Seaway cruise accident injures 30 Emergency workers used ladders and cranes to evacuate 27 passengers and 3 crew injured when a cruise ship struck the side of a lock in the St Lawrence Seaway. The accident occurred at 2130 h local time on 18 June as the Haimark Lines' Saint Laurent attempted to enter the Eisenhower Lock near
Chilean ports hit by strikes over labour reform Chilean port workers started strikes against a labour reform on 18 June, one day after the lower chamber of Congress had approved it. Although the Ports Union (Unión Portuaria) initially called for an indefinite nationwide strike, the industrial action did not last longer than 24 hours. At the
ECB audit may curb bank lending European commercial loans to ship owners could be further reduced by a new regulatory audit, according to bankers speaking at the annual Marine Money Week conference in New York. Most European shipping banks use their own internal models under the Basel II regulatory regime to rate the risk of
P&I reserves go up Two more P&I Clubs of the International Group have posted positive financial results for 2014/15, beefing up their free reserves. Newcastle-headquartered North P&I - the International Group's second-largest mutual, on a par with the UK P&I Club - reported a net surplus of USD25million which allowed
Sri Lanka to do full EIA on suspended Port City project Sri Lanka's Central Environmental Authority is to do a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the suspended Port City project by the state-owned China Communications Construction Company on reclaimed land off Colombo, the Sri Lankan government announced on Thursday. The EIA is expected to
Evergreen to order 20 box ships for Asia services Taiwanese carrier Evergreen is to place orders for 20 3,000 teu container ships, vice group chairman Bronson Hsieh told a shareholders' conference on 17 June. The orders will expand its Asian services by 20%, he said. South Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding, and CSBC
STX O&S wins up to six VLCCs from John Fredriksen South Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (O&S) has announced that oil tanker magnate John Fredriksen has ordered up to six VLCCs in his personal capacity. The order comprises two firm orders and four options, the company said on 19 June. Each of the 300,000 dwt tankers is 330 m long,
Robbers flee hijacked tanker on rescue boat Eight armed pirates who hijacked a Malaysian-flagged tanker have fled the vessel using its rescue boat, said Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar. In a Twitter post on 19 June, Adm Aziz said the eight men, believed to be Indonesians, fled on the rescue boat at about 2030 h
Chemical tanker sinks in Yangtze River, two missing Two crew members of a chemical tanker are missing after the vessel capsized on the Yangtze River, Nanjing, in the early morning of 18 June. The ship was ferrying around 280 tonnes of liquid caustic soda from Taizhou, Jiangsu, to Hefei, Anhui, when it sank near Chuantian Shipyard. The ship's rated
Mega-ships end link between cities and ports Cities have long been coexisting with ports, but the era of ultra-large container ships (ULCS) threatens to end that link, an industry expert has said. Speaking at the "Shipping, Cities and their Interdependencies" lecture in Singapore on 19 June, International Transport Forum's administrator for
Japan ship export orders rebound in May Orders at Japanese shipyards went up in May 2015, compared with a low base in the same month last year. Figures from the Japan Ship Exporters' Association (JSEA) showed its member shipyards clinched 17 export orders of 1.47 million gt in May 2015, compared with 14 export orders totalling 454,140 gt
Ship deaths spark Australia 'FOC' status probe Suspected murders of three men on board the Panamanian flagged Sage Sagittarius in 2012 yesterday sparked a Senate inquiry into Flag of Convenience shipping in Australia. Already under scrutiny of a coronial inquest, the Sage Sagittarius starred in an Australian Broadcasting Commission
China fines 21 box carriers in antitrust probe Subsidiaries of Chinese state giants and Maersk Line among violators in China-Japan trades
Lim looks to bridge the gaps in the race to lead IMO South Korean candidate Lim Ki-tack is promising to consolidate the best aspects of IMO leadership to steer the embattled UN agency forward
Stronger US and slowing China growth hits Stolt-Nielsen Chemical tanker boss reveals a disappointing year
Fredriksen linked to six VLCC newbuildings Low price of $90m each could drag down overall market value for new VLCCs
Crude tanker rates climb further A notable week, but questions for suezmaxes arise over orderbook and Libyan export issues
Make-or-break summer for HSH Nordbank Catch-22 European Commission ruling on state aid could prove fatal, either way
Battistello says logistics the answer to box lines' woes Contship boss says carriers are depriving themselves of revenue by ignoring landside opportunities
Capesize rates hit 2015 highs But the gloss may have already started to come off
Northern Australia earmarked to be global LNG powerhouse Australia intends to unlock huge potential of resource-rich region
South Carolina sets throughput record SCPA ports handle just over 104,000 boxes
No let-up for Asia-Europe carriers as rates continue to tumble SCFI shows new lows for key east-west trade
Maritime regulators to deepen co-operation on alliance monitoring US, China and EU pledge to work together on container line and port competition oversight
Data Hub: Trade Lane Analysis Asia-Africa trade lanes ship capacities increasing as MSC brings in 8,000 teu vessels
Scorpio Bulkers board approves shareholder rights plan Company adopts a defensive strategy to protect against others gaining control by market accumulation or 'coercive tactics'
Balancing act will challenge the IMO election winner Future secretary-general will need to build the IMO into a more inclusive organisation that can produce policies and rules that are workable, not just aspirational
Congressmen talk harbor improvements at Port of Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. - The North Carolina State Ports Authority welcomed Congressman Bill Shuster (PA-9) and Congressman David Rouzer (NC-7) to the Port of Wilmington on Friday where they discussed the importance of the Wilmington Harbor and the Port of Wilmington's impact on the state's economy. "This is an exciting time for...
Georgia, South Carolina provide $2.5 million for Jasper port planning Preliminary studies for the proposed Jasper Ocean Terminal on the Georgia-South Carolina border will continue during the next fiscal year with $2.5 million in funding from the states' port authorities. If built, the proposed terminal would handle large container ships at a 1,500-acre site along the Savannah River. The land is...
China fines 21 carriers for misreporting rates China has fined 21 container carriers a total of RMB 4.25 million ($684,000) for providing customers in the China-Japan trade with rates below officially quoted levels. The Chinese Ministry of Transport announced the administrative fines, saying the carriers violated China's regulations on international maritime transportation. The fines grew out of an investigation...
Balancing costs and threats of piracy When it comes to piracy, carriers must balance the speeds and routes their vessels take with crew safety and delivering maximum efficiency to clients. Typically, ships move at slower than their maximum speeds to reduce fuel usage and increase savings for both carriers and customers alike. While these benefits are tangible,...
Con-way Inc. elects new board members ANN ARBOR, Mich. - June 18, 2015 - Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW) announced that Gretchen W. McClain and Matthew J. Espe have been appointed to the Con-way Inc. Board of Directors. The appointments were effective June 16. The addition of Ms. McClain and Mr. Espe, along with the recent election to...
Samskip named Regional Carrier of the Year Samskip has been declared the winner of the Regional Carrier of the Year by judges of the prestigious Containerisation Awards, 2015. Considered to be the ultimate accolade for service providers involved in unitised transport, this year's Containerisation Awards were staged at London's Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge on Thursday, June 18. "This...
APM Terminals wins 2015 innovation award LONDON - APM Terminals' new Maasvlakte II facility was named the winner of the "Innovation of the Year" award at the 4th Annual Containerisation International Awards ceremony held in London yesterday, in recognition of the industry-changing technological advances represented by the world's first fully-automated and emissions-free, sustainably-powered container terminal. The advanced...
Management chief defends ILWU contract LONG BEACH, California - Critics of the five-year contract ratified in May by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association say the benefits were weighted heavily in favor of the union, but PMA President Jim McKenna says that wasn't the case at all. Citing measures to stop...
Tanzania to tax imports to finance rail projects Tanzania has instituted a 1.5 percent levy on all imports to fund rail projects intended to bolster national and international connectivity. The new tax, based on the price, insurance and transportation of imports, will help the country raise $14.2 billion for rail projects. One railway, at a cost $7.6 billion and length...
Crowley adds North Atlantic-Puerto Rico sailing Crowley Maritime will add a roundtrip monthly sailing between the Philadelphia area and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to meet demand in a tight southbound market. The added sailing by a triple-deck roll-on, roll-off barge capable of carrying 345 loads is the latest in a series of service expansions that Crowley and...
Three yards in the running for Evergreen's 20 small-ship order Evergreen Line will order 20 new vessels, each with capacity for 3,000 20-foot-equivalent units, Vice Group Chairman Bronson Hsieh said at a shareholders' meeting Wednesday. The news comes just days after shipping analysts said they suspected a decline in the number of smaller capacity ships in the past five years could...
Surplus capacity, weak demand clouds outlook for Asia's cargo carriers Global economic uncertainty and a slowing China continues to hang over cargo markets, with air and ocean transportation providers struggling to match capacity to demand while having little visibility going into the second half of 2015. With most of the world's supply chains beginning in Asia, transportation providers will feel the...
Shipowners debate merits of megaships NEW YORK - Far from being out of sync with the global market, the mega-ships that are being deployed today are a natural evolution of the growth in global demand, according to an executive of one of the largest container ship chartering companies. "A 20,000 twenty-foot-equivalent unit vessel is completely in...
UPS to build pharmaceutical hub in Netherlands LONDON - UPS has begun the construction of a new healthcare distribution center in the Netherlands a month after it opened a pharmaceuticals freight forwarding facility at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. The new 28,000 square metres (301,000 square feet) facility in Roermond scheduled for completion in January 2016 "is part of UPS's...
Freighter orders at Paris Air Show signal confidence in all-cargo option HONG KONG - Any suggestion that freighter aircraft would play a lesser role in the supply chains of the future was firmly put to bed with 29 the number of all-cargo planes ordered from Boeing by the time the Paris Air Show ended this week.Russian airline Volga Dnepr signed a...
Asia-Europe rates shed 80 percent in a year, SCFI data shows HONG KONG - Asia-Europe freight rates are now 82 percent lower than at the same time last year, dropping by 15.6 percent this week to settle at the latest record low of $205 per 20-foot container, according to the latest reading of the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index.This time of year...
Freighter orders at Paris Air Show signal confidence in all-cargo option HONG KONG - Any suggestion that freighter aircraft would play a lesser role in the supply chains of the future was firmly put to bed with 29 the number of all-cargo planes ordered from Boeing by the time the Paris Air Show ended this week.Russian airline Volga Dnepr signed a...
Top U.S. port lobby wary of port performance bill WASHINGTON - A U.S. trade group representing public port authorities Thursday voiced its strong opposition to new legislation aimed at providing Congress with a database of port performance metrics in order to avoid a repeat of the crippling West Coast longshore labor negotiations earlier this year. In a letter to the...
US, European, Chinese regulators to work together to monitor shipping alliances U.S, European and Chinese maritime regulators on Thursday agreed to work together to keep a sharper eye on massive shipping alliances. The meeting in Brussels attended by the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition and the Chinese Ministry of Transport officials comes as shippers groups urge authorities...
Port of Virginia reports profits along with record volume The Port of Virginia's record container volume in May was accompanied by a $4.5 million operating profit, the port's best monthly financial performance in its 2015 fiscal year, which ends June 30. Click to EnlargeThe port's May volume was 230,511 twenty-foot-equivalent units, up 13 percent year-over-year. It was the port's seventh...
Grimaldi inks up to 12 Italy's Grimaldi Group has inked a deal worth $720m for up to a dozen Pure Car Truck Carriers (PCTC).
A Korean Cargill? South Korea's largest meat producer is aiming to turn its new acquisition Pan Ocean into a diversified company modelled on US commodities giant Cargill.
Ceylon eyes shipowning Sri Lanka's state shipping company reveals plans to acquire its own vessels.
Tonnage list lengthens The weak recovery in platform supply ship (PSV) rates is being threatened by the build-up of vessels in North Sea ports once more.
All weather cover A bleak outlook for hull underwriters, what tomorrow holds and classification pride.
BBC opens up route Germany's BBC Chartering is offering up extra space on a new regular service to the US for Airbus.
Cruiseship hits wall Injuries reported after Great Lakes vessel bashes the side in Saint Lawrence seaway.
Fred Olsen close to deal Fred Olsen is close to securing fresh investment in its UK onshore windfarms.
SCF suezmax aground Russian owner's SCF Khibiny stuck off Istanbul; no pollution reported.
VLCC sales streak extends A frenzy of VLCC sale and purchase activity has continued with a Dr Peters tanker the latest to change hands.
Shifting "bullets" The recent move of giant LPG storage tanks from northern Spain presented a tricky challenge for Braemar SA.
Greeks hold firm Despite the financial woes faced by their country and the global shipping industry, Greek owners have managed to keep a prime position internationally, a report shows.
Crowley expands ro-ro route Crowley Maritime Corp is adding ro-ro sailings to Puerto Rico to meet growing demand this summer.
Fredriksen's firm price John Fredriksen has secured a series of VLCC newbuildings at the lowest price paid globally in 18 months.
Bibby Line stronger UK owner Bibby Line Group has posted higher profit from its shipping operations as offshore and floatels increased their contributions.
Japanese eye drillships Japanese yards have been linked to a takeover of shipowner Sete Brasil's cancelled drillship order for Petrobras.
Taiwan Nav profit falls Bulker owner Taiwan Navigation has posted lower earnings in the first quarter as revenue fell.
Orkim Harmony recovered A product tanker hijacked last week is heading back to Malaysia after the perpetrators abandoned the vessel.
HERO heads for Chapter 11 Hercules Offshore has entered into a restructuring agreement with a majority of its debtors, the company has confirmed.
Tanker being shadowed Malaysian is reported to be in negotiations with the hijackers of a product tanker, according to media reports.
Ditch oil export ban The US should lift its ban on oil exports to take full economic and geopolitical advantage of its fracturing boom, says a new study.
Update: Orkim Harmony hijackers caught Group of eight found in a lifeboat near Tho Chu Island, Vietnam.
Dangers of fuel switching 'can be controlled' 'Fuel switching is already done safely in jurisdictions all around the world,' says NSW official.
Iron ore prices buoyed by slow steaming Bulk carriers have extended sailing times to reduce fuel costs.
More shots fired in Sydney emissions row Engine failure from fuel switchover highlighted by critics.
Judge refuses to quash charges against Monjasa Application to drop the charges 'lacks merit'.
Canadian company wins Navy and Coast Guard contract Specialises in selling bio-free ECA-compliant MGO.
Iron ore prices bouyed by slow steaming Bulk carriers have extended sailing times to reduce fuel costs.
Bio-fuel entrepreneur sets out stall Similar market share as LNG predicted by 2020.
Hijacked oil tanker freed Crew safe, Malaysian navy pursing hijackers.
Lukoil may expand supply of its Eco Marine Fuel Product selling at big discount to MGO has 'good potential to grow'.
Bunkering sales up for Korean firm Operating profit for bunkering has increased 8% on year, says SK Shipping.
Terminal operator mulls oil trading move Along with expanding pipeline business.
Terminal operator considers entry into oil trading sector Move will be a first for the company, if it goes ahead.
Condition survey reminder issued for fuel oil tankers Survey applies of certain vessels aged 10 years or more, says P&I club.
Bunkering resumes at Houston Ports in the area halted operations due to bad weather.
IGF Code has 'limitations' Does not provide in-depth training requirements, bunkering interface and port specific operational requirements, says LNG specialist.
Cape Town fuel storage terminal receives 'eco' approval Construction will begin once all relevant permits, licences have been acquired.
- Via Raffaele Paolucci 17r/19r - 16129 Genoa - ITALY
phone: +39.010.2462122, fax: +39.010.2516768, e-mail
VAT number: 03532950106
Press Reg.: nr 33/96 Genoa Court
Editor in chief: Bruno Bellio No part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher
- Via Raffaele Paolucci 17r/19r - 16129 Genoa - ITALY
