Subscribe to RSS feedWeekly Edition 29th July
Capacity hits – Asian rates slide
AS THE fourth recent injection of extra North & East Asia-Australia container capacity hits Australian ports this week, the inevitable decline in freight rates is well underway.
Surge boosts Melbourne numbers
CONTAINER trade at the Port of Melbourne rose 3.7% to 2.2m teu in the 2009/10 financial year, according to the port’s management reports.
Brisbane oil spill under investigation
ASSESSORS and Maritime Safety Queensland are investigating the cause of an oil spill from a Chinese-based bulk carrier at the Port of Brisbane last week.
Darwin overcomes pollution query to post strong result
DARWIN Port enjoyed another year of trade growth as demand for the Northern Territory’s bulk minerals lifted total throughput.
Growth in shipments for BHP
BHP BILLITON has reported sharp increases in quarterly shipments of several commodities.
National Trust opposed to White Bay cruise terminal
THE NATIONAL Trust of Australia (NTA) believes the move to build a permanent cruise passenger terminal at White Bay instead of Barangaroo makes little sense.
Tasmania looks to infrastructure
IDENTIFYING Tasmania’s key infrastructure needs will top of the agenda when Infrastructure Australia officials meet representatives of that state government next month.
No need for container lines to fear surcharges in Australian jurisdiction
A RECENT Newswire article (Box lines warned on legality of surcharges, Tuesday July 20, 2010) may have caused unnecessary alarm among lines trading in Australia.
China links shown strong as new line joins the fray
AUSTRALIA’S economic links with the giant Chinese economy look set to bring about expansion in the shipping and transport sectors.
Architects Hansen in Perth
FAMOUS naval architects Knud E Hansen have opened an Australian office, targeting an increase in local design and engineering work.
WA service is back on track
Jebsens Western Australian coastal service has resumed with a temporary vessel after a mishap to Spirit of the Kimberley.
Fremantle chief warns of hurdles facing port
URBAN encroachment and vague heritage laws threaten to choke growth at Fremantle Ports, chief executive Chris Leatt-Hayter says.
Asia Pacific airfreight sector is flying high
THE GLOBAL economic troubles of last year appear to be a distant memory for the Asia-Pacific airfreight industry which continues to enjoy a significant increase in volumes.
PN orders engines to cope with Qld demand
ASCIANO subsidiary Pacific National has ordered another nine narrow gauge diesel-powered trains to accommodate a surge in the volume of coal it will haul by rail in the coming years.
Davies appointed chief at QR National Coal
QR NATIONAL has appointed former Qantas senior manager Curtis Davies to the posts of chief executive and executive vice president of its coal haulage customer division.
PIL breaks Melbourne record
PACIFIC International Lines’ (PIL) 4250 teu Kota Lagu has set a Melbourne and possibly Australian record for container exchange, discharging and loading the equivalent of over 5000 teu at Patrick’s East Swanson Dock terminal.
Capesizes scrapped as rates start to fall
Indian breakers purchased two more large bulk carriers last week and brokers said more could follow as capesize freight rates slumped against rising demolition prices.
Cruise passenger dies as gangway collapses
ONE CRUISE passenger died and another was seriously injured last weekend after a gangway between a dock and MSC Cruises’ MSC Splendida, pictured, collapsed.
Thoresen Thai buys supramax
NOT LONG after analysts warned that it needed to pick up the pace in its fleet replenishment program, Thoresen Thai Agencies (TTA) has announced the purchase of a secondhand supramax bulk carrier for US$34.5m from Smart Shipmanagement of the Marshall Islands.
Deals in dry bulk still collapsing
THE DEPRESSED dry bulk market, especially for larger ships, continues to see secondhand sales fall through and ships withdrawn after failing to secure expected prices.
Breaking industry in tug-of-war over environmental standards
HOW GREEN is green? More work needs to be done to narrow the gap between yards and improve green credentials, reports LIZ MCCARTHY
South Africa looking beyond the World Cup to an economic boost
Sudden global interest should generate new opportunities for long-term investment, writes STEVE MATTHEWS
Turkey proves it possible to clean up a dirty business
SINCE a ship recycling industry emerged in Turkey 30 years ago in order to meet demand for raw materials, the country’s facilities have gone through a major transformation.
Satellites used to watch for pollution
GROWING use of satellite surveillance is putting shipowners at increasing risk of investigation and legal action for maritime pollution, North P&I club has warned.
Capesize lay-ups loom as zero fixtures appear
GROWING numbers of owners and operators are considering temporarily laying up their capesize vessels for the first time in 20 months as news emerged of the first zero-dollar-per-day fixture of 2010, reflecting the struggle of larger bulk carriers to gain employment amid shrinking global demand for iron ore and coal.
Maersk to flag more ships in Hong Kong
AP MOLLER Maersk is strengthening its presence in Hong Kong by more than doubling its Hong Kong-registered fleet from17 to 39 ships. With this, Maersk’s fleet will be one of the largest on the Hong Kong register.
Boskalis issue oversubscribed
DREDGING giant Boskalis has completed a US$450m private placement notes program, together with available cash, to repay a €400m(US$514m) bridge facility linked to the acquisition of Smit, the fellow Dutch maritime services company.
Shipping sector temporarily out of favour
INVESTORS have cooled towards shipping but any disenchantment is likely to be temporary, according to a leading shipping investment banker.
CSCL seeks extra 2m boxes to cover supply shortage
CHINA Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), the container shipping offshoot of China Shipping Group, says the company needs an additional two million containers this year as a result of its slowsteaming regime and reduction of box supply from manufacturers.
QR still on track despite privatisation questions
AS THE Queensland Government thrashes out the final stages of the split and partial sale of the entity that was QR, its former chief executive, Lance Hockridge, maintains that investment in the state’s rail network and in the facilities supporting it, is continuing.
Inland railway appears in line to reach destination
EVERALD Compton’s dream of a inland railway comprising seven pieces of new rail track stretching from Melbourne to Mt Isa via Bowen is one step closer after transport minister Anthony Albanese granted Major Project Facilitation (MPF) status to a major link in the plan, the Border Railway Project.
WA mining investment back on the books at Rio Tinto after tax deal
MINING giant Rio Tinto’s allocation of US$200m for the expansion of its Pilbara iron ore operations earlier this month heralds the continuation of investment in Western Australia’s coal industry.
US warned 100% scanning at box ports ‘unworkable’
A US senate committee has heard expert testimony on the technical, logistical and financial obstacles confronting Washington’s policy to implement 100% scanning of maritime containers at foreign ports by the delayed deadline of 2014.
Genco to fund bulker buys in parallel play
GENCO Shipping & Trading has unveiled parallel fund-raising efforts that could raise up to US$525m.
New orders pick-up lifts Cargotec out of the red
CARGOTEC recorded a 43% rise in orders for onboard and terminal cargo-handling equipment to €1.3bn (US$1.7bn) for the first half of 2010, although the market for port-based cranes and carriers remained “sluggish”.
Chinese shipyards warned of looming overcapacity
CHINA’S Policy Planning Office, the government’s economic think tank, has warned that Chinese shipyards face a threat of overcapacity in two to three years if new orders continue to decline.
Maersk Line warns of US flag costs
MAERSK Line’s US boss has warned against complacency in Washington’s desire to build up the US-flagged fleet, but he has also identified opportunities to reduce the gap between US and foreign-flag operating costs.
Confusion mounts over US Gulf shipping clause
UTTER confusion reigns over the Americanisation of Offshore Shipping clause applicable to foreign vessels serving Gulf of Mexico offshore installations, which is on the verge of being passed by the house of representatives.
NOL in 10-ship order spree as prices rise
NEPTUNE Orient Lines has become the second container shipping line in recent weeks to place a newbuilding order, signing a US$975m contract for a series of 10 ships of 8400 teu capacity plus a letter of intent for a pair of 10,700 teu vessels.
Shipping’s law efforts progress
SHIPPING industry efforts to see off Congressional moves to introduce unlimited liability for maritime torts and expand the types of damages recoverable under two other laws appear to have made significant progress.
Wärtsilä orders soar 42% year on year
INCREASED shipbuilding orders and overall economic recovery helped engine maker Wärtsilä achieve a 42% year on year increase in new orders in the second quarter of this year.
