• Malaysia makes plans to keep cargo moving
• P&O Nedlloyd inland subsidiary becomes more independent
• Indian government approves Concor stock issue
• Pakistan and Sri Lanka trade looks good
• FANA vote in new chairman
• FedEx launches new air freight service from US to Shenzhen
• HACTL tonnage at 1.7 million for 1997
• Taiwan cargo handling figures on the rise

• Distribution Samsung in the Netherlands
• Daewoo will expand in the Netherlands
• KLM in problems through wildcat strike
• 16 per cent growth in Swiss intermodal transport
• Physician becomes airport manager
• Profit for Russian railroads in 1997

• Hanjin to realign intra-Asia network
• TSA meeting reconfirms rate hike
• Sakaisenboku to be called by OOCL ships
• Rail operations in East Canada returning normal
• Evergreen starts building second terminal in Kaohsiung

• GEC-Marconi Signs Brunei Ship Contract
• Halla Shipyard Confirms VLCC Orders Lost
• Aker Maritime Wins Deepwater Contracts
• Aker Maritime Wins Fim500M Deal
• Comptek Gets 4-Year $25.8M Navy Contract

• Ships divert as Malta is hit by strike
  A SUMMIT of government, industry and union leaders has been called in Malta to try to defuse a growing protest action which has blocked the island's import and export traffic.
• FTA attacks fuel surcharge
  SHIPPERS were yesterday urged by the Freight Transport Association to resist new fuel surcharges being imposed by shipping lines and conference 'cartels'.
• Weak freight rates impact on Skaugen
  CONTINUING weak freight rates in the gas transportation market impacted 1997 results at Norway's I M Skaugen ASA but have failed to prevent the group from posting healthy numbers on some key performance indicators and forecasting long-term profitability.
• Dover port breaks all records
  DOVER Harbour Board yesterday confirmed the port had its busiest year with records broken in every category of traffic. But the biggest increase - 50% - was in the number of freight lorries using the port, writes Terry Sutton.
• HK register 'set to increase'
  HONG Kong's Shipping Register will return to pre-handover levels of over 9m grt within two years, as local and mainland shipowning interests are enticed to join the books, Hong Kong's director of marine Ian Dale has forecast.
• Philippine line boosted by sale of ro-ro vessels
  WILLIAM, Gothong and Aboitiz's sale of two ro-ro vessels in November generated $19.7m for the Philippines' domestic shipping line, said president/chief executive officer Teofilo O Yap.
• Goa expands activities in oceanography
  POISED for a major expansion of its business and commercial oriented research activities, Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography is set to float a subsidiary company.
• DNV certificate for Mumbai
  ANGLO-Eastern Ship Management Limited's Mumbai training centre has been issued with a DNV Manage-ment System certificate, writes Shirish Nadkarni, India Correspondent.

• Lithuania privatisation almost complete
  THE first stage of an imaginative maritime privatisation programme in Lithuania is now almost complete.
• Sri Lanka cancels port construction agreement
  THE Sri Lankan government has cancelled a letter of intent given to a European-Chinese consortium to build a new container port after the group failed to find the funds.
• Polish group to build Libyan ports
  PORTY, a Gdansk-based company, is planning to construct three ports in Libya.
• Reefer's crew blocks departure
  THE Russian crew of the 5,000 dwt reefer ship Alexa is expected to block its departure from Gdansk Shiprepair Yard Remontowa because they are owed $100,000.
• Iraq exports oil through Gulf terminal
  IRAQ began exporting oil on Wednesday through the Middle East Gulf terminal of Mina al-Bakr under the United Nations petroleum-for-food programme.
• Red Sea seeks delay on costs
  RED Sea Tankers has applied to put on hold the assessment of costs awarded against it in its action against Basil Papachristidis until after its appeal is heard.
• Weak lpg market hits IM Skaugen
  ONE-off expenses and weak earnings from its lpg carrier business cut pre-tax profit at IM Skaugen.
• Australian bank spurns Korean letters of credit
  AUSTRALIA'S vast steel and coal trade with South Korea is under a cloud following an Australian bank's decision to refuse letters of credit from some Korean banks.
• Indians squabble over ship imports
  INDIA's government is caught between the conflicting demands of shipbuilders and ship-owners.
• Norsul snaps up LloydBras bulkers
  NORSUL, the privately owned Brazilian operator, has acquired two Lloyd Brasileiro ships at auction.
• Sant sets out his position on Maltese shipbuilding
  MALTA'S prime minister Alfred Sant told workers at Malta Shipbuilding yesterday that he wanted to safeguard their jobs without burdening the country with additional costs.
• Shanghai starts hub development work
  DREDGING of the navigational channel of the Chiangjiang River in Shanghai has begun.
• Singapore register celebrates 20m gt mark
  SINGAPORE Registry of Ships has announced that it hit a record of 20m gt in mid-October with the registration of the vlcc Argo Hebe.

• Cosco seeks easing of rate rule
• Pacific carriers reportedly forging ahead with rate plans
• For a long time, traders at smaller facilities thought they would miss the boat due to the growth of giant vessels. But they hadn't banked on a new service that would keep . . .
• Feeder services: Timing is everything
• BNSF begins Pine Bluff-Little Rock service
• Richard E. Repetto dies; specialized in maritime law
• Nuclear waste ship to ply Panama Canal
• Brazil feeder service likely
• Toxic rules review sparks crackdown on carriers, shippers