RCL drops Manila service Thailand's Regional Container Lines (RCL) is to revamp its RBC4 service, dropping Manila from the loop. In response to recent port congestion, the route is being altered to provide a stable and reliable service, said RCL in a statement. From 20 December 2014 the new RBC4 service will call at
Belgian ports again paralysed by strike Belgian ports were hit today by a nationwide strike against the government's planned austerity measures. All three of Belgium's leading ports have been paralysed by the action, which has brought virtually all the country's transport to a halt. Access to the Port of Antwerp via the River Scheldt
MCA warns about unauthorized HRUs The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency has issued a safety bulletin, warning the marine industry about the existence of unauthorized, refurbished Hammar H20 Hydrostatic Release Units (HRUs). The MCA have discovered that a number of time expired H20 units 'have been recycled by unauthorised
Tanker Investments buys six Suezmaxes in $315M deal Tanker Investments has acquired six Suezmaxes in a deal worth $315M, the Oslo-listed offshoot of the Teekay Group said in a statement. All six ships were built in China by Rongsheng, which completed four of them in 2009 and two in 2010. They are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2015 to
Two bidders vying for Pan Ocean Two candidates are likely compete to acquire South Korean bulker operator Pan Ocean. South Korean Harim Group-JKL Partners consortium and US private-equity fund KKR have filed letters of intent (LOI) for the bidding. Although Samra Midas Group which owns Korea Line Corp, Deutsche Bank, and Korea
SWS eyes investment in Zhoushan yard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard (SWS) has signed a strategic co-operation agreement with compatriot Zhejiang Herun Group to develop the Zhejiang Xiazhidao Shipyard into an offshore engineering equipment maker. The shipyard will be a hub for the building, installation and testing of large-sized
Ningbo port hits new throughput record China's Ningbo port announced on 12 December that its cargo and container throughput hit new highs at 510M tonnes and 20M teu, up 8% and 12.1% year on year respectively. The port has handled 80.35M tonnes of iron ore during the period from January to November, an increase of 11% over the previous
XMH profit drops by 64.9% Singapore-listed marine and industrial engines distributors XMH Holdings reported a drop in profits of 64.9% to SGD710,000 ($540,000) for 2Q15 ended 31 October 2014. Revenue went down 28.9% or SGD7.9M to SGD19.2M in 2Q15 from SGD27.1M in 2Q14 because of slower sales in the distribution business
Swiber secures $710M contract in West Africa Singapore-listed offshore services provider Swiber Holdings has secured a $710M-contract to provide Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCIC) services for an offshore field development project in West Africa. Swiber was awarded the contract by a Houston-based
Vallianz bags $97M charter contract in the Middle East Singapore-listed offshore marine services provider Vallianz Holdings has clinched a timecharter award worth $97M to support oil and gas (O&G) production activities in the Middle East. The contract required Vallianz to supply a specialised vessel for up to five years from 3Q15 for a national oil
DSME clinches six LNG carriers from BP Shipping South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) said today that it has won an order from BP Shipping to build six LNG carriers worth KRW1.3658Trn ($1.2Bn). Today's contract takes DSME's year-to-date sales to over KRW15.3Trn. The ships are to be delivered by 31 March 2019.
Rotterdam World Gateway sets spring date for maiden weekly call Maasvlakte 2 terminal to start commercial vessel tests in the New Year, but no confirmed lines yet
Lloyd's Register Foundation funds big data study Get ready for step changes in sensor technology, data-driven intelligent systems, computer science and algorithms for data analysis that will affect all aspects of business
Legal ruling could force Spanish ports to reform European court concludes that Spain's port labour law is illegal
Crude operators bemoan market disconnect amid oil sell-off Disconnect between falling oil price and tanker stocks argue tanker executives
Lebanese court throws out Johnny Saadé claim against CMA CGM Update: French line hopes legal ruling will draw a legal line under long-running family feud
Benign claims drive lower general increases for P&I renewals International Group clubs announce 3.31% average general increase
In at the deep end in Los Angeles and Long Beach Slangerup and Seroka have been tackling congestion since taking over the California ports in June
Pros and cons of a global competition body to review shipping alliances Is there a case for one authority to review industry deals or partnerships?
Bajpaee steps down as Bernhard Schulte chief executive Aschmann takes the reins at the end of the month
Lloyd's List Class Report 2014 Our new, interactive tool offers unique insight into class societies' positions and strengths
Class report 2014: Qace, the new class prefect Independent body set up after European dawn raids seeks more powers
Tui talks to unnamed buyer about its Hapag-Lloyd stake Tour operator is in discussions with 'interested parties', says Mangold
Regional Container Lines drops call to congested Manila Carrier swaps Philippines stop for feeder links out of Laem Chabang
Cexim sets a $4bn ship finance target for 2015 New commitment from Chinese policy bank mirrors this year's lending
MISC appoints a new chief executive Nasarudin will be replaced by long-time head of planning who oversaw the AET acquisition
The tyranny of data Why gathering information creates ever more red tape for shipping
Port of Virginia volume grows even as peak shipping season fades Port of Virginia container volume grew 8.2 percent year-over-year in November, continuing the port's 11-month streak of year-over-year gains even as the peak shipping season wanes. Throughput at the Norfolk port hit 208,764 TEUs in November, the fifth straight month of 200,000-plus 20-foot equivalents. Volume in the first 11 months of...
Sea Star to add container barge service to Puerto Rico lane Sea Star Line, said it plans early next year to add a weekly container barge service to the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico service it now operates with two self-propelled roll-on, roll-off ships. The announcement ups the ante among the three carriers competing for the Puerto Rico market share held by Horizon Lines,...
Houston import volume up nearly 25 percent in November The port saw a 23.4 percent year-over-year jump in import volumes in November. Full size chart. A surge in import traffic has led the Port of Houston Authority to extend its container terminal operating hours. The port saw a 23.4 percent year-over-year jump in import volumes in November, according to data released by...
Meanwhile on the East Coast... West Coast longshore labor negotiations still occupy center stage, but the East and Gulf coasts grabbed a slice of the shipping industry's attention last week. David Adam, CEO of United States Maritime Alliance, challenged employers and the International Longshoremen's Association to think about how they might revise their negotiating process before...
ODFL to raise LTL tariff rates 4.5 percent on average Encouraged by strong manufacturing activity and freight demand, less-than-truckload carriers are raising their non-contract and contract rates. Old Dominion Freight Line is the latest LTL carrier to issue an average general rate increase of 4.5 percent effective Jan. 5. "The GRI is consistent with our long-term yield management philosophy and provides...
Mexico expected to pass bill to protect rail concessions today The Mexican Congress is expected to approval legislation this afternoon that would protect concessions held by the country's three largest railroads and create a rail regulatory agency. The Mexican Senate last night approved a bill 69-31 that allows Kansas City Southern Railway and Grupo Mexico, the operator of the Ferromex and...
Brazil carries out Ebola port simulation at Santos Brazil port and health authorities carried out a simulated ebola emergency at the port of Santos last week to help improve the response to the threat the disease poses at maritime ports of entry. Some 150 workers and officials took part with observers present from 13 other Brazilian ports. The Special...
A.T. Kearney: Reshoring hype exceeds impact Relocation of manufacturing to the U.S. has increased in recent years but doesn't appear to be growing faster than manufactured imports, management consulting firm A.T. Kearney says in a report on reshoring. "Even though manufacturing in the U.S. has clearly been on the uptake, the impact of reshoring on this turnaround...
India rail postpones container rate hike due to port congestion India's Ministry of Railways said it will postpone previously announced container rail increases, providing a temporary respite for shippers struggling with port congestion and rising transportation costs. Under intense pressure from local trade and port user groups, particularly the Mumbai and Nhava Sheva Ship Agents' Association (MANSA), the increase will be...
US West Coast ports likely to lose market share in 2015, JOC survey finds Sixty-six percent of U.S. shippers surveyed by JOC.com say they plan to ship less cargo through the U.S. West Coast next year because of ongoing congestion and delays, suggesting that ports from Long Beach to Seattle could lose market share just as they did after a 10-day work stoppage in...
Shippers to be big winners from cheap ship fuel, Drewry says Ocean carriers will reap considerable financial benefits from cheap oil in 2015 if prices stick close to current five-year lows, but shippers will be the big winners, according to Drewry Shipping Consultants. An 18,000-TEU ship operating 77-day round voyages on the Asia-North Europe route would save $5.7 million on fuel costs...
TUI talking with potential buyers of its Hapag-Lloyd stake TUI, the German tourism group, is talking with potential buyers of its remaining stake in Hapag-Lloyd as a way of finally exiting container shipping, the chairman of the former owner of the country's largest ocean carrier said. "We are working on a sensible, profitable solution for the exit," Klaus Mangold said...
US regulators advance plans for national truck driver training The amount of time future truck drivers must spend in training and how rigorous a program they must complete will be determined not by federal fiat but through negotiations. Federal regulators are proceeding with a negotiated rule-making on minimum national truck driver training standards, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said...
US freight projects to get less help from Uncle Sam next year WASHINGTON - U.S. ports and other major freight links in supply chains are poised to get less help from Uncle Sam next year after Congress reduced funding for a popular grant program by $100 million. The $1.1 trillion federal spending bill, now awaiting President Obama's signature, will reduce the Transportation Investment Generating...
Belgium freight transport paralyzed by nationwide 24-hour strike Belgium is cut off from the rest of the world today as a nationwide 24-hour strike against the government's austerity program has shut down its ports, airports, railroads and highways. Antwerp, Europe's third largest container port, is at a standstill with 29 ships unable to access its quays and 21 trapped...
Cargolux's traffic hits all-time high as Euro rivals struggle Cargolux continued its robust performance in November, flying a record volume of freight and bucking the downward trend in the European air cargo market. The operator of Europe's largest freighter fleet boosted traffic by 3.1 percent year-over-year to an all time monthly high of 76,504 metric tons, outpacing close rival Lufthansa...
Robust November keeps Cathay on track for strong year HONG KONG - Trans-Pacific shipments between Hong Kong and fast recovering North American markets drove up Cathay Pacific cargo throughput in November, with the strong demand expected to last deep into the final month of the year. Cathay Pacific and its sister airline Dragonair carried 165,1020 tons of cargo and mail...
Price fixing probe ends as Singapore regulator hands out fines HONG KONG - The long running investigation into Asia forwarders fixing fees and surcharges on Japan-Singapore routes between 2002 and 2007 was finally brought to a close with the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) handing out $5.4 million in fines. Ten forwarders and their Singapore subsidiaries were fined for breaking competition...
S&P market cools Activity in the sale-and-purchase market appears to be slowing in many corners of the market despite the recent decline in asset prices.
'More and more demand' The top executives of three major tanker-owning companies pointed to potential demand upside as a result of slumping crude prices.
Conrad lands orders The value of a US shipyard's newbuilding backlog has topped $170m following a series of new orders.
Frontline takes flight Shares of Frontline continued to surge Monday despite lingering concerns about how the Norwegian tanker owner will cure its financial maladies.
DVB offloads loan DVB has sealed a transaction that appears to mark the first stage of a broader campaign to shore up its extensive portfolio of shipping loans.
Fesco inks new loan Russian container line Fesco has refinanced a repurchase agreement loan with a new facility worth EUR 72.9m ($90.5m).
Big data - big money The Lloyd's Register Foundation (LRF) has offered a £10m ($15.6m) grant over five years to support research by the UK's Alan Turing Institute into engineering applications of big data for the real world.
Clashes close terminals Two key Libyan oil export ports have been shut due to clashes between rival militias.
Rally in waiting Clarksons Capital Markets has tipped dry cargo shares for a strong bounce the next time the spot market shows signs of life.
Orders at year's low Newbuilding orders sank to the lowest level of the year in November with the slump tipped to roll over into next year.
Rina expands into Canada Italian classification society Rina has taken control of a Canadian marine survey company.
Boskalis, Kotug team up Two major European towage players - Kotug and Boskalis - have decided to join forces and form a new alliance with a tally of more than 60 tugs.
India thinks big The Indian government has revealed an ambitious plan to increase the Indian-flagged fleet.
Don't panic! A reported oil spill from the wrecked containership Rena off New Zealand turned out to be krill.
Eleven fishermen die At least 11 fishermen have lost their lives in a deadly collision involving their boat and a boxship in the Gulf of Suez, on Sunday.
TUI in talks German tourism group TUI is in talks with investors over a sale of its stake in container line Hapag-Lloyd.
Wartsila wins Japan deal Finland's Wartsila has sealed a deal to equip six newbuildings with its new ballast water management system (BWMS).
Bajpaee bows out Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) CEO Rajaish Bajpaee is stepping down after 27 years with the group.
Ferry service delayed The connection between the UK's south coast and the Channel Islands has taken a hit after a Condor Ferries-owned vessel suffered a rudder problem.
Four more for Dof Norway's Dof group has won four more charters for offshore ships two weeks after fixing five others.
GSI makes $138m Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) has made a big gain from selling a fabrication subsidiary.
Royal buys Brilliance Royal Caribbean Cruises has opted to cancel the long term charter of one of its vessels and instead purchase the ship outright.
Samso charter extended Danish operator Samso Rederi is stretching the charter of a ro-pax into the New Year as it awaits a delayed newbuilding.
TIL in $315m fleet deal Teekay spin-off Tankers Investment Ltd has snapped up six suezmax tankers in a $315m swoop.
Falkland refloated A Norwegian cargoship has been freed after going aground on rocks on Sunday.
New yard for India Mumbai-based Pentagon Marine Services (PMS) is planning a new shiprepair yard in Gujarat, India.
DSME signs for six DSME of South Korea has announced it will build six LNG carriers for a total of KRW 1.365 trillion ($1.24bn).
Swiber makes Africa debut Swiber Holdings has made its first foray into the West Africa offshore oil and gas market with a $710m contract win.
Adage likes PACD Pacific Drilling, the Idan Ofer-backed drilling company, has a new significant shareholder in the shape of a US hedge fund.
Vallianz wins ME charter Vallianz Holdings has secured a time charter award worth $97m with an unnamed Middle East oil company.
Seafarer goes missing A seafarer is missing feared dead after falling overboard from a bulker off the coast of Texas over the weekend.
PSV suffers ER fire A PSV operating in the North Sea has suffered a fire in its engine room, the ship owner has confirmed.
California: Fuel switching incidents on the rise November figures highest since March.
Year-on-year bunker sales climb for first time in four months Singapore bunker sales in November totalled 3.55 million mt.
Belgian ports hit by strike Action seen across industrial sectors.
Mercuria: In for the long haul New offices to open in South Korea, Greece, Japan.
Low bunker prices see 'slow-steaming' coming under pressure 'Average speeds for bulk carriers have reversed direction.'
Gibraltar issues commitment to upkeep bunkering standards Sends officers for training as part of process.
New Group Technical Director for VPS Position to be moved from Singapore to Rotterdam at the start of 2015.
The end of the world as we know it I regret to inform you that the world as we know it is about to end.
Cruise ship runs aground in Philippines Vessel was heading to Makar for refuelling.
Lawyer: Shipowners keep paper trail for ECA-compliant fuels More inspections expected.
Mercuria recruitment of OW people described as 'curious' Other deals done as big players have moved to take over former OW teams and business segments seen as good solutions.
Monjasa to run West Africa operations out of the Middle East Company can save on wages and operating costs.
Domestic ferry service secures government backed upgrade M/V Delaware to be fitted with fuel-efficient EPA-certified engines.
Aegean appears among shipping's most powerful Annual power list includes Aegean founder.
Canary Islands could offer LNG bunkers European Union backs feasibility study with cash.
Shipbuilder opts for GE technology to cut fuel costs, emissions 13 Starnav ships now have GE control systems.
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