Arco cancellation rocks Rotterdam ROTTERDAM has been dealt a massive blow with cancellation of an Arco Chemical plan to build large, new production facilities in the port.
Shell Expro replacing seven standby vessels SHELL UK Exploration and Production (Shell Expro) is planning to spend '100m ($164m) replacing seven of its standby vessel fleet in the northern and central regions of the North Sea with up to four new vessels.
S&P downgrades Hvide SUGGESTING that Hvide Marine may be expanding too quickly, Standard & Poor's has downgraded some $476m of the US offshore services firm's rated debt and preferred shares, and reported its outlook as negative.
'Symphony' report still outstanding SWEDEN's maritime administration is awaiting a report from Finland's Silja Line about an incident involving the Symphony which her master did not report as required by procedure, and which the administration became aware of only after a Sveriges Radio reporter telephoned about it.
Australian lifting capacity declines LIFTING capacity of the Australian fleet has declined dramatically, the Australian Shipowners Association has revealed.
Chinese shipbuilders report orders slump CHINESE shipbuilders' overseas orders slumped in the first half of 1998 as the industry struggled to compete with South Korean and Japanese rivals able to take advantage of currency devaluations.
Chemtanker return to local construction by specialist Mediterranea di Navigazione A SOPHISTICATED chemical products tanker launched into the Venetian lagoon on Saturday by Cantiere Navale De Poli will bring added transportation flexibility to the Italian coastwise traffic on delivery early next year.
New Seaspan barges arrive FOUR barges built in China for Seaspan International, Canada's biggest tug and barge operator, have arrived in Vancouver after a 24-day tow across the Pacific.
Indian companies see mixed results SHIPPING Corp of India, Essar and Shahi have made good progress in the first quarter, but other Indian companies have suffered.
ITC expands its tug fleet INTERNATIONAL Transport Contractors of Haarlem, The Netherlands, has purchased two Korean tugs and has taken over the management of a Canadian tug/icebreaker.
Court orders take-over of Subic Bay to stop THE Philippine Court of Appeals has ordered the police and local government officials to stop their take-over of facilities at the Subic Bay freeport zone.
Canadians gather to promote cruising THE tourism industry in Atlantic Canada has set up the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association to promote destinations in the four provinces to the cruise line companies.
Waterfront complacency worries exporters A SECOND major industry group has raised its concern about a slowdown in waterfront reform in Australia.
Steel mill problems threaten port PLANS for a deep-water port in Western Australia again hang in the balance, following financial problems in the construction of a nearby steel mill.
Chinese steel exports crash CHINA'S first-half steel exports tumbled by one-third to just 2.5m tonnes as a result of the regional economic woes.
Chinese builders losing out CHINESE shipbuilders say they are losing business to their Asian competitors because currency devaluations have sharply cut prices.
Kotug to deploy four tugs at Bremerhaven ROTTERDAM-based Kotug is to deploy four tugs in Bremerhaven in January 1999, according to Dutch sources.
Non-rail activities save BC Rail CANADA'S fourth largest railway, BC Rail, has been saved from poor results by its non-rail activities, including port operations.
US ousts Canadian boxes on Pacific CANADIAN cargo is backing up in Asia, as large US firms take up all available container space, according to representatives of Vancouver's shipping community.
Todd forecasts ferry loss TODD Pacific Shipyard has announced a net income of $8.1m for its most recent fiscal year but is estimating an $18m loss for the ferry project.
Fraser River to gain new terminal A HIGH-tech park and a deep sea terminal are to be built on the Fraser River at Richmond, British Columbia.
Algoma posts lower profits ALGOMA Central has posted a strong growth in earnings for the first half of the year but the cost of refitting its Great Lakes fleet and bolstering its ocean activities cut profits.
Pirates 'hold crew and passengers' THE Filipino crew and passengers of a vessel that has been missing since April are allegedly being held captive by pirates near Sabah, Malaysia.
Norfolk Line acquiert Dockspeed La société de transport routier porte-à-porte par semi-remorques Norfolk Line, basée à Scheveningen aux Pays-Bas, a acquis jeudi passé la société de transport frigorifique britannique Dockspeed. Celle-ci est spécialisée dans les transports rapides sous température dirigée, et elle viendra renforcer la division "reefer" de Norfolk Line, qui compte déjà les sociétés Interland, Laros et Continental Freeze. Contrairement à NL, Dockspeed a ses propres tracteurs. "Cela ne changera pas, car ceux-ci constituent une des forces du service de Dockspeed", nous a déclaré Reinier Meijer, marketing manager de Norfolk Line.
MSC maintiendra seul le cap sur le M-O et le Far East L'armement MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Cy) va donc retrouver son entière liberté d'action sur la route Europe-Moyen-Orient-sous-continent Indien-Asie dès le 8 octobre prochain. Les expériences avec Hyundai, puis Norasia, ne semblent pas avoir été concluantes, ce qui n'a rien de surprenant compte tenu des différences de culture d'entreprise, mais aussi de conception. En fait, MSC, a toujours mené depuis sa création en 1970 sa barque seul (et très bien d'ailleurs), et partant, ce dernier divorce ne lui cause aucun problème particulier, d'autant plus qu'il a désormais les coudées plus franches en matières d'initiatives et de décisions.
Lyondell fait une croix sur les projets ARCO à Rotterdam Le groupe chimique américain Lyondell Petrochemical a fait une croix sur les projets de sa filiale récemment acquise ARCO Chemie Benelux pour la construction d'une usine d'oxide de propylène à la Maasvlakte. La réalisation du projet dit PO II avait déjà commencé par la viabilisation du terrain et l'installation de l'infrastructure vers le futur site. On devait également construire une usine de butanedione dans la zone Botlek.
Sydney surges on container flood A SIXTH consecutive year of record container trade in 1997/98 is just one indicator of an outstanding year for the Sydney Ports Corporation, the New South Wales Minister for Ports, Kim Yeadon, said. Mr Yeadon said that provisional container figures for the year ending 30 June, 1998, reached a record 800,000 teus, an increase of 9.6 per cent over the 1996/97 financial year. Of this record throughput, import accounted for 422,000 teus with exports totalling 378,000 teus. The Minister said that Sydney now handles approximately 30 per cent of Australia’s total container throughput, mainly through the two major terminals at Port Botany. The biggest markets for Sydney container trade for the year were China, the United States and New Zealand.
MUA slates Patrick "treachery" THE MARITIME Union of Australia has lashed out at Patrick’s management, complaining about the "treachery" with which the union has to deal on a daily basis. The union’s national secretary, John Coombs, told DCN he was particularly incensed by a recent memo, allegedly written by one of Patrick’s directors, Bill Clayton, to regional managers. The memo makes the point, among other issues, that the threat of litigation has not yet been removed and "we need to go quietly until that occurs." "Additionally we need the federal MUA to have every chance of signing off on the agreements without difficulties from their branch or delegates/members," the memo, a copy of which has been obtained by DCN, continues.
ACCC denies it’s "soft" THE AUSTRALIAN Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has denied claims by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) that it has been "soft" on the shipping industry. The chairman of the ACCC, Professor Allan Fels, said that, in fact, it has been widely acknowledged that the consumer watchdog has been extremely vigorous in applying the Trade Practices Act to break-up price fixing and other cartel agreements; the abuse of market power by monopolists; anti-competitive mergers; misleading and deceptive conduct; and unconscionable conduct affecting small business and consumers. "It has applied the law without fear or favour to the biggest and most powerful corporations and interests in the land," Professor Fels said.
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