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Shipping News

Dryships to buy bulk carriers for US$689.6m
DryShips Inc, an Athens-based commodities shipping line, will buy nine commodity carriers from companies associated with its founder, George Economou, for US$689.6 million in stock.
Fight Gulf of Aden piracy urgently: ASF
THE Asian Shipowners' Forum (ASF) yesterday added its voice to calls for urgent action to deal with the piracy problem in the Gulf of Aden, joining the international shipping community and the Round Table of international shipowners' associations in asking the United Nations, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and all maritime nations to better address the issue.
Yunnan Airport starts taking bids for freight centre partner
Yunnan Airport Group Co, which owns 11 airports in southwestern China, is seeking domestic and overseas partners to build a freight distribution centre to tap cargo traffic between China and South Asia.
Qingdao gives tax breaks

Strait Talk

Goodbye conferences, hello joint services
ABOUT a year ago, I got a bit of a telling off from a liner executive for suggesting that now that the conference system is being banned, the obvious way to keep freight rates at reasonable levels is to control capacity through consortia or joint services.

web site

Shipping News

Dryships to buy bulk carriers for US$689.6m
DryShips Inc, an Athens-based commodities shipping line, will buy nine commodity carriers from companies associated with its founder, George Economou, for US$689.6 million in stock.
Fight Gulf of Aden piracy urgently: ASF
THE Asian Shipowners' Forum (ASF) yesterday added its voice to calls for urgent action to deal with the piracy problem in the Gulf of Aden, joining the international shipping community and the Round Table of international shipowners' associations in asking the United Nations, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and all maritime nations to better address the issue.
Yunnan Airport starts taking bids for freight centre partner
Yunnan Airport Group Co, which owns 11 airports in southwestern China, is seeking domestic and overseas partners to build a freight distribution centre to tap cargo traffic between China and South Asia.
Qingdao gives tax breaks

Strait Talk

Goodbye conferences, hello joint services
ABOUT a year ago, I got a bit of a telling off from a liner executive for suggesting that now that the conference system is being banned, the obvious way to keep freight rates at reasonable levels is to control capacity through consortia or joint services.

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Former Schenker chairman joins Kuehne + Nagel Access to China's interior requires pallet-sized boxes: study Pirates return to the South China Sea Safmarine makes first woman captain of containership Mine clearance included in Panama Canal excavation call for bids EGL launches supply chain operations in US and Hong Kong CN again urges approval of Chicago railway acquisition New container cranes arrive to modernise Vladivostok Lanco to develop India's Vizhinjam Intl Transhipment Terminal Switch to sea freight noted as LAX cargo posts 16pc drop Continental records passenger slump on all routes in September War zone Coyne Airways appoints new UK sales chief

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Buccaneers baulking with the booty! Seatrade to reward & celebrate maritime excellence tomorrow MMTC to import 18,500 tonnes of veg oil Spices exports net more Soyameal exports soar by 39 pc US stalls for time again on shrimp dumping probe result Exim Bank aid for Tatas' Zambia power project Areas for trade ties with Lower Saxony in Germany identified US Exim Bank underwrites AI's Boeing deal 50 pc rise in steel imports during H1 CONCOR's CFS-DRT augments trade facilities with buffer yard & reefer parking SW Rly seeks rebate sop to wean away ore cargo from roadways ISB's GLAMS develops logistics model to link production to sales points Air cargo nose-diving for 3rd month in row ACTL flags off direct box train services from its Faridabad siding Assocham pushes for revised tax treaty with Nepal With CRR cut, economy flush with more funds for Corp. India Step in right direction-AIAI FIIs still prefer India & China - UNCTAD survey

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Fiata names interim secretary general Gruber Logistics opens agency in Hamburg Etihad introduces self-handling in Thailand Italsempione strengthens System Alliance Europe in Italy Österreichische Post goes shopping in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Shipping's piracy appeal at MEPC Indian seafarers could boycott Gulf of Aden EU "needs more port investment" ITF's Baltic "week of action"

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
New Lloyd's war risk policy includes security team protection Double pay for ship crews in pirate danger zone K-Sea general partner drops IPO plan KVH expands mini-VSAT coverage India to press ahead with shipbuilding expansion

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
UN adopts new resolution to tackle Somali pirates UNITED Nations passes beefed up version of resolution urging the use of military force action against piracy off Somalia. Seafarers sailing near Somalia to get double pay Green groups slam draft recycling policy DRAFT convention on ship recycling is a "shameful document which will likely do more harm than good." Teekay sets aside $200m to buy back shares TANKER and gas shipping group has earmarked $200m to repurchase about 14% of its own shares.

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Cruise financial fallout warned Everyone out of the pool on Queen VictoriaMAJOR cruise groups could be in for a rough ride in 2009, with the financial crisis restraining both US and European consumer spending New Sao Paulo port plans shelved PLANS by Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista to build a $1.7Bn port for the state of Sao Paulo have been shelved because of continuing turbulence in world financial markets Turkey privatising key ports SEVERAL Turkish State Railways-owned ports are to be privatised once Ankara approves their concession agreements, the Anatolia News Agency reported today Swedish shipping seen left out SWEDEN is preparing to spend $59Bn on infrastructure over the next decade, but the maritime system has been largely left out, according to Berit Blomqvist, MD of the country's shipbrokers' association Bharathi targets 40% revenues rise BHARATHI Shipyard, second-largest yard in India's private sector, is aiming for a 40% climb in shipbuilding revenues in the financial year ending March 2009

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
3PL CEOs see modest revenue growth Conservative growth prospects and continued pricing pressures top concerns in a new survey of 3PL CEOs, due to fuel prices, slow-growth economy Court rules against US in Jones Act shipyard case Maersk cuts US-SA fuel fees Seaway freight gains DHL steps up cutbacks Norfolk-Richmond short sea service to be inaugurated Jasper County port would bring in billions: Study LAX airfreight down FedEx Express adds Mexico overnight service Encompass Global Logistics opens for business New cranes for Russia port

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
ILWU votes in favour of new contract Contargo to take on more 500TEU 'Jowi Class' barges Chairman Chang defends Evergreen's strategy GE SeaCo's UK business sold to TAL UP takes action to alleviate Seattle congestion

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
No relief More efforts by US officials were still not enough to prevent another down day on Wall Street. Three-year low Cargo volume at major US container ports is expected to decline by 6.5% this year. War bonus agreed Gulf of Aden designated a high-risk area with double pay for crews sailing through "hijack alley." Moller wants more Teekay Corp unveils $200m share buy-back after boosting quarterly dividend. Rio books barges Argentine shipyard will build 80 river barges with options for 40 more to haul Rio Tinto iron ore. K-Sea IPO canned Tank-barge player's parent nixes $100m stock offering amid financial crisis. Bulker grounds Fednav's Federal Kivalina stuck hard off Norway, its second grounding in a little over a year. Port plan nixed Credit crunch leads Brazilian logistics company to put a new Sao Paolo-area port on hold. Navios sets pill US-listed bulker owner sets shareholder rights pill aimed at preventing unwanted takeover attempts. Not so fast! Fredriksen lieutenant Tor Olav Troim says TUI should consider halting Hapag-Lloyd sale as financial turmoil continues. Mwangura freed Kenyan activist arrested for making "alarming statements" about Faina's cargo released pending trial. Svithoid slumps Swedish tanker owner's shares nosedive when placed in "observation segment" amid funding talks. Clearing smoke Dry-bulk owners' stocks have plunged following a brutal week but it's premature to say the party is over in China, analyst says. MNP for sale? Report links domestic Gazprombank to takeover move for Russian shipbuilding group. Goh bags $7.3m Singapore's Swiber Holdings secures six month charter for AHTS in Vietnam. Feeling used Utilisation rates soar for French company's seismic vessel fleet as both demand and availability improve. Suez still fighting Canal traffic not dented by increase in pirate attacks with September revenue still strong, SCA chief says. Heading home Norway's Petroleum Geo-Services sees nine ships qualify for the new Norwegian tax system following today's budget proposals. Calmac edges it Scottish state ferry player only just beats previous year's profit to 31 March thanks to tax rebate. Torm transfer Skuld P&I club recruits Helle Lehmann to head its Copenhagen office. Five go live Philippines completes new ro-ro ports to broaden sea transport network. Zhanjiang grows Chinese port to construct a new iron ore berth for VLOCs for operation from 2011. Dof dances samba Helge Mogster-led owner ties up AHTS newbuilding in $52m three-year deal off Brazil. Windsor siege Greenpeace launches paint-filled protest against coal shipments to Spain onboard bulker Windsor Adventure. Marco wins big Singapore shipowner and shipbuilder moves up the food chain with higher value order. Vopak in at Merak Dutch terminal group buys Mitsui's chemical storage plant Prointal in Indonesia. RCCL ends JV US outfit pulls the plug on Island cruises joint venture with UK's First Choice Holidays. Big three dented NYK, Mitsui OSK and K Line suffer following downgrade before late rally. Museum opens Evergreen boss Chang Yung-fa's longstanding dream of permanent maritime exhibition space in Taipei is now a reality.

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Shareholder: TUI AG should consider postponing Hapag-Lloyd sale Bigger ships tested in Far East/South America trade Evergreen, Yang Ming and Cheng Lie start intra-Asia service Improved dry dock to boost Bay Area shipyard revenues By Jiminy, the chirp goes on Encompass Global Logistics begins operations ILWU approves new West Coast waterfront labor pact Baltimore plans Seagirt privatization Port of Galveston rebuilding business after Hurricane Ike Castaing named Le Havre port chief Bad timing for Oakland port president's spending revelations

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Russia calls for joint anti-piracy work Russia wants to work with the United States and European Union to fight piracy off the African coast and proposes naval forces gathering in the area to coordinate their efforts, according to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reports the ... Cargo ship grounded off Kristiansand The Hong Kong-registred cargo ship Federal Kivalina ran aground at Årsundøya off Kristiansand on Monday, loaded with 35,000 tonnes of aluminium oxide. A salvage team is now offloading the cargo as well as the oil (40 tonnes of diesel ... Göteborgs hamn needs to increase effectivity Göteborgs hamn reduces its personnel with 100 persons, due to the company's restructuring. "The recession with decreasing cargo volumes makes us to immediately need to reduce our costs. We have noticed a strong braking during the last months and the ...

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OCTOBER 7, 2008
Agency predicts lower oil prices 'Slowdown' affecting demand but production growth seen as 'sluggish'. SEA Card program goes live Suppliers invited to enroll for free to 'increase financial revenues'. Global bunker market report Stena cuts back 'unprofitable route' Fuel prices blamed as ferry is withdrawn. IMO emission amendments 'a remarkable step' Mitropoulos urges MEPC to see MARPOL Annex VI revision 'through to the very end'. Bids to change ECA criteria rejected Opening discussion on MARPOL Annex VI revision would be 'a recipe for disaster'. DNVPS expands its quantity surveys Agency to offer service in growing list of ports. South Korean refiners to export more fuel oil Analysts say cargoes will help ease the tight regional market. Bunker prices soften in Asia Prices continue to weaken,though not as fast as seen at the start of the week. Rotterdam market very quiet Bunker fuel extraction postponed Retrieval expected to take place after removal of another chemical cargo found on-board Princess of the Stars. Indian port in expansion bid Expansion plans include bunkering facilities and enlarging the SEZ. Bunker sales growth drives expansion Refiner to offer bonded bunker products at more Indian ports.