EU to set up 'white list' on marine safety THE European Commission seems certain to take an increasingly hard and independent line on marine safety, delegates at the LSM European Manning and Training Conference were told yesterday.
Ministers split over European plan to reform shipyard aid EUROPEAN Union industry ministers are split over European Commission proposals for reforming shipbuilding subsidies, including the end to operating aid of up to 9% of contract value, writes Nigel Tutt, Brussels.
No slip-ups on bananas as owners learn their lesson SEVERAL shipowners have turned their backs on the traditional October-November vessel trek to the Caribbean region ready to offer their services for early banana cargoes.
Maersk bites into meat market MAERSK Line has quietly gained an important foothold in the transport of sheepmeat from New Zealand, writes James Brewer.
Halla signs tanker deal COMPETITION in the crude carrier construction sector has been given a new edge with the first successful foray into the suezmax field by South Korean shipbuilder Halla Engineering & Heavy Industries.
Germany's shipbuilding aid continues Germany will, after all, continue shipbuilding aid for vessels ordered in 1998, according to a vote taken in the Bonn parliament's budget committee, write Sabina Casagrande and Herbert Fromme, Bonn.
Brussels will back RfD sale THE sale of Channel Tunnel blocktrain operator Railfreight Distribution (RfD) will be approved by the European Commission within the next two weeks, the prospective buyer said yesterday.
'Nissos' master faces jail and fine KONSTANTINOS Spiropulos, master of the Greek-flag Nissos Amorgos which grounded in Venezuela's notorious Maracaibo channel in February, faces up to three years imprisonment and a $25,000 fine if found guilty of damaging the Venezuelan environment, writes Sandra Speares.
Stolt Spirit fires now under controlFIRES which spread from the engineroom to upper deck areas of the petrochemical tanker Stolt Spirit on November 11 have now largely been contained.
MTW lays keel in Europe's largest building hall WISMAR, Germany-based MTW Shipyard is to lay the keel section of the first of five 2,470 teu containerships tomorrow.
Olsen companies fall into the red HIGH rates paid for freight ferries chartered in and problems with a cruise liner have dragged the combined pre-tax result of two Olsen companies heavily into the red.
Jahre Tankers contracts suezmax from Halla JAHRE Tankers, a publicly listed Norwegian owner of Suezmax tankers, has ordered a 152,800 dwt suezmax from the Halla Shipyard in South Korea.
Sri Lanka seeks $1bn for Colombo plan SRI Lanka is seeking public and private sector investment amounting to $1bn to develop Colombo as south Asia's hub port.
Chinese repairer to seek foreign finance NEWLY established Dalian Cosco Ship Repair Co says it intends to bring in foreign investment for the second and third stages of construction of the facility.
Five missing after Aegean collision FIVE Lithuanian seamen have been missing since the early hours of this morning after their ship sank following a collision with another vessel in the Aegean Sea.
Singamas moves out of mid-stream SINGAMAS Container Holdings is sub-contracting its mid-stream operations in Hong Kong in a move to cut costs.
Taiwanese line to inaugurate catamaran link TAIWAN'S Victoria Transports is planning to inaugurate a high-speed ferry service between Taichung and the islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
Lines divert to avoid LA diversion CONTINUING rail congestion in the Los Angeles area has resulted in more ships diverting to other ports while some carriers have changed their west coast schedules.
US rail congestion delays grain shipments SEVERE rail congestion problems in the US are delaying grain shipments as the 1997 harvest begins to move to market.
Hanjin to offer global network HANJIN, the South Korean operator, is planning to provide a global liner network by March 1998 in co-operation with DSR-Senator Line and Cho Yang.
China proposes training exchanges BEIJING has proposed exchanging students and professors between academies in China and Hong Kong to achieve higher standards of seafarer training.
Seventeen vessels left Greek flag in October THE Greek ship register saw a significant decline in October as 17 vessels aggregating 271,885 gt departed, most heading for the Panamanian or Liberian flags.
Lamnalco to invest $240m LAMNALCO, the UAE-based marine and offshore contractor, is to invest $240m towards a five-year expansion programme.
Japanese dockers to strike on November 21 THE National Council of Dock Workers' Unions of Japan has called a 24-hour strike on November 21.
OSG to sell ten bulkers NEW YORK-based Overseas Shipholding Group is to sell ten of its oldest bulk carriers in an effort to reduce outstanding debt.
Patrick suspends five in Brisbane Patrick yesterday suspended five members of the Maritime Union of Australia in Brisbane. The five workers were apparently caught "nicking off" on Wednesday. As the suspensions took place at press time, no further information was immediately available. However, the suspension of five workers in Brisbane and two in Fremantle is likely to increase tensions on the waterfront. While a strike and a go-slow followed the dismissals in Fremantle, there was no indication at press-time whether similar action will be taken in Brisbane. The company has dropped plans of pursuing the alleged go-slow in the port of Fremantle with the Australian Industrial Relations. The go-slow followed the dismissal of two workers who were alleged to have been caught "nicking off" last week.
ITF challenges P&O in Colombo The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) move to oppose the privatisation of a port facility in Colombo was yesterday described as "disappointing" by the managing director of P&O Ports Ltd, Captain Richard Setchell. P&O Ports Ltd is one of the partners in the Colombo venture and holds a seven year management concession over the facility. "They don't understand the facts or the commercial realities of today's world," Captain Setchell said with reference to the ITF's opposition. "Everywhere around the world, even their neighbours in the north, are privatising their ports so the government can spend whatever surplus funds it's got on more needy social needs, such as hospitals, roads and schools." Captain Setchell made the point that the infrastructure developed by private industry can never be taken away from Sri Lanka. "So why not let foreign money build these infrastructure projects and they forever belong to Sri Lanka," he added. He said there was no intention of withdrawing from the project with the Sri Lankan authorities nominating 15 December for the signing of the 30 year concession and 1 March, 1998, for the takeover of the facility by the joint venture.
Port Kembla to ship softwood logs The first shipment of softwood logs has sailed from Port Kembla to South Korea. About 20,000 tonnes of logs will be exported over the next few months, developing an export industry that could earn New South Wales about $1.5 million per annum and create more than 30 jobs in harvesting, transport, log marshalling and stevedoring. "The New South Wales government plans to expand its softwood plantations to 210,000 hectares by 2000 and logs surplus to domestic downstream processing needs can be exported to boost the regional economies of Oberon and Wollongong and the state as a whole," the New South Wales Minister for Land and Water Conservation, Kim Yeadon, who attended the first shipment, said. The Port Kembla Port Corporation worked closely with State Forests to secure the export contract with Australian Plantation Exports which will on-sell the logs to South Korea's Hyosung Corporation. The contract is part of the Corporation's strategic development plan to utilise the large amount of available land to develop new cargo handling and storage facilities at the port. "Our 80 hectares of greenfield sites, coupled with our flexible pricing packages for new users, will allow us to build a more diverse profile of importers and exporters and ensure profitable returns for the port and for this region," the chief executive officer of the Port Kembla Port Corporation, Phillip McGavin, said.
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