Vietnam tops Asian detentions VIETNAM, Indonesia, and North Korea have topped the list of ships detained by port state control in Asia.
'Truco' has poorest record in Europe A 1958-built out-of-class general cargoship has been detained eight times over the last two years across Paris memorandum countries alone, giving it the worst track record of any vessel currently trading in Europe.
Beijing moves against smuggling - and not even the army will escape CHINA'S efforts to clamp down on gas-oil smuggling has choked shuttle tanker traffic into south China and threatens to adversely affect oil product trading throughout the region.
Weekly Freight Rates LATEST and previous rate paid and when reported. Where rates have not been reported officially the known market level is given together with an asterisk*
US meat importers face flat-rate tariff IN a major shake-up of freight rates to the United States, members of the Australia United States Container Line Association (Auscla) are to charge US meat importers a new flat tariff for moving intermodal containers from the US west coast ports to the northeast US tidewater states, including the key meat centre of Philadelphia.
Islamic army blamed for bomb blasts A PREVIOUSLY unknown Islamic group, calling itself the Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places has claimed responsibility for two car bomb attacks on US embassies in the Kenyan and Tanzanian capitals on Friday in which at least 164 people died and over 5,000 were injured, writes Sandra Speares.
Norway yards in subsidy plea DWINDLING orders at Norwegian shipyards have led to calls for the government to reverse its decision to reduce the shipbuilding subsidy to 7% from the beginning of 1998, and restore the previous maximum European Union level of 9%.
Volatile start to agreement Patrick and the Maritime Union of Australia may have signed an agreement ending their long and bitter dispute, but the relations between the stevedore and its employees continue to be highly volatile. MUA national secretary John Coombs said on Friday that relations were very tense with Patrick allegedly already ignoring the document on such crucial issues as consultation, in particular in relation to the appointment of security personnel. Mr Coombs said he would not even dignify with comment apparent attempts by the federal government to pressure the MUA to ensure that it does not back out of the agreement with Patrick, even if the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission action against the union is not dropped.
NFF backs ‘More Tar, Less Taxes’ push The National Farmers Federation is urging rural and regional Australians to attend a series of ‘More Tar; Less Taxes’ meetings being organised nationally by the Road Transport Forum. The meetings will cover the impact of excessive transport taxes and poor infrastructure on consumers, particularly in rural Australia, and the national economy. RTF general manager for government relations Michael Apps said the government’s proposed axing of the current diesel fuel excise and its replacement with a designated road user charge, would benefit the trucking industry and taxpayer’s generally.
ITF in new campaign against ‘union-busters’ In a move aimed at eliminating any further attempts to engage non-union labor on the waterfront, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is to mount a global campaign against ships handled by non-union labor. On Friday, the organisation launched what it described as an initiative to create an ITF target list of ships handled by non-union labor, to be distributed among unions organising waterfront labor around the world.
HCE, TT push Devonport to record The transfer of Holyman Coastal Express’s operations from Bell Bay to Devonport in June 1996 is one of the main reasons for the Port of Devonport Corporation achieving a record cargo throughput for the 1997-98 financial year. According to figures released by the PoDC, total tonnes of cargo increased by 8.1 per cent to 6.2 million tonnes and ship visits rose to a record 568 compared to the previous record of 552 set in 1996-97. The bottom line result was aided by a record throughput of 101,181 containers compared to 86,371 in 1996-97 -- a 17.1 per cent increase.
Decision soon on livestock loss report The office of Primary Industries Minister, John Anderson, is considering a response from the owners of the Western Australian livestock export company, Wellard Rural Exports, to an order that the company show cause why it’s export licence should not be suspended. This follows the loss of 346 of 1200 head of cattle shipped recently from Fremantle to Jordan aboard the Philippines-flagged vessel, Charolais Express. A ministerial spokesman said on Friday details of Wellard’s response were confidential but that a decision on the issue would be announced within a fortnight.
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