Weekly Edition 27th May 2010

Yemen court sentences six pirates to death

SIX SOMALIS were sentenced to death last week by a Yemeni state court after being found guilty of hijacking a product tanker in 2009, with a further six given prison terms of 10 years in connection with the same crime.

Shipping groups call for action over piracy crisis

A WIDE range of shipping industry groups is out to collect 500,000 signatures worldwide for a petition demanding action on piracy, aiming to reach that ambitious goal by World Maritime Day on September 23.

Master seized in second Cameroon pirate attack

CAMEROON is now known to have experienced two violent pirate attacks on the same day early in May, after details of a second incident emerged last week.

Five hospitalised after attack on cargoship in Nigerian port

SPATE OF ATTACKS: Two Russian seafarers from North Spirit have been taken hostage.

Casualty Briefs - 27th May 2010

 

FIGHT FOR WA GRAIN

QR-OWNED Australian Railroad Group (ARG) faces the prospect of losing its grip on grain haulage in Western Australia within months if it cannot improve its performance and significantly increase rail’s share of the freight task.

Reef-bump ship cleared to sail after checks

THE DAMAGED Panama-flagged cargo ship anchored in the Torres Strait for almost a week has left Australian waters after maritime authorities revoked an intervention order on Friday.

Net cast for Camellia terminal’s new role

PATRICK Port Logistics is looking at alternative uses for its money-losing Camellia terminal with just five weeks to go before its Port Botany rail service ceases.

Move to finalise truck marshalling yards

SYDNEY Ports Corporation hopes to soon finalise its options for a proposed truck marshalling yard for Port Botany.

Territory rail sale closing in on buyer

FREIGHTLINK could have a new owner by next month with its receivers indicating that the sale process is almost done.

Plans for Newcastle LNG exports by 2014

THE PORT of Newcastle could begin exporting eight to 10 shipments of liquefied natural gas within four years under a plan revealed last week.

MCS extends hours at intermodal terminal

SYDNEY intermodal operator Maritime Container Services will extend receival and delivery hours until midnight at its St Peters terminal from next week in an effort to cope with increased volumes.

Inpex delays WA gas project for year

INPEX has put plans for its Ichthys offshore gas development in the Browse Basin off the coast of Western Australia on hold for at least 12 months.

Asciano takes a new tack in battle with QR proposal

ASCIANO has taken its opposition to the privatisation strategy of rival QR to Australia’s peak competition advisory group in a bid to protect a $1.5bn investment in Queensland’s coal market.

Flinders Uni, AMC launch shipbuilding course

SOUTH Australia’s Flinders University is to offer a four-year shipbuilding degree from next year, in conjunction with the Australian Maritime College (AMC).

Mishap generates Kembla dilemma

THE OWNERS of an energy generator which sank to the bottom of Port Kembla’s eastern breakwall is in the process of appointing a salvage company to retrieve the machine.

Shen Neng 1 almost set to sail

THE LIBERIAN-flagged deep sea tug which will tow bulk carrier Shen Neng 1 back to China is scheduled to arrive at the port of Gladstone on May 30.

Queensland gets tougher on marine polluters

THE QUEENSLAND Government has passed a new law that will see a fivefold increase in the maximum penalty for marine polluters.

Asia-Pacific aircargo continues recovery

POSITIVE trends have continued for the Asia-Pacific airfreight industry with demand for its services increasing 32% in April as the global economic climate further improved.

For sale – future of Devonport Airport to be known soon

THE FUTURE of Tasmanian Ports Corporation’s (Tasports) non-core asset Devonport Airport is expected to be revealed soon with the sale process now in its final stages.

Rio Tinto expands bulker fleet with bargain purchase of eight new ships

RIO TINTO has bolstered its shipping fleet, buying eight 205,000 dwt bulk carriers earlier this month worth US$504m ($584m).

Bass Strait trader under repair after storm damage

THE SMALL Bass Strait ro-ro barge Statesman is under repair on Hobart’s Domain Slipway after suffering a battering during a voyage to Flinders Island earlier this month.

BHP Billiton places large capesize order as prices rise

AFTER deciding nearly 15 years ago to exit shipowning and focus solely on mining, BHP Billiton has joined the growing number of resource giants now looking to order cheap new tonnage from Asian shipyards.

Bookings signal a box recovery

CONCERN that the impressive recovery of the container shipping trades could prove short-lived is fading as forward bookings hold up and new services are activated without damaging freight rates.

NOL takes all vessels out of lay-up as demand rises

NEPTUNE Orient Lines is pulling all of its idle ships out of lay-up in response to strong demand that looks set to continue for at least another few months.

Cosco pledges to boost Greek cooperation

PROSPECTS form ore cooperation between the world’s two largest dry bulk shipowning nations are good, Cosco group president and chief executive Wei Jiafu said at the end of a four-day trip to Greece.

Back from the brink

Just a few months ago, creditors were besieging troubled French container line CMA CGM. Now it is on course to turn a profit again. JANET PORTER tracks this financial tour de force

TRADING PLACES

A seismic shift in the physical flow of goods from west to east is taking place, which could transform world trade patterns, reports GAVIN VAN MARLE

French Erika appeal court ruling undermines global conventions

Concerns over jurisdiction and seafarer prosecutions. opinion – Anne Sophie Avé

US reluctant to abolish antitrust immunity

Federal Maritime Commission is still not convinced an outright ban would result in lower transport costs, reports JANET PORTER

When a ship is not a hotel

Celebration arbitration win following Hurricane Ike claim highlights the need for due caution in charterparty contracts, writes ARTHUR CLENNAM

Concern over rush to bring back lay-ups

A NEW report warns that redeployment of idle container tonnage threatens industry recovery, potentially seeing a “more pronounced seasonal downturn” at the end of this year.

Ships ignore anti-piracy measures

SOME commercial vessels are still failing to adopt effective counter-piracy measures in the vulnerable areas in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, according to Nato.

Cosco makes pledge to Greek port project

COSCO group chairman Wei Jiafu has pledged to boost usage of the port of Piraeus, as well as holding out the prospect of further Chinese investments in Greece’s battered economy.

Asia-Europe capacity lifted

CMA CGM is planning to expand capacity in the Asia-Europe trades by a net 10% in response to market demand, but has vowed to move quickly should the recovery stall.

US accused of knee-jerk reaction over marine disaster liability cap

SHIPPING industry fears of a knee-jerk reaction in the US to the oil pollution caused by the Deepwater Horizon have been realised with a proposal before the US Congress to scrap liability limits in the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA 90) for clean-up costs from oil spills.

Importers urge full border risk rethink

US IMPORTERS have called for a “fundamental change” at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by moving to an account-based risk management system for trade compliance.

Box traffic rebounds at US ports

TWO KEY container seaports in the US south east posted significant improvements in their throughput statistics for April, offering another hint that the recent growth in trade volumes could prove sustainable.

Rewriting rules of newbuild design

International Maritime Organization safety committee to discuss ‘goal-based’ standards, writes CRAIG EASON

Baltic plans FFA central screen by end of year

THE BALTIC Exchange will establish a central screen to trade dry freight derivatives by the end of 2010 in a landmark attempt to capture 30% of market volume.

Dubai World restructures loan portfolio

DUBAI World has reached an “in principle” agreement with a group of creditor banks on terms to restructure US$14.4bn of loans.

China’s coal appetite drives up freight rates

CHINA’S record coal imports this year will provide some support to freight rates but growing pressure from fleet oversupply is set to limit gains.

Australian ore cargoes point to rebound for cape rates this week

AFTER average spot rates declined 10.9% last week, fresh iron ore cargoes coming on to the market from Australia could lead to a rebound in capesize fortunes.

Latest study highlights transport challenges

A NEW report warns that rising demand, constrained financial resources and bottlenecks in supply will be key challenges to transport infrastructure operators over the next 20 years.

Latest study highlights transport challenges

A NEW report warns that rising demand, constrained financial resources and bottlenecks in supply will be key challenges to transport infrastructure operators over the next 20 years.

Industry fury over SOx cuts

EUROPEAN manufacturers, shippers and shipowners have united to protest at the impending sulphur emission reduction rules set to impact northern Europe.

South American container imports set for growth

SOUTH America’s containerised import growth will outpace the region’s faltering export recovery in 2010, according to new research from UK-based industry consultants MDS Transmodal.

WWL unveils prototype for a zero-emissions terminal

WALLENIUS Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) has unveiled a design for a zero-emission ro-ro terminal, which it said it hopes to be operational within the next decade.

END OF PERFORMANCE

 

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT

 

BOXING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT

 

Concept through the eyes of a pilot

 

How now to cope with oil on troubled waters?

THE PERSON on the end of the telephone line made it absolutely clear that he did not want to be speaking to me.