THROUGHPUT of Barcelona port was up more than four per cent to over two million TEU in 2011 due to a boom in the first year of the year.
But results also reflected the slowdown in the in Spanish economy in the second half, reported London's International Freighting Weekly (IFW), adding that the growth was driven by exports, which increased 14 per cent to 511,096 TEU with China, the Arab emirates and Turkey. Other major overseas markets include Algeria, the US, South America, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Korea and India.
In March, it Terminal Catalunya, a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) group, took delivery of eight super-postpanamax quay cranes at its Muelle Prat terminal at the port.
Said HPH central European managing director Clemence Cheng: "This is another important milestone in the completion of this new terminal, which is scheduled to open in mid-2012. With the eight-track rail facility connecting the terminal to the European rail network, Barcelona will be an important Mediterranean gateway for southern and central European cargo."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SOUTHWESTERN China's emerging manufacturing city Chongqing plan to reduce land using tax on warehouses, both owned and leased, by 50 per cent in the upcoming three years, Xinhua reports.
With demand soaring, Chongqing is facing a shortage of warehousing facilities. Warehouse charge has gone to CNY20 (US$3.16) per square metre from CNY10. Reduction of the land using tax is expected to reduce operating cost for logistics service providers.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE Port of Charleston achieved a 9.2 per cent increase in container volume handled in February compared to the same month last year.
Charleston Port handled 119,052 TEU in February, representing 5.8 per cent growth compared to the previous month, largely on the strength of loaded exports.
"We are experiencing a very balanced trade between import and export containers, which is a credit to the companies in South Carolina and across the southeast that are competing well in the global marketplace," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority.
A statement from port authorities said that Charleston was one of only two of the nation's top 10 container ports that experienced a rise in inbound cargo in February, according to trade intelligence company Zepol Corporation.
Volume for the fiscal year to date (July 2011 through February 2012) remained relatively flat, with a 0.9 per cent increase over the same period the last fiscal year.
At the same time, the SCPA's non-container business segment in Charleston and Georgetown showed double and triple-digit gains.
Breakbulk volume in Charleston, which totalled 62,680 tons, rose 41.9 per cent in February compared to the same month a year earlier, while cargo volume in the Port of Georgetown increased nearly fourfold to 74,083 tons. Total breakbulk volume in February at the two ports was more than double the volume handled in February 2011.
With increased demand in the SCPA's non-container business, the board has authorized the agency to proceed with contract negotiations with Charleston Heavy Lift on the construction of a new, barge-mounted heavy lift crane.
The new crane would be used exclusively in the Port of Charleston in handling oversized and overweight project cargo across the docks. The SCPA said it would contribute up to US$2.5 million to the project for dedicated access over the life of the crane.
The SCPA also said it has completed $23 million in upgrades to Columbus Street Terminal to handle its non-container business, including automobiles made in South Carolina and heavy project cargo requiring on-dock rail.
The board also approved a $525,000 contract for maintenance berth dredging at Veterans Terminal, a 110-acre non-container facility at the Port of Charleston located on the former US Navy Base site.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DUBAI's DP World Vancouver and the Canadian west coast Nanaimo Port Authority have signed a three-year agreement to operate the Vancouver Island ports facilities including the running of general cargo between the Duke Point facility and Assembly Wharf.
The introduction of a weekly barge service between the mainland facility and Nanaimo will cut costs removing two truck moves and handling of the cargo will aim to increase frequency to twice in a month's time within six months increasing it to a twice daily service.
Vancouver Island is one of the world's highest population, non-road connected communities without lift-on, lift-off container terminal facilities.
DP World Vancouver hopes to pursue container operations for its export resources going to international markets of bottled water, lumber, wood pulp using short sea shipping.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE recent UK government initiative to ban payment of ransoms to pirates has been criticised by a leading ship manager for its disregard of the safety of seafarers.
Such a ban would have "massively detrimental effect on the risk to the world's seafarers and the global economy", said Intermanager president Alastair Evitt, also chairman of the Save Our Seafarers Campaign.
Not only would a ban impact recruitment for crews transiting high-risk waters but would create huge insurance premiums for vessels in pirate-infested trade lanes creating higher costs for those forced to reroute. "In many cases vessels would become a total loss after six months," Mr Evitt said in a speech at Maritime Association's Shipping 2012 conference in Connecticut, US.
"I, for one, would not sanction one of Meridian's vessels transiting the high risk area - if there was no ultimate solution in the event of a vessel and her crew being held captive," he said.
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the move to stop the illicit flow of money and eliminated the profit motive by breaking the ransom business cycle.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SWEDEN's Greencarrier Freight Services has signed a cooperation agreement with Turkey's leading logistics company, Ekol Logistics, that will cover the Baltic region and Turkey.
"With its integrated logistics services, Ekol offers efficient supply chain management from a single source with its 3,800 employees in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Izmir and Mersin. Ekol operates 2,000 mega trailers, said Greencarrier CEO Peter Nevhagen in a statement from his company.
"We now have an opportunity to offer daily freight services to and from Turkey. We will offer road, sea and intermodal traffic in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way, combining sea, rail and road freight," Mr Nevhagen said.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CANADIAN-owned PD Ports Group has won yet another supplier award from one of the UK's major retailers, ASDA (originally Associated Diaries), this year walking away with the overall prize for Carrier of the Year 2012, the company announced.
It is the third consecutive year that the PD Ports Group, which includes PD Logistics, has picked up an ASDA Carrier award but the first time it has received the overall prize. The award is not open for entries but is given by ASDA to the most outstanding supplier in the retailer's supply chain based on performance and excellence in service.
ASDA launched the awards three years ago to help it continue to raise standards amongst its logistics suppliers.
Said ASDA supply chain manager Alex Linton: "The award is well deserved by the whole team at PD Ports. It is to recognise the effort that the whole team puts in to supporting our business. They really demonstrate a partnership approach, delivering solutions when we need them."
After receiving the award from ASDA's supply chain director, Gavin Chappell, PD Ports' key accounts manager, Kim Catterick, remarked: "This is such an outstanding honour.
"All the other prizes handed out at the ceremony were based on written submissions but to be recognised by ASDA for our performance throughout the year without having to put together an entry is an even greater distinction.
"We pride ourselves on the wide range of services that PD Ports supply to ASDA, from our container terminal at Teesport, Logical Link - the shipping service we provide between Felixstowe and Teesport, and our logistics services, right through to our portcentric business model."
In awarding the prize to the PD Ports Group, ASDA had taken into consideration the fact that its Teesport terminal had undergone a major upgrade and capacity increase programme last year but despite this, the retailer had not been subjected to any service failures or disruptions.
It was also impressed by the cross docking/re-working services offered at the Group's warehouse facilities in Billingham and Felixstowe, the exemplary shunting service between the port and the ASDA warehouse at Teesport, and the excellent road haulage services.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
SINGAPORE's Changi Airport handled 143,900 tonnes of cargo in February 2012, representing an increase of 12.4 per cent compared with the same month last year.
February's result marked a rebound after cargo movements decreased by 7.1 per cent in January year on year, which airport authorities attributed to the Lunar New Year holidays.
A statement said: "Disregarding the impact of the Lunar New Year holidays, air freight movements grew by two per cent year on year during the January-February 2012 period.
Passenger traffic at the airport rose by 11.2 per cent to 3.77 million in February.
The result was driven by strong travel demand across all regions, with traffic between Singapore and the Middle East growing 20 per cent.
Passenger numbers travelling to the Americas, Europe, south Asia and southeast Asia also grew by double digits.
Aircraft landings and take-offs increased by 13.1 per cent in February to 24,900 flights, corresponding with the growth in passenger traffic.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
LUFTHANSA Cargo has posted a 24 per cent decline in operating profit to EUR249 million (US$329 million) drawn on revenues of EUR2.9 billion, down 3.5 per cent.
Saying this was the company's second best performance, the best being achieved in 2010, chairman and CEO Karl Ulrich Garnadt attributed the good result to "cost discipline, a broad product range and flexible capacity steering dictated by demand" despite shrinking demand in China and India.
"Lufthansa Cargo increasingly switched capacities from Asia to North America and included new and attractive destinations in its route network. On the back of those measures, the cargo carrier significantly boosted revenues and tonnage," Mr Garnadt said.
Mr Garnadt also said the company's successful investment and a strong focus on quality were vital factors. "That is evidenced by our investment in Lufthansa Cargo's cool centre for temperature-controlled shipments at Frankfurt Airport," he said.
Lufthansa Cargo launched the "Lufthansa Cargo 2020" programme last year, which produced a blueprint for long-term strategy, including orders for new Boeing 777 freighters, the IT platform upgrade, plans for a new logistics centre in Frankfurt to replace the existing 30-year-old facility and other long-term projects.
On the future, Mr Garnadt said: "In the present year, Lufthansa Cargo is anticipating severe pressures ensuing from the ongoing night-flight ban in Frankfurt. All in all, however, the company is expecting a good operating result once more at year-end."
Regulators are causing severe headwinds, he said. "The EU's unilateral stance on [carbon] emissions trading is notably hitting European airlines and distorting competition. The lack of uniformity in global security standards in air cargo as well as the slow certification of known consignors in Germany are threatening to inhibit growth," he said.
But of all problems the company faces, the Frankfurt night flight ban is the worst. "There is a real danger of Frankfurt losing its position as the best and most attractive air freight hub in Europe. A blanket night-flight ban of six hours daily would severely disadvantage the competitive standing of companies operating at the Frankfurt base," he said.
Unlike the recent past, Lufthansa Cargo said it would now focus on core business. Last year, the cargo carrier invested in some side businesses, such as in Traxon Europe, a provider of electronic solutions for airlines, and LifeConEx, a specialist company in temperature-controlled logistics.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced a downgrade to its worldwide industry outlook for 2012 because of rising oil prices, says a communique from its Geneva headquarters.
IATA expects airlines to turn a global profit of US$3 billion in 2012 for a 0.5 per cent margin, it said. "This $500 million downgrade from the December forecast is driven by a rise in the expected average price of oil to $115 per barrel, up from the previously forecast $99," said the IATA statement.
What avoided a more severe downgrade, IATA said, was greater optimism over the Eurozone debt crisis, improvement in the US economy, cargo market stabilisation and slower than expected capacity expansion.
Said IATA director general Tony Tyler: "The risk of a worsening Eurozone crisis has been replaced by an equally toxic risk - rising oil prices."
IATA said cargo markets stabilised at low levels in the fourth quarter of 2011. The pattern of rising sea freight and low level of air cargo is linked to Asian economies buying bulk commodities while western consumer confidence is weak. Reduced pessimism among purchasing managers is expected to support a moderate upturn in air cargo during the second half, said the statement.
Asia Pacific carriers did best. Better than expected performance in 2011, particularly by the Chinese carriers, saw an upward revision of 2011 profits to $4.8 billion, from the previous estimate of $3.3 billion.
For 2012, the region's airlines are expected to again deliver the largest absolute profit - $2.3 billion - which is $200 million more than estimated in December. Higher fuel costs will more than halve profits this year, but the region's relatively strong economies will continue to generate more rapid growth in travel and cargo than others, IATA said.
While a major deterioration of the Eurozone crisis has been averted, many European economies are in deep recession which will lead to continued weakness in both the cargo and passenger business. At the same time air travel is being hit by taxation and the cost of the EU carbon tax, IATA said.
North American carriers are expected to deliver a profit of $900 million, down from the previously forecast $1.7 billion. Airlines in this region will see the smallest deterioration among the major regions, as a result of the very small increases in capacity expected, IATA said.
Middle East carriers are expected to see profits of $500 million, up from the previously forecast $300 million. Latin American profits are expected to be $100 million, unchanged from the previous forecast. African carriers are still expected to experience losses of $100 million, unchanged from the previous forecast.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KOREAN Air has become the official sponsor of the 17th Asian Games to be held in Incheon in September 2014 and as highest-ranking sponsor will underwrite air tickets, luggage and most areas related to air transport as well as participate in the construction of Wang San Marina which will be used during the games.
Korean Air signed the MoU to officially sponsor the 2014 Incheon Asian Games at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) advisory board meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in the presence of chairman and CEO of the Hanjin Group, Yang Ho Cho; president of OCA, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah; and president of the organising committee of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Yong-soo Kim.
Korean Air chairman Cho's goal to improve the level of Asian sports has led him to lend his and his airline's support to the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Mr Cho's passion has gained him a position to steer the winning bid committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in Korea, and is the only Asian on Prince Albert of Monaco's Peace and Sports foundation.
He will work as an advisor to the 2014 Incheon Asian Games organising committee, and foresees that the 2014 event will promote tourism in his country and contribute to the Korean economy.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
WSS Middle East wins World Cargo Alliance award22.03.2012 (Ships Service)Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has won the prestigious title of 'Best Partner 2011 - Middle East', which was presented by the World Cargo Alliance (WCA) at their annual conference in Bangkok earlier this month.Commenting on the award, Flemming Andersen, Area Logistics Manager MiddleEast at WSS said: "We are honoured to have taken this title, and I wouldlike to extend my sincere congratulations to the maritime logistics team inthe Middle East for their splendid work throughout 2011. Next, our ambitionis not only to win the Best Partner - Middle East award, but to go for theGlobal Partner trophy as well".
WSS currently works with more than 2,800 independent freight forwarders inmore than 600 cities and ports worldwide, enabling it to act as a trulyglobal freight forwarder, and compete confidently with much largermulti-national logistics companies.
More than 900 WCA members attended the WCA partner conference from 4-11March. WSS representatives from the Middle East, India, Norway and Pakistanparticipated in the event. " This is a great place to meet our peers fornetworking, build new business relationships and strengthening existing tiesthrough more than 20,000 one-to-one meetings and practical workshops", saysFlemming.
Before the conference, every WCA member was invited to vote and elect the'Best Partner' within the network; namely, the company which they considerto be most supportive in terms of business generation, professionalcommunication and world-class service delivery. WSS has been a member ofWCA, a premier global network of elite independent international freightforwarders, since 2003 and previously won the 'Best Partner' award in 2009.
Source Wilhelmsen
Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP)'s cruise activities hit a record high in 2011 with the number of ships increasing by 20%. Vehicle handling also increased dramatically. After a positive trend lasting several years, with major vehicle makers using CMP as an import hub, the company now expects further volume increases in 2012. Despite the unsettled market situation, CMP produced a good result in 2011 and is continuing to expand.
CMP's cruise activity volumes increased dramatically in 2011. 370 ships put into port, of which 368 in Copenhagen and two in Malmö. The corresponding number for CMP in 2010 was 308 ships. At the same time, the number of passengers increased to 820,000. This is nearly 25% more than in 2010, when the number of passengers was 662,000.
"The development reflects the popularity of Copenhagen and the strong growth in the cruise industry. The positive trend is expected to continue. An additional nine cruise ships will enter service in 2012," says MD Johan Röstin.
During 2011, CMP handled roughly 419,000 vehicles, an increase in volume of 30% on 2010. Vehicle import sales increased by 24% to SEK 105 million (SEK 85 million in the previous year). During the year, Honda and Subaru began using Malmö as a vehicle distribution hub. CMP now expects the volume to continue to increase in 2012. Another two Asian vehicle makers have shown great interest in establishing themselves here and more are being approached.
"The trend is for large global manufacturing companies to create distribution hubs from which they can supply a large region, for example the Baltic Rim countries. Interest in CMP, the biggest vehicle port in Scandinavia, remains high. We also already function as a hub for stainless steel and transit oil. Few ports can offer such good conditions in the form of area and logistics solutions," says Johan Röstin.
The increase in volume of vehicle imports and cruise traffic contributed to CMP's sales increasing by 8% in 2011 to SEK 727 million (SEK 675 million). The operating profit was SEK 106 million (SEK 116 million).
"This is a satisfactory result, considering the ongoing recession and the unsettled market situation. The fact that we continue to make large strategic investments shows that our shareholders believe in CMP and our ability to contribute to positive development in the region," says Johan Röstin.
Major investments in 2011-2014:
The extension of Norra Hamnen in Malmö was completed in 2011. This investment means that the company can handle five times more goods than before. The City of Malmö and the EU are also behind the project. With CMP they invested around SEK 900 million in the new state-of-the-art transport and logistics centre.
The three new goods terminals are the first stage in a long-term development plan for the Norra Hamnen area. The aim of the next stage, Malmö Northern Harbour Business Park, is to attract companies in sectors such as manufacturing, processing and logistics services. In the long term, Malmö Northern Harbour Business Park is planned to have an area of approximately 850,000 square metres.
The Prøvestenen area in Copenhagen has been extended by a further 18 hectares and 650 metres of new quay. Prøvestenen is centrally located and has long been an important terminal for oil and dry bulk products for the Copenhagen area.
A new cruise quay is being built in Copenhagen and is planned to be ready for the 2013 cruise season. Copenhagen is already the biggest, most popular cruise destination in Northern Europe. Via the new quay, which can accommodate three large cruise ships at the same time, CMP will further develop the fast-growing cruise traffic. The cruise quay will be 1,100 metres long and 70 metres wide.
Source Copenhagen Malmö Port
Lufthansa Cargo is offering its customers worldwide a new express service for very urgent shipments. Courier.Solutions provides the fastest transit and shortest delivery times in the Lufthansa Cargo portfolio plus constant surveillance and custody of consignments and is designed for customers with extremely time-critical and sensitive cargo. There are no weight limits: entire pallets or containers can be transported with the Courier.Solutions service.
Lufthansa Cargo is offering this new product in close cooperation with time:matters, a Lufthansa Cargo Group company that specialises in Special Speed Logistics services. Customers can drop off their shipment at Frankfurt Airport up to 90 minutes before departure. At various other airports, the minimum drop-off time is one hour before departure. At Frankfurt, the transit time is only 60 minutes, compared with 180 minutes for td.Flash, while the transfer time at Munich is a mere 50 minutes. To this end, Lufthansa Cargo has developed special processes to ensure that shipments are accompanied by dedicated staff at all times. During transit at Frankfurt and Munich, shipments are in the continuous custody of members of staff and, whenever required, are transported direct from one aircraft to the next.
Monika Wiederhold, Vice President Product Management at Lufthansa Cargo says Courier.Solutions is the perfect answer for customers who are looking for the fastest and most reliable service possible. “With the shortest handling times, personal courier accompaniment during transit and round-the-clock, proactive shipment surveillance,” she explains, “we can offer the speediest assistance when trade fair items or medicines, for example, are urgently needed on the other side of the world.”
Courier.Solutions can now be booked through all Lufthansa Cargo offices. Bookings via other Lufthansa Cargo distribution channels such as call centres and electronic platforms, will be possible in the course of this year.
Sourse Lufthansa Cargo AG
2012-03-22
Capacity increase opens up prospects for more cargo
Kiel, March 22, 2012: Work on extending operational areas at the Port of Kiel’s Norwegenkai Terminal has now been completed. Construction was officially brought to a close at a ceremony today involving the State of Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of Economics, Science and Transport, Jost de Jager, the Mayor of the Federal State Capital of Kiel, Peter Todeskino, and Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co KG. Jost de Jager said “the extension of Norwegenkai means that the potential of the state capital’s port has been increased yet again. Urgently needed new interim stowage space is now immediately available to accommodate rising cargo traffic to and from Norway. The extension also opens up new opportunities to attract further service business”. The Norwegenkai expansion covers an area of 9,250 m², which serves as interim stowage, parking and transport space for trucks and trailers as well as containers. Dirk Claus said “the north eastern expansion meets the demands of our customers for more space and means we can further optimise cargo unit interim stowage operations”
The SEEHAFEN Kiel acquired the industrial site adjacent to the north eastern part of Norwegenkai in 2008 and took it over at the end of 2009. Work began in Spring 2011 on integrating the site into Norwegenkai and involved the demolition of old buildings, site infilling and securing as well as the fencing and illumination of the area according to ISPS regulations. Dirk Claus said “the acquisition and integration of the adjacent property was a unique opportunity to expand the Norwegenkai site in order to secure potential for an extension of cargo volumes to and from Norway”. The north eastern expansion involved an investment of about EUR 1.2 million, which does not include land purchase costs. Jost de Jager said “I’m happy that the state was able to be involved in this project within the framework of its Business Development Programme. We want to continue our successful promotional policies in the future, particularly in the port infrastructure sector”.
The SEEHAFEN KIEL operates Kiel’s commercial port on behalf of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, of which it is a 100% subsidiary. Kiel boasts three terminals for ferry and cruise ships - all of them in inner-city locations. The ferry ships of Color Line – “Color Fantasy” and “Color Magic” - operate out of the Norwegenkai Terminal and link Kiel daily with the Norwegian capital Oslo. Last year about 1.1 million passengers and 800,000 tons of cargo were handled at Norwegenkai. In addition to passengers and their cars, 35,000 trucks as well as trailers and several thousand import/export vehicles were also loaded or unloaded at the terminal. The facility also boasts a direct rail link for cargo and has a second fully equipped ship berth available with an hydraulic RoRo ramp, suitable for handling cargo ferries of up to 200 m in length. “The extension of operational space at Norwegenkai means that port-side conditions have now been created for the handling of an additional cargo ferry”, said Dirk Claus.
Source port of Kiel
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