Weekly Edition 12th August

Fremantle's $250m dredging project to resume

PHASE 2 of Fremantle’s $250 million capital dredging program will begin in the next few days.

Box shortage forces Maersk cutback

THE GLOBAL container shortage caused by the liner trades’ unexpectedly quick recovery from the global financial crisis has forced Maersk Line to cancel dry cargo shipments from Southern Africa to this region.

Concept plan for Mayfield terminal released

THE DEPARTMENT of Planning has released details of Newcastle Port Corporation’s plan for a new container terminal complex in Mayfield.

Mixed results for Pacific Basin

DRY BULK specialist Pacific Basin has reported a significant fall in its core trades since May, along with weaker-than-expected infrastructure and towage sectors.

Lines try to buck trend: peak season rates to apply from September

MEMBERS of the Asia Australia Discussion Agreement have decided to push ahead with the annual peak season surcharge in the North & East Asia-Australia trade, despite sea freight rates continuing to fall.

World events boost Oz dry bulk trades

AUSTRALIAN dry bulk cargo shippers and also operators of capesize vessels are set to benefit from world events which are powering up the global dry bulk trades.

Security fears grow after hijackings and terror attack

ATTACKS on vessels in the protected corridor of the Gulf of Aden and a report that the attack against a Mitsui OSK Lines ship in the Straits of Hormuz was the work of terrorists have raised fears of escalating risks to shipping across the Middle East.

Boxship collision forces Indian port closure

INDIA’S number one container facility looks set to stay closed for several days after a collision between two ships on Saturday tipped hundreds of containers into the water, presenting a major hazard to other users of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

Clarkson publishes first forward curves for container freight swaps

BROKER Clarkson Securities has begun publishing the first forward curves for the container freight swap market, with prices showing weakening sentiment for US boxship freight rates over the next 18 months.

Singapore to reduce port dues concessions

THE MARITIME and Port Authority (MPA) in Singapore will cut port dues concessions on all oceangoing ships, except containerships, from 10% to 5% beginning October 1.

Recession continues to put a brake on soaring wage levels

Due to a lack of officers worldwide, salaries had soared up until 2009 – but any pay rises are now far more modest, writes STEVE MATTHEWS

Idle LNG carriers prove big is not always best

Giant Q-max and Q-flex vessels have spent half of 2010 lying at anchor, reports CLAIRE WRIGHT*

Lack of definitive supply data adds to crew availability doubts

THE LACK of up-to-date definitive data about the supply of seafarers is adding to the uncertainty over crew availability.

Cronos predicts rise in box leasing

CONTAINER leasing company Cronos says that shipping lines will increasingly turn to leased boxes as carriers focus on ship energy costs and “breathe” their vessel fleet to meet changing cargo demand.

PierPass bouncing back towards 100% capacity

CONGESTION at international container terminals in the bellwether ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has boosted the PierPass program, which now claims to be back to around 90% of full capacity and expects to be at 100% within two months.

Revenue rises at CAI International

CONTAINER leasing company CAI International reported revenues of US$17.4m for the second quarter of 2010, a 4%year-on-year increase, while net profit jumped 72% from US$3.3m to US$5.7m.

Shipping lines lose out as freight forwarders grab market share

FREIGHT forwarders appear to be grabbing market share from the container lines, with industry analysts predicting that the trend will continue.

Shortage of ballast water systems as deadlines loom

THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is calling for a review of the number of ballast water systems that are coming on to the market, concerned that there are not enough being approved for installation on ships as the deadlines for fitting them draws near.

Laggard states risk maritime safety

The glacial pace at which some IMO member states ratify key conventions is a serious threat to safety and security, writes RICHARD MEADE

Moves on crime tie in with tighter port security

Specialists needed to counter terrorist involvement in global supply chain, writes Peter Wilson

Security clean-up on the cards – but delayed

RECENT tightening of criteria for security clearances for port and ship access will take several months to kick in.

Security fears grow after hijackings and terror attack

ATTACKS on vessels in the protected corridor of the Gulf of Aden and a report that the attack against a Mitsui OSK Lines ship in the Straits of Hormuz was the work of terrorists have raised fears of escalating risks to shipping across the Middle East.

CSAV is first line off container swaps starting block

CHILE’s CSAV has become the world’s first line to execute a trade in the nascent market for container swaps.

Lack of promotion and job security are key issues for maritime employees

LACK of promotion and residual worries over job security are the dominant concerns of maritime employees, according to a new online survey of the shipping industry.

Maersk plans new breed of megaship as it eyes new orders

MAERSK Line is joining the ranks of containership operators now in discussion with yards about newbuilding orders, with the Danish carrier expressing interest in a new generation of vessels with capacity well in excess of anything currently in service.

Boxes peak early in US as volumes rise 15%

CONTAINER shipping’s peak season may have arrived early this year in the US trades, with import volumes likely to slacken offer after spiking in July.

Cargo is king again as dry bulk power shifts to east

SECURING employment in the dry bulk market is set to become increasingly difficult for owners lacking strong relationships with miners and end-users of raw commodities, leading industry players have warned.

Chinese iron ore stocks fall to 74m tonnes

STOCKPILES of imported iron ore at China’s major ports fell for the first time since July to 74.4m tonnes last week, 1% lower than the previous week.

Container shortage claims exaggerated, says TCC’s Kayser

CONTAINER shortages have been exaggerated and could easily be resolved through ship network adjustments, the head of a line claimed last week in response to continued complaints from shippers about a lack of equipment.

Outlook still uncertain for dry bulk, says UK bank

LLOYDS Banking Group, the partially state-owned UK bank, has warned that global shipping markets will remain “challenging” in the second half of the year.

Coal ‘the new iron ore’ for the bulk carrier market

COAL is set to surpass iron ore as the most important dry bulk commodity for bulk carriers, according to Eagle Bulk Shipping chairman Sophocles Zoullas.

Infrastructure to hinder Indonesian coal plans

BULK carrier owners will be unable to benefit from Indonesia’s growing internal demand for coal and the shorthaul trade it is set to generate due to limited port infrastructure at both loading terminals and power plants.

Nippon Steel predicts Asian recovery

NIPPON Steel, the world’s fourth-largest steel maker, said it expects the current correction in Asia’s steel market to be short-lived and momentum to recover in October-December after output cuts and destocking in China.

Tepid demand in Asia depresses Australian thermal coal prices

AUSTRALIA’S thermal coal prices, a benchmark for Asia, fell for the fifth straight week to their lowest since mid- February of below $93 per tonne, dragged down by tepid demand from end-users, banks and traders.

Fleet increases scupper surcharges

CONTAINER lines operating in the Asia- Europe trade have failed to enforce peak season surcharges as vessels are delivered from shipyards or brought out of lay-up.

Industry vents fury over release of Bow Saga pirates

THE DECISION to release the Somali pirates captured by naval forces during an attempted hijack of the Norwegian chemical tanker Bow Saga last week and return them to Somalia has aroused fury among shipping industry organisations.

OOCL turns to charter market as capacity squeeze kicks in

ORIENT Overseas Container Line is starting to feel the pinch in terms of capacity as high load factors prompt the company to look to an increasingly tight charter market for new tonnage.

Panalpina freight volumes soar

PANALPINA has joined the list of European freight forwarders reporting a double-digit surge in sea freight volumes for the first half of 2010.

Croatian police end cadet death inquiry

CROATIAN police have concluded their investigation into the death of 19-year-old South African cadet Akhona Geveza, whose body was found in the sea off Rijeka on June 24.

Individual Hebei Spirit claims still a challenge for fund

THE HEBEI Spirit disaster continued to present significant challenges to the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund last year, even though 2009 was itself a quiet year for oil spills.

Odfjell defiant after hijack attempt

OSLO-listed Odfjell Tankers will not resume sending ships around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Gulf of Aden, despite a third ship being attacked in nearly three years.

Bangladesh breakers suffer court setback over ban on beaching

A COURT adjournment has put ship demolition in Bangladesh on hold until at least October, with rates in other centres likely to soften on the back of straining capacity.

DHL ocean freight volume rises 12.6%

DEUTSCHE Post DHL, the largest freight forwarder of maritime boxes, recorded a 12.6% rise in containers booked with shipping lines to 1.4m teu for the six months to June.

Freight index to bounce back

DANSKE Bank’s monthly European freight forwarding index remained high during July and volumes are expected to “bounce back” in September after a predicted slowdown this month.

Townsville tugs named at welcome ceremony

NEW TOWNSVILLE tug contractor PB Towage hosted 100 guests at the official naming ceremony of their new 29-metre tugs, PB Leichhardt and PB Herbert in the Port of Townsville this week.

EMOTIVE BRANDING

GIVING names to cruiseships requires increasing flights of imagination and branding.

Industry rails against Patrick Port Botany fee hike

PATRICK says its decision to hike rail window fees by 67% is the only way it can improve efficiency and productivity at the Port Botany terminal. However, the move has drawn an angry response from the industry.