen also said limited access to the containers hampered efforts to control the blaze, which took several hours to extinguish, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"A fire investigation officer is on the scene - it's not being treated as suspicious - but the cause of the fire in unknown at this stage," said a fire department spokesman.
A Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) spokeswoman told the Perth Sunday Times that stack of containers in the Rous Head Harbour on North Mole Drive, North Fremantle, caught fire about 4pm.
The Department of Environment and Conservation conducted air quality tests in the area yesterday saying the fumes posed no threat.
At 7pm, the fire is contained but not controlled. FESA says 13 fire crews with about 40 fire fighters are on the scene applying water to the sea containers to stop the fire spreading and flare-ups.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
RECENT dredging of the Mombasa channel and the turning basin has enabled the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to dock 4,500-TEU ships when only 2,000-TEUers could get in before.
Recently, the biggest ever containership to call at the port, the 3,000-TEU MSC Jade, discharged and loaded 1,693 containers," said KPA spokesman Bernard Osero.
The Kilindini channel has been dredged to 15 metres in the inner channel, with a width of 300 metres at its narrowest. The turning basin has also been dredged to 15 metres and widened to 500 metres. Dredging by Dutch-based Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors is to be complete this month, four months ahead of schedule, reported the Nairobi Star.
Said local freight agent Peter Mwangi: "The challenge is now for the government to move fast and prepare the port to handle bigger vessels. A shallow entry has been a hitch, but now that has been addressed and work must be turned to ensuring that cargo handling facilities are sufficient."
Next to come is the 3,398-TEU MSC Roberta. Although dredging was to provide capacity for the second container terminal whose construction has began, great benefits will result for Mombasa's existing container terminal, said a KPA spokesman.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SINGAPORE-based container carrier APL said it's on course to reduce a key carbon exhaust measure from its global shipping operations by 30 per cent within three years.
The shipping line said an influx of new vessels, running at reduced speed, puts the target within reach.
APL said that by 2015, its fleet will produce 130 grammes of carbon exhaust for every TEU of cargo transported one nautical mile. That would be a 30 per cent reduction from emission levels in 2009, when outside auditors first calculated APL's carbon footprint.
"We're changing the profile of our fleet with larger, more efficient ships that will significantly curb exhaust emissions," said APL president Kenneth Glenn. "It's the most effective way we know to make global trade environmentally sustainable."
APL said it will deploy 32 new vessels in the next three years, which will be significantly more fuel efficient than its existing fleet, resulting in reduced emissions. What's more, the ships will run at less than full speed, further curbing exhaust.
The first two of the new vessels, each with 10,000 TEU capacity, arrived last December and two more are due this month.
APL said it is undertaking additional steps to curb carbon exhaust emissions including optimising vessel trim, speed and routing; improving maintenance on vessel hulls to reduce drag in the water; and upgrading cargo handling equipment at APL terminals.
Carbon emissions act as a shield that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere and it's believed that the resulting greenhouse gas effect contributes to global warming. According to industry figures, international shipping produces 2.7 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Container shipping is estimated to be responsible for about 25 per cent of that amount.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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