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Shipping News

Thailand offers help in securing strait
THAILAND's Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said on Tuesday that his country wanted to help strengthen security in the Malacca Strait, common hunting ground for pirates.
Jane Fonda may have helped spur shipping boom
ACTRESS Jane Fonda and other celebrities who successfully protested against the development of US nuclear power plants in the 1970s and 80s may have contributed to booming shipping rates today, a shipbroker said.
Proposed vessel-boarding rule gains ground at IMO
A controversial draft amendment to an International Maritime Organisation convention that would allow the boarding of any commercial vessel suspected of terrorism has moved one stage closer to becoming a reality.
Star Cruises orders S$828m ship
UAE firm may replace fleet

Strait Talk

Port congestion not necessarily a bad thing
THE days of very cheap transport prices are over, at least according to one senior liner shipping executive.

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Shipping News

Thailand offers help in securing strait
THAILAND's Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said on Tuesday that his country wanted to help strengthen security in the Malacca Strait, common hunting ground for pirates.
Jane Fonda may have helped spur shipping boom
ACTRESS Jane Fonda and other celebrities who successfully protested against the development of US nuclear power plants in the 1970s and 80s may have contributed to booming shipping rates today, a shipbroker said.
Proposed vessel-boarding rule gains ground at IMO
A controversial draft amendment to an International Maritime Organisation convention that would allow the boarding of any commercial vessel suspected of terrorism has moved one stage closer to becoming a reality.
Star Cruises orders S$828m ship
UAE firm may replace fleet

Strait Talk

Port congestion not necessarily a bad thing
THE days of very cheap transport prices are over, at least according to one senior liner shipping executive.

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Coscon orders four mega-ships NOL box shipments increase NYNJ opens deepened channels to vessels New Canadian terminal in BC to open early 2007 Le Havre Q1 container volumes rise 8.8pc CX to launch cargo services to Dallas and Atlanta Majority stake in Shenzhen Airlines up for grabs AA to join Unisys' CPS Peter Smith named Barc's new chairman

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Ficci-WRC organising Maritime Industry Forum on June 16-17 Asian dry bulk rates sink to 3-month low Dumping duty slapped on NTCF imports from China Company formed to develop Vizhinjam box terminal; to raise Rs 100-cr. corpus KoPT draws up plans to lure new cargoes Stand Alone Vessel Traffic System installed at Sagar Island Guidelines on pilotage services ready Phase I of NHDP likely to be ready by June 2006 Rlys urged not to hike weight norms for loading soyameal Crude oil storage tanks to come up at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore India now a manufacturing hub, finds Ficci survey ...moots Jebel Ali model free zone in Vizag Panel formed to fix abatement rates of excise duty, service tax

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MAY 4, 2005
USEC prices bearish despite continued supply issues Suppliers exit market this week in New York and Philadelphia, awaiting resupply. DOE & API at a glance: This week's US inventory data Tenfold rise in Bunker Quality Alerts since inception DNVPS issued 10 times as many Bunker Quality Alerts in 2004 as in 2005 and expects the number to continue rising in coming years. Prompt product and barges tight in Rotterdam Surprise Aramco cargoes could help ease Singapore tightness An over-estimation of domestic demand by Saudi Aramco has prompted the company to sell surprise fuel oil cargoes in the spot market, some of which is expected to end up in the Singapore bunker market. BP Marine expands 500 cst sales BP Marine boasts major share of Singapore's 500 cst market and expects to introduce the grade at more ports as demand grows for higher viscosity fuels. Singapore: MPA stands firm on accreditation deadline The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has said it will stand by its May 31 deadline for the republic's bunker suppliers to achieve accreditation status. US light crude oil plunges below $50 Light crude oil prices dipped below $50 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) following expectation of a rise in US crude stocks. IBC: Question raised over 500 cst cost efficiency More and more vessels are able to burn 500 cst fuel oil, and sales are growing due to the lower cost of this fuel compared to 380 cst, but an IBC delegate questioned if there really are any savings.

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MAY 4, 2005
Prophesy unveils online WebMiler EU ministers reduce subsidy threshold for "Marco Polo II" projects Norbert Dentressangle reports organic growth in Q1/2005 Belgium: Katoen Natie launches Wielsbeke River Terminal Delta Air Lines commences Berlin-New york servicei Hapag-Lloyd's "Colombo express" sets new Rotterdam record trans-o-flex appoints new director of administration and finance

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MAY 4, 2005
Ship lured by "false" mayday Draft SUA protocols ready Golden Ocean takes over Louis Dreyfus time charters New orders for Aker group

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MAY 4, 2005
Rowan's LeTourneau unit to build jackup for Mexico Senate-House conferees move to block DD(X) rebid Maritrans and Penn Maritime settle lawsuit Car carrying pays off for Wilhelmsen Aker Yards gets AHTS order Golden Ocean takes stake in 10 Panamax bulkers NCL places further cruise ship order at Meyer Werft Todd Hornbeck elected HOS Chairman

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MAY 4, 2005
Historic steamer PORTLAND to host Merchant Marine event New luxury liner ordered for Norwegian Cruise Line Panama Canal releases second quarter metrics US Coast Guard cutter visits Russian port

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Molaris joins Greek rush to New York GREEKS continue to converge on New York's equity markets bearing dry bulk ships, with a new name proposing an initial public offering of up to $300m on the Nasdaq exchange. Golden Ocean poised for first major expansion JOHN Fredriksen's dry bulk shipping venture Golden Ocean is undertaking its first big expansion since being listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange five months ago, writes Tony Gray. ABP plan faces Humber court fight Associated British Ports' expansion plans for Immingham on the Humber face a legal challenge from a rival port operator. P&O axes ports supremo Alistair Baillie P&O's management succession plans have been thrown wide open with the imminent departure of Alistair Baillie who was tipped in City circles as favourite to take over from chief executive Robert Woods within the next few years.

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MAY 4, 2005
Grounded ro-ro ownership unknown CANADIAN officials are trying to untangle a legal web surrounding the ownership of an abandoned ro-ro that is grounded in Cape Tormentine in the Gulf of St Lawrence Italcementi begins own shipping THE Italcementi Group, a major cement producer, has launched its first cement carrier, the self-unloading 5,500dwt Turbocem, marking the company's entry to shipping Another new dry bulk IPO A NEWLY-formed dry bulk operation, Quintana Maritime, has filed with the US NASDAQ exchange for a public offering of up to $300M Frederik scrapping spat continues THE Danish foreign minister has contacted his Indian counterpart after the Indian environment minister turned down a request to send the Kong Frederik IX back Shell/Libya LNG deal Hamburg denies box bias Aker wins $900M LNG terminal build Indian PSC to relax detentions Boxship rates likely to remain flat Safety increased on Cook ferries Whale strike cripples ferry Cabotage commodities named HK to slash tonnage tax The second industrial revolution

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MAY 4, 2005
Bill backs rail re-regulation Halifax targets Asian cargo growth Plan for new Rotterdam box terminal CP Ships acquires forwarder Maersk target of India boycott NJ speeds port rail projects Norfolk Southern extends IM credits

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MAY 4, 2005
LA/Long Beach lose market share Ship-diversions caused congested Los Angeles/Long Beach (LA/LB) to lose considerable US West Coast market-share last year, according to a report released today. Columbia River dredge set to start in June The long-awaited deepening of the Columbia River channel, between Oregon and Washington states, is likely to begin by June 1, the US Army Corps of Engineers said on May 3. Iranian capital flight prompts rise of false documentation Lack of prompt ships prompts Magistral into temporary service-rejig Arguments over chassis ownership model just keep on rolling Freight forwarders to go ahead with AP Moller-Maersk boycott Barge-feeder berth for Rotterdam gets agreement in principle Felixstowe rail consultation starts, as HPH conditionally commits to paying CP Ships considers assimilation of Borg Intermodal activity drives up CPR Q1 revenues

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MAY 4, 2005
Wilhelmsen speeds up Norwegian car carrier owner benefits from plentiful cargo and improved efficiency. Chemistry good for Odfjell Record result for Norwegian parcel tanker owner as timecharter rates climb 30% NYK taps STX again Japanese owner places order for two boxships at cost of $53m each. Back in the red Rollercoaster ride as Fred Olsen holding companies slip into deficit again. Plastic bag costs owner $75,000 Hong Kong owner slapped with huge fine for dumping meat carrier overboard. Golden Ocean bulks up Frontline spin off clinches deal with Louis Dreyfus to take over charters of ten panamax bulkers. Birka Line logs loss Finnish ferry owner plunges into red in first quarter. Offshore millions for Aker Norwegian shipyard group adds another anchor-handler to orderbook. Wartsila hits new high Finnish ship engine maker's orderbook at record level as first quarter profit grows. NCL returns to Germany Star Cruises' subsidiary Norwegian Cruise Lines orders third Jewel-class ship at Meyer Werft Ezra orders at Cheoy Lee Expanding Singapore offshore shipowner is adding to its order backlog at Hong Kong shipbuilder. Quintana in $300m NY listing New panamax bulk company pairs ex-Stelmar man Stamatis Molaris with US coal-industry biggies. ChevTex confirms LNG ships US oil major says orders will provide it with flexible means to underpin its LNG growth strategy.

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MAY 4, 2005
APL's March box traffic up 11% Hapag-Lloyd trims management Third generation Tung joins board of family-controlled OO(I)L U.S., Paraguay negotiate open aviation market Alitalia extends SkyTeam Cargo membership to U.S. American Airlines starts Boston/Shannon flights Cohen replaces Han as CFO at struggling Northwest Smith appointed chairman of British Airways Regional Cargo Appeals Court sides with CSX on D.C. hazmat ban Kansas City Southern's profits soar Canadian Pacific Railway considers selling off Latta Subdivision GT Nexus, Flagship integrate services CP Ships acquires second Canadian forwarding company FMC reviews 12 OTI applications, revokes 8 licenses EC extends investigation into ABX subsidies Markey reintroduces measure for 100 percent cargo screening GAO: Energy makes limited progress on anti-nuclear smuggling initiative U.S. chamber president rips sugar lobby's attack on DR-CAFTA Royster to head Maryland Port Administration Bowers new Port Everglades chief P&O Ports North America, Nordana sign Baltimore contract Panama Canal transit time slows 5.8% New car handling record at Fraser River Port