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Ship classifiers raided by competition watchdogs
Five European ship classification societies have been raided by European competition watchdogs on suspicion of anti-competitive collusion through a sector cooperation body, Norwegian classifier DNV said yesterday.
Plans to blast new ship channel on Yangtze
Chinese engineers are planning to blast rock reefs at the Three Gorges reservoir on the upper Yangtze River to open up a new channel to allow heavy ships to sail directly into Chongqing.
Excel to buy larger rival for US$2.4b
Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd agreed to buy larger rival Quintana Maritime Ltd for US$2.45 billion, including debt, to more than triple its fleet size, which carries commodities including ore and coal.

Strait Talk

Getting around the ENC dilemma
LAST week, executives from electronic chart company Jeppesen Marine took part in a Norwegian press day at the Baltic Exchange in London.

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Shipping News

Ship classifiers raided by competition watchdogs
Five European ship classification societies have been raided by European competition watchdogs on suspicion of anti-competitive collusion through a sector cooperation body, Norwegian classifier DNV said yesterday.
Plans to blast new ship channel on Yangtze
Chinese engineers are planning to blast rock reefs at the Three Gorges reservoir on the upper Yangtze River to open up a new channel to allow heavy ships to sail directly into Chongqing.
Excel to buy larger rival for US$2.4b
Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd agreed to buy larger rival Quintana Maritime Ltd for US$2.45 billion, including debt, to more than triple its fleet size, which carries commodities including ore and coal.

Strait Talk

Getting around the ENC dilemma
LAST week, executives from electronic chart company Jeppesen Marine took part in a Norwegian press day at the Baltic Exchange in London.

	web site

PSA International, IPH, GIP in Argentine port development JV East coast Boston box volume up 10pc vis-a-vis west coast slump China Maritime 2008 exhibition to be held in Hong Kong March 12-14 MOL, JFE develop corrosion-resistant steel plate for cargo tanks Liaoning sea port box volume up 22.6pc in 2007 NileDutch opens own office in Singapore for West Africa trade Hamburg Sud to add a southbound call at Valencia DHL Express, Lufthansa Cargo name air cargo JV 'AeroLogic' Dubai Logistics City eyes India's US$150 billion cargo market Japan's ANA extends ACMI agreement with ABX Air

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Schindler joins Intermarine Broekman group re-organised Moller-Maersk and H'egh to extend cooperation Qatar Airways to serve Guangzhou LAN reports higher income but lower operating margin World Air Cargo Event, Bahrain, 12-14 February

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JANUARY 30, 2008
IUMI doubts over new Chinese yards Fewer transits of Panama Canal K Line's 10-year charter MOL's new steel Richard Simpson dies

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JANUARY 30, 2008
EC antitrust inspectors raid classification societies BC Ferries to sell four veteran vessels A.P. Moller-Maersk takes stake in Hoegh Autoliners Turkish-built tug set to sail to Santo Domingo

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Greenbrier buying assets of American Allied Railway Company Bellingham International Airport becomes 'home' for Allegiant Air Rail project construction closes Vancouver, USA street Foss teaming with Signet in vessel leasing arrangement Coast Guard looking for towing safety board members

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Maersk buys Höegh Autoliners stake DEAL will boost Maersk's position in the deepsea car trade while Höegh Autoliners will gain 18 vessels. Web booking for Maersk Insurers fear shipping is buckling under demand STARTLING surge in shipping losses raises alarm over strain on global fleet and seafarers. Baltic capesize index sees record one-day hike INDEX jumps 1,108 points today on news of BHP Billiton-Baosteel deal and rise in Pacific period interest.

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Møller swaps ships for stake in Höegh AP Møller-Maersk (APM) has sold its 18 pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) to the Oslo-based car carrier company Höegh Autoliners against a 37.5% stake in the company Charter rates head for new highs LAST week's stock market collapse and the growing unease about the slowing US economy have not shattered confidence in the container ship charter market Vietnam to build ship engines VINASHIN has announced that it intends to produce its own ship engines HCI enjoys equity boost KG house HCI Capital has posted a 56% increase in ship equity placings for 2007, propelled by strong demand from corporate investors Gard P&I Club sues government GARD, the Norwegian P&I club, has sued the Norwegian government over the sinking of the bulk carrier Rocknes in 2004 Dredging close to capacity crisis SOME port development and expansion projects could be stopped dead within the next few years because of a lack of dredging capacity, says a key industry figure RCCL bogged down by fuel Lines to raise MidEast-Europe rates Insurers panic as claims leap Japanese line wins Korean charter Security guides cruise itineraries Eitzen pulls out of Norgas pool Navy finds lost Explorer Korean ports post record gains

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Maersk takes stake in Hoegh Autoliners Hoegh Autoliners will acquire 18 car carriers from A.P. Moller-Maersk, operate the combined fleet of about 67 vessels. Charleston boxes decline Nova Scotia container terminal completes financing Int'l. lifts UPS revenue Corallo named president of PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions Panama Canal transits off Summit Global Logistics going private in buyout EU trustbusters raid ship classification societies AMTAC links currency reform to economic stimulation Northrop Grumman agrees to fine for export violations Report criticizes response in Cosco Busan incident

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Overworked vessels the 'main culprit' as total losses soar by 20% NYK's financials look good Emirates acquires slots on North China India Express Service Long Beach to help fund green yard crane initiative Port of Cork boxes up 8% in 2007

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Quadragenarian queens for sale Canada's BC Ferries is selling off four of its aging vessels after bringing newer ships into the fleet. Firm takes DHT stake Shipping-friendly investment firm Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors reports 6.7% share of Double Hull Tankers. CEOs see strong market A quartet of US-listed owner executives give a bullish view on the dry-bulk market as fundamentals and stock prices don't match up. Tanker fire hurts four At least four people are hurt when an explosion ignites a fire on aboard a military-owned products tanker off Peru. US slowdown hits Panama Canal Traffic volumes fall in final quarter of 2007 as high oil prices and the US economic slowdown take affect. Bulk shipping on fire Bulker owner stocks soar in early-afternoon trading after a miner signs a deal with a Baosteel. Break-bulkers axed US Maritime Administration says among a trio of scrapped vessels is the Del Valle and the Maine. MSC Japan re-floated A panamax boxship runs aground in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore but is re-floated five hours later. Royal Caribbean finishes in style Cruiseship owner enjoys a record-breaking fourth quarter but still sees full-year earnings slip. Crewman poisoned by phosphine UK accident investigators take no further action following tragic death on general cargoship Monika. Oman inks 10 Hyundai and Daewoo each grab a 50% share of a $1.54bn tanker order from the government of Oman. Suez back in business Five Red Sea ports closed in bad weather, but canal reopens after 22-hour suspension. Voulgarakis on charm offensive Merchant marine minister to offer striking dockers early retirement and discounted shares to ease strike woes. Euroseas fixes boxships US-listed shipowner extends charters for a feedership and handysize containership. 15 dead in China ship collision One missing and another saved after two cargo vessels collide at mouth of Yangtze River. Baltic biggies suffering Passenger numbers down on some major routes for Tallink, Viking Line in 2007. Maersk sells to Hoegh Danish giant lets fleet of car-carriers go to Hoegh Autoliners in return for 37.5% stake in Norwegian company. Class still shell-shocked European Commission inspectors continue searching at classification societies today with even top management in the dark about what they are looking for. Navibulgar's profit rises again Bulgarian state owner looking a good buy ahead of privatisation as 2007 earnings soar. Sydney ferry comes to halt Second break-down incident in a week increases pressure on under-fire Australian owner. MOL to try new steel Five years of research into corrosion-resistant material to be put to test on VLCC this year. Minted Mipo heads the slide Hyundai Heavy unit suffers biggest fall in four years as Korean shipbuilders feel the heat from declining second hand bulker prices. Eitzen quits Norgas pool Decision by Eitzen Gas to call time on its ethylene-carrier cooperation comes as a surprise to IM Skaugen. Helsinki drying up Union official says new orders needed this year at Aker Yards' Finnish plant. SCI slides Indian giant's mixed fleet posts revenue and profit fall in third quarter. HCI feeling flush German boxship investment fund wrings 25% more cash from investors year-on-year. K Line teams with KOWEPO Japanese shipowner inks second consecutive voyage charter with Korea Western Power Co. India Cements buys bulker Indian cement producer emerges as the buyer behind acquisition of Nomikos handysize vessel. Koreans target India Hanjin and KMTC launching new China-India service in tie-up with Taiwan's Cheng Lie Navigation. PSA in Argentina venture Singaporean terminal operator makes further inroads into South America with latest investment.

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JANUARY 30, 2008
A.P. Moller - Maersk selling car carriers for stake in Höegh Autoliners NYK ups annual forecast after a 91% jump in 3rd quarter profit APL reports increases in freight volume, rates Two dry bulk companies will merge CSAV Norasia starts North Africa loop "K" Line inks second charter for Korean electricity producer Will Ulan Bator be painted on the hull? Singapore carrier to use Four Soft product Charge drives down UPS profits Asian airlines see "modest" international cargo growth in 2007 Boeing starts major assembly of 777 Freighter BNSF's net income flat in 4th quarter J.B. Hunt reports lower earnings Wal-Mart outlines new quality, energy standards for suppliers Northrop Grumman fined $400,000 for illegal exports Toyota signals intent to make India an export manufacturing hub C.H. Robinson's 4th quarter profit up 19.5% USDA proposes San Luis, Ariz. to be a Mexican cattle entry port Off the menu: Headless rats seized by British customs officers CEVA to serve Carrefour Brazil EPA lauds corporate green power efforts Novo forms new company based in Reno ST&R opening Mexico City office Geodis' annual revenue jumps 26% SEKO Saudi Arabia opens for business Panamanian ports see container traffic jump Jacksonville port board authorizes new option on key parcel Seattle port adopts accountability plan Tacoma port identifies four locations for logistics rail center Baltimore gets $11 million to upgrade key port road

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JANUARY 30, 2008
Class societies face investigation into possible collusion Allegations of restrictive practices are behind a surprise inspection of four leading classification societies ' Det Norske Veritas, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas and Rina ' by European Commission Competition Directorate and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) yesterday and today. There have ... Hurtigruten looks to the White Sea Hurtigruten is looking to take Norwegian and foreign tourists to the White Sea area in Russia and tempt Russian tourists to try a cruise on one of the company's modern cruise ships. Hurtigruten marketing director, Olav Lühr, says his company ...

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JANUARY 30, 2008
US crude stocks rise again Gasoline inventories also rising, distillates falling, according to weekly report. Carnival ups its bunker price forecast Cruise Line says first quarter bunker prices are likely to be higher than it expected. IMO panel gives new bunker consumption estimate Study shows global switch to distillates would give net increase in global CO2 emissions, but biggest overall benefits. 'Nothing definite' as supplier considers options Fratelli Cosulich has 'no concrete plans' for growing Singapore barge fleet. Singapore supplies struggle with 'negative premiums' Bunker prices undercut fuel oil cargo market as suppliers 'bleed'. Rotterdam market firm in line with crude Tokyo bunker premiums treble Differentials between Singapore and Tokyo have widened to almost $100 pmt. IBME appoints new managing director Confusion over Hong Kong bunker volumes Some estimates say 2007 sales reached 7 million metric tonnes, but others say volumes were much lower.