'We'd be offering customers an alternative to BW Group' Avance Gas challenges BW Group's dominance in booming VLGC market
Regulators must clarify acceptable market share after Beijing P3 ruling MDS Transmodal says alliances need to know what is and is not anti-competitive
Improvement work has paid off, says Lloyd's Register Top ranking on Paris MoU white list and only 10 detentions in three years
FSL Trust recruits its new chief financial officer from AET Tankers Tan was head of finance for the Petronas subsidiary
UK shipowners sidestep row with minister over sulphur rules Chamber vows to press on with campaign for start date flexibility despite Hammond criticism
High cube 40 ft containers will dominate the global fleet Container Census finds these boxes made up nearly half the fleet last year
Standard Club cuts its combined ratio to 101% Performance satisfactory and stable, says Grose
Chinese banks seal $2.6bn funding for top Greek owners Costamare heads owners tapping finance as shipping takes centre stage on Li's Athens visit
Oil companies evacuate staff from the south of Iraq Exports from Basrah and Khor al-Amaya unaffected by turmoil - but the risk remains
German flag falls below 400 ships Number of vessels at lowest level for decades
FMC upholds its P3 decision FMC statement says that it had determined agreement was not likely to produce an unreasonable rise in costs and services
NewLead completes key debt settlement But separate dispute with Ironridge rumbles on
Dynagas LNG Partners grosses $125.8m from fundraiser Underwriters exercise option for more shares as partnership prepares for first drop-down vessel since listing
Mortensen quits at Danish Shipowners' Association Norden boss leaves DSA in line with move to BW Group
Hyundai Heavy Industries orders drop in first five months Decline is felt equally in shipbuilding and offshore
IMB warns small tankers to be vigilant against South China Sea pirate attacks Group advises caution following six similar incidents since April
Exmar mulls raising finance on bond market Gas shipping company eyes opportunity to bag finance at 'attractive' terms
P3: is there a Plan B? Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Co and CMA CGM have not exhausted their options
Brittany Ferries seeks sulphur cap delay Brittany Ferries has called for a two-year postponement of the 0.1% marine fuel sulphur limit due in force in north European sulphur emissions control areas from 1 January. International political negotiations must be initiated fast to achieve this vital grace period, said the French ferry operator.
Avic Dingheng converts 2 Tarntank options Chinese shipyard Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding has secured an order for two LNG-fuelled products tanker options from Swedish shipowner Tarntank. The two 15,000dwt vessels are scheduled for delivery in February and April 2017. With a highly fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce design, the tankers will be
Swire Bulk confirms orders at Imabari China Navigation Co (CNCo), the wholly owned deepsea shipping arm of Swire Group, has signed contracts with Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding for four Handysize bulk carriers. Neither delivery nor cost details were revealed, but an estimated delivery schedule could be towards the end of 2015 or into
Sasebo bags Kamsarmax pair Japanese shipbuilder Sasebo Heavy Industries has secured orders for two Kamsarmax eco-bulkers: one from compatriot owner Asahi Kaiun and one for Taiwan's First Steamship. The two 84,700dwt vessels will have an overall length of 229m, beam of 38m and depth of 19.1m. Asahi Kaiun's bulker is scheduled
Jiangsu Hantong secures 8 Conti bulkers Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry has secured options for eight Dolphin 64-type bulkers from German KG house Conti Reederei, which now has 20 of the vessels on order at the yard. Delivery of the latest eight 63,800dwt 'eco' ships is scheduled as: one in November 2015, two in December 2015, two in
Beks confirms Yangfan Ultramax order Turkish owner Beks Shipmanagement and Trading has confirmed its order for two Ultramax bulkers from Chinese shipbuilder Yangfan Group after concluding finance arrangements. Scheduled for delivery in 2016, the two 64,000dwt vessels are being purchased with financing from China Exim Bank. Beks already
Liverpool2 'ready in 4Q15' The UK's latest riverside container terminal, Liverpool2, should be ready in the fourth quarter of 2015, port director David Huck told IHS Maritime. Earlier this month, owner Peel Ports launched dredging operations for the deepsea terminal, which will handle post-Panamax box ships up to 13,500teu.
More vessels missing in Southeast Asia A Malaysia-registered tug boat and an accompanying towing barge have been reported missing to anti-piracy body ReCAAP ISC. The tug boat Manyplus 12 and barge Hub 18, loaded with 138 containers, departed Sibu, in Sarawak in East Malaysia, for Port Klang in Peninsular Malaysia. Scheduled to arrive at
CargoSmart updates sailing app CargoSmart today announced SSM+, a new version of its app for Android and iPhone that lets users view schedule reliability rankings in sailing schedule search results. The free app includes sailing schedule information for 27 ocean carriers and schedule reliability information for the top 30 ports,
Canada approves oil pipeline The Canadian Government on 17 June 2014 approved the construction of a 1,177km twin pipeline that will carry heavy oil from the Alberta Oilsands to the small port of Kitimat, British Columbia, on Canada's west coast. The approval for the CAD7.9 billion (USD7.3 billion) project came with 209
Panamax owners idling vessels as market worsens Owners of Panamax bulkers have begun to idle their ships in frustration at falling rates amid a severe tonnage overhang. IHS Maritime's Sea-Web data shows 329 Panamax bulkers would be delivered this year and this includes post-Panamaxes. Daily rates for Panamaxes now average $3,953, an amount that
Chinese steel production sets record in early June China's average daily crude steel production at China's key steel mills hit a record high of 1.833M tonnes during the first ten days of June, according to data released by China Iron & Steel Association. "It is very encouraging that Chinese steel production has set another record this month,"
Fortescue order should rebuild investors' confidence Clinching Fortescue Metals Group's four very large ore carriers order should rebuild investors' confidence in Singapore-listed Chinese shipbuilder Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, said an analyst today. The total contract value is estimated at $275M. The four 260,000dwt VLOCs would be delivered from
Thai government plans land bridge to link ports A land bridge across Southern Thailand is being reconsidered, government officials have told IHS Maritime. An overland link between a planned port at Pak Bara on Thailand's Andaman Sea and an expanded Songkhla port on the Gulf of Thailand coast has been considered, and dropped, several times in the
Investors sign up for Mtwara offshore base Pacific International Lines (PIL) of Singapore and Dar es Salaam-based MAC Group are to invest $526,000 in a new oilfield supply base in southern Tanzania. The base covers 10ha of the 110ha Mtwara Freeport and will serve multinational companies prospecting for oil and gas offshore southern Tanzania.
Small tankers face piracy threat in South China Sea The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is warning small tankers to maintain strict anti-piracy measures in the South China Sea following a spate of tanker hijackings in the region. At least six known cases of coastal tankers being hijacked for their cargoes of diesel or gas oil have been reported
BW on Sohmen-Pao's resignation BW Maritime told IHS Maritime today that the reason for Andreas Sohmen-Pao's decision to step down as the company's CEO was to enable the company to develop its position in a broad range of markets. A BW spokesman said: "BW has significantly broadened its scope of activity in the past decade across
Mauritius offers rebate for exporters The Mauritian government has launched a freight subsidy scheme for goods exported to certain African countries. The scheme, which became effective on 1 June, entitles exporters of goods manufactured in Mauritius a rebate of 25% of their freight costs up to a maximum of $300 per teu. Eligible
Tanzania bolsters trade ties with China The Tanzanian government is prioritising the development of a new China-Tanzania logistics centre in the Kurasini district of Dar es Salaam. At a recent budget meeting, Tanzanian industry and trade minister Abdallah Kigoda said that as soon as Sh60Bn ($36M) has been raised to compensate residents in
US railroads' intermodal traffic hits historic mark Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads is up 5.8 percent year-over-year in the first 24 weeks of 2014. Full-size chart The volume of intermodal units traveling on U.S. railroads last week was the highest ever seen, the Association of American Railroads reports. U.S. carload and intermodal volume both grew for the week ending in...
FMC wades into terminal congestion issue WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission wants to ease congestion at ports and is considering hosting a forum for terminal operators and drayage drivers to discuss how to speed the movement of containerized goods at the gates. Harbor trucking leaders told commissioners yesterday they need the FMC to mediate a...
Full text of MOFCOM's rejection of P3 What follows is a translation of the announcement by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) rejecting the P3 Network: Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Announcement No. 46 in 2014, on the Banning of the Formation of the Network Composed of Maersk, MSC, and CMA CGM under Anti-Monopoly Review Regarding Concentrated Operations - Publishing Unit - Ministry of...
Greece gets eight bids for Thessaloniki port, shortlists Piraeus bidders Greece has received expressions of interest from eight companies bidding for a majority stake in the Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH), the operator of the country's second largest seaport. APM Terminals, Maersk group's port arm, and International Container Terminals Service Inc. of the Philippines are the leading container terminal operators involved in...
NTSB: Truck driver in NJ crash was speeding but didn't violate HOS rules WASHINGTON - The Wal-Mart truck driver that earlier this month slammed into a limousine van, killing one comedian and badly injuring TV star Tracy Morgan, was speeding but wasn't in violation of federal rules on how long he could be behind the wheel, according to a preliminary federal investigation. The high-profile...
French rail strike into ninth day, but support waning Rail freight traffic is facing further disruption across France as a strike by rail workers extended to a ninth day, but an end to the stoppage is in sight amid waning support for the walkout. While SNCF, the state-owned rail operator, has told customers to postpone planned shipments until further notice,...
Global's terminal expansion in sync Global Terminal unveiled its new semi-automated facility with a celebration capped by a demonstration of rail-mounted gantry cranes that moved 20-foot containers with ballet-like synchronization. Fascinated guests watched from a dockside tent as four unmanned RMGs simultaneously lifted and lowered boxes and moved them side to side. The precisely choreographed movements...
FMC commissioner: China's P3 rejection a wake-up call to US agency Richard LidinskyWASHINGTON - The only U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner to cast a vote against the P3 Network said Chinese authorities might have done the agency "a favor by forcing us to look at our regulatory standards within this new world" of massive vessel-sharing agreements. Commissioner Richard Lidinsky wants the FMC to...
Cargolux ponders new joint venture airline Freighter operator Cargolux is considering the startup of a joint venture air cargo airline with its Henan government stakeholder "in the next two years" to capture growing e-commerce volumes, according to Dirk Reich, the carrier's new president and CEO. Speaking at the Transport Logistic show in Shanghai, Reich told the JOC...
Four carriers to launch joint intra-Asia service At the end of this month, Cosco Container Lines, Wan Hai Lines, China Shipping Container Lines and Pacific International Lines will launch a new joint service connecting China, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Pakistan/Mundra Express, or PMX, service will employ six Panamax vessels, with two of the ships...
'Consolidation is needed' Bulker owners and operators offered sharply divided opinion today on whether the dry-bulk space is in need of consolidation.
American Club in profit The American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association has returned to profit despite challenging conditions in the shipping and insurance business.
Time to drop anchor? Lay-ups could be on the way for panamax owners in the face of weak spot rates, RS Platou Markets says.
Ronin in at Top US hedge fund Ronin Capital has emerged as a major shareholder in Evangelos Pistiolis-led Top Ships.
FSL hires CFO First Ship Lease Trust (FSL) has raided AET Tankers to secure a new chief finance officer.
SBIC revenue falling Vietnam's new shipyard holding company is likely to post a drop in revenue for the first half of 2014.
No-mar part 2 Respected equity analyst Omar Nokta is said to be on the move from Houston and New Orleans-based Global Hunter Securities after just a little more than a year in the job.
SCF in seismic union Sovcomflot (SCF) has formed a joint venture with CGG to operate seismic survey vessels.
A lonely death Crewman unsupervised during UK cargoship mooring as rope pulled him overboard.
DSA hunts successor The Danish Shipowners' Association (DSA) needs a new chairperson as Norden CEO Carsten Mortensen heads to Asia.
Subsea 7 extends Kristian Siem's Subsea 7 has extended a contract for a Dof Subsea construction support vessel.
Vroon slims Petrolmar Dutch owner Vroon's new Italian acquisition Petrolmar has sold its bunkering business in Genoa.
Fixed P&I pioneer dies Fixed premium protection and indemnity pioneer Michael Newbery has died following a sudden stroke.
Searching for Plan B Maersk Line is keeping its options open after the scrapping of its P3 Network tie-up with MSC and CMA CGM.
Epic details escape Further details have emerged about Singapore-based Epic's purchase of two pressurised LPG vessels from compatriot Komaya Shipping.
Valles tanker sold Hong Kong-based owner Valles Steamship appears to have sold a second aframax tanker this year.
Fesco adds feeder Russia's Fesco has snapped up a German feedership to serve domestic routes.
A single guilty plea Only chief engineer admits abandoning passengers on stricken Sewol.
Beks seals ultra finance Turkish owner Beks Shipmanagement & Trading has finalized a Chinese bulker order after fixing financing.
IMB raises piracy alarm Small tanker owners have been urged to maintain strict anti-piracy measures in the South China Sea following a spate of hijackings.
Underwriters like DLNG Dynagas LNG Partners is set to raise the maximum amount from its recent share sale after the underwriters exercised their option grants in full.
Exmar eyes bond market Exmar, the Belgian LNG and LPG vessel operator, says it is investigating the possibility of tapping the bond markets for finance.
In the mood for crude The odds that the US government will relax the ban on crude exports by the end of 2014 are high, a leading commodities forecaster said Wednesday.
Mister Rodgers' neighbourhood The tanker market is nearing a turning point but the rally will be short lived if there is another wave of newbuilding orders, Paddy Rodgers said Wednesday.
Asia-Europe concerns sank P3, says FMC's Doyle Doyle noted the FMC "did not have jurisdiction over the Asia-Europe service route; therefore, the FMC did not issue a decision with respect to that route."
Jan Krems to take over at United Cargo United Cargo has named Jan Krems, former vice president of the Americas for Air France/KLM/Martinair cargo, as its new president, replacing the recently departed Robbie Anderson, according to a spokeswoman for United Airlines.
Senators propose 12-cent gas tax hike The 12-cent hike would offset current transportation spending levels and replenish "all of the buying power the federal gas tax has lost since it was last raised in 1993," according to a summary of the proposal.
Greenbrier sees big demand for new tank cars
Ex-Im Bank guarantees $15M loan for Cat equipment export
Drivers take action in pension row with Sainsbury
Intersil settles charges of export violations
APM Terminals to raise cranes in Los Angeles
Emirates to upgrade Houston, San Fran services
High-cube containers continue to grow in popularity According to Drewry's recently published 2014 Container Census report, high-cube, 40-foot containers, which it said will represent nearly 50 percent of the fleet, are cutting into the market for traditional 40-foot containers.
Executive moves
Asian Shippers applaud denial of P3 Asian shippers groups said they were pleased with the decision on Tuesday by China's Ministry of Commerce to block formation of the P3 Network, a global vessel-sharing alliance set to commence on the major east-west shipping corridors.
IMO launches 'thank you seafarers' social media campaign Day of the Seafarer will be on June 25.
Oil prices may come under downward pressure next year IEA says shale oil boom will spread faster than expected.
Prices in Fujairah climbing Prices also firm in Suez.
Prices firming across Europe Rotterdam and Hamburg markets 'busy'.
DNVPS sees growth in distillate screening Also higher share of samples tested to latest ISO 8217 specification.
UK Minister: ECA implementation delay is not an option 'Pretty disappointed' with Chamber of Shipping's campaign as industry has had since 2008 to prepare.
Spain wants to be 'LNG hub' Bilbao terminal operator wants to start LNG bunkering.
Fuel oil stocks climb despite fall in arbitrage arrivals China imported no fuel oil from Singapore in the week to Wednesday.
Bunker prices northbound in Asia Demand was below average at most ports today.
H2S limit for bunkers 'should be IMO requirement' Limited take-up of revised ISO 8217 fuel standard means there is no effective safeguard to prevent fuels with dangerous gas from entering the market.
Venezuelan fuel oil cargo sold into Chinese bunker market China's independent 'teapot refineries' spurning fuel oil as a feedstock.
IMB issues anti-piracy alert for small tankers Threat of pirate attacks within the South China Sea have been growing, it says.
Shipowner to double fleet size with 'eco' buys Newbuildings to feature MAN Diesel propellers.
Chinese developed modern bulker wins orders Vessel's fuel consumption and performance has been verified by DNV GL.
China fuel oil stocks down week-on-week Overall volume fell by 0.76%.
The Suez Canal Authority has announced that it will introduce surcharges on transit tariffs through the Egyptian canal for most major cargo vessels, effective July 15.
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