UK calls off North Sea tax increase UK chancellor Gordon Brown has announced that the government is to scrap proposals to increase North Sea oil and gas taxes, blaming the collapse in world oil prices for the decision.
Hyundai unsure on remaining in Taca HYUNDAI Merchant Marine is keeping open all options about its future transatlantic services and has not yet decided whether to remain a member of the Trans-Atlantic Conference Agreement or to operate as an independent.
Golden Ocean upbeat despite first-half loss GOLDEN Ocean Group posted a net loss of $2.1m for the first half of this year, compared with earnings of $1.5m in the first six months of 1997.
Ulstein unveils near double midway figures NORWEGIAN shipbuilding, design and propulsion group Ulstein has almost doubled half-year pre-tax profits on the back of strong performances in all major business areas, writes our Oslo Correspondent.
Manila rate increase cleared Efforts by international shipping lines to stop the Port of Manila's two international terminals from implementing cargo handling rate increases have been defeated after a local court threw out their petition.
Cheng Lie opening up new service CHENG Lie Navigation has introduced a new intra-Asian service, Alec Almazan reports from Manila.
Jawaharlal Nehru sets monthly box record Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, originally set up to take the pressure off Mumbai port, has emerged as India's top container port, handling the highest ever containerised traffic for any single month during August.
Miami bunker meeting homes in on markets THE BunkerNews International Convention to be held in Miami from September 29 to October 2, organised by MRC, part of the LLP Group, will focus on market change and how, particularly during the last year, this has affected almost every player in the industry.
Airline sales lift Fred Olsen profits THE sale of interests in two Scandinavian airlines, SAS and Wideroe, lifted first half pre-tax profits at Fred Olsen subsidiaries Ganger Rolf and Bonheur.
CP calls for grain transport re-think CANADIAN Pacific Railway has recommended that grain transport decisions should be made directly between the railways and the shipper.
Viking volumes rise strongly PASSENGERS carried by Viking Line, the Baltic cruise ferry operator, rose 14 per cent in the ten months to August 31, 1998 compared with the earlier period.
Gordon may be liable for SBMA damage RICHARD Gordon, the former SBMA head, may not evade criminal liability for the offences committed that resulted in damage to government properties at the freeport.
Dutch study predicts Rhine water shortages A DUTCH study on the navigational properties of the river Rhine has concluded that the river is becoming increasingly dependent on rainfall instead of melting Alpine snow.
Fall in Russian grain imports 'will continue' RUSSIA'S crisis will have minimal impact on the decline of its wheat import demand, the International Grains Council said today.
Dry bulk rates 'set to soar' FREIGHT rates in the dry bulk sector are expected to rise by between 40 and 60 per cent from mid-1999 to 2001, a dry bulk analyst said today.
Chittagong strike ends WORK resumed at Bangladesh's main port of Chittagong on September 4 after workers ended a 36-hour strike.
Massive gas find in Luzon STATE owned Philippine National Oil Co has reported finding the country's largest natural gas deposit in a Luzon island.
UK simplifies small boat rules UK'S Maritime and Coastguard Agency has simplified the regulations affecting small workboats and pilot boats.
Japan's oil demand slipping JAPAN'S domestic oil industry is slipping into a deflationary spiral, with domestic sales of diesel oil in July falling from a year earlier due to the slowdown in land transport.
Chile to privatise three big ports CHILE is planning to privatise its three largest ports in a bid to attract $500m in investment over the next five years.
Repositioning costs prolong box shortage LINER operators are reluctant to return enough empty containers from the US and Europe to Asia because of the costs involved, according to OOCL.
NCLH falls into the red NCL HOLDING, the Oslo-based cruise shipping company that owns NCL in Miami and Orient Lines in London, has reported a net loss for the first half of the year.
Les actions dans le transport routier dépassent le cadre européen De nombreuses actions devraient avoir lieu ce mardi 8 septembre un peu partout en Europe. C'est aux frontières avec la France qu'elles devraient être les plus dures, pouvant prendre la forme de barrages (filtrants ou non). Ailleurs, les actions devraient se limiter à la distribution de tracts et à l'information des chauffeurs. Le mouvement émane de l'International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), et il ne limite pas à la seule Union européenne. Des actions étaient également annoncées en Ukraine et en Bulgarie, mais également en Afrique, en Inde et en Amérique du Sud. Le cœur des revendications est la limitation du nombre d'heures prestées à 48 par semaine et l'assimilation des temps d'attente (c'est-à-dire du "temps de mise à disposition") comme des temps de travail.
Ford renforce ses liens avec Ewals Cargo Care Après la faillite du groupe allemand Arcus International Holding, le constructeur automobile Ford, et plus particulièrement l'usine de Genk, s'est vu obligé de chercher un nouveau prestataire de services pour le transport direct de pièces détachées vers l'usine en Pologne. Dans ce contexte, Ford vient de signer un contrat avec Ewals Cargo Care, qui assurait déjà le transport du Benelux au centre de distribution de Cologne. Si Ford Genk est formel en ce qui concerne la signature du contrat, chez Ewals Cargo Care, personne ne semble disposé à confirmer cette donnée: "les discussions sont encore en cours; le contrat n'a pas encore été signé", déclare-t-on au QG de Tegelen.
IFB et CNC augmentent leurs participations réciproques La Compagnie Nouvelle de Conteneurs (CNC), filiale du groupe SNCF spécialisée dans le transport combiné rail/route, et Inter Ferry Boats (IFB), filiale de la SNCB, ont pris la décision de principe d'augmenter leurs participations réciproques. CNC va faire passer sa participation dans Inter Ferry Boats de 5 à 10% en reprenant 5% d'actions de la SNCB. Parallèlement, IFB va également faire passer sa participation dans CNC de 5 à 10% par le biais d'une augmentation de capital. Les autres actionnaires ont en principe jusqu'à la fin de ce mois pour participer à cette augmentation de capital.
MUA battles Toll, TWU The Maritime Union of Australia is to seek the help of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in an effort to stop the use of members of another trade union on the Newcastle waterfront. This follows an apparent decision by the Toll Transport Group to employ members of the Transport Workers Union at its bulk handling facility in the port. The transport company has apparently decided to end the practice of employing members of the MUA to move cargo a short distance from the waterfront to its truck depot. While there was no immediate comment from the company yesterday, it was understood that it had already reassigned some of its employees to carry out the work of the stevedores.
Redeployed Cunard fleet to get another Queen "When the movie Titanic was announced it had us planning for damage control", Cunard president and chief executive Larry Pimentel said while in Sydney last week. "But I have to say it's turned out very well. Now there's massive interest in the bygone era which has us planning a future based on the presentation of the past." In March, New York-listed Carnival Corporation led a consortium to purchase Cunard for $US500 million ($A854.7 million) from Kvaerner ASA, an Anglo-Norwegian shipbuilding and construction firm which acquired the loss-making Cunard in 1996 as part of Trafalgar House. Having merged Cunard with Seabourn Cruise Line, the company is now in the process of redeploying ships between the two operations, traditional ocean liners (Cunard) and modern hotel-style cruise ships (Seabourn).
Vaile hits back on fuel prices Transport Minister Mark Vaile yesterday hit back at industry suggestions that petrol prices for motorists in regional and rural Australia would rise under the coalition's planned tax package. He argued that the abolition of the maximum Wholesale Price Mechanism and freight differential should see prices reduced in rural areas. The price gap between city and country petrol prices would also progressively be closed to ensure fairness in country and city petrol pricing. "Speculation that the price gap would widen with the GST is baseless and is only designed to generate fear," Mr Vaile said. "Across the board we are lowering costs -- such as fuel haulage -- to bring prices down. We have maintained and extended the diesel excise exemption.
Vic pioneers driving hours regime Victoria this week became the first state to introduce new national truck driving hours laws. National Road Transport Commission chairman Stuart Hicks said Victoria's adoption of the new laws was a breakthrough in combating the deadly effects of driver fatigue in the road transport industry. NSW, ACT and Queensland are expected to implement the reforms on 1 November, with South Australia and Tasmania to follow suit by the end of 1998. Subject to implementation nationally, Mr Hicks said the reforms would make driving hours laws more uniform, promote fatigue management, and introduce tough measures for companies that force drivers to spend endless hours at the wheel.
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