Bulker detained for safety shortfalls Deficient fire safety equipment has led US Coast Guard (USCG) inspectors to detain a Greek bulker at the Port of Tacoma until the issues can be resolved. A team from the agency's Puget Sound sector found the deficiencies on the 81,700 dwt Rena while conducting a routine inspection on 24 September.
Med ECA remains out of sight There is no medium-term prospect of the Mediterranean following other seas of the European Union (EU) and becoming a sulphur emission control area (ECA). While EU countries bordering the Mediterranean might, in principle, be in favour of forming an ECA, Jordi Vila, head of port operations and
Höegh Transporter slams shipper after "highly regrettable" detention The Höegh Transporter ro-ro ship, detained at Mombasa due to the discovery of undeclared weapons on board, was released on 25 September. The ship was detained on 17 September when it was boarded by Kenyan authorities in search of weapons and drugs. While no drugs were found, weapons were found
Wisdom Marine orders Handysize bulkers at Namura Taiwanese bulker owner Wisdom Marine has ordered two 34,000 dwt bulk carriers at Japan's Namura Shipbuilding. It announced in a Taiwan Stock Exchange filing that the two newbuildings would cost no more than USD44 million in total. The ships would be delivered by 2H16. The latest order means
Topaz contracts two OSCVs Dubai-based offshore oilfield service provider Topaz Energy and Marine has ordered two offshore subsea construction vessels (OSCVs) from Singapore-listed Norwegian shipbuilder VARD Holdings. The vessels, which are intended for crane operations, will be of VARD 3 08 design, measuring a total length
Busan completes maritime cluster South Korean port city Busan has moved closer to its goal of becoming a shipping centre with the completion of a maritime cluster on 25 September. A 610,000 m² area in the city's Dongsam district was earmarked as a cluster for the domestic maritime and fisheries industry as part of the Busan
Tampa dredging benefits rare birds Multiple projects to both aid the port of Tampa Bay's navigational safety and enhance wildlife habitats involving its two dredged material disposal islands in Hillsborough Bay were completed in September 2015. The Florida port is home to some extremely rare birds and its large dredged material
Southeast Asia crime tops the week Pirate and maritime crime activity in Southeast Asian waters is "at a high level" for the week of 20 September, according to intelligence co-ordinator MARLO. A total of four incidents were recorded in the MARLO Piracy Analysis and Threat to Shipping report, as against two the previous week.
EU meets to decide on HNS Convention 2010 European Union member states meet today to consider ratification of the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by sea convention (HNS Convention 1996) as amended by the 2010 Protocol. The updated regulation, which shipping associations have called on member states to ratify, would ensure
Sainty Marine disagrees on liquidation plan for Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Shenzhen-listed Sainty Marine said it has objected to a liquidation plan for defunct Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry (NMHI), which was given by the yard's receiver. Sainty Marine forwarded its decision to the receiver on 25 September, a stock filing of the company said. If the plan could not be
Rena's remains could stay on Astrolabe Reef for a price Owners of MV Rena that sank off Tauranga, New Zealand in 2011 could get the nod to leave most of the wreck on Astrolabe Reef, for a price. Bay of Plenty Regional Council lawyers told the hearings last week that the council may agree to the wreck remaining, if Daina Shipping paid a NZD6.2 million
Fire in Hong Kong typhoon shelter injures five, damages vessels A fire broke out at the Shau Kei Wan typhoon shelter in Hong Kong on 27 September, injuring five people and damaging nine vessels. Private yachts and fishing vessels at the shelter's anchorage were damaged in the incident, as vessels on fire drifted towards other vessels in the vicinity. Five
Essar Shipping CEO: Excessive automation compromises safety Excessive automation on board merchant ships is endangering safety at sea, Essar Shipping director and CEO Captain Anoop Kumar Sharma warned. "If there is an equipment malfunctioning at sea, nobody is able to repair," he told the INMEX-SMM India conference in Mumbai that concluded on 24 September.
VLCC spot rates steady as Middle East pace slows End of week offers potential to generate rate gains amid possible chartering flurry
Australia oversupply weighs on Micelyn Express Offshore Impairment loss brings negative result for offshore operator
German owners to get crew salary tax break VDR says political support lined up for implementation from January 1
ZMPC delivers three more cranes to Felixstowe Cranes will increase ULC handling capacity at UK's busiest port
Scorpio Bulkers continues share buy-back programme Latest purchase by affiliated entity Scorpio Services Holding lifts its ownership of Scorpio Bulkers to 6.3%
Handysize index softens to 10-week low Listless trading ahead of China's Golden Week holiday
Havila AHTS pair joins North Sea lay-up fleet Company cuts operating expenses as it rules out imminent market recovery
Reorganised MHI units to start operations on October 1 Two new subsidiaries aim to be more competitive, with focused product lines and streamlined business operations
Tanker Investments doubles size of its share repurchase programme Directors set aside an extra $30m for buying back stock on the Oslo exchange
Odfjell refinances vessels Chemical tanker outfit has completed its 2015 scheduled refinancing, giving it $43.8m in surplus liquidity
Hapag-Lloyd to order 20,000 teu ships after $500m IPO Shareholder Tui to sell stake as German line prepares to invest proceeds in ships and containers
Topaz Energy expands offshore fleet Topaz Energy concludes deal with Vard Holdings for the construction of two offshore subsea construction vessels
Höegh car carrier released from Mombasa Vessel has continued on its ocean voyage to South Africa, West Africa and Mexico
US Senators introduce bill to ban crude oil shipping on Great Lakes Legislation aims to enhance pipeline safety to protect the Great Lakes region
Wisdom Marine expands orderbook despite market woes Profit-making Taiwanese owner orders two handysize bulkers from Namura Shipbuilding
The verification game Containers have been carried by sea for nearly half a century but finding the correct weight of a box is still causing furrowed brows
Werner extends truck driver apprenticeship program Werner Enterprises is extending an apprenticeship program designed to attract military veterans to trucking from 12 months to 24 months, with the blessing of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The extension means eligible veterans under the Post 9/11 GI Bill can now receive up to $22,555.20 of their tax-free education...
UPS looks past China economic slowdown to expand in mid-tier cities UPS is expanding its footprint in China with offices in 13 new cities, a reflection of the parcel giant's confidence in the Chinese market despite the recent economic slowdown there. The fully array of UPS services - including customs brokerage and logistics consultation - will now be available to customers in...
UTi expands Mexico warehousing footprint to serve auto, high-tech shippers UTi Worldwide has opened a 27,000 square foot warehouse in north central Mexico to serve automotive and high-tech manufacturers exporting products to the nearby U.S. market. The facility in Irapuato, Mexico, allows for vendor managed inventory, sub-assembly, kitting and ship-to-line models, along with UTi's freight forwarding, cross-border and distribution services. The...
Canadian shipper Capital Paper upgrades supply chain Canadian distributor Capital Paper is consolidating multiple supply chain systems into a single comprehensive software platform to drive real-time visibility into purchases and inventory. The distributor is implementing the NCR Power Enterprise software platform, which includes warehouse management, transportation optimization, warehouse and store replenishment, merchandising, and store and custom
Navigating the World of Tougher Product Safety and Compliance Requirements Navigating the World of Tougher Product Safety and Compliance Requirements Global organizations are operating their supply chains in an environment of increasing complexity and ever-changing regulatory constraints. The product safety and compliance risks involved are especially persistent and costly, and achieving supply chain excellence in these areas is a journey with...
Logistics acquisition targets specialized, oversize trucking business When it came to increasing market share, Absolute Worldwide Logistics had a unique idea. Rather than buying another third-party logistics company or a motor carrier, Absolute purchased shipmymachinery.com, a portal that provides leads to specialized transportation business. The acquisition gives Absolute, a multimodal 3PL founded in 2011, deeper reach into the...
EU in no hurry to adopt sulfur emission rules for carriers in Med There is no "medium-term" prospect of the European Union expanding sulfur emission regulations for container lines to the Mediterranean, a Port of Barcelona executive said last week. That poses a stumbling block for EU states looking to crack down on emissions in so-called Sulphur Emission Control Areas on intra-Europe lanes, which...
DHL elevates Africa logistics veteran to manage Sub-Sahara operations DHL Express has promoted a veteran African logistics executive to managing director of Sub-Saharan Africa operations for the global parcel giant. Hennie Heymans -who joined joined the German company in 2001 as head of the direct business unit where he was responsible for telesales, agent and retail operations in Namibia, Swaziland...
Congressional watchdog: US-flag rules boost food-aid transport costs U.S.-flag requirements raised shipping costs of taxpayer-funded international food aid by 23 percent between 2011 and 2014, according to a government report that provides fresh ammunition to critics of U.S. cargo preference laws. Using cheaper non-U.S.-flag ships would have saved $107.1 million on food aid transportation during the four-year span, according to...
Maersk Sealand reliability improves after bumpy start Maersk SeaLand, launched in January to provide a more specialized service in the Americas, got off to a rough start with reliability of around 50 percent, but in the ensuing months the company said it has made major progress meeting shippers' needs. SeaLand has focused on its feeder network to...
Dominican Republic transshipment hub expands The DP World Caucedo transshipment hub in the Dominican Republic is moving forward with upgrades to accommodate the larger vessels that will be able to traverse the expanded Panama Canal next year and provide shippers with more warehouse capacity. With a limited number of U.S. East Coast and Caribbean ports able...
How one typo can alter a contract's meaning Q: We're a freight bill auditing company. One of our clients has a contract with a carrier in which a typographical error apparently was made, and I'm looking for advice on how to interpret the contract. The carrier's tariff has a provision stating that a shipment is to be considered a...
CEVA: Truck over rail slashes LCL transit times LONDON - CEVA Logistics claims changes to its less-than-container-load export system and the use of trucks instead of rail have cut local transit times for U.S. exports by as much as 14 days compared with the schedules of rival operators. The company said it has nearly doubled its network of container...
EBRD buys minority stake in Turkish port operator Global Port Holdings' Port of Adria in Bar, Montenegro.LONDON - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced the acquisition of a minority stake in Turkish port operator, Global Ports Holding, just weeks after a near $1 billion Chinese investment in the country's waterfront. The London-based bank did not reveal...
Hapag-Lloyd unveils plan for $5.6 billion IPO this year LONDON - Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest ocear carrier by capacity, today unveiled plans for an initial public offering before the end of the year that is set to raise around $500 million to help fund the acquisition of mega-ships and value the company at around 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion). Germany's largest...
Indian government caves to labor pressure, backs off port reform Port of Mundra. Credit: Felix DanceThe Indian federal government is retreating from a controversial "corporatization" plan to transform 'major', or public, port trusts into independent companies following stiff opposition from labor unions and some political groups, dealing a big blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reform efforts to stimulate trade...
NewLead mine buy dies NewLead Holdings's effort to buy a mine in Cumberland County, Kentucky, has fallen through, marking another blow to the shipowner's efforts to diversify into the coal business.
Wall Street takes drubbing All but a few maritime shares suffered a beating Monday as New York stocks tumbled, with concerns over China and low energy prices weighing on investors despite analysts' insistence that shipping fundamentals remain essentially unchanged.
Judge orders GMI ship freed Global Maritime Investments (GMI) has secured a US court order aiming to lift the arrest of a bulker in France.
TIL targets $20m Teekay spin-off Tanker Investments (TIL) has wasted no time in turning on the taps for an upsized share buyback.
Seamec keeps Princess busy Indian offshore vessel owner secures short-term employment for diving support vessel in UAE.
Executives add more SALT Scorpio Bulkers executives have made another call to their broker and added more shares in one of Wall Street's largest dry cargo owners.
How many ships? Dutch shipbuilder Damen is taking the delivery of its vessels very seriously indeed.
Magic number in sight VLCC rates are likely to push beyond $100,000 per day at times in the fourth quarter this year, Clarksons Platou Securities says.
Hair-raising incident on ro-pax Two ferry crew suffered from smoke inhalation after a hair-dryer started a fire in a cabin in the Baltic Sea.
Polish seafarers die Two Polish sailors have died due to food poisoning on a multi-purpose vessel.
Victoria refloated A damaged Hong Kong bulker has been pulled free from a shoal off Sweden after a week.
Dof strikes $351m deals Oslo-listed owner signs multiple contracts in Canada, Mexico and Asia; shares surge 10%.
Wartsila signs GasLog deal Finnish ship systems group Wartsila is to monitor the reliability of seven LNG carriers owned by Greece's GasLog.
Havila lays-up AHTS pair Havila Shipping has joined the raft of offshore owners laying-up tonnage with two of its four anchor handlers being withdrawn from the market.
Call us Dubai's Gulf Navigation wants shareholders to get in touch to claim dividends owed from previous years.
Hapag in $500m IPO World's fourth largest container line sets out plans to float in Frankfurt this year.
EBRD takes Turkish stake European development bank buys into ports operator GPH ahead of IPO.
TIL boosts buyback Oslo-listed Tanker Investments (TIL) has upped its share buyback budget by $30m.
Tanker demo collapses Lack of scrapping combined with growing orderbook could be storing up trouble for 2017.
DB upbeat on bulk Deutsche Bank looks to have gone out on a limb and adopted a more positive stance on prospects for the dry bulk sector.
Hoegh PCTC released A Hoegh Autoliners PCTC has been released from detention in Mombasa, Kenya, the Norwegian owner has confirmed.
Vard bags Topaz newbuilds Dubai-based shipowner says it is taking advantage of industry turmoil to secure good deal.
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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