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S'pore, HK ports chalk up negative first-half growth
SINGAPORE's container throughput officially dropped 13 per cent during the first half of 2001, while Hong Kong lost about 1 per cent year on year at its key container terminals.
Inabukwa owners to tow vessel home
Lewek picks up second supply boat
Kuantan port building dedicated container berth
P&O Nedlloyd's profit up 14%
Taiwan to free 2 Greek crew detained after oil tanker spill

Air and Land Transport

Qantas' net profit dives 20% to A$415.4m
AUSTRALIA's biggest airline Qantas Airways, hit by discount wars and high oil prices, booked a 20 per cent drop in annual net profit yesterday to A$415.4 million and warned of more tough times ahead.
Firm orders for Sonic Cruiser by early next year: Boeing
Virgin Blue to boost routes, use bigger planes next year
Air France, Delta grouping seeks US antitrust immunity

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Shipping News

S'pore, HK ports chalk up negative first-half growth
SINGAPORE's container throughput officially dropped 13 per cent during the first half of 2001, while Hong Kong lost about 1 per cent year on year at its key container terminals.
Inabukwa owners to tow vessel home
Lewek picks up second supply boat
Kuantan port building dedicated container berth
P&O Nedlloyd's profit up 14%
Taiwan to free 2 Greek crew detained after oil tanker spill

Air and Land Transport

Qantas' net profit dives 20% to A$415.4m
AUSTRALIA's biggest airline Qantas Airways, hit by discount wars and high oil prices, booked a 20 per cent drop in annual net profit yesterday to A$415.4 million and warned of more tough times ahead.
Firm orders for Sonic Cruiser by early next year: Boeing
Virgin Blue to boost routes, use bigger planes next year
Air France, Delta grouping seeks US antitrust immunity

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Mclean, Shenship in well-oiled logistics alliance Dredging plans unveiled for the Suez Canal GPA breaks record at the Port of Brunswick IPBCC member lines announce war zone charge Softship registers on the Frankfurt stock exchange Chinese airlines report losses Dragonair to boost freighter operations with new aircraft Air France bails out Afrique

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Toll for road haulage Germany Mixed result P&O Nedlloyd Nedlloyd shares down on result; Still listing problem P&O Nedlloyd Strong growth in Amsterdam Seaports Another big loss for Martinair Profit Qantas down

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Fieo President suggests Asia-Pacific trade bloc DEA offer to exporters New panel formed to look into anti-dumping laws Wheat exports to Iraq may resume next month Jaipur edges out Ahmedabad in gold imports Bangla buying more Indian wheat Meat exports racing towards all-time high of 3.75 lakh tonnes GSL awarded ISO-9001 C. Venkatachalam appointed Dy Chairman of MoPT KPT Board to reconsider P&O Ports' bid for container terminal Insurance underwriters further hike Colombo war risk premium - Feeder operators to increase surcharges from today New destinations for Jet Airways BA enhances facilities Nagpur hub: State govt seeks feasibility report 3 major logistics bodies form forum to address trade issues - FFFAI, ACCAI & AMTOI join hands Concor embarks on Rs 1,400-cr. capital expansion programme Sinha to meet apex chambers on Sept. 5 Andersen consortium to prepare business plan for Dronagiri SEZ Exim Bank moots 2 more credit lines to Asia-Pacific region "Economic indicators quite strong" - PM strikes optimistic note on I-Day Govt to raise Rs 20,000 cr. for highway projects

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Healthy demand in the US Gulf Good avails in the Baltic markets Quiet market and some congestion in Rotterdam Crude oil falls on sufficient US stocks Some tight avails in Genoa Sluggish demand on steady market in Istanbul Strike looming in Piraeus, IFO avails remain tight Gibraltar OK for prompt Slightly firmer market in Korea Hong Kong market steady, Taiwan fuel oil softer

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AUGUST 16, 2001
IVR amends its statutes Cargolux Vos takes over Plutrans, Sigmatrans and Kwimpex Mory cooperates with Europa European Express BLG and Decoexsa: long-term partnership contract Intertransit and Avioservizi Ferroviasped takes over Eurail Spedition New orders for Flender shipyard Ports add funding to complete Alameda corridor project Tiaca to cooperate with Australia logistics group

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Matson has RFP out for containerships Matson Navigation Company, Inc., the ocean transportation arm of Alexander & Baldwin, is looking to rejuvenate its fleet. More on AMCV's Project America challenges Here's what Phil Calian, CEO of American Classic Voyages, had to say about the status of its Project America ships at the company's investor/analyst conference call on August 14. (you can listen to a recording of the entire conference call at http://www.amcv.com. New CEO at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Northrop Grumman today announced the appointment of Philip A. Dur as corporate vice president and president of the company's Ship Systems sector, which includes Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and Avondale Industries in New Orleans. $69 million "total cost" tag on Santa Maria containerships The two 450-foot long, 11,120 dwt ships that Bender Shipbuilding is to build for Santa Maria Shipping will cost the owner a total of $69 million. Tug/barge contract for Manitowoc The Manitowoc Company, Inc. has received a contract from Vessel Management Services, Inc. of Seattle, Washington, to construct two double-hull tank barges and ocean tugs, plus an option to purchase two additional tug/barge units. Smedvig to buy Keppel interest in rig Smedvig, Stavanger, Norway, has told Singapore's Keppel Shipyards that it will exercise its option to purchase the yard's 72% ownership interest in the semi-submersible tender rig West Alliance. "Hit and run" tanker suspects get bail Three Russians who face U.S. charges in the August 5 ramming of the American trawler Starbound off Massachusetts were released on bail Wednesday after they appeared in a Newfoundland court.

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P&O Nedlloyd puts float plan on ice Plans to float P&O Nedlloyd through a reverse listing have been shelved after the carrier's two shareholders failed to agree on several key issues. P&O and Nedlloyd will now se... 'No quick deal' for Martinair stake Lossmaking Martinair has confirmed that Nedlloyd is in talks with airlines and financial investors about selling its 50% stake in the passenger and cargo carrier. But Irea Verberk, Martinair... Nedlloyd investors voice frustration at lack of progress over listing DUTCH analysts expressed disappointed yesterday at Nedlloyd's second quarter results. It was not the figures themselves but failure to agree on a listing for P&O Nedlloyd and the s...

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AUGUST 16, 2001
LS Exchange opens for business Skuld enters insurance partnership Argentina targets ageing bulkers Jordan overhauls maritime sector Buenos Aires expects transfer soon Three charged in Virgo accident X-ray trucks scan HK boxes Japanese line up coal carriers China bars foreigners from mega-port Shipping boosts Cosco Investments Philippines acts on crewing threat Transrussia adds Kaliningrad MISC to increase Northport stake Terminal operators post gains SCI, MOL commit to Lakshmi Family buying lifts TMM shares German road toll boost for shipping Mexican plea for tax reform Strikers spare grain shipments Western Cape gets export warning Venezuela looks to import curbs Steady as she goes at P&O Ned

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Sri Lanka call insurance soars Some shipping lines are bypassing the Port of Colombo rather than pay expensive war risk premiums. Tacoma opens key overpass The project is the first of a $400 million multimodal access improvement program for Washington state ports. FMC divided on China The agency has yet to formulate a plan to combat alleged restrictive practices that hamper U.S. carriers' ability to compete in the China market. P&O Nedlloyd 2Q improves The carrier saw better results despite a slump in volume between Europe and Asia. UPS CEO Kelly to retire James P. Kelly, the former driver who went on to lead the the package delivery giant, will be succeeded by vice chairman Michael Eskew. New MSC service to use Seaboard Marine slots Emery volume rises despite grounding Wilmington (Del.) sets revenue, tonnage marks Lykes, TMM begin Holt P.R. calls BNSF, NS offer coast-to-coast trailer service New business boosting Cross Harbor FedEx renews DHL fight SCI: Cruise operators illegally recruiting Kenyans BA World Cargo plans new India service LaGrange to head New Orleans port

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P&ONL toujours en bénéfices à l’issue du premier semestre Malgré les difficultés que connaît le marché, P&ONL semble réaliser une bonne performance cette année. Le deuxième trimestre a vu une modeste progression du bénéfice opérationnel à 46 millions d’USD (+2 mio. d’USD) et les volumes ont augmenté durant ce même trimestre de 4% pour s’élever à 794.000 TEU, bien que sur la route Europe/Extrême-Orient, il y ait eu un recul de 3%. Le revenu des taux a cependant baissé de 4%. Le bénéfice avant impôts est passé de 28 à 32 mio. d’USD. Le bilan du premier semestre est positif avec un bénéfice opérationnel de 77 mio. d’USD (contre 30 mio. d’USD l’année dernière) et un bénéfice avant impôts de 50 mio. d’USD (contre une perte d’un million de dollars à la fin juin 2000). La menace d’une fermeture continue à planer sur Opel Belgium “Je ne peux donner de garanties à aucune usine en Europe. Et certainement pas à Anvers.” C’est ce qu’a déclaré Carl-Peter Forster, le directeur d’Opel, en communiquant son plan de restructuration baptisé “Olympia” au conseil de surveillance du groupe Adam Opel. Grâce à ce plan d’économies, la filiale allemande de General Motors doit parvenir à renouver avec les bénéfices dans deux ans. Péage pour les poids lourds sur les autoroutes allemandes à partir de 2003 Le gouvernement de Berlin a décidé en début de semaine d’oeuvrer à un projet de loi visant à introduire un péage pour les poids lourds de plus de douze tonnes sur les autoroutes allemandes à partir de 2003. Le montant du péage n’est pas encore connu, mais il devrait varier entre 0,14 et 0,19 EUR par kilomètre. La proposition concernant le péage - qui doit remplacer l’Eurovignette - a été formulée par le ministre du Transport Kurt Bodewig, qui promet d’en affecter le revenu (estimé à 7,4 milliards de DEM au cours des cinq premières années) à l’entretien du réseau routier et à la promotion du transport de fret par le rail et la batellerie.

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AUGUST 16, 2001
Disney Cruise may buy new vessel A design team for the third vessel has been formed, and talks have been begun with European shipyards. Taiwan mulls lifting direct shipping ban to China Taiwanese Evergreen has been offering direct shipping to and from China since 1999 despite ban. Tropical Storm Chantal to hit Caribbean The storm is expected to intensify into a hurricane within the next two days. Manitowoc to build two new tank barges The contract with Vessel Management Services of Seattle has an option for two additional newbuildings. Bergesen VLCC sale unravels Lucrative newbuilding sale fails following TotalFinaElf objection. Northrop Grumman appoints new shipping head Philip Dur will overlook operations at Ingalls shipyard and the Ship Systems Full Service Center in Mississippi. US detains 17 in July Oil tanker Nagtino was held up at St Croix for a crack in its oil cargo tank. Banks pull plug on Dabhol LNG carrier Finance for an LNG newbuilding will have to be reorganised for an October delivery to take place. Star takes on Albion debt Charter losses of $11.4m revealed as reefer acquisition completed. Virgo crewmembers released on bail The ship captain and two others were charged with involuntary manslaughter. NOL takes out apologetic ad Neptune Orient lines boss Flemming Jacobs is taking steps to reassure shareholders. Stuart Todd joins the Yanks American Club confirms recruitment of top P&I underwriter. P&O Nedlloyd listing off course Failure to agree major blow to container line's stock market ambitions. Energy trades boost Bergesen Higher gas carrier and tanker charter rates to boost Norwegian owner's full year profit. Suez Canal revenue slips Egypt's Suez Canal income has decreased slightly, although traffic flow remains fairly constant. IMC may go private Majority shareholder is studying plan to delist Hong Kong-listed bulk and chemical tanker operator.