Draft COGSA revision threatens international trade says BIMCO The most significant negative element of a draft revision of the U.S. Carruage of Goods by Sea Act would limit the right of commercial parties engaged in international maritime trade to contractually agree upon the most appropriate venue and applicable law for the resolution of disputes.
Inchcape Shipping Services goes on the attack after sale clinched Inchcape Shipping Services, the world's largest ship agency business, will undertake an agressive campaign to increase market share following its purchase by Electra Fleming, the venture capital firm, in a deal which is worth '47.5m ($77m).
Strintzis signs Hellenic deal AN emotional ceremony was held at Hellenic Shipyards yesterday as Greece's largest shipyard signed a landmark contract with Strintzis Lines to build the first of what is hoped to be a series of three passenger-vehicle ferries for the stocklisted operator.
Korea yards rocked by share sales AS the South Korean economy shows signs of bottoming out and returning to positive growth, foreign investors are selling shares in the country's major shipbuilders, since the yards' profitability is expected to deteriorate with the rising value of the won.
Steel exports decline as competition stunts demand South Korean steel mills are suffering from a drastic decline in overseas shipments of steel.
Decision day looms for P&I sector WITH the approach of the February 20 P&I renewal - the day on which the ice typically broke on the Baltic allowing seaborne trade to resume - many owners are contemplating whether to renew their P&I cover with a marine mutual or test the waters of a fixed premium facility.
Antwerp submits waste plan A proposal for a study which would look at how ports in the Flemish part of Belgium can deal with waste products has been submitted to the European Community.
Shippers back Brussels initiative on ship safety EUROPEAN shippers are pledging support for the European Commission's initiative to create an integrated database covering the world merchant fleet and are seeking ways of contributing to the project.
Freak Malta shunt The Russian vessel Zamoskvorechye lies in Malta's Grand Harbour after suffering aft damage in a freak accident involving three ships. While berthed she was in collision with the Messina vessel Jolly Giallo. The collision then knocked her onto the cargoship Lady Nancy.
Mærsk in bid for control of Medcenter ADVANCED negotiations are said to be in progress regarding Mærsk Line's acquisition of a majority stake in Medcenter, the transhipment hub at Gioia Tauro.
Jacques Saade ejected from CMA-CGM JACQUES Saade has been forced to resign from his position as chairman of CMA-CGM after being placed under judicial control by a French court.
Inchcape goes for '47.5m INCHCAPE Shipping Services, the ship agency division of the shrinking UK-based group, has been sold to the private equity company Electra Fleming for '47.5m.
Germany bids to cut shipping tax GERMANY is to seek ways to further reduce the tax burden on shipping companies, according to junior transport minister Lothar Ibrugger.
Trasmed scraps fleet renewal plan SPANISH state controlled ferry operator Trasmediterranea is revising its $530m five-year fleet renovation programme launched late last year.
New ferry withdrawn from service MECHANICAL faults led to the withdrawal of the new NZ$106m ($58m) rail/cruise ferry Aratere last week after making only four runs on Tranz Rail's Cook Strait service.
Washington state seeks bids on six fast ferries WASHINGTON State Ferries has called for bids to build one passenger-only fast ferry with an option for five more.
IMO moves on piracy legislation THREE resolutions calling for improved legislation, better regional co-operation and less bureaucracy were passed at the end of the IMO's piracy seminar in Singapore last week.
EU backs Cargill's Continental deal BRUSSELS has approved Cargill's acquisition of Continental Grain's grain trading division, Commodities Marketing Group.
Australian watchdog investigates port row AUSTRALIA'S competition watchdog has entered a dispute which is threatening a A$30m ($19m) port development project at Newcastle.
Kværner 'about to sell division' KVÆRNER is rumoured to be about to sell its energy division and is to cut its debt by selling a number of contracts in three cruiseships in a major securitisation deal.
Wood chip carrier grounds on Oregon coast US COAST Guard officials are not sure why the Panamanian-flag wood chip carrier New Carissa went aground last week.
Filipino crew appeals for agency probe FILIPINO crewmen from a ship arrested for smuggling oil from Iraq have appealed to Philippine authorities to investigate the "improper" and "illegal" conduct of their crewing agency.
Weir rebuffs US bidder PUMP manufacturer Weir Group has rejected a '600m ($978m) bid from Texas-based Flowserve.
Wilton-Fijenoord employees go to court EMPLOYEES at Wilton-Fijenoord shiprepair yard have taken their dispute with owner Joep van den Nieuwenhuizen to the Company Court in Amsterdam.
Damen eyes De Schelde takeover DAMEN Shipyards of Gorinchem has received permission from the Dutch government to study the books of state-owned shipyard De Schelde of Vlissingen
UK refutes it is 'on the warpath' over spill claim THE UK government stated this morning that it is 'not on the warpath' with regard to compensation for the Sea Empress oil spill clean up.
Tristan Vieljeux à la présidence du groupe CMA-CGM Jacques Saade, qui a pris l'initiative de renoncer à ses mandats de président de CGM et de CMA, a présenté comme candidat à sa succession Tristan Vieljeux, qui sera donc élu très prochainement à ces fonctions.
Rouen a enregistré en 1998 son meilleur résultat depuis cinq ans En 1998, le trafic maritime du port de Rouen s'est élevé à 21,2 millions de tonnes, ce qui représente un gain de 6% par rapport à 1997. C'est le meilleur résultat enregistré depuis cinq ans. Il tient en particulier à la croissance générale des vracs et au développement de filières spécialisées comme les containers sur les lignes Nord/Sud, les produits forestiers et papetiers et les sucres.
Inchcape Shipping Service repris par Electra Fleming Ainsi que nous l'avions annoncé à la fin du mois de novembre dernier, le réseau d'agences maritimes "Inchcape Shipping Services" a été vendu au groupe d'investissement privé britannique Electra Fleming pour un montant de 47,5 millions de GBP, soit 2,77 milliards de BEF ou 68,89 millions d'EUR. Selon le nouveau propriétaire, le réseau restera tel quel et opérera sous le même nom avec la même organisation et le même management.
IATA organise une nouvelle conférence sur le Cargo Agency Agreement L'International Air Transport Association (IATA) organisera en mars prochain une nouvelle conférence consacrée au Cargo Agency Agreement (CAA), le contrat de base qui règle officiellement les rapports entre les compagnies aériennes et les expéditeurs de fret aérien. Le texte définitif sur lequel les compagnies aériennes devront se prononcer à l'occasion de la conférence reste néanmoins inacceptable aux yeux des expéditeurs. C'est ce que nous a confié notre compatriote Herman Donker, qui suit le dossier à différents les niveaux.
ACCC, MUA to 'discuss' Newcastle The Maritime Union of Australia has indicated it is prepared to meet with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to discuss recent developments in the port of Newcastle. The commission wrote to the MUA last week seeking a meeting to discuss the dispute that has affected the Eastern Basin Distribution Centre, to which the union has responded advising that its national secretary, John Coombs, is interstate and not due to return to Sydney until Thursday. The fact that the vessel at the centre of this dispute, the Kapitan Betkhar, has been moved and is no longer being held up has taken some pressure off the need for a meeting to discuss the situation.
Anderson closes speeding loophole Operators of heavy vehicles registered under the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme can no longer rely on a 'loophole' in the law which allowed them to avoid the 'three-strikes-and-your-out' speeding regulations in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Transport Minister John Anderson announced on Sunday that vehicles egistered under FIRS were now liable to have their registrations suspended if they were caught speeding at more than 15kmh above speed limits, more than three times in three years. He said the government wanted to rule out any possibility that operators of FIRS vehicles could break speeding laws in the knowledge the states and territories could not suspend their vehicle's registrations.
Doulos - sailing the sea of cross-cultural understanding The world's oldest active ocean-going ship, the Doulos, visited Fremantle this week on another leg of a goodwill mission for the German non-profit charity organisation, Gute Bucher for Alle (GBA). GBA -- or Good Books for All -- bought the Doulos in the late 1970s to hold the world's largest floating book fair. The book fair is used as a tool for promoting cultural exchange with the vessel being staffed by a crew of 300 volunteers from 30 countries.
Lack of coordination "biggest hurdle": Telford There are too may ports in Australia, says divisional director of Toll Transport, Don Telford. Speaking on Survival Of Regional Ports In Australia at this week's Beyond The Waterfront Reforms conference in Melbourne, he said that to his reckoning there were 57 regional ports. He said these ports lacked supporting infrastructure with poor land facilities and rail and road connections, combined with no intermodal strategy. This meant low facility utilisation and no economies of scale because the ports were unable to justify modern cargo handling equipment and this led to inefficient cargo handling.
Ansett rejects freight sale story Ansett Australia yesterday described as "speculative" media reports that its door-to-door retail freight business has been sold to the Dutch-owned TNT Australia. In a statement, Ansett said the sale process for the loss-making door-to-door business was continuing. "No sale has been finalised," Ansett said. "Negotiations regarding the sale are continuing." The airline's statement came after an article in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald and The Age which said TNT Australia had outbid Mayne Nickless for the operations. The article, quoting an industry source, said TNT was always seen as the frontrunner. It said Ansett paid out some redundancy packages to Ansett air freight staff last week and that part of the sale deal was a condition that the freight was still carried on Ansett aircraft.
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