MILEAGE of the "green roads" in northwestern China's Shaanxi province, which exempts trucks carrying perishable agricultural products from tolls, has totalled to 7,038 kilometres, Xinhua reports.
The roads were free of CNY1 billion (US$158.5 million) in road tolls in 2011, and CNY2.12 billion since the toll exemption scheme started.
This year, the Shaanxi provincial government will also not collect on 62 second-grade highways to reduce logistics costs and steady prices of agricultural produce.
Meanwhile, the province will subsidise supply chain of agricultural produce to prevent disruptive price increases.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CARRIERS diverted ships away as farmers and political protestors blocked roads to Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) port in a battle over late land compensation settlements, successfully closing India's biggest container gateway.
The protest is scheduled to continue through Friday if authorities fail to reach a settlement.
"Protestors have set up blockades on access roads to the port to prevent trucks loading or unloading containers at cargo terminals," local shipping sources said.
The west coast port has three terminals: port-run Jawaharlal Nehru Container Terminal; Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal operated by DP World; and Gateway Terminals operated by APM Terminals, with a combined capacity of more than four million TEU.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Port of Seattle is to lose the Grand Alliance consortium of three shipping lines to rival port Tacoma taking away 20 per cent of its container traffic.
The consortium of three shipping lines, Germany's Hapag-Lloyd, Japan's NYK Line and Hong Kong's OOCL of Hong Kong will relocate to Washington United Terminal in Tacoma taking with it an annual throughput estimated at 400,000 TEU. This will boost Tacoma into a top ranking container terminals in the Pacific North West.
It is likely to lead to job losses for Seattle unless the two rival ports agree to cooperate, said the Port of Seattle in a statement.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CONTAINERISED exports from the United States grew by 2.3 per cent in the month of January at 1.4 million TEU buoyed by solid growth in Asian markets to offset losses to Europe, a 3.1 per cent increase on same month in 2011.
Shipments of soybeans were up 37 per cent or 5,034 TEU; meat, 28 per cent or 3,870 TEU; mixed scrap metal, 16 per cent or 3,679 TEU, and paper and paperboard up four per cent or 6,026 TEU. Export groups of fabrics including raw cotton, dropped 30 per cent (14,522 TEU) and synthetic resins a steeper decline of 48 per cent or 10,867 TEU.
Regionally, exports to northeast Asia led the growth at six per cent increase (24,798 TEU) followed by Caribbean growth of 22 per cent (7,479 TEU) while southeast Asia was up at seven per cent (6,125 TEU).
The petrochemical sector increased demand for oil field equipment in Taiwan at 15,219 TEU, a 30 per cent increase year over year of 65,148 TEU; China at 9,266 TEU, a four per cent increase; India up 25 per cent (6,057 TEU) and Vietnam up 21 per cent (3,385 TEU).
A decline of exports to the Mediterranean was attributed to a fall in demand for fabrics including cotton, paper and paperboard, as well as logs and lumber reflected in a decline of 15 per cent to a total of 47,293 TEU. Shipments to northern Europe slipped four per cent to 109,183 TEU due to dampening of demand.
Exports to Brazil declined 12 per cent and exports to Turkey dropped 13 per cent.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
A UNITED STATES-AFRICA trade bill is intended to boost exports from small and medium-sized enterprises 200 per cent within the next decade, said New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith.
The new legislation would stimulate US job creation by 6,000-7,000 jobs every US$1 billion exported to a continent whose exports account for 20.2 per cent of US imports, he said.
"For the past decade, the US has pursued the expansion of African exports to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but that legislation was designed to be more mutually beneficial to business people on both sides of the Atlantic than it has been," said Mr Smith, according to London's Containerisation International.
Mr Smith said he believes this bill would increase the volume of goods sold to Africa by supporting small and medium-sized business amounting to 60 per cent of the nation's export volume.
The US Export-Import Bank will provide trade financing up to 25 per cent of value for US-Africa projects, he added.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE European Commission has fined 14 air forwarders US$225 million for price fixing with the largest fine - $71.5 million - going to Swiss logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel ($71.5 million) with fellow Swiss operator Panalpina having to pay $61.9 million penalty. Both are contemplating appeals.
UPS was also hit with a $13 million fine, but DHL Global Forwarding and Exel were exempt because they turned on the others and informed the EU's antitrust regulators.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the probe, started with EC office raids in October 2007, concerned price-fixing in four separate cartel infringements, including services from the UK to outside the European Economic Area to the United States, China and from southern mainland China and Hong Kong to European destinations.
"Companies should be aware that crossing the line and colluding on prices comes at a high price, as today's decision illustrates," said EU antitrust commissioner Joaquin Almunia. "These cartels affected individuals and companies shipping goods on important trade lanes."
In November 2011, Kuehne + Nagel made a plea bargain with US Justice Department prosecutors and agreed to pay a $9.8 million fine, reported American Shipper.
"We will carefully consider the decision of the EU Commission and its rationale," said KN chairman Karl Gernandt. "We are of the opinion that the commission has not correctly investigated the facts and the participation of Kuehne + Nagel and has drawn significantly incorrect factual and legal conclusions.
"In addition, Kuehne + Nagel's comprehensive cooperation throughout the investigation was not adequately acknowledged. That is why we take into consideration to appeal against the decision before the European courts," he said.
Panalpina felt the same and is considering an appeal too. "Panalpina will analyse the commission's decision given its right to appeal the decision to the European General Court," the company said. "The group has so far made no provision for the penalty of EUR46.5 million euros (US$61.9 million) as it was not in a position to predict the outcome of this proceeding and to assess its financial exposure. It is Panalpina's position, which is supported by independent economic evidence, that the infringements likely did not affect prices paid by Panalpina's customers."
Panalpina settled with the US prosecutors for $12 million.
"Panalpina also completed settlement negotiations with the New Zealand Commerce Commission and the agreed penalty was approved by the competent court," the company said. "Identical antitrust proceedings in Canada and Australia were dropped. Two antitrust proceedings are still ongoing in Switzerland and Brazil."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
HONG KONG's Cathay Pacific Airways announced this week's launch of a new twice-weekly freighter service to through Hong Kong, Shanghai to Zhengzhou, the capital and commercial centre of Henan province in Central China.
The latest destination in the Cathay Pacific freighter network will boost the airline's presence as a cargo carrier on the mainland following the launch of services to Chengdu and Chongqing in western China in the second half of 2011.
"We see great business potential in Zhengzhou which is one of the fastest-growing centres for electronics manufacturing in the mainland and is well-connected to a wide catchment area in Henan. Cathay Pacific's new freighter service will offer shippers seamless connections to our extensive global network through the Hong Kong hub, helping to connect Zhengzhou to the world." said Cathay Pacific cargo chief Nick Rhodes.
The Zhengzhou service will be operated by a Boeing 747 freighter and will follow a Hong Kong-Shanghai-Zhengzhou-Hong Kong routing.
"We are confident about the long-term success of Cathay Pacific's cargo business and about Hong Kong's future as an international air cargo hub. That's why, in addition to launching new destinations, we are investing heavily in new freighters and also building our own HK$5.7 billion cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport which is on schedule to begin operations in early 2013." he said.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SWISSPORT International, a provider of ground services for the aviation sector, has announced that it will take over the cargo handling of Korean Air Lines at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from May 1.
Swissport said in a statement that the airline operates three weekly Boeing 747 freighter services to and from Schiphol, in addition to three weekly passenger services that also handle cargo through Schiphol Airport.
John Batten, executive vice president for Global Cargo at Swissport International said: "We are very pleased to begin working with Korean Air Cargo at Schiphol, and this agreement will provide a significant boost to our volumes."
The ground handler said that the airline is the largest in a string of new cargo customers at Amsterdam this year that includes MNG Airlines, FlyBe, South American Airways, Germania, Sky Airlines, Gabon Airlines, Finnair, Stabo Air, Middle East Airlines, Imperial Cargo Airlines and a trucking partnership with Egypt Air Cargo.
It said that another one of its key customers, Jade Cargo International, is also set to return to Amsterdam shortly. The Shenzhen-based B747 freighter operator suspended flights at the end of last year in order to restructure its financial arrangements. According to Swissport, a restructuring agreement has now been reached with fellow Chinese logistics and transport company UniTop Group.
Wouter Brand, managing director of Cargo Services in The Netherlands, added: "It has been a difficult start of the year for Swissport Cargo Services in The Netherlands, and I am therefore very encouraged by the level of new contract wins. It is also very pleasing to see Jade Cargo International returning to Schiphol, and we look forward to resuming our successful handling partnership."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
2012-03-29
Fleet management software joins extensive portfolio of marine technology solutions
Kongsberg Maritime, a leading marine technology developer has today (29th March 2012) acquired 100% of the shares in fleet management software specialist Jotron Consultas. A new product group consisting of all previous Jotron Consultas employees and based at Kongsberg Maritime’s premises in Horten, Norway, will be formed as a result of the acquisition.
“Jotron Consultas’ C-Loading software and Fleet Management Software in particular, are both a strategic match for Kongsberg Maritime,” says Morten Hasås, Executive Vice President - Merchant Marine. “These established products expand our ability to provide Full Picture deliveries, where Kongsberg Maritime is capable of developing and installing ship-wide integrated networks covering all major technical systems.”
Jotron Consultas has developed a reputation as one of the leading specialist software providers for the sector. Its products are well-established and are used by many of the world’s leading shipping lines and maritime companies, helping and supporting them to provide and improve overall safety, operational efficiency and transparency in ship management systems.
The Jotron Consultas C-Loading software application fits with Kongsberg Maritime’s K-Gauge cargo control and tank management systems. Kongsberg Maritime will integrate C-Loading into its K-Chief Integrated Automation System and the K-Gauge operating platform resulting in a sophisticated cargo control and monitoring system with a fully integrated load calculator.
The Jotron Consultas Fleet Management software application will add important content to the new Kongsberg Maritime ship@web concept. Ship@web is a creative solution that enables a vessel’s administrative network, or the owner/operator’s on-shore network to display data from an automation system over the internet via a highly customisable web browser application.
The system, which is unique in the market as it requires only minimal hardware and infrastructure to deploy, is designed to enable enhancements in vessel and fuel efficiency, so the integration of Fleet Management software from Jotron Consultas will significantly enhance the value proposition of this sophisticated new remote monitoring system.
“We are pleased that Jotron Consultas has found a new home, which can ensure the correct focus on its excellent products and systems. The Jotron Group will after this divestment be able to concentrate activities on our core business; communication products and systems for sea, land and air,” says Merete Berdal, Chairman of Jotron AS.
Source Kongsberg Maritime
2012-03-29
Skytrax, the international airline survey company, has renewed Finnair’s four-star rating on the grounds of the audit report conducted as part of the World Airline Star Rating programme. The rating is based on an impartial and thorough assessment of all the services the airline offers.
“We are delighted about this rating,” says Anssi Komulainen, Senior Vice President, Customer Service. “This is a recognition of all our joint efforts. We have determinedly renewed our customer service and the whole chain of service works better than before. Thanks for this great achievement belongs to our whole personnel.”
Finnair is the only Nordic airline with a four-star Skytrax rating. In 2010 and 2011, airline passengers also voted Finnair the best airline in Northern Europe in the Skytrax World Airline Awards. World Airline Awards™ are the global benchmark of airline excellence.
Source Finnair Plc
Kiel, March 29, 2012: The Port of Kiel opens its 2012 cruise shipping season on Saturday, March 31st. With a firework display to see her off, this year’s first guest, “AIDAcara” will leave the port’s Ostseekai Terminal around 1700 for the Norwegian fiords. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG), said: “we are well prepared and looking forward to the new season, which will, once again, be longer than last year. It won’t be long before cruise ships are sailing in northern Europe the whole year round.” This year’s season will last until mid December and, during it, 26 different cruise ships are registered to call a total of 137 times. The most frequent guests will be the vessels of shipping companies AIDA, Costa, MSC and TUI Cruises, which, like the ships of many well-known classic German travel companies, regularly call at Kiel to exchange passengers. For the first time three ships in the MSC Crociere fleet – “MSC Magnifica”, “MSC Poesia” and “MSC Lirica” will call at Kiel. During the Kieler Woche between June 16th and 24th eleven cruise ships will visit Kiel fourteen times, along with the “Star Flyer” under full sail. This year no fewer than eight cruise ships will call at Kiel for the first time, among them Cunard’s “Queen Elizabeth” which is expected at the Ostseekai Terminal on July 24th.
Regular maintenance and overhaul work on gangways and operational areas was all completed punctually at the Ostseekai Terminal in time for the start of the new season. One new feature is that the terminal facility is now eco-powered – meaning that its electricity is 100% generated by water. In addition the waste disposal system has been adapted so that ships can now offload paper, plastic and residual waste separately. “This is a step in the right direction”, said Dirk Claus. “We are also working with our partners to provide the ships of the future with shore-based electric power.” As far as service is concerned Kiel has for many years set great store by the best handling quality available for ships and passengers. Efforts like these, made by all the companies involved in ship handling in the Port of Kiel, have just been acknowledged at the world’s biggest trade fair of its kind, Cruise Shipping Miami, with no fewer than three awards from the trade publication “Cruise-Inside”. The magazine voted Kiel the best in the categories “Most efficient Terminal Operation”, “Best customer-oriented Port” and “Most efficient Port Services”. Dirk Claus said “our efforts are winning national as well as international recognition. Kiel’s job now is to expand its capacities by creating a third terminal berth for big cruise ships”.
Berth No. 1 in Kiel’s Ostuferhafen will be extended to do just that, so that next year it will be ready to handle cruise ships of the 300 m category. The terminal facility has 395 m of quayside and has all the amenities required to process cruise ships including a handling building big enough to process passengers and luggage. Still primarily a start and end port for cruises, Kiel is also gaining importance as a port of call for day excursions. “The number of ships calling at Kiel with international passengers on board, will rise steeply this year”, said Dirk Claus. “Our efforts to market tourist destinations in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein are beginning to bear fruit. Among the ships calling at Kiel this year as part of ongoing cruises are, for example, Holland-America Line’s “Eurodam” and “Rotterdam” as well as “Saga Ruby”. New to Kiel is the “Thomson Spirit” while Fred Olsen’s “Black Watch”, although a regular visitor to the port, will call this year for the first time during an Advent cruise. This year’s cruise shipping season in Kiel ends later than in previous years – on December 15th to be exact - when the Phoenix Seereisen cruise ship “Amadea” leaves the Norwegenkai Terminal.
Source Port of Kiel
time:matters, the international expert for highly urgent and complex logistics challenges, strengthens its cooperation with Lufthansa Cargo AG.
As an exclusive partner, time:matters has developed specific processes for Courier.Solutions to provide key service components – such as around-the-clock customized shipment monitoring and proactive shipment-related communication. In addition, a high level of service quality equating to more than 99%, as well as the shortest delivery and processing times, characterize Courier.Solutions.
Franz-Joseph Miller, CEO of time:matters GmbH, is convinced of the cooperation: “We are very proud that the leading company for international air freight has incorporated our services into its range of products. Lufthansa Cargo’s decision to closely cooperate with time:matters demonstrates a high level of confidence in the attractiveness and reliability of our services and reconfirms to us, that we can offer customers with time-critical shipments throughout the world a unique added value – thanks to our highly flexible special solutions.”
Source time:matters GmbH
South Florida residents, international airport and area visitors can recognize and reward sustainable fisheries while enjoying sushi
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced today that South Florida restaurant and catering chain, Sushi Maki, has become MSC Chain of Custody certified and may now advertise that selected menu items meet the MSC global standard for sustainability. Sushi Maki, the first East Coast sushi chain of restaurants in the U.S. to obtain Chain of Custody, plans to immediately serve certified sustainable sea bass and kanikama krab (surimi) in its 16 locations throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
In addition to six full service restaurants, Sushi Maki operates branded “sushi stations” at Whole Foods Markets, Milam’s Markets, The University of Miami, Florida International University, American Airlines Arena, Miami International Airport, and Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. They also serve several area hotels and food distributors. Today’s announcement coincides with Sushi Maki opening a 7th location, in the Whole Foods Market, Pembroke Pines.
Abe Ng, CEO and CSO (Chief Sushi Officer) said, “As restaurateurs, we have a role and responsibility to educate customers about global seafood supplies and enable them to support sustainable fisheries by choosing MSC certified sustainable seafood. This is the beginning of a journey and reflects our vision, passion and commitment to sustainable sushi for generations to come.”
Kerry Coughlin, MSC Regional Director, Americas, said: “We welcome Sushi Maki into the MSC program. Their participation will enable consumers throughout South Florida to enjoy fresh sushi and contribute to the health of the world’s oceans at the same time.”
Source MSC
Reserved taxi service for business travellers
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has today launched the Schiphol Business Taxi service, including a green, electric version, the Electric Business Taxi. Schiphol Business Taxi is a luxury taxi service especially designed to help business travellers start or end their journey in business class style. The taxi is a new version of the popular Schiphol Travel Taxi, which has already been in use for many years. Both of these transport products are offered by the joint venture between Schiphol Group and Connexxion.
Passengers can reserve a Schiphol Business Taxi up to four hours ahead of departure and can be transported from anywhere in the Netherlands, apart from the West Frisian Islands. Extra services are offered, such as an escort to and from the gate and check-in assistance to help business travellers book flights and check-in.
Schiphol Electric Business Taxi
The launch of the first Electric Business Taxi means that there now is a green option available to the business market too. The Schiphol Electric Business Taxi is 100% electric and can cover a radius of around 100km. This makes it ideally suited to short distances, such as journeys between Schiphol and central Amsterdam or the Amsterdam Zuidas business district. The 'green' version also offers Wi-Fi connectivity inside as an additional facility. Eventually, Wi-Fi will be rolled out to all Schiphol Business Taxis.
Pieter Verboom, Schiphol Group's Chief Financial Officer, said: "We are extremely proud that our collaboration with Connexxion has enabled us to bring quality and expertise together to create two new taxi products. These products not only meet the needs of our customers but also contribute to our goal of increasing sustainable transport."
"Schiphol Business Taxi is a perfect fit with our objective of providing business travellers the highest levels of comfort and personal service - our core values," said Bram Drexhage, Chief Financial Officer van Connexxion. "Schiphol Electric Business Taxi reflects our corporate social responsibility strategy, which includes minimising the environmental impact of transportation. We are proud that Schiphol Electric Business Taxi has enabled us to do so", commented Bram Drexhage.
Source Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Maersk Line, the world’s largest liner shipping company, has added the Port of Hamburg to the port rotation of its Maersk AE-6 Service. The MATHILDE MAERSK berthed at Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH) as the first vessel on this liner service to call in Hamburg on 24 March 2012.
Built in 2009, the MATHILDE MAERSK with her length of 367 metres and breadth of 43 metres, and slot capacity of around 9,700 TEU (20-ft standard containers) belongs to the generation of VLCS (Very Large Container Ships). Fully loaded, the vessel’s draught reaches 15 metres. The AE-6 Asia-Europe Service is operated in combination with the TP-6 Transpacific Service, with a total of 14 vessels with slot capacities of between 9,500 and 9,700 TEU.
From Hamburg the route for the voyage is initially towards Asia, then onwards to the US West Coast. In the rotation from Hamburg, calls are made at the following ports: Felixstowe, Le Havre, Suez Canal, Salalah, Tanjung Pelepas, Vung Tau, Nansha, Yantian, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras, Bremerhaven, and back to Hamburg.
Last year the Port of Hamburg’s total container throughput on the two trade routes East Asia and North America was able to achieve disproportionately strong growth. The services between Hamburg and the United States of America reported the steepest increase with 81.6 percent to 297,000 TEU assuring the USA of an advance from twelfth into sixth place among the Port of Hamburg’s leading foreign trade partners. Asia, with total transport volume of 5.2 million TEU (up by 8.8 percent), once again retained top position among trade routes served by the Port of Hamburg in 2011.
Source Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V.
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