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Shipping News

MOL expects business to recover in second half
JAPAN's Mitsui OSK Lines has predicted a 'significant recovery' in its business performance in the second half of 2002 on the back of cost cutting, improved container freight rates and more favourable market conditions.
M'sia asked to consider options other than CSI
Shanghai port set to be among top 4
Samsung yard wins US$714m of orders

Air and Land Transport

US airlines call for tax relief to avert more bankruptcies
TWO days after United Airlines filed the biggest bankruptcy petition in aviation history, the chairman of Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday that US airlines desperately need extensive tax relief to avoid more bankruptcies or possible collapses.
Open skies pact could aid Qantas-Air NZ tie-up
Australian carriers baulk at paying A$180m security costs
Virgin Blue on track for A$100m profit this year
Ryanair faces antitrust probe by EC

web site

Shipping News

MOL expects business to recover in second half
JAPAN's Mitsui OSK Lines has predicted a 'significant recovery' in its business performance in the second half of 2002 on the back of cost cutting, improved container freight rates and more favourable market conditions.
M'sia asked to consider options other than CSI
Shanghai port set to be among top 4
Samsung yard wins US$714m of orders

Air and Land Transport

US airlines call for tax relief to avert more bankruptcies
TWO days after United Airlines filed the biggest bankruptcy petition in aviation history, the chairman of Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday that US airlines desperately need extensive tax relief to avoid more bankruptcies or possible collapses.
Open skies pact could aid Qantas-Air NZ tie-up
Australian carriers baulk at paying A$180m security costs
Virgin Blue on track for A$100m profit this year
Ryanair faces antitrust probe by EC

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HK Customs signs deal with industry for more efficiency New executive team for Famous Pacific Shipping Hong Kong's total throughput increases 12pc in Q3 Cronos Group announces common share quarterly dividends FS Mackenzie signs Geis deal in Czech Republic HK Airport reports record cargo throughput in November BAA responds to CAA's proposed airport charges FAA proposes US$300k fine for Saber Cargo Airlines Polar begins mostly mail service to Hawaii

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
Suspension to hit Russian road freight Big delays to road freight across Russia's borders from Christmas Eve this year are expected following this week's decision by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) to exclude the country from the express TIR cross-border trucking system. CSX: new directors; declaration Snow CSX Corporation announced the election of David M. Ratcliffe and Donald J. Shepard to its board of directors. John snow, to become Finance minister, made a declaration Geest North Sea Line to introduce two ships Wout Pronk, Managing Director of European shortsea and intermodal specialist Geest North Sea Line, has revealed his company's plans to introduce two 804TEU vessels into service in the course of 2004. United names new executive vice president United Airlines named Doug Hacker its executive vice president for strategy Wednesday, calling the move part of a new leadership structure to help see the world's No. 2 carrier though Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. United, unions tackle cuts United Airlines and its union leaders will start today trying to hash out an accord on labor cost savings the giant carrier needs to survive bankruptcy. UPS starts SMS tracking in Asia UPS launched a Short Message Service (SMS) Tracking Service in nine Asian countries to help customers track package deliveries via mobile telephone. Sinotrans plans public offering China National Foreign Trade Transportation (Group) Corp., or Sinotrans, will have at least two strategic investors with seats on its board, at the time of its initial public offering next year, sources close to the deal said Thursday. The largest logistics company in China hopes to raise between $350 million and $500 million. Open skies may help Qantas-NZ Australia's competition watchdog said today it would be more receptive to a proposed alliance between Qantas and Air New Zealand if the Australian government signed an open skies pact with Singapore.

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Maersk Sealand "Company of the Year 2002" conferred by Containerisation International SLCS, Canex Consortia in slot purchase pact Port of Hamburg predicts record 2002 volumes Asia-Europe rates to go up from Jan. '03 Port of Le Havre joins Customs' CSI programme Safmarine upgrades Torm Lines service Hanjin Shipping conferred Safety Management Award Port of Felixstowe to double cargo capacity Star Cruises profit up by 49 pc in Q3 ECU-Line's Ghana connection EU, China sign Maritime pact Contship takes delivery of Australis for deployment in Eagle service Kalmar delivers 2 ship-to-shore cranes to Uniport TMM unveils Europe-S. America service Rickmers Hamburg christened in Hamburg Indian shrimps tickle US palates India to raise EU decision on textiles at WTO panel Exports to East Europe up by 18.31 pc during April-Aug. 2002 Govt bars sale of 100 pc broken rice to exporters CoPT offers to set up SBM project for KRL at Puthuvypu Vizhinjam port project draws 21 would-be consultants Customs notification clears way for box traffic entry into Bangladesh by land route Delhi Customs launches e-service Boeing projects $ 22 bn market for new airplanes in India Panalpina setting up ultra-modern hub in Frankfurt China moves to open aviation DHL launches time-definite deliveries to 12 major cities Malaysia Airlines starts Colombo service Arun Shourie hints at continuation of DEPB scheme, Sections 10A & 10B Ficci to strive for farm sector reforms Integrated food law on anvil Kerala to disburse rubber subsidy Grain exporters urge Fieo to take up issue of lack of rakes to Bangladesh Corporate India exudes optimism on year ahead Handicraft export target set at Rs 12,000 cr. Foreign Trade Analysis: Current Policy & Procedures - Classroom lessons for new exporters - 4 MNCs' export cartels threaten developing nations-WB report

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
US West Coast ports congested ahead of Christmas Phenomenal demand in Vancouver OPEC agrees output reduction to comply with new higher quota Daily bunker market report from Praxis Energy Agents IPE Gas Oil futures sets new daily record ABS gets technical on Prestige Saudi push for OPEC cut Firm prices and weak demand throughout the ARA Fueloil availability continues to undermine Japanese bunkering Singapore edges higher after mixed week Piraeus market snapshot Platts pushes gasoil higher in Istanbul European cold snap forces surge in Italy's MGO African market report from GAC Another largely steady day in Rotterdam

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
Port of Portland commissioners Ok new transportation improvement plan Coast Guard decommissions oldest working buoy tender Portland Shipping Club wants 'Old Salt' nominations Panama Canal Authority adds pair of new tugboats British port of Felixtowe added to Customs's CSI program

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Rescue under way as old fuel oil tanker grounds in Klaipeda ANOTHER old single-hulled tanker has run into trouble while laden with fuel oil, this time at the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, writes David Osler. Japan loses out in bid to trim bulker safety regulations AN 11th hour intervention by Japan's delegation to the IMO opposing one section of proposed new regulations on bulker safety was crushed at yesterday's meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee, writes Hugh O'Mahony. Capacity at Lloyd's hits all time high of £14.25bn LLOYD'S has defied insurance pessimists by announcing market capacity of £14.25bn ($22.37bn) for 2003 - the biggest in the market's 315 year history. Chavez says he is winning oil war PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez yesterday claimed to be winning his battle against the 'pirates' who have bought oil exports in the world's fifth largest oil producer to a standstill. Shipowners unite against Spain, France and Portugal THE shipping industry rounded on Spain, France and Portugal late yesterday, condemning the countries for their continuing contravention of the Law of the Sea Convention in the aftermath of the Prestige incident.

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
Prestige: tension rising in Galicia IMO remembers Le Joola Oil seeps out of Venezuela Golar makes history MSC goes NZ/Europe weekly RCCL shareholder family split River fleet expands ocean reach IMO adopts hull access proposal Marad blow for Title XI applicants East Africans to curb fraud Remolcanosa defends its actions Fjord Line approves Spirit deal Leventis merges Anemos with Navios Africans urged to watch port trends Carmela beneficiaries not yet paid Five firms run Philippines shipping Navies to tackle people-smugglers Smit presents Prestige pump plan Cambodia demands register details P&O Ferries closes Zeebrugge run French report slams breakers US Navy accuses ferry operator Scud ship sails on Japanese trading houses to merge

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
West Coast contract goes to union vote after approval by ILWU caucus Representatives of International Longshore and Warehouse Union locals voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recommend that its membership approve the tentative contract reached last month with waterfront employers. Chile, U.S. sign trade accord The agreement is the first since Congress gave President Bush trade promotion authority earlier this year. MSC shuffles multi-trade services The world's second-largest container carrier will restructure some of its southern hemisphere services and add a direct Europe/Australia/New Zealand service. Zim adds China, Panama calls Air China launches Portland freighter FMC slates closed meeting Venezuela moving crude: Report Typhoon stops Guam air freight CPR's Ritchie calls for federal support Emery Forwarding names region directors Canada to sell B.C. port terminal Turkon adds vessel to U.S.-Med service New Zealand tightens maritime security

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MSC va aligner 14 PC dans un service direct sur l’Australie/Nouvelle-Zélande Entre la mi- et la fin janvier, l’armement MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) va lancer un nouveau service avec une flotrte de quatorze porte-containers d’une capacité de 2.300 à 2.400 TEU. Au départ de l’Europe du Nord, ce service desservira la Méditerranée, les îles de l’océan Indien, l’Australie et la Nouvelle-Zélande, avec retour via l’Asie du Sud-Est. Ce nouveau service se substituera à l’actuel service que MSC assure au départ d’Europe du Nord vers l’Afrique du Sud avec prolongation sur l’Australie. La congestion en Afrique du Sud, plus précisément à Durban, implique des retards que l’armement ne peut plus supporter. L’Afrique du Sud fera donc l’objet d’une desserte directe séparée. Hoverspeed quitterait le port d’Ostende On a appris au cours d’une rencontre du conseil d’entreprise de Hoverspeed à Ostende que l’armement allait mettre un terme à sa liaison entre Ostende et Douvres. Suite à cette décision, près de 200 personnes perdront leur emploi. Grimaud Logistique placé en redressement judiciaire La société française de messagerie Grimaud Logistique a déposé lundi son bilan auprès du tribunal de grande instance de Bressuire (Deux-Sèvres). Avant-hier mercredi, les magistrats du tribunal ont accepté de placer la société en redressement judiciaire pour une période de six mois. Ces événements interviennent moins de deux ans après un premier dépôt de bilan et la reprise de la plupart des activités de la société familiale par le groupe belge Ziegler. Ce dernier n’avait apparemment pas réussi à récupérer l’ensemble de la clientèle de Grimaud. PSA veut combler son retard en matière d’internationalisation “Avec la reprise à hauteur de 80% de Hesse Noord Natie, nous sommes, outre les activités de transbordement de containers, également impliqués dans le domaine du conventionnel/breakbulk. Ce dernier secteur fait toujours l’objet d’études, afin de déterminer ses potentialités et ses perspectives. Toutefois, nous ne sommes pas seuls sur ce théâtre opérationnel, et nous n’avons pas encore élaboré les réponses adéquates.” Telle est la réponse donnée par Peter Ong, COO de HNN, qui occupait récemment la tribune du Propeller Club à Anvers, à notre question relative à la manière dont il concevait la relance du conventionnel/breakbulk dans le port scaldien.

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DECEMBER 12, 2002
OSG may be first to break Venezuelan ice Sources say aframax is ready to sail for US crude delivery Grounded tanker awaits lightering vessel Manager of Princess Pia says pilot and tugs guided tanker from channel with no signs of steering loss. Golar hits the gas LNG player begins trading on New York exchange. Record year for Lloyd's Register Classification chief David Moorhouse reports safety pay off. Fuel oil tanker aground Laden Ultrapetrol vessel holed but no pollution reported. Pritzkers pledge to reinvest RCCL family unite as Little Princess Liesel demands bigger share of the billions. Russia hands over first ship to Czechs Northern Shipyard-built cargoship marks start of 10-vessel debt repayment programme. P&I costs up 70% Last two clubs fix general increase for February renewal. Strike-breakers load tankers in Venezuela First tanker out of port heads for domestic refinery. Europe passes Irish tonnage tax Ireland's new regime will allow ship managers to take advantage of tax breaks. Daewoo workers strike over pay Four-hour stoppage at Korean shipyard group aimed at boosting benefits. Japan holds 51 ships during November New Wan Hai containership on list of vessels that failed port state checks. Samsung inks Dunya aframaxes South Korean shipbuilder adds to tanker newbuilding haul with trio from Turkish owner. Estonia lines up behind EU on single hulls Baltic state wants neighbours to ban single-skin tankers in wake of Prestige disaster. Pacific Sky held as Aussies detain 20 P&O cruiseship makes November port state control detention list along with two gas carriers.