Asian ports under pressure The region's terminals must improve ahead of 2015 full free trade agreement
Second-quarter drydockings block TEN return to profit Loss-making firm claims to have weathered the worst of the tanker downturn
Kang quits STX Pan Ocean Expected $200m KDB bail-out comes to nothing and the sale of STX Dalian has stalled
Safety in numbers Newcomers to Australian LNG offer Woodside a benchmark to gauge its own performance
Diana says market justifies dry bulk lay-ups Executives expect further weakening of freights and values but deny 'pessimists' tag
Capesizes bounce back Rates rise on strong exports from east and west coast Australia
Shanghai International Port Group seeks global opportunities EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Chinese giant eyes emerging-market terminal investments and joint ventures
Shanghai Port lobbies government to relax port-charge regulation EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Officials press for distorted pricing to end
Guangzhou Shipyard International wins VLOC deal Henghou Group pens two 250,000 dwt ore carriers at $57m-$58m apiece
Asia-Europe spot rates gain 10% Latest SCFI shows partial success with peak season surcharges
Woodside welcomes new players on to its territory Competition is like 'free gym membership', says leading Australian LNG producer
Savannah counts the cost of dock strike threat Port loses some 70,000 containers after cargo rerouted to west coast
Funding boost for Mersin port EBRD to invest $79.5m in $450m eurobond launched by operator of Turkish port
Colombo and Hambantota declared free ports Sri Lanka positions itself as a transhipment hub
Hutchison Whampoa's first-half port profits fall 5% Depreciation costs of $181m on expanded facilities bite into the bottom line
P3 poses more questions than answers Is effective competition secured, or will the new alliance erect excessively high barriers to entry?
The ships that feed us As Europe grows less produce, the food miles debate will pass its sell-by date
A tale of two tanker types The market reports a stark divergence in prospects for crude and clean tankers
Taiwan Navigation picks up option for two bulkers Taipei-listed owner fixes 62,000 dwt ships at $27.3m apiece
STX Pan Ocean's founding CEO quits STX CORP'S founder Kang Duk Soo has stepped down as co-CEO of its shipping unit STX Pan Ocean, the subsidiary said today
Oz budgets A$30M for migrant ads AUSTRALIA was reported today to be spending A$30M ($26.9M) on its publicity scheme seeking to dissuade migrants from trying to get smuggled into the country
TEN returns to red NYSE-listed TEN returned to the red in 2Q13, causing net losses for the company's first half as well
Africa targeted for floating power generation A TURKISH operator of power-generating ships told Fairplay today it is targeting sub-Sahara Africa for floating electricity generation
SHI's profits grow 12% y/y SAMSUNG HI said today net profits for 2Q13 ended 30 June grew by 11.5% year on year to 215.4Bn won ($192M)
Sevan sees Seadrill lag SEVAN Drilling said today a mandatory offer to acquire all its shares by Seadrill has started slowly
PETRONAS to build up owned LNG fleet MALAYSIAN oil and gas producer PETRONAS has decided to build its own fleet of LNG carriers rather than rely on its shipping subsidiary MISC
STX Dalian sale to HK group falls through STX OFFSHORE & Shipbuilding said today attempts to sell its yard in Dalian, China, to a Hong Kong group have fallen through
CP ownerships shifted CHANGHANG Phoenix said it has lost ownership of a dozen ships under a ruling by Wuhai Maritime Court
Oz/China Capesize rates hit high RATES to transport iron ore from Western Australia to China hit a 2013 high of $8.70 per tonne yesterday, as a sudden uptick in coal demand has thinned tonnage availability
'Underperform' rating sticks to Cosco (Singapore) CIMB maintained its 'underperform' rating for Cosco Corp (Singapore), saying it "continues to disappoint"
SMM sticks to 'hold' UOB KAY Hian maintained 'hold' rating for Sembcorp Marine after the yard delivered below-consensus-expectation profits for the second quarter ended 30 June
Heat to spur LNG cargoes ASIAN LNG import are set to hit 17M tonnes as the summer heatwave in the Far East pulls volumes from the Atlantic basin, said IHS CERA
Secondhand VLGCs sought for Iran's LPG MORE Chinese buyers are surfacing in the secondhand VLGC market, seeking tonnage to load Iranian LPG
E-ships books 3 'eco' MRs DUBAI-based tanker operator E-Ships has booked three 'eco' MR tanker newbuildings for two years, brokers told Fairplay
Metro Ports Canada Expands in British Columbia Metro Ports Canada, part of Nautilus International, has signed an agreement with Pinnacle Renewable Energy to manage the Westview Terminal operation, a wood pellet, railcar-receiving storage and vessel loading facility in the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Metro Ports Canada, headed by James Dillman, president, and Rob Waterman, vice...
Single-User Port Terminals on the Wane Ocean carriers, struggling to make a profit in the face of overcapacity and declining freight rates, are taking dramatic and sometimes unexpected actions to slash costs. In this environment of frenzied cost-cutting, the proprietary container terminal operated for a single shipping line is becoming an endangered species. Nowhere is this trend...
ZIM joined the Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) In July 2013 ZIM has officially joined The Clean Cargo Working Group, a global shipping industry initiative dedicated to improving the environmental performance of marine container transport through measurement, evaluation, and reporting. The Clean Cargo Working Group works to set industry standards and guidelines for carriers and customers. Today, CCWG...
Obama Taps US Drug Policy Czar to Head CBP President Obama this week nominated the nation's drug policy czar to take the reins of Customs and Border Protection, setting the stage for the agency to get its first politically appointed chief in more than a year and a half. The nomination of R. Gil Kerlikowske, who has 37 years of...
Trinity Industries' Revenue Rises 7 Percent Trinity Industries reported its profit in the second quarter of 2013 was $88.2 million, improving from $67.5 million in the second quarter of 2012. Quarterly revenue for the multi-industry company was $1.07 billion, up 7 percent from $995.5 million in the same quarter last year. The rail group reported quarterly revenue was...
NY-NJ's Ship-to-Rail System Moves 5 Millionth Container ExpressRail, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's rail system that serves the port's marine terminals, has handled its 5 millionth container since it opened in 1991. Through May, there were 5,033,047 containers moved by the rail system since it opened on Maher Terminals as an environmentally friendly way...
US House Committee to Consider WRRDA in September The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has plans to consider the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 when Congress returns from its August recess in September, according to Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the committee's chairman, and Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, chairman of the Subcommittee on Water...
Hours of Service Court Decision Ends Battle, Not War Debate on truck drivers' hours of service is likely to continue despite this week's appellate court ruling.WASHINGTON - U.S. Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown wrote that the recent federal appeals court decision on the new hours of service rules "brings an end to much of the permanent warfare" between regulators,...
Sen. Thune Introduces Bill to Extend PTC Deadline to End of 2020 Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., introduced legislation this week that would delay the federal deadline for positive train control by five years to 2021. The railroad industry has repeatedly said that implementing the costly crash-avoidance technology by the end of 2015 deadline was infeasible because the enormity of the task and much...
NYSA Seeks to Expand NY-NJ Dockworker Ranks The New York Shipping Association expects "within the next couple of weeks" to seek permission to expand the longshore work force in the Port of New York and New Jersey, NYSA President John Nardi said. The request will be in addition to replacement of 300 dockworkers who have opted for early...
Port of Bilbao's Container Volume Slides 1 Percent Spain's Port of Bilbao reported 15 million metric tons of cargo traffic in the first six months of 2013, and increase of 11 percent year-over-year. Out of that total, however, container volume was down 1 percent year-over-year. During the first half of the year, exports through the port rose 20 percent versus the...
Ocean Carrier Rate Revision Roundup for Aug. 2 Major container lines have announced rate increases for a variety of trades, as detailed below, slated to take effect in August, September and October: North America Two carriers have planned rate hikes for Sept. 1: APL will hike rates inits trade from the Middle East and West Asia to the U.S. and Canada: For...
Delaware River Ports Drumming Up New Business When Great Lakes Dredge and Dock began deepening Reach A of the Delaware River around Philadelphia last September, it ran into an unexpected obstacle. An enormous chain resting on the river bed wrapped itself around the teeth of the dredge, grinding it to a halt for a couple of days....
Appeals Court Upholds Most of HOS Rules WASHINGTON - A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld the majority of new federal hours of service rules, but rejected a 30-minute rest requirement for short-haul drivers, potentially ending a vicious and drawn-out battle between the trucking industry and regulators. The new rules, which took effect on July 1, require truck...
Signs of Trans-Atlantic Trade Growth Buoy Shippers, Carriers The centuries-old trade between North Europe and the U.S. is all but stagnant, especially on the eastbound leg of the trade. U.S. imports from Europe are recovering, while exports must await economic revival of Europe, which seems trapped in its own dedication to austerity. All eyes are on 2014, when...
SCFI: Shanghai-to-US Spot Container Rates Rise Spot container rates to the U.S. East and West coasts measured by the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index rose in the week ending Aug. 2, following a rate increase. USL and Hapag-Lloyd had set an Aug. 1 peak-season surcharge of $400 per 40-foot container to the U.S West Coast and $600...
Prominent lawyer passes New York's shipping community was caught of guard Friday after learning about the sudden death of Jeremy Harwood, a prominent maritime attorney with Blank Rome.
All eyes on TEN Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) of Greece appears to be closing in on a charter for an LNG carrier under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, according to an analyst at Global Hunter Securities.
Cornhuskers cometh Beijing appears to have accelerated the pace of a campaign to establish new sources of agricultural commodities like corn and other crops.
Chapter 11 risk persists A growing number of equity analyst are growing increasingly concerned about whether Genco Shipping & Trading (Genco) will be able to outlast the downturn in the dry-bulk market.
TEN narrows loss Greek tanker owner Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) failed to shed the red in the second quarter but management believes the tides are about to turn.
FMG goes large One of the world's largest mining companies is starting to turn its back on conventional capesize tonnage in favour of VLOCs.
Cotton pirates pinched? Ghana's naval forces have intercepted a vessel suspected of being involved in a game changing pirate attack on a Geden Lines tanker off the coast of Gabon last month.
K Line cashes cape K Line has sold off its second capesize of the year to Berge Bulk, brokers believe.
Atlantska falls to loss Croatian owner Atlantska Plovidba has slumped to a loss in the first half as its bulkers struggled.
Golden cools chatter Herman Billung says there is no truth in talk of a five strong resale deal.
Dutch routes re-drawn The Netherlands has shifted hundreds of miles of shipping lanes to cut congestion in the North Sea.
Sembmarine dips in Q2 Sembcorp Marine (Sembmarine) delivered a fall in second quarter profit that disappointed some market observers but analysts believe the firm is in line for a stronger second half of the year.
Ray of light for Restis Victor Restis got what must have been a small ray of sunshine after a bad couple of weeks when the investigating magistrate decided not to impose restraining measures on him connected with a second embezzlement charge.
RBS headache grows UK lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has revealed a deteriorating set of shipping lending figures, with provisions reaching £200m ($303.1m) in the first half.
BG deals spark orders Two of the biggest names in the LNG shipping sector are ready to book newbuildings in South Korea.
Messina defiant on Iran Italian owner Ignazio Messina has vowed to continue its ro-ro service from Iran, despite a campaign by US pressure group UANI.
PB's price puzzler Pacific Basin Shipping is still in the market for both second hand and new bulk carriers despite the addition of more than 30 vessels in less than a year, its CEO says.
No cover for tragic ferry Six Lloyd's of London syndicates have won a ruling that a ferry involved in one of the Philippines worst shipping tragedies breached an insurance warranty before its final voyage.
Dart pulled free Two tugs have refloated the grounded Danish waste carrier Dart off Norway.
More whale woe A Hanjin boxship arrived in Rotterdam overnight on Thursday with a whale carcass stuck on its bulbous bow.
Concordia more costly TradeWinds digests the digits making the headlines this week.
STX Dalian deal stalls STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is no longer in talks with a potential investor over its troubled STX Dalian shipyard in China.
EBRD backs Turkish bond The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is buying into a $450m eurobond issue to develop the Turkish port of Mersin.
Kang steps down Kang Duk-Soo has stepped down as chief executive officer of bankrupt Korean bulker owner STX Pan Ocean.
Zim banks on Balboa Israeli container line Zim is targeting Central America with a new loop from Panama.
Sumitomo suffers in first Profit at Sumitomo Heavy Industries has been chopped back as its shipyard division struggled in the first quarter.
Out with the old... A batch of five Braemar brokers are about to start up on their own just as some high profile names are negotiating their exit from ACM, TradeWinds reports this week.
Samsung profit jumps Samsung Heavy Industries has pushed up earnings 12% in the second quarter as high-value ship contracts pay off.
Dutch yard expands Shipyard De Schroef has an eye on growing its ship repair business after acquiring a second hand drydock from Norway.
Akdeniz wins one Turkey's Akdeniz Shipyard has won an order for a new fish farm service vessel from Norway.
Top Ships' new tune We take a look at what was said in the market over the past week.
Keppel wins rig deal Keppel Corp has bolstered its orderbook with an order for a jack-up drilling rig from Uruguay-based investors.
MCC targets Myanmar MCC Transport, Maersk Line's intra-Asia arm, has introduced a new liner service to Myanmar.
LDC seals fresh funds Louis Dreyfus Commodities (LDC) has tapped the Eurobond market for the first time raising EUR400m ($528m).
Clean truck legislation introduced in Congress Two Democratic Capitol Hill lawmakers from New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, introduced legislation Thursday that they said will "update federal law to ensure that ports can enact and enforce Clean Truck programs."
Court upholds most of HOS rule A three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has upheld most of the FMCSA's hours of service rule change, striking down the 30-minute break provision for short-haul carriers.
U.S. rail activity rises in July
U.S. truckers to save $1.7 billion from cut in red tape
NYK implementing South Atlantic chassis charge
U.S., China team up to seize fake electronics
CMA CGM ordering more 16,000-TEU ships
U.S. updates historical GDP, 2Q up 1.7%
Alabama governor appoints industry vets to port board
Swissport buys Servisair
Fernandez says goodbye to TIACA
Property brokers, forwarders urged to update data with FMCSA Roanoke Trade Services is advising freight forwarders and property brokers that they need to "re-comply" with new permitting and bonding mandate put forth in the 2012 highway reauthorization bill, known as MAP 21.
Importers call failed GSP renewal 'difficult to swallow' GSP is designed to promote economic growth in the developing world by providing preferential, duty-free entry for up to 5,000 products when imported from one of 127 designated beneficiary countries and territories.
Fuel prices end week on high note in the Americas Demand was said to be average in Houston on Friday.
Weekly global market update A weekly price round up from bunkering hubs around the world.
Dutch part of North Sea enforces changes to shipping routes Changes to routes will keep waterways safe for maritime traffic and ensure an efficient use of available space for other projects.
Fujairah bunker prices end week firm MGO prices made gains in Cape Town.
Double digit gain in Rotterdam Similar gains seen in Piraeus.
Rise in sales of high viscosity bunker product in South Korea Refiner sharpens focus with tank conversion.
Chinese bunker suppliers 'losing ground' Another regional bunker market could be suffering under competition from ports in the Russian Far East.
Jail sentences in Sea Diamond trial Sinking left two passengers dead and threatened major bunker spill.
Bunker prices up in Asian trade Weather conditions disrupted delivery schedules at Hong Kong port.
International Bunkering appoints new head for India office Chandan Samaiyar started his new role on August 1.
Dan-Bunkering welcomes new trader Christian Andreasen is based at the firm's Copenhagen office.
Ship suspected in bunker spill allowed to sail Vessel has 'urgent cargo' for riot hit island.
STX: Cash expected to settle bunker bills Korean bank said to be willing to ease company cash-flow squeeze.
Vessels with more 'range and bunkering capability' ordered New vessels will be built with increased fuel tank capacity of 18,000 litres.
Oryx Energies strengthens position in South Africa Firm acquired LPG distribution businesses of BP at the country.
Vessels cleared for fuel scrubber installation Poly Shield Technologies concludes three-ship installation survey for its DSOX-15 Fuel purification system.
Hambantota starting bunker ops by end-August, says SLPA Hambantota and Colombo declared as free ports in effort to improve foreign investment.
Swedish firm claims innovative solution for emissions 'One of the most effective and exciting green technologies the world has yet seen,' says HIT spokesperson.
COSCON makes further bunker rate adjustments New rates to take effect from September 1.
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