DEME orders two ships for offshore energy work DEME has ordered a self-propelled jack-up vessel and a multipurpose fall-pipe vessel for serving the offshore energy sector. Apollo, the jack-up vessel, has been ordered from Uljanik in Croatia for the Belgian dredging and engineering group's Geosea offshore engineering subsidiary. Living Stone, the
Hansa Heavy Lift secures MPP refinancing Hansa Heavy Lift has secured a refinancing deal with new terms and principal amounts for most of its multipurpose (MPP) heavy lift vessels. A long-term financing arrangement has been agreed with the firm's core banking group for 18 of the 21 ships it operates, said the Hamburg project shipping
German hull insurers' claims drop German hull and machinery insurers seem to have bounced back from a dismal 2013 with solid profits last year. Verein Hanseatischer Transportversicherer (VHT), their joint claims-handling unit, said claims in 2014 plunged to about EUR54M ($63.2M), down from EUR138M in the previous year. While VHT
Cargo ship vanishes on Lake Tanganyika No trace has been found of a small cargo ship that sank on Lake Tanganyika last week with the loss of 14 lives. Mbaza departed Kasanga port, Tanzania, near the southern end of the 670km-long lake at 23.45 on 10 January. About two hours later the Burundi-flagged ship sank near the village of Kala,
K-sure loans Golden Union $28.9M for bulker Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-sure), through Korea's Marine Finance Center, is providing $28.9M of financing for a bulk carrier. K-sure's financial support is for one of two 179,800dwt Capesize bulkers ordered in October 2013 by Greek owner Golden Union at Hanjin Heavy Industries &
Nigerian piracy set for election surge A general election in Nigeria on 14 February is poised to bring a spike in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea as politicians seek campaign funding, say analysts. This assessment could tally with a reported hijacking of a tanker in Ghanaian waters at the weekend. "Pirate attacks are likely to rise before
Pakistan's breakers welcome steel duty Pakistan's shipbreakers have welcomed a new 15% tax on imported steel products, while cautioning it may fail to stem cheap imports from China. A 15% tax on imports of billets, bars, and wire rods has been introduced in Pakistan to counter perceived dumping. "The regulatory import duty is
Grimaldi launches Med-North America car carrier service Grimaldi aims to start the first direct ro-ro car carrier service between the Mediterranean and North America at the end of this month. A regular line - which the Italian group hopes will become weekly - is launching between the Italian port of Civitavecchia and the ports of Baltimore in the US and
Fremantle fire report reveals death risk A fire on the Ocean Drover livestock carrier in Fremantle last October would have killed a crewman without a daring rescue by an officer, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). Only the bravery of the second mate, identified in local media as Mario Curkov from Croatia,
News insight: Ship glut portends continued low freight rates, consolidation Prospects for the global shipbuilding industry in 2015 do not appear overly positive. With an already large order book in the three major merchant ship sectors- bulk carriers, containerships, and tankers-there appears little opportunity for shipyards to increase their relatively low,
China's Arctic guidance due in October China's Navigation Guidance for the Arctic Route (Northwest Passage) is in preparation and scheduled to be released in October, according to the country's Ministry of Transport. The publication's writers - from the East Sea Navigation Security Centre - have referred to all existing documents on the
Tyne picks 125m quay project contractor Port of Tyne, in northeast England, has appointed Southbay Civil Engineering as the main contractor on a 125m quay extension, under way to upgrade 118m of existing quay and renew 90m of quay wall. Tyneside-based Southbay's contract in the $38M project at the former McNulty site on the
Mombasa begins second phase of expansion Japan today released funds for the second phase of expanding Kenya's port of Mombasa. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is providing a KES25Bn ($273M) loan for reclaiming land and building three berths and a container terminal at West Kipevu. There are also plans to deepen channels,
Pilbara ports evacuated Ships have been evacuated from the Pilbara ore ports of Dampier and Port Hedland in anticipation of a cyclone brewing over the Kimberley. At 11.00 hours this morning the tropical low was located inland, just East of Broome, and tracked towards the coast. The Pilbara Port Authority issued an alert
Busan completes new cruise terminal A new 93,000m² international cruise terminal, part of Busan Port's redevelopment, was completed last Friday. The six-storey terminal took two years and six months to complete and cost KRW234.3Bn. The terminal can simultaneously accommodate a 100,000-tonne cruise ship, five 20,000-tonne cruise
Singapore retains top bunkering port Singapore remained the world's top bunkering port in 2014, despite a slight dip in bunker sales volumes. The country sold over 42.4M tonnes in 2014, down 0.7% as compared to 42.7M tonnes in 2013, according to the data from the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore. There was a hike of 1.9%
Italy expects Norman Atlantic toll to rise Prosecutor estimates at least 27 lives lost as firefighters continue work on the charred ferry
International Group signs wreck removal agreements with two governments Discussions ongoing with other states as Australia and South Africa back memoranda on role of clubs
Rotterdam returns to the growth trail Europe's largest container port reports near 6% increase in box traffic for 2014
Wärtsilä two-stroke business changes name to Winterthur Wärtsilä joint venture with CSSC takes ownership of all Finnish firm's two-stroke engine technology
Three Hanjin boxships in queue to enter gridlocked LA/Long Beach Number of vessels at anchor touches 18 on Friday, dipping to 16 on Sunday
Ships should avoid Libyan waters, ICS believes Caution also advised in and around Suez Canal
Smith to return as Golar LNG's chief executive after Arnell steps down With Doug Arnell returning to Canada, former chief executive Gary Smith returns to the helm of the Nasdaq-listed gas-carrying company
TSA plans February rate increase Transpacific urged to push up prices following largely unsuccessful mid-January GRIs
Senator hits back at attempts to repeal Jones Act Hawaiian Senator argues Act supports US shipbuilding industry and national security
China confirms 14.2% drop in newbuilding orders in 2014 But Japanese yards record 1.6% gain, partly due to weakening yen
P&I clubs still unable to board Norman Atlantic Stricken ro-pax still too hot and search for corpses not yet completed
PSA sees 5.8% global growth in volumes Chief executive Tan describes structural shift to larger vessels as a challenge for the ports sector
CMA CGM to broaden range of logistics activities Rodolphe Saadé sets out plans for 2015 as Ocean Three starts and French line prepares to take over OPDR
Strong year for Los Angeles despite congestion woes US port urges the ILWU and PMA to resolve contract dispute following its busiest year since 2007
Shortlist announced for Lloyd's List North America Awards 2015 Awards will recognise the best developments in shipping that have happened in the region over the past year
Hyundai yards combine after-sales services in Ulsan Loss-making conglomerate's new centre to take over functions of several overseas offices
Golar LNG secures charters for two new ships to haul gas out of Nigeria Rate for each 12-month charter estimated to be around $55,000-$60,000 per day
Shipowners challenge Brussels to listen before legislating Region's shipowners hope European Shipping Week will strengthen two-way dialogue with policymakers
Brussels tells EU member states how many ships to check for sulphur rule compliance At least 10% of vessels calling in European ports to be monitored for compliance, with results being made public
Singapore reports 2014 bunker sales fell to four-year low World's largest bunkering port sees sales fall for three straight years
Capes fluctuate as trade trends prove fickle Sector has showed some bounceback, but any substantial recovery may be some way off
Cyclone threat to the Pilbara region Authorities on cyclone alert in Australian region key to the global iron ore trade
Recognise your danger New system for warning of danger in enclosed spaces raises a wider question of looking at how other industries tackle safety
US ag shippers applaud truck border-crossing decision U.S. agriculture shippers are welcoming Washington's recent decision to finally open up the border to more Mexican trucking companies as the move will end retaliatory tariffs on their products and will help them find truck capacity. Through the U.S. meeting a major requirement of the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. agriculture shippers...
US West Coast port congestion hampers furniture retailers' exhibition Some furniture retailers aren't able to show off their complete lines of products at a major Las Vegas exhibition this week because of U.S. port delays, an example how congestion isn't just hurting shippers' current sales but also their future business prospects. New Classic and Emerald Home Furnishings, for example, had...
Truckers serving major Chicago-area intermodal complex face longer trips Trucking companies serving a major intermodal complex in the Chicago area face longer trips after the Illinois Commerce Commission ruled that a key route must be shut down to commercial traffic because of safety concerns. Last week's ruling that the Walter Strawn Drive crossing must be closed to commercial trucking by...
On tap at TPM: A potent mix As we approach the TPM Conference in March, it's hard to recall any year in the 15 years of this event when the industry was more unsettled, more dissatisfied and more uncertain of what the future holds. Such is the result of a monumentally troublesome 2014, when shippers and their providers...
Sea Star, Crowley raise ante in Puerto Rico trade with new capacity Sea Star Line and Crowley Maritime are adding container-on-barge capacity to the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade lane that Jones Act competitor Horizon Lines exited at the end of December. Crowley said it will add a flat-deck barge that will carry up to 400 forty-foot-equivalents between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, and...
Trans-Atlantic trade lane prepares for shakeup Among the world's largest trade lanes, the trans-Atlantic rarely grabs the headlines, but it can still spring a surprise. Final figures aren't in yet, but the route grew faster than its larger east-west rivals and the much-hyped north-south trades through most of 2014. Traffic between North America and Europe, including the Mediterranean,...
Allcargo Logistics begins coastal feeder service between West and South India Allcargo Logistics has kicked off a coastal container feeder service between West India and South India, expanding its core multimodal transportation portfolio. The port coverage is as follows: Mundra, Cochin (Vallarpadam Terminal) and Mundra. Coastal shipping services have proven "commercially competitive and logistically quicker than road and/or rail movements," the company...
Contship container volume rises on Morocco terminal traffic surge Contship Italia, Italy's biggest container terminal operator, boosted traffic by 5.7 percent in 2014 as surging volume at its part-owned Morocco transhipment hub more than offset flat traffic at its once high-flying domestic terminals. The company, which is 33 percent owned by Germany's Eurokai group, handled 6.6 million 20-foot equivalent units...
Drewry: Canal expansion will boost Panama transshipments by double digits Panama transshipment activity is expected to jump by double digits after the new Panama Canal locks open in 2016 and will be followed by longer-term annual growth of about 5 percent, Drewry Maritime Research said in the latest issue of its Container Insight Weekly. Such a growth pattern would increase Panama's...
Rotterdam outpaces rivals, with box traffic up 5.8 percent Container traffic jumped 5.8 percent in 2014 at the port of Rotterdam, putting it on track to post one of the highest increases in the fiercely competitive Le Havre-Hamburg port range after years of the port trailing its rivals. Europe's largest container port handled just short of 12.3 million 20-foot-equivalent units...
Sea Star to launch Puerto Rico barge service Jan. 29 Sea Star Line will expand its U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico service on Jan. 29 by launching a weekly container-on-barge service in addition to the carrier's roll-on, roll-off ships. The carrier previously announced plans to add a barge service to the route, which is in transition following Horizon Lines' year-end exit from the...
Asia-Europe rates face steep slump on plunging oil prices Hapag-Lloyd today became the latest carrier to implement a general rate increase - of $850 per TEU - in the Far East-Europe trade just days after rivals, including market leader, Maersk Line, were due to hike rates on the world's biggest liner route. The planned hikes, which were announced in December, seem...
Refrigerated hauler C.R. England raises pay for truck driver trainers As the battle among carriers to attract and keep truck drivers becomes more intense, some carriers are increasing compensation not just for drivers but for driver trainers. Temperature-controlled truckload carrier C.R. England is raising pay for driver trainers by as much as 14.5 percent, bumping up per mile pay for all...
US West Coast port crisis seen spurring shipper technology spending Shippers will increasingly turn to technology to find ways to cope with extreme delays and disruption caused by port congestion, labor disputes and other crises and build more flexibility into their supply chains, says an executive at software provider Descartes Systems Group. However, when a crisis reaches the size and scope...
APMT Mumbai forced to close gates after truck protest turns violent APM Terminals-operated Gateway Terminals India closed its gates Sunday after truck drivers protesting intermittent gate closings at the facility violently clashed with police at the Nhave Sheva port complex. Shippers are concerned that the operations at the two other terminals at India's largest container gateway could be negatively affected, as many...
Asia's emerging markets top Agility logistics index HONG KONG - Asian countries dominated the 2015 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index released today with four nations ranked in the top 10 emerging markets - China, Indonesia, India and Malaysia. Out of the seven Asian countries among the top 20, five are Southeast Asian nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines...
US West Coast marine terminals suspend Monday vessel shifts to reduce backlog U.S. West Coast marine terminals will suspend vessel operations on all shifts Monday so they can concentrate their resources on clearing containers from the dangerously congested facilities, the Pacific Maritime Association reported Sunday. PMA spokesman Steve Getzug said marine terminals continue to experience severe congestion "due to the ILWU's on-going slowdowns." The...
Falling bunker price will help liner reliability, carriers say HONG KONG - Low bunker fuel prices are helping container shipping line balance sheets, but another impact will be improved schedule reliability as carriers can afford to speed up vessels to make up time lost to rising congestion at many ports around the world. Several carrier executives contacted by JOC.com said...
Hong Kong port declines as Singapore grows 2014 throughput HONG KONG - Hong Kong port ended a year it would rather forget with annual container throughput falling for a third consecutive time, registering 22.2 million TEUs in 2014 that was down 0.3 percent on the previous year's numbers. By contrast, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the city's...
China Merchants reports double-digit growth in 2014 HONG KONG - China Merchants Holdings (International) handled 80 million TEUs in 2014, a 13 percent increase over the previous year and a continuation of the double digit growth annual that has been recorded since 2012 by the mainland's largest container port operator. CMHI's throughput mirrors that of China's second largest...
Magnussen buys AMSC stock New American Shipping Company chief executive Pal Magnussen has paid a little over $70,000 for shares in the shipowner.
Teekay ship still stuck Teekay LNG Partners' laden 165,500-cbm LNG carrier Magellan Spirit remains hard aground off Nigeria 15 days after running into the mud as it exited LNG's Bonny Island terminal.
No answers yet Australian investigators are still trying to find out what caused a fire that injured four crew on a livestock carrier in Fremantle last October.
Batting for owners? Sri Lanka's former World Cup-winning cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga is the country's new ports and shipping minister.
Arnell quits Golar LNG post Gary Smith is returning to the chief executive's seat at Golar LNG after Doug Arnell resigned today.
January joy for VLCCs VLCC owners are heading for the most successful start to the year since the onset of the financial crisis, Arctic Securities says.
Vindskip a wind winner? A Norwegian design company is hoping to revolutionise green shipping with a new design for a ship whose huge hull will act like a sail.
Courage in profit warning Following three quarters in the red, Courage Marine has issued a profit warning for the financial year ended 31 December 2014.
At least 27 dead An Italian prosecutor has said the death toll from the fire on the Atlantic Norman is likely to be at least 27.
Owners in capesize scrap spree Capesize bulkers are stacking up for scrap amid a depressing start to 2015 with Meandros Lines of Greece believed to have exited the sector.
Pan Ocean hands out more Restructured Korean shipowner Pan Ocean has awarded $123m of new shares to creditors as part of its emergence from bankruptcy.
Charger in at Costamare Funds controlled by The Charger Corporation have amassed a major shareholding in Greek boxship specialist Costamare.
PSA volumes inch up PSA International has seen its container traffic increase in 2014 thanks to larger ships and a consolidation trend in the liner industry.
Rem fixes out OCV Norway's Rem Offshore has entered into a charter agreement with DeepOcean for the 6,600-dwt construction vessel Rem Forza (built 2008).
Delphis tipped for trio Alexander Saverys-led Delphis is tipped to have made a near $50m move for a trio of containerships.
Owners fined over fuel California has fined four shipowners for not using low-sulphur fuel.
Trio vie for SNCM At least three bidders have lodged offers for bankrupt French ro-pax group SNCM.
Drewry takes up dry giants Drewry has initiated coverage of some of the world's largest public bulker owners amid the expectation of a modest rise in stocks this year.
Brillante Virtuoso loss not fraud The owner of the suezmax tanker, Brillante Virtuoso, rendered a constructive total loss by a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden in 2011 has won a key ruling from London's High Court.
Livestock ship barred A ship carrying thousands of live cows was turned away by Fiji after failing to declare its cargo.
Debut for Turkmen route Kazakhstan national owner KazMorTransFlot will start transporting oil from Turkmenistan ports this month.
DEME adds another Belgian dredging group DEME has ordered a self-propelled jack-up vessel at La Naval shipyard in Spain.
MAIB to survey Cemfjord The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has begun work to survey the wreck of the cargo ship Cemfjord.
CHO deal reaches impasse Falcon Energy Group's bid to take control of CH Offshore has suffered a potentially fatal blow.
Some Osaka water removed Svitzer removed a substantial amount of water from the lower decks of the Hoegh Osaka over the weekend.
Fund lifts DCIX stake A hedge fund now controls over one quarter of the shares in US-listed Diana Containerships, latest disclosures show.
Hedland faces closure Port Hedland may be forced to close as a weather system off the Australian coast threatens to turn into a tropical cyclone.
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