IMO backs bulker safety assessments Ground breaking proposals for a new approach to the assessment of bulk carrier safety has been given the green light by this week's Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organisation.
UK holds two vessels in European offensive on substandard shipping EUROPE'S clampdown on substandard shipping has caught out a further two vessels which are claimed to be riddled with defects.
Scandinavian Seaways loses its name for the millennium Scandinavian Seaways, the ferry operation that belongs to DFDS of Denmark, will be renamed DFDS Seaways from January 1, 2000.
Russian oil deal changes may woo investors THE lower house of the Russian parliament (Duma) has approved changes to an outdated law which, it is hoped, will smooth the way for large-scale investments by foreign companies by offering them better protection in oil deals.
Appeal court victory for merger of CMA-CGM France's CMA-CGM container shipping group claimed that it was free to proceed with plans to merge its two main operating companies, Compagnie Maritime d'Affretement and Compagnie Generale Maritime, after a successful appeal against a ban by a lower court.
Hansa Mare Reederei of Bremen Hansa Mare Reederei of Bremen now has 13 containerships in its fleet financed under the German shipshare system.The Mare Africum and her sister Mare Thracium, 3,000 teu, built by Hyundai heavy Industries, have been chartered by Maersk. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha has chartered two of the company's boxship newbuildings to operate in the New Alliance service from Asia to Europe. The 4,000 teu Mare Superum and Mare Siculum, also built by Hyundai, have been renamed Elbe Bridge and Weser Bridge respectively.
Australia sells box services firm to Owens ANOTHER division of the ANL group entered into private hands yesterday when the Australian government announced that agreement had been reached to sell its container division, Quality Container Management (QCM), to the New Zealand-based Owens Group.
Shippers recognise rate strife THE Australian shippers' body has surprised shipowner representatives by publicly acknowledging their plight and agreeing that freight rates in some trades are just too low, writes Sandy Galbraith, Melbourne.
China Boosts Export Tax Rebate For Shipbuilders China's State Bureau of Taxation reportedly raised export tax rebates for ships to 16 percent from 14 percent in a move to boost exports effective Oct. 1, 1998. The rebate hike means shipbuilders, among the sectors in China hardest hit by currency devaluations of Asian competitors, will get back all but one percent of the 17 percent value-added tax the government imposes on exports.
California Air Regulations May Bring Higher Boat Costs California's air quality board reportedly passed tough rules on smog-forming pollution from pleasure boats, which officials said could push up marine engine costs by around 14 percent over a decade. The stringent emissions standards passed ahead of the rest of the U.S. by the powerful California Air Resources Board would come into effect in 2001 and affect more than 50,000 engines and personal watercraft sold annually in California.
EU Clears BP, Amoco Merger The European Commission reportedly gave its blessing to a merger between British Petroleum Plc and Amoco Corp. after the U.S. firm pre-empted antitrust concerns by selling its European polyisobutylene business.
Neptun To Pull Out Of Baltic Venture Neptun's Silja Line will reportedly withdraw from a venture servicing a route between Sweden and the Baltic island of Gotland, belonging to Sweden.
ACL Appoints Chief Operating Officer Atlantic Container Line announced executive vice president Andrew Abbott will be promoted to chief operating officer effective Jan. 1, 1999.
The James P. Hoffa era began at the Teamsters union with a flurry of activity affecting shippers. The Teamsters engineered a strike at Milwaukee-based ANR Advance Transportation, a brief wildcat walkout at a large United Parcel Service terminal in Chicago and threatened a national strike "at any time" at Overnite Transportation, the nation's largest nonunion and fifth-largest stand-alone LTL carrier. All this occurred as Hoffa was pronouncing he was planning a more "militant" Teamsters union. Despite financial shortages and a largely apathetic membership, Hoffa was vowing to rebuild the legacy of the 1.4 million-member union that is striving to remain relevant in today's deregulated market.
Congressional insiders predict that impeachment proceedings and the Republicans' reluctance to offer more House committee seats to Democrats will create legislative gridlock and a do-nothing 106th Congress. In jeopardy are reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, Surface Transportation Board, federal programs regulating rail safety and hazardous materials transportation and a replacement for the ill-fated harbor maintenance tax.
Edward M. Straw is leaving his post as president of Ryder Integrated Logistics to join Compaq Computer Corp. as senior vice president of supply-chain management. Straw, a former director of the Defense Logistics Agency with more than 30 years of experience in military logistics, joined Ryder in June 1997, succeeding Lawrence S. Mulkey. Straw became a well-respected figure at RIL during his short tenure. His successor is likely to be Raymond B. Greer, the company's senior vice president of global operations.
Overnite Transportation, partially organized by the Teamsters union, was dusting off strike contingency plans in the wake of a threatened walkout. Both the company and the union were contacting shippers to build their case. The Teamsters are frustrated that the four-year fight to organize Overnite has not resulted in a collective bargaining agreement. The company says the union is just out to hurt Overnite and is vowing to spend "whatever it takes" to maintain service if the Teamsters strike.
Cuba is open for business. Investors from Canada, Europe and Latin America are lining up to establish joint ventures as Cuba is indicating it no longer wants to be isolated in world trade. The collapse of the Soviet-bloc countries eliminated about 80 percent of Cuba's markets. That has made Fidel Castro's island a more capitalist-friendly environment, experts say. More than 30 countries now do business in Cuba, half from the European Union, with more than 500 enterprises involved in exporting and importing.
The transportation nightmare that was to be the fall peak shipping season from all accounts never materialized. Fear of a 1997 rerun led shipper and rail groups to a heightened awareness this year and planning for potential problems began as early as July. Officials said better communication among carriers, customers and trade associations produced better forecasting that led to more planning time for contingencies.
The United States is playing tough with Brazil in a battle over shipping rights. The U.S. has set itself up as world maritime traffic cop. The two countries are facing off over what comprises fair practices in ocean shipping. It's largely uncharted waters for Brazil, which only recently opened its shores to foreign trade. One Brazilian shipping line official admitted his country may be outgunned in Washington. It could be costly if the Brazilians lose. The Federal Maritime Commission is ready with fines and penalties as high as $1 million per ship for Brazilian companies.
A unified currency for Europe is right around the corner and several companies are swinging into the new euro-year. Eleven countries - Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain - will be fixing their currency to the euro. Acacia Technologies, Honeywell and IBM all have made preparations for the new currency. Acacia's enterprise planning software and IBM's e-commerce software already are euro-compatible and Honeywell is also reshaping its European operations.
CNF Transportation, currently the chief carrier of Priority Mail for the U.S. Postal Service, handling 300 million pieces a day on the East Coast, is bidding to add another $1.7 billion in USPS business. CNF wants to be the sole provider for sorting and transporting on highways and air for Priority Mail throughout the United States. USPS guidelines do not require outsourcing contracts go to the lowest bidder. Burlington Air Express, Airborne Express and DHL also are considered potential competitors to CNF.
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