Hanjin sells off more boxships SOUTH Korea's Hanjin Merchant Marine has been forced to sell more containerships in order to meet debt repayments and daily operating expenses as the country plunges into recession.
European yards demand aid restrictions EUROPEAN shipbuilders yesterday urged the European Union to ensure that any aid given to South Korean shipbuilders as a result of the country's financial crisis is tied to cuts in capacity.
Cash injection boosts Swansea dry docks firm THE once dilapidated dry docks at Swansea are enjoying a new lease of life following a '1.5m ($2.48m) injection from the parent company Ugland International Holdings, according to docks managing director Robert Gray.
German car trade growth CAR exports and imports look like being the main driving forces behind growth at the twin ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven for the fifth year running this year, writes Robert Mudge, Bonn.
Box market abandons hope of charter rates recovery IF the containership charter rates had followed their theoretical trend line, the downward slide in rates which persisted throughout 1996 should have begun turning back upwards by May this year.
Phosphate freight eases in light trade BUSINESS has been limited for freight of phosphate and bauxite on board panamax dry bulkers over the past week and though there were at least two bauxite cargoes expected to be fixed ahead of the weekend, not much else has surfaced.
Customer choice TIME was when a marine administration was a government department charged with regulating shipping that flew its flag, which it did with varying degrees of efficiency. The "traditional" maritime nations called the shots internationally and the owners that used them were largely nationals of those countries. It was unlikely that those owners would ever think of themselves as the "customers" of those marine administrations, even though they would invariably be taxpayers. A different culture - possibly even language - seemed to apply.
Another year IT now seems certain that European Union member states will decide to retain existing levels of shipyard subsidies for a further 12 months, a decision that will be received with a certain amount of relief by European shipbuilders worried sick about the plummeting currencies of the Far East. There are some stalwarts who will maintain, as thay have done for years that to maintain this charade is to perpetuate the global shipyard surplus and that somehow the circle of dependency must be broken.
Australia to end pooled maritime labour THE Australian government has moved to end pooled labour for the maritime industry.
Australia abolishes cruise cabotage permits CABOTAGE has been abolished for cruiseships serving Australia.
Hong Kong moves to encourage teenagers to sea jobs THE Hong Kong Shipowners Association is lobbying the government to encourage more teenagers to enter the marine industry.
Colombo Dockyard hit hard by berth loss COLOMBO Dockyard stands to lose up to 15 per cent of its total shiprepair revenue following the loss of its repair pier, according business manager BJ Subasinghe.
Cruise boost for Marseilles MARSEILLES is set to become France's leading cruise port next year.
Spain to sell off Trasmed's ferry routes SPAIN has opened the bidding process for ten ferry routes between the mainland and the Canary and Balearic islands currently operated Trasmediterranea.
Shanghai reveals maritime hub plans SHANGHAI has released details of its plans to become China's maritime hub.
Evergreen makes surprising Med hub decision IN A surprising move, Evergreen has applied for a 30 year concession to operate a container facility in south Italy, just 200 miles from Gioia Tauro.
Panama signs Canal emergency deal THE Panama Canal Commission's Council of Directors has signed an agreement with the US National Response Team to lend assistance in the case of oil spills and other disasters.
Indian shipowners seek government support INDIA'S shipping freight bill is expected to rise to Rs550bn ($14.3bn) by the end of the ninth plan.
Bordeaux targets new roro service THE Port of Bordeaux in south-west France is looking to host the introduction of a new roro service link with a port in southern England.
Stena Line unveils details of restructure STENA Line, the Swedish ferry company, has unveiled details of its future organisation, which aims to cut costs by Skr350m ($47m).
ANL sale gathers pace AUSTRALIA has announced the start of the sale of state-owned shipping line ANL.
Argonaut shareholders approve N&T merger AN extraordinary shareholders' meeting at Argonaut has approved the board's proposal to merge the company with Nordström & Thulin
Spanish government to sell Barreras MADRID has reached agreement on the sale of the Vigo-based Barreras factory of shipbuilder Astilleros Españoles.
Clubs' underwriting results are worse, says broker THERE are signs that the effects of a soft insurance market are beginning to filter through to P&I clubs' finances, according to Willis Faber Marine.
Norbulk développe des services breakbulk sur l'Asie, le M-O et le sous-continent indien L'armement de Hong-Kong Norbulk Cargo Services, dont la création, à l'initiative du capitaine pakistanais Kahanbabi, remonte à 1982 et qui s'est spécialisé dans les trafics d'exportation de bois tropicaux du Far East et du Sud-Est asiatique vers l'Europe, fait actuellement une apparition en force sur la place d'Anvers où il concentre ses trafics de bois au détriment d'Amsterdam et Flessingue et lance trois services de retour distincts en conventionnel/breakbulk à destination de l'Asie, du Moyen-Orient et du sous-continent indien. En outre, c'est unl armement qui se présente so:us un jour différent, ayant fait l'objet d'une restructuration menée par de nouvelles équipes, l'objectif étant de développer d'autres marchés.
Seagha et B-Cargo mettent l'avis d'arrivée et les informations ATEL sur Internet Dès ce jour, toutes les entreprises raccordées à Internet peuvent consulter l'avis d'arrivée des wagons dans la zone portuaire anversoise sur le "world wide web". Cette initiative commune de Seagha et de B-Cargo renforce une fois de plus le rôle prépondérant joué par la communauté portuaire anversoise dans le domaine de la communication. On se souvient que le port d'Anvers a été un des premiers à avoir son site sur le web, et que sa liste des départs on-line est toujours un des sites portuaires les plus performants.
Horn Linie poursuit son service sur les Caraïbes en indépendant Les modifications dans l'actionnariat n'auront aucun impact sur la structure du service de ligne assuré par l'armement allemand Horn Linie. L'opérateur maintiendra la fréquence hebdomadaire de son service direct sur les Caraïbes et l'Amérique centrale depuis l'Europe du Nord et l'exploitera sur une base indépendante.
Intexo prend pied sur le marché allemand La société de distribution Intexo, qui est spécialisée dans les marchandises hightech et les produits de soins de santé, a acquis une participation de 50% dans l'entreprise familiale allemande LTTS (Lange Trans Tech Services). LTTS se concentre sur le transport, l'entreposage, l'installation et la réparation de matériel de haute technologie. Intexo et LTTS se connaissaient déjà: les deux firmes ont créé ensemble la société Langtexo, qui est implantée à Francfort et Strasbourg, et ont été à la base du lancement d'Eurotech, un réseau européen de transporteurs spécialisés.
Brisbane coup as Sea-Land signs on QUEENSLAND has stolen a march on state rivals by becoming the first to confirm a third container stevedore for its principal port. The Port of Brisbane Corporation and Sea-Land have formed a business alliance, giving the United States company priority use to operate at the port’s newly completed No. 7 Fisherman Islands.
AIRC bans Melbourne action Patrick yesterday successfully applied to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission for orders which will prohibit members of the Maritime Union of Australia employed by the company in Melbourne from taking any form of industrial action. The orders, which could expose the workers and their union to claims for damages, are current for a period of two months and mark a new low in industrial relations on the Australian waterfront.
Reith moves reforms along WORKPLACE Relations Minister Peter Reith yesterday yesterday again called on the shipping industry to take responsibility for improving its performance, announcing a series of maritime portfolio decisions which he said followed deliberations by Cabinet earlier in the week The measures were, however, described as a "smokescreen" by the national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, John Coombs.
No walkout, minister claims Meanwhile, a spokesman for Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith denied from Melbourne yesterday that the meeting between the Minister and the MUA was concluded early due to an MUA walkout. "We more or less closed the meeting down after an hour and a bit, because it was ‘all over Red Rover’," the spokesman said.
BHPT cuts back Americas service BHP Transport’s Oakland-based liner service division, IMTL, is to rationalise one of its three Americas routes, dropping Australian direct calls from the US Gulf/South America service early next year. The decision to turn the service in New Zealand will reduce BHPT’s trans-Tasman combined fleet by three ships, but the company says the Gulf/SA service ships "do very little trans-Tasman work".
Halla ship held in New Orleans As the financial crisis in South Korea deepened, a Panamax bulk carrier operated by the country's troubled Halla Merchant Marine was stuck under an arrest order in New Orleans by creditors seeking claims of more than USD 4m.
Cambridge steps on the gas There seems to be no end to the the ambitions of Cambridge Partners' Bjorn Q Aaserod. Fresh from assorted newbuilding deals, Aaserod is now planning to launch a gas tanker company that involves some of the biggest names in the business. Junk bonds would finance the project. The cost? More than USD 300m.
China seeks partners for new VLCC dock Officials at Shanhaiguan Shipyard in China hope to set up a joint venture, possibly with foreign partners, to run a 280,000-dwt drydock before operations begin.
Hamburg Sud fights to survive A year after Hamburg Sud celebrated its 125th anniversary, the company is fighting one of its toughest battles ever. The German liner's existence is threatened by major players, such as Maersk and Sea-Land, which are pushing freight rates down to loss-making levels on Hamburg Sud's core routes to South America.
BLASCO may be out of luck in the UK State-owned ships belonging to Ukraine, Russia and Georgia could soon be stripped of protection from seizure and sale in the UK.
The Suez Canal Authority has announced that it will introduce surcharges on transit tariffs through the Egyptian canal for most major cargo vessels, effective July 15.
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