INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CAUTION: changed conditions

The car carrier sector is still reeling from one of the fastest and steepest downturns in its history, yet new vessels keep being delivered. MICHELLE WIESE BOCKMANN watches the road ahead for such a highly-concentrated industry.

Europe to trail Asia in slow recovery for box volumes

Global market not expected to regain 2008 throughput levels until at least 2012, reports ROGER HAILEY

Faster growth from emerging markets

APM Terminals vice-president and chief financial officer Christian Moller Laursen has emphasised the “new reality” of the global container transportation industry.

Asia banks on Chinese imports

ASIAN dry bulk shipowners and operators are confident about the market in 2010, although concerns about a glut of newbuilding deliveries remain.

Panama Canal boss says growth will continue

THE INTERNATIONAL economic downturn will not alter long-term growth in trade and shipping traffic projections, according to Panama Canal Authority chief executive Alberto Alemán Zubieta.

Four-year recovery is predicted for north Europe’s box ports

NORTH European container ports can expect a “gradual rather than surging” recovery in box volumes, according to a new market study by Ocean Shipping Consultants.

New China ports could be at full capacity by 2020

CONTAINER ports in China could be capacity constrained towards the end of the next decade, assuming all the additional expansion projects planned are completed in 2013.

FedEx eyes bigger slice of Asian freight

FEDERAL Express, the US courier and cargo transportation giant, is strengthening its rivalry with traditional logistics players such as Kuehne+Nagel, Schenker and Agility after expanding its FedEx Trade Networks freight forwarding operation.

China shows its powers of recovery

Asia powerhouse still dominant despite feeling effects of global crisis writes Keith Wallis

ACL chief urges US to ditch old box practices

CASH-strapped container lines could save millions of dollars a year by modernising industry practices peculiar to the US trades.

Box terminals seek state aid

EUROPE’s struggling container terminal industry is in discussions with Brussels about state aid.

Marshall Islands fails in IMO bid

THE COOK Islands, Iran, the Marshall Islands and Pakistan have failed to secure the votes needed to become members of the International Maritime Organization council.

Projects will spur LNG carrier needs

GAS ship owner Teekay LNG Partners has said 63 new liquefied natural gas carriers would be needed for 11 gas export projects “within the next few years”.

Chinese port throughput back to pre-crisis levels

ANALYSTS say cargo throughput growth of Chinese ports has returned to the level it was at before the global financial crisis, after the country’s ports saw a 7% increase in total cargo volume in the first 10 months of this year.

Idle tonnage is on rise as slack season nears

IDLE containership tonnage has started to increase again after remaining broadly stable for a few weeks, as lines prepare for the traditionally slack winter season.

Asian feeder lines lag behind

THE INTRA-Asia container trades have seen a certain amount of pick-up in recent months. However, the same cannot be said for the region’s feeder trades.

CMA CGM increases its Gulf of Aden surcharge

CONTAINER line operator CMA CGM is to increase its surcharge on containers it transports through the piracy-prone waters of the Gulf of Aden.

Rumours swirl as banks assess CMA CGM deal

NEGOTIATIONS on the restructuring of the US$5.6bn debt of container line CMA CGM looked to be moving towards the home strait last week at what promised to be a decisive meeting at the French finance ministry in Paris. There was confusion, however, over reports that investors had joined bankers at the meeting.

Salvors seek separate award for averting environmental disaste

The International Salvage Union says a salvor should be fully compensated for providing a service and a benefit, while P&I clubs say the system works fine as it is, writes TOM LEANDER

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ANALYSIS