Cruise blow for Thames 2000 party LONDON'S proposed new cruise terminal, heralded as a key part of the millennium celebrations, is unlikely to be operational until the 2000 cruise season at the earliest.
Cosco and China Merchants in $250m fund-raising move TWO of China's leading shipping groups, Cosco and China Merchants plan to raise $250m on the international markets this week.
First Olsen warning of more tanker stagnation Norway's First Olsen Tankers has predicted continued stagnation in the tanker market throughout 1999 and a commensurate decline in its own profitability for next year.
Rates benefit Mosvold third quarter SATISFACTORY freight rates helped Norway's Mosvold Shipping, which operates four very large crude carriers, report a profit-making third quarter, writes Rajesh Joshi, Oslo Correspondent.
Argentina to relax rules on port owners THE authorities in Buenos Aires are to remove restrictions which have prevented consolidation among puerto nuevo terminal operators.
Court to decide saga of Uruguay privatisation Uruguay's port privatisation saga could be decided this month, according to the head of the Montevideo port authority.
US move to keep forces in Panama NINE of the most influential members of the US House of Representatives have proposed legislation providing key trade and financial benefits for Panama if that country allows US armed forces to remain until at least 2015 in order to battle narcotics trafficking.
Tribunal rejects unfair dismissal claim of Killick Martin broker AN employment tribunal has rejected a claim that Baltic Exchange shipbroker Lyn Gale-Vine was unfairly dismissed by London-based Killick Martin Chartering.
MSC 'negotiating La Spezia stake' MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Co is widely rumoured to be negotiating a significant stake in La Spezia Container Terminal.
Liferafts found from missing barquentine TWO empty liferafts have been found from a barquentine with 31 people on board that has been missing for a week in the Caribbean.
Further waterway problems for Europe INLAND shipping companies operating on the lower levels of the Rhine expect high water levels to take two weeks to return to normal.
Rotterdam seeks proof of de-bugging ROTTERDAM Port will demand that ships show they have countered the effects of the millennium bug and that they operate with greater safety margins on January 1, 2000.
Commodore raises expansion funds FLORIDA-based Commodore Holdings is raising $10m to re-finance an existing loan and to finance expansion..
Subic identifies expansion sites SUBIC Bay Metropolitan Authority has identified areas where it could develop the freeport's planned expansion.
Tilbury takes box terminal stake PORT of Tilbury London on the river Thames is taking a one-third share in Tilbury Container Services.
Liner majors to raise Asian rates CHIEF executives of 13 major trans-Pacific container shipping lines, meeting in Tokyo last week, have agreed to raise eastbound freight rates from Asia to the US.
Kotug's arrival hits Bremerhaven operators TWO Bremerhaven-based tug operators are planning to cut the number of tugs and personnel used when Dutch rival Kotug arrives in January.
Lines form west coast link GERMANY'S Columbus Line, the TMM group of Mexico and Maruba of Brazil are forming a joint service linking the west coasts of North, Central and South America.
Owners warn Panama of pull-out FOREIGN shipowners and shipmanagers using Filipino crew under the Panamanian flag have warned of a massive flag out.
Port company terminates Suharto contracts PELINDO II, the Indonesian state port operator, has terminated contracts with 24 companies largely owned by the family of former-president Suharto.
Melbourne seeks expansion investment MELBOURNE, Australia's largest container port, has flagged its intention to seek major investment to expand the port's capacity.
Sea Ventures plans US-flag cruise ships SEA Ventures, a cruise industry development company, has announced its intention to build three 41,800 gt cruiseships in a US shipyard for Jones Act trading.
APL to sell rail network OAKLAND-based American President Lines is to sell its container rail network, Stacktrain Services.
Port Raysut opens for business PORT Raysut on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula opened for business on November 1.
Rotterdam souhaite une livraison et collecte des marchandises containerisées 24 h sur 24 Il n'a pas été facile de convaincre l'organisation des chargeurs EVO, mais maintenant elle est prête à coopérer à trois projets pilotes qui pourront traiter le flux croissant de containers à Rotterdam. L'EVO, ensemble avec Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, des armements, ECT, Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), Vereniging van Zeecontainervervoerders (VZV), Fenex, Rotterdam Interne Logistiek et Platform Modal Split , vont en arriver à un système de traitement logistique 24 h sur 24. Les partis concernés choisiront bientôt trois projets pilotes parmi les cinq concepts de base proposés.
Le Harry Vos Groep change son nom en Vos Logistics Toutes les 26 filiales du groupe néerlandais Harry Vos Groep opèrent, depuis le 1er novembre, sous le nom de Vos Logistics. Une plus grande consistance envers les clients et plus de contrôle sur la totalité des services de transport au sein de l'entreprise en résulteront. Les activités de Vos Logstics ressortissent de trois business units (Cargo,Vracs et Citerne) et les activités annexes seront vendues ou données en sous-traitance.
Nordana Line troque le ro/ro pour le multipurpose lo-lo A la fin du mois de mai dernier, l'armement Nordana Line, une division du groupe Danebrog Rederi AS, lançait un nouveau service régulier combiné sur l'Afrique de l'Est avec une flotte de trois multipurpose affrétés du type "Astrakan ro/ro". La rotation se limite pour l'instant à quatre ports, à savoir Anvers port de base, Tilbury et de l'autre côté Mombasa et Dar-Es-Salaam. Ce service est aujourd'hui à la veille d'une mutation en ce sens que l'armement modifie sa stratégie opérationnelle en remplaçant les "Astrakans" par des multipurpose impliquant des manutentions intégralement en lo/lo.
Deutsche Post acquiert 50% de Securicor Distribution Services La société postale d'Etat allemande Deutsche Post - qui sera privatisée dans deux ans - et le groupe britannique Secoricor plc sont arrivés à un accord visant à la création d'une joint-venture baptisée Europack. Dans le cadre de cet accord, Securicor vendra une participation de 50% dans Securicor Distribution Services (SDD) à Deutsche Post pour un montant de 223 millions de GBP (dont 200 mio. en cash). Les réseaux des deux entreprises dans le domaine des colis business-to-business seront fusionnés. D'autres activités que le colis sont également concernées par la transaction.
Users rubbish CTAL claims Claims by P&O Ports that the situation at Container Terminals Australia Ltd at Port Botany is improving have been greeted by more complaints from the industry. The chief executive of Tasman Express Line Ltd, Ron Longley, told DCN yesterday that unless there was "an immediate return to normality" the shipping line would advocate the introduction of a congestion surcharge. "The impact on Tasman Express, as a dedicated trans-Tasman shipping line, is serious," Mr Longley said. "Analysis of the time that our vessels have spent alongside in Sydney during the Maritime Union of Australia go-slow shows that it has increased by over 50 per cent from that time that our vessels normally spend alongside.
FreightCorp trials Melb service National Rail's stranglehold on interstate intermodal business appears to be coming under increasing pressure, with revelations that aggressive NSW rail freight operator FreightCorp will today begin interstate trials with one of NR's biggest customers. It is understood that FreightCorp will today send its first intermodal freight train between Sydney and Melbourne for plastics forwarding organisation, the CRT Group. The start-up of the trial service, with a view to regular scheduled services in the near future, is significant as it marks FreightCorp's first foray across southern borders. Revelations of the trials also came just weeks after the start-up of daily scheduled Sydney-Melbourne intermodal services by FreightCorp's rivals -- Junee-based private operator Austrac and V/Line Freight.
Federation presses for continued ILO role The involvement of the International Labor Organisation in maritime affairs must be preserved at all costs, delegates at the Seafarers' Section of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Congress, now under way in New Delhi, agreed. The 39th congress heard that, in particular, the ITF should press for the retention of the ILO's maritime machinery, in the form of specially convened maritime conferences recommending minimum standards of employment for seafarers. A resolution also called on affiliates to approach their respective governments and national trade union centres to explain the importance of the ILO's maritime machinery and to request support to preserve it.
Bulkers: just making ends meet LAST year BHP's view of the bulk freight market was optimistic, according to the company's general manager chartering, John Clarebrough, but he says the past year has been tough for ship owners and operators and rates have fallen markedly. Addressing the 36th biennial conference of the Association of Australian Port and Marine Authorities in Adelaide he said BHP's internal forecasts for 1997-98 predicted freight rates would swing upwards, with strong demand growth of 3.8 per cent offsetting the relatively high dry bulk and combination carrier fleet growth of 3.2 per cent, but the onset of the Asian crisis affected demand.
Kvaerner Stock Drops On 3Q Warning
Kvaerner ASA is quickly finding that fickle financial markets and changes at the top do not mix well. On the heels of a surging stock price driven by the installation of a new CEO, the company last week warned investors of a "significant weakening" in third quarter results, an announcement which triggered a 14 percent share price fall.
Mosvold Ships Two Undergo Fifth Special Surveys Norway's Mosvold Shipping ASA said that three of its vessels are due to undergo drydocking for fifth special surveys in the first half of 1999. Preliminary assessments of the steel thickness and quality of the ships was positive, it reported.
Hong Kong Ferry Route Licenses Awarded The Hong Kong government is reportedly to award the operation licences for eight outlying islands ferry routes to Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co. Ltd's Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Co. Ltd. (HYF), and Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry Ltd. (HKK). Hong Kong Ferry's existing 75-year-old franchise to run outlying islands, inner harbour and new town ferry routes through HYF will expire in March 31, 1999.
Ships Sold Bulker, Anaisai, built 1996, 73,201 dwt, sold for $17.25 million. Bulker, Maritime Pearl, built 1990, 42,025 dwt, sold for $10.9 million. Tanker, Sanko Heron, built 1982, 61,540 dwt, sold for $10.6 million.
VT Buys Boat Building Unit British ship builder Vosper Thornycroft Holdings Plc reportedly agreed to buy the Halmatic boat building unit from the U.K. Hunting Plc.
USCG Spots Debris From Missing Ship U.S. Coast Guard crews reportedly found a field of debris from a Caribbean sailing ship -- Fantome -- that vanished off Honduras last week with 31 crew members on board while trying to evade Hurricane Mitch. The 71-year-old four-masted schooner was the flagship of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' fleet of tall ships.
Cascade General Completes Upgrades To Regal Princess The P&O cruise ship Regal Princess was re-launched in early October after a 12 day stopover at Cascade General's Portland shipyard. The 36,575 ton ship departed with an enlarged and modernized Lido Caf' on Deck 12 and a new Children's Center on Deck 14, as well as numerous other modifications. Within a day of the ship's arrival from Sitka, Alaska, the yard had lifted two pre-fabricated deck extensions onto the stern of the vessel originally built by Fincantieri in 1991. The two aluminum structures weighed in at 13 tons for the Lido Caf' extension and 20 tons for the Children's Center. Besides a complete bottom blast and re-coat, numerous frames supporting the double bottom were repaired. In addition, the port six-blade Lips propeller weighing 33,000 lbs was removed, the shaft was pulled, and a full biannual inspection was carried out by officials of Lloyd's of London. Passenger areas were given a complete upgrade and re-fit, with new carpets and fixtures. Deck spaces were given new ceilings, wall paneling and d'cor. More than 500 workers were involved in the project, working around the clock to ensure the 1,596 passenger ship would be ready to resume operations out of San Francisco to the Caribbean on October 3.
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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