New blow to Halla shipyard HALLA Engineering & Heavy Industries' breakthrough in the VLCC market has turned sour following the South Korean group's financial problems.
Aker Finnyards wins $94m ferries order from Bore RAUMA-based shipbuilder Aker Finnyards has strengthened its orderbook with contracts for ro-ro ferries from domestic shipowner and long-term customer Bore.
Fresh battle for Subic Bay prize GOVERNMENT lawyers in the Philippines have petitioned the Supreme Court to allow the rebidding of the Subic Bay Container Terminal project to resume.
Asia crisis firms face more share setbacks BUSINESSES selling to Asia have been warned that stock markets may mark down their shares further, because their ability to withstand the financial turbulence may have been overestimated.
Record $9.5m fines for Rhode Island spill US federal and state courts in Rhode Island have approved plea-bargain agreements that will cost Eklof Marine and others responsible for New England's worst-ever marine oil spill $9.5m in criminal penalties.
Incat seeks to secure summer run to Canada TALKS are in progress to secure a Canadian summer route for catamaran builder Incat Tasmania's first 91 m wavepiercer.
Le Shuttle plans to charge freight customers in Euros LE Shuttle Freight, the Eurotunnel subsidiary, is considering charging customers in Euros, the European Union's future single currency, according to senior management.
P&0 Dover-Calais traffic up FREIGHT carryings on P&O Ferries' Dover/Calais service jumped 42% last year as the rates war continued to attract UK exporters towards the southeast, writes Justin Stares.
P&O NSF confirms charter of newbuildings P&O NORTH Sea Ferries has confirmed that it will charter two newbuilding roro ferries from Finnish owner Oy Rettig Ab Bore for its Teesport-Zeebrugge route.
Questions surround livestock carrier incident INVESTIGATIONS have begun into how and why an unladen livestock carrier broke its moorings and crashed into several other vessels in Western Australia.
Shekou expects to double throughput SHEKOU Container Terminals in southern China expects to double its container throughput this year.
Buenos Aires disruption had little effect A SHOW of force on January 13 by 500 former-employees at the bankrupt Buenos Aires terminal No. 6 appears to have had little effect on the rest of the port.
Spain launches collision investigation MADRID has launched an inquiry into the January 13 collision of the drilling ship Discoverer Enterprise into a bridge near the Spanish city of Ferrol.
Manila port operations set for radical change THE Philippine Congress has proposed a measure seeking to create an autonomous body that would take over the management and operations of all port facilities in Manila.
Shell, Mobil to decide on gas project in May SHELL and Mobil are due to decide by May if they will definitely go ahead with the billion-dollar Camisea natural gas project in Peru, which will include a marine terminal.
St Lawrence season 'best since 1988' MICHEL Fournier, acting president of Ottawa-based St Lawrence Seaway Authority, described the 1997 shipping season as the best for nearly ten years.
Estonian ferry line changes its name EESTINLINJAT, the ferry unit of Eckero Linjen operating a service between Helsinki and Tallinn, will change its name to Eckero Line.
Aker expected to win roro order from Bore AKER Finnyards, the Rauma-based shipbuilder, is expected to win an order for two freight roro vessels from Finnish owner Bore.
Chinese foreign minister visits Malta DryDocks CHINA'S foreign minister Qian Qichen visited Malta DryDocks yesterday, where he was shown round by Frans Spiteri, a director and MDD council member.
Chinese scrapping 'may not recover from slump' CHINA'S ship-scrapping industry is shrinking under the weight of taxes and duties.
Pacifique: les conférentiels confrontés Situation particulièrement intéressante que celle qui se développe actuellement sur le Pacifique, où les armements conférentiels sont confrontés à la forte position qu'occupent les NVO dans ce trafic. Ces armements sont confrontés à un dilemme. Une restauration des taux s'impose d'urgence, surtout eastbound, car en l'espace de deux ans, ils ont chuté dans une marge de 850 à 1.100 dollars par 40'. En trois ans, la chute a été de plus de 30%. La cause en est évidemment la surcapacité et la chasse aux parts de marché. D'où la volonté du Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (TSA), qui couvre près de 80% du trafic EB, et de l'Asia North American Eastbound Rate Agreement (ANERA) d'imposer pour le 1er mai prochain une augmentation de 300 dollars par 40', soit une hausse de 10%. Le problème est de savoir comment l'appliquer et à qui, car outre les tarifs classiques, les contrats de service et les groupeurs NVO devraient également être concernés.
Régime bananier: la CE ne veut pas renoncer au système des quotas La Commission européenne a approuvé une proposition du commissaire à l'Agriculture Frans Fischler jeudi dernier. Le régime bananier sera en conséquence adapté aux règles de l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (OMC). La proposition de Fischler, qui sera maintenant soumise à l'approbation des ministres européens de l'Agriculture, devrait en outre répondre aux accords de la quatrième convention de Lomé, ainsi qu'aux intérêts des producteurs et consommateurs européens. Une décision doit intervenir avant le premier janvier 1999 pour satisfaire aux exigences de l'OMC.
Kluizendok: la décharge de La Floridienne et la ligne 55 doivent disparaître Si les travaux d'aménagement du Kluizendok se poursuivent comme prévu (voir LL du 15/1), deux dossiers restent néanmoins en suspens. L'assainissement de la décharge très polluée de La Floridienne pourrait en principe être entamé sur le champ, mais la ville de Gand et OVAM, l'organisme public flamand des déchets, se rejettent la responsabilité financière de l'opération, qui coûterait entre 500 et 850 mio. de BEF. De son côté, la SNCB doit encore détourner la voie ferroviaire 55. Une décision rapide dans les deux dossiers favoriserait la bonne marche des travaux et faciliterait la mise à disposition des nouveaux terrains portuaires.
VCF in bid to halt private operation V/Line Freight Corporation yesterday made an 11th hour bid to thwart the startup of a new private competitor on the Victorian intrastate rail network. State government-approved plans for the Melbourne-based private group, Great Northern Rail Services Pty Ltd, to begin its first ever ballast train haulage contract today with its own locomotives and crew appear to have been challenged by VFC management.
Mission seeks answers about Cordigliera loss An expedition to survey a wreck in which 29 seafarers lost their lives two years ago will take place this week four miles off the coast of South Africa. The $US200,000 mission to explore the wreck of the Cordigliera, which lies at 300 feet, is being organised by the International Transport Workers Federation and the South African Department of Transport.
Administrators for Freo firm Administrators for the Fremantle Shipwrighting Company are searching for investors willing to inject some capital into the 50-year-old company. The company, which operates its hold cleaning and ship repair business from wharfside premises at Fremantle, went into voluntary administration on 5 January.
Patrick swings axe in Newcastle The jobs of a number of waterfront workers employed by Patrick in Newcastle could be axed under the companys reorganisation plans. It is understood that as many as 20 out of the 35 union members employed by Patrick in the port are surplus to requirements.
Ship runs amok as storm sweeps Broome A livestock carrier anchored at the north west port of Broome created a storm of her own when she rammed the ports small boat mooring area, almost destroyed two vessels and caused extensive damage to the towns jetty.
Major Greek sales loom Greek operator Drytank is trying to sell off several old bulkers by using a novel approach it hopes will boost prices in a poor market: charter-back agreements and finance packages.
Indonesian IPP deals in jeopardy The future of shipowning ventures related to Indonesia's independent power producer (IPP) program looked bleak this week, as more postponements in the giant, coal-fed projects were made to appease the International Monetary Fund.
Owners pull the plug on some Korean yards While Halla Engineering and Heavy Industries' main bankers piece together a plan under which the shipyard would sold off as a package with bankrupt automobile parts maker Mando Machinery, shipowners back off from orders at South Korean yards.
Global Carriers tries to sell off more vessels Malaysia's Global Carriers is circulating another four vessels on the market, effectively putting a third of its fleet up for sale as Asia's currency woes begin to bite across the region.
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