OECD pact could proceed without US MOVES to rescue the OECD pact to eliminate shipbuilding subsidies, even if the US fails to ratify it, are accelerating.
European yards in line for Ceres orders EUROPEAN shipbuilders are favoured to win further chemical tanker orders from Greece's Ceres group.
Charter rates still in decline THE downward slide in charter rates for virtually all types and sizes of containership continues, with little sign of any relief for the rest of the year.
China box trade to set production quotas CHINESE container manufacturers are to meet next month to seal an agreement on setting industry-wide production quotas. The meeting follows a get together two months ago in Xiamen where senior industry players called for an end to the fierce competition fuelling losses writes Damien McElroy, Shanghai.
ITF calls for joint action on rogue owners THE International Transport Workers' Federation may in future consult P&I clubs before naming individual clubs alleged to have insured substandard ship-owners.
French yard in Festival order talks FESTIVAL Cruises of Greece is negotiating an order worth an estimated FFr2.5 bn ($410m) for two 600-cabin cruiseships with France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
Coast Guard under fire in pollution row MARINE environmentalist group Ocean Advocates has demanded a government investigation of the US Coast Guard's marine environmental protection and compliance programmes to determine why the agency has failed to implement all mandates of the Oil Pollution Act 1990.
MSC Sabrina deployed on Atlantic service Mediterranean Shipping Co has deployed the MSC Sabrina on its Atlantic service. The vessel is the third of the 2,700 teu series the Swiss carrier took over from Hanjin. Picture: Ralf Witthohn.
IUA chairman pledges London promotion THE newly-elected chairman-designate of the International Underwriting Association (IUA) of London has pledged to secure London's future as a major insurance and reinsurance centre.
NCLH clears hurdles to lengthen cruisehip ALL hurdles have been cleared so that NCL Holding's cruiseship Norwegian Majesty can be lengthened next spring in line with an agreement with Germany's Lloyd Werft shipyard.
DFDS and Danzas to set up transport network THE Danish ferry and haulage group DFDS and the German haulier Danzas have agreed to set up a joint European transport network.
William Lines seeks damages from Cebu yard WILLIAM Lines, a domestic shipping operator in the Philippines, has asked the Supreme Court to compel a shipyard to pay damages for the loss of a cargo/passenger vessel.
Mickey Mouse comes home DISNEY's first cruiseship, the Fincantieri-built Disney Magic, arrived at its new home port of Cape Canaveral, Florida, yesterday.
Quality as important as price, says London Club QUALITY of service and support are just as important to owners as price, according to the chairman of the London P&I Club.
Marseilles seeks government partnership THE Port of Marseilles Authority is seeking partnerships with both national and local governments.
Cuba hit by El Niño effect A FIERCE drought in Cuba attributed to El Niño is causing serious losses of crops, livestock and farm workers' livelihoods.
Kohl supports east German yard GERMAN Chancellor Helmut Kohl has taken a personal interest in attempts to rescue eastern German shipyard Elbewerft Boizenburg.
DSR-Senator increases capital HANJIN Shipping has injected Dm40m ($22m) into its troubled liner subsidiary DSR-Senator which, with a further Dm10m from DSR, lifts the German company's equity capital to Dm375m.
Study could allow new oil drilling off California OIL companies could start drilling off the Californian coast once a feasibility study is completed by a branch of the US Interior Department.
Premier Cruises assures travel agents PREMIER Cruises' new senior executive team has met major US travel agents and told them that the firm is on stable financial ground.
Bangladesh terminal to go ahead BANGLADESH will continue its plan to let a US company build the country's first international container terminal despite opposition from trade unions.
PSA Corp to operate Indian terminal INDIA'S east coast port of Tuticorin has entered into an agreement with Singapore's PSA Corp for the development of a container terminal.
New Zealand unveils new mooring system THE first shipboard automated mooring system was unveiled this week in Lyttelton, New Zealand.
Malaysian inspectors to check ISM knowledge MALAYSIAN maritime officials will start to check visiting crews' knowledge of ISM Code regulations and the legitimacy of on-board manuals next week.
Sea-Land moves Asian headquarters US-FLAG container carrier Sea-Land is transferring its regional headquarters from Hong Kong to the Philippines.
La relance du transport fluvial nécessite davantage de centres de transbordement Les autorités flamandes devront rattraper le retard encouru dans la construction de murs de quai le long des voies d'eau l'année prochaine. Les 350 mio. de BEF promis pour le co-financement de tels travaux en 1997 mais qui n'ont pas été utilisés viendront s'ajouter aux 350 mio. prévus sur le budget de 1999.
Les ports de la côte est de l'Amérique du Nord ont-ils intérêt à coopérer? Les ports américains de la côte est et ceux du Canada (St-John et Halifax) sont actuellement engagés dans une course pour obtenir l'implantation d'un grand hub pour trafics containérisés. Cette situation a pris une acuité particulière depuis que le tandem Mærsk/Sea-Land a rompu ses négociations avec New York/New Jersey. L'objectif est de réaliser un grand terminal dédié à l'échelle de porte-containers de 6 à 7.000 TEU. Le professeur N. Shashikumar, de l'académie de marine du Maine, qui occupait la tribune d'une des sessions de la 8e WCTR, a fait une analyse des causes et conséquences du dilemme auquel sont cronfrontés ces ports. Une des conclusions du débat qui a suivi, est qu'il serait judicieux pour les ports en question d'aller au-delà du stade - non encore réalisé - de la coopération entre eux, pour atteindre celui d'une alliance pour contre-balancer la puissance des alliances constituées par les armements.
Groupeco veut renoncer à la certification sans tourner le dos à la qualité Jean-Marc Prigent, directeur général de la société d'expédition française Groupeco, vient de jeter un pavé dans la mare en déclarant: "La certification ISO 9002 n'est pas vraiment adaptée aux services et, hors de la spécialité produits dangereux, où elle est réglementaire, ce n'est pas une demande des clients." Après avoir été parmi les premiers à l'obtenir dans leur spécialité, les dirigeants de Groupeco vont donc renoncer au label ISO 9002. D'où un débat qui se développe en France et dont l'intérêt dépasse évidemment le cadre franco-français.
DSR-Senator: nouvelle injection pour assurer la stabilité financière Ainsi qu'évoqué dans une précédente édition, Hanjin va procéder à une nouvelle injection de capital, correspondant à 80% des 50 millions de DEM prévus, dans sa filiale DSR-Senator. C'est ce qu'a confirmé le président de Hanjin Sooho Cho lors de son passage à Brême. Au total, l'armement sud-coréen aura déjà injecté 220 mio. de DEM dans sa filiale, contre 155 mio. pour les partenaires. Selon Sooho Cho, la crise asiatique a pour effet d'avoir retardé d'un an l'évolution de DSR-Senator vers une situation d' équilibre, qui devrait être atteinte à la fin de cette année.
Stalled asset transfer threatens NR sell-off Victorian Transport Minister Robin Cooper has warned that the sale price for sell-off target National Rail could be dropped if protracted negotiations over the transfer of key assets are not resolved soon. Mr Cooper said that while the long-awaited privatisation of NR could still take place by the end of the year, a recent bid to resolve "relatively minor" differences between the commonwealth and the two state shareholders of NR had failed to get the sale process rolling.
Farmers still have urge for reform Victorian farmers have endorsed an attempt by the National Farmers Federation to start its own non-union workforce on Australian ports, claiming there is still a need for waterfront reform. A vote by the Victorian Farmers Federation at its annual general meeting on Wednesday unanimously supported the NFF's position during the dispute between Patrick and the Maritime Union of Australia, with particular congratulations for former NFF chairman, Donald McGauchie.
Near miss for Gladstone The port of Gladstone narrowly missed its throughput target of 40 million tonnes for the 1997-98 financial year, with the 40 millionth tonne of cargo being loaded in the early hours of 1 July. A total of 39,925,195 tonnes of cargo passed over the port's wharves during the year, an increase of more than 1.6 million tonnes (four per cent) on the 1996-97 total of 38.3 million tonnes.
Citrus shippers get hotline Citrus growers sending shipments to the United States and Canada in the next three months can obtain an up-to-the-minute sailing schedule information through a special service from Australia-New Zealand Direct Line (ANZDL). ANZDL has compiled a schedule of relevant sailings to the US west coast and Canada specifically for its citrus exporting customers during the peak export season. Customers will automatically receive the latest citrus schedule via facsimile every week.
WA enshrines port access The Western Australian government has drafted new legislation to ensure it retains some level of control in the operation of new multi-user privately owned and operated ports at Naval Base and Oakajee. WA Transport director general Chris Whitaker said the new Maritime Bill due to be introduced in the spring session of parliament was designed to ensure government had some level of control in the operation of multi-user ports to protect the interests of the public and port users.
- Via Raffaele Paolucci 17r/19r - 16129 Genoa - ITALY
phone: +39.010.2462122, fax: +39.010.2516768, e-mail
VAT number: 03532950106
Press Reg.: nr 33/96 Genoa Court
Editor in chief: Bruno Bellio No part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher
- Via Raffaele Paolucci 17r/19r - 16129 Genoa - ITALY
