INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Finesse, not force with pirates

The hijack of Maersk Alabama has made it almost certain that some US-flag ships will carry firearms. The head of the company that operates Biscaglia, the first US-owned ship hijacked off Somalia, sees this as a bad idea –and a bad omen, writes Rajesh Joshi

Reasons that arresting pirates involves tribulations: but few trials

Problems of jurisdiction are preventing suspected pirates from facing the dock, writes Richard Spector

Ports face shake-up if box terminals are sold

PORTS are set for a radical shake-up of their business model as pressure grows on loss-making shipping lines to sell off non-core container terminal assets in order to survive the global downturn.

Data centre delays threatening long-range tracking deadline

SHIPOWNERS are being warned to ensure their vessels are compliant with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements for long-range vessel tracking before the end of June – even though the data centres the positions get reported into may not be up and running.

Container freight rates may be bottoming out

FREIGHT rates for containerised cargo appear to be bottoming out after plunging by more than a quarter from last year’s highs, latest Neptune Orient Lines figures show.

Tasports to press on with Bell Bay but still to find funding

Island state Tasmania’s lifeline is its ports. So today’s planning decisions will be crucial to future prosperity, reports ROB McKAY

Container trade faces US$25bn black hole

MARITIME consultant Drewry has added to the gloom on global container volumes for 2009, revising this year’s -5.3% teu forecast throughput to -10.3%, with minimal growth in 2010.

China weathers downturn

 

Lines in Suez return

GRAND Alliance lines are likely to follow the rest of the industry and switch back to Suez Canal transits, rather than divert ships around southern Africa.

Mystery bulker order

GRAND China Logistics’ surprise 30-bulker newbuilding order at Zhoushan Jinhaiwan Shipyard is reported by local media to be worth as much as Yuan13.7bn (US$2bn.

Crude tankers keep trading through slump

DESPITE the recent rates slump, fewer crude oil tankers are without employment than any other vessel type in the global merchant fleet.

Dip in Chinese ore imports seen

A NEW monthly survey of shipowners, shipbrokers and market analysts forecast that iron ore imports into China would weaken in summer months but remain at historically high levels.

Warning of escalating costs of war on piracy

SHIPPING and international commerce face what amounts to a piracy tax to keep trade flowing off East Africa, according to a study drawn up for the Lloyd’s insurance market.

Taiwan shipping corruption probe

BOTH shipping lines and officials from Taiwan’s port of Kaohsiung have denied wrongdoing after 46 executives were indicted for corruption for inflating container volumes to meet bonus targets.

Specialised vessels sector faces short-term shortages

Strong demand to be undermined by order cancellations, writes Martyn Wingrove

Newbuilding loans on a ‘knife edge’

FINANCIALLY-pressed owners are increasingly escalating their negotiations with banks, leading banking sources say.

Onshore job market avoids widespread redundancies

EMPLOYMENT in commercial shipping-related jobs ashore has weathered the global economic downturn relatively well.

Long Beach air plan

LONG Beach has earmarked US$2.4m to try out a “sock on a stack” system that is touted to reduce 95% of nitrous oxide, sulphur oxide and particulate matter released by idling ships at quayside.