Global market review - lower crudes and mixed bunker prices A new OPEC meeting is set for the end of November in Vienna. After a week of falling crude prices, the need for new rounds of production cuts will definitely be on the agenda, but there are so far no firms signs that cuts will be agreed.
Shell Marine Products to Fujairah in November Shell Marine product is set to expand its global fuels supply service by adding the Fujairah offshore sector to its network. Shell's involvement in Fujairah is at present limited to gasoil activities, but as from November 15th 1998 the company will be offering fuel oil as well.
Brazil's oil industry firmly set on route to privatisation Petrobras is one of the 20 largest oil groups in the world, and Brazil's largest company in terms of sales. Earlier this autumn, Brazil ended Petrobras' half century long monopoly on oil exploration and production, another step in the direction of opening up to foreign competition.
Nigerian fuel crisis felt in the marine sector Nigeria is suffering from a domestic fuel crisis, as 3 of the country's 4 refineries are not working. With the Warri refinery and oil depot also reported to be closed, the fuel shortage which is troubling the entire country could get worse.
New bunker supply service offshore Fujairah ready for launch Starting on October 20th, Piraeus based International Energy Services S.A. (IES) will be able to quote for deliveries offshore Fujairah. IES, an independent trader, is the exclusive sale and purchase agent for Seamark Trading L.L.C. (Seamark), the UAE based company that holds the bunker licence.
Owners fear Hutchison ECT plans SHIPOWNERS voiced concern yesterday about plans by Hutchison Port Holdings to buy a stake in Rotterdam's Europe Combined Terminals (ECT).
Holt still pursuing ACL ATLANTIC Container Line is still being pursued by the Holt Group, despite a failed takeover attempt earlier this summer, writes Janet Porter ACL has advised the Oslo stock exchange that Riverfront Development Corp is seeking an extraordinary general meeting in order to elect new directors to the board of the container shipping company.
Tønseth denies legacy of any hidden losses FORMER Kvaerner chief executive Erik Tønseth has insisted he has not left behind any hidden losses in the construction and shipbuilding group.
German firms in port-rail link THREE German port handling firms have signed a letter of intent with the German railway Deutsche Bahn's cargo operation, DB Cargo, to set up a new container block train operator.
Shipping urged to recruit right trainees THE need to attract the right calibre of cadet to meet the demands of what is now a high-tech shipping industry was emphasised by the Isle of Man Marine Administration as it marked the graduation of the first recruit to pass through its cadet training scheme.
Westport extends Tanjong Priok link Port Klang's Westport has extended its direct feeder link with the Indonesian port of Tanjong Priok.
Three Spanish yards unite SPAIN'S three main former state-owned shipyards have formed a new consortium - Midyards -which aims to be a major competitor in European shipbuilding.
Indian ministry backs move to cut state holding in SCI INDIA'S Ministry of Surface Transport has thrown its full weight behind the proposal of the Disinvestment Commission to offload a large chunk - up to 31% - of the government's equity holding in Shipping Corporation of India (SCI),writes our, India Correspondent The government currently holds 82% of the Rs2.82bn ($66.5m) paid-up equity of the country's largest shipping outfit, with the remaining 18% being held by financial institutions and the investing public. The Rs10 face value shares are presently quoted at Rs27.
ECT invites bid from Hutchinson ROTTERDAM-based shareholders of Europe Combined Terminals have invited Hutchinson Port Holding to bid for ECT shares, with an estimated value in excess of Fl 750m ($416m).
Lopez Mena in cruise ship talks JUAN Carlos Lopez Mena has revealed he is discussing plans to build a 150 passenger capacity river cruise vessel with a French yard.
Survivors hike claims against Sulpicio SURVIVORS of the Philippine ferry Princess of the Orient are seeking stiffer penalties against the shipowner as the Board of Marine Inquiry starts to gather claimants testimonies.
Denmark launches training 'charm initiative' THE Danish Maritime Administration and the Shipowners' Association have jointly launched an initiative to attract more people into careers as merchant navy officers.
Sea-Barge sale completed TOTEM Resources, Matson Navigation and Puerto Rican investors have completed the purchase of Sea-Barge Line, renaming it Sea Star Line.
German tax reform will hurt shipbuilding GERMANY'S new government plans to limit the tax allowance for high-income earners, a move that will cut investment in shipbuilding.
Shanghai hub progresses DEVELOPMENT of Shanghai deepwater hub port has edged nearer, as the Yuan 50m ($6m) first stage of an ambitious building project has been completed.
Korean banks stall at LNG tanker finance THE on-going realignment of South Korean banks is posing a financing problem for the construction of five LNG tankers, the first of which is due for completion in December 1999
Sydney go-slow to hurt shippers INDUSTRIAL unrest in Sydney's ports is likely to start costing importers and exporters money if it continues next week.
Frontline resigns from Intertanko FRONTLINE, the Bermuda-based tanker company chaired by John Fredriksen, has resigned from Intertanko.
Cosco enters coal joint venture COSCO has reached an agreement with Shenhua Group, a coal mining enterprise, to establish a joint venture, Yuanhua Shipping Co.
Halla wins $140m order HALLA Heavy Industries, the bankrupt South Korean shipbuilder, said this week it had won a $140m order to build two crude oil carriers from Oldendorff.
Wärtsilä puts flotation on ice FLOTATION of the diesel engine builder Wärtsilä NSD has been put on ice, as a result of the current soft stock markets, and a heavy interim loss, its Finnish parent company Metra says.
Chennai charges spark row CHENNAI Customs Clearing and Shipping Agents Association has locked horns with the Chennai Steamer Agents Association over its proposed increase in terminal handling charges.
Naphtha carrier rams Hazira jetty A VESSEL carrying 40,000 tonnes of naphtha rammed Reliance Industries' single-buoy mooring import facility at Hazira in India on October 12, causing the jetty to be shut down.
BP order slips from Nassco's grasp NATIONAL Steel and Shipbuilding Co (Nassco) lost a major commercial contract this week when British Petroleum declined to place orders for three double-hulled tankers.
Prospects of success in liner shipping. The criteria for success in liner shipping are geographical coverage, degree of independence and depth of service.
Maritime
Pan Arab Shipping launches conventional Antwerp-Mideast service.
UniFeeder serves Larvik in the Oslo Fjord from North Germany.
Delmas charters two con/ro freighters for the West Africa trade.
APL wants to profit from deregulation. In spite of being a long-time supporter of conferences, APL has announced its withdrawal from the TWRA.
CMA-CGM Holding reported a profit in this year's first half, and has set the share parity for the merger.
Canada Maritime recently christened the "Canmar Honour" in Le Havre, and is making massive investments in other equipment.
NOL is planning how to compensate for its losses.
The International Safety Management Code is being introduced over four years from July 1, 1998.
Germanischer Lloyd shows satisfactory growth this year.
Calendar of events: Bimco course for application of the ISM Code.
Taca delays publication of its business plan for 1999.
Forwarding
Fiata world congress in Sydney: the direction of the new form is right, but improvements are needed.
Fritz recorded a strong start to the year in its first quarter.
Union-Transport posted higher figures for first half fiscal 1998.
Danzas expands in Malaysia.
Aviation
Strategy of a small carrier. Air Canada Cargo is deriving the impetus it needs from a presence in key markets and its membership of the Star Alliance.
United Airlines plans to fly nonstop between Boston and London.
Lufthansa will launch flights to Dhahran and suspend passenger service to Nairobi.
Atlas Air is flying for Iberia and has entered a purchase/leaseback agreement with Cargolux.
The USA's 13 largest carriers posted a good second quarter.
Singapore Airlines is interested in acquiring a share of Thai.
Swissair has taken over the first in a series of 15 Airbuses.
Calendar of events: Eighth ACI world conference in Sydney.
Prospects of success in liner shipping. The criteria for success in liner shipping are geographical coverage, degree of independence and depth of service.
Maritime
Pan Arab Shipping launches conventional Antwerp-Mideast service.
UniFeeder serves Larvik in the Oslo Fjord from North Germany.
Delmas charters two con/ro freighters for the West Africa trade.
APL wants to profit from deregulation. In spite of being a long-time supporter of conferences, APL has announced its withdrawal from the TWRA.
CMA-CGM Holding reported a profit in this year's first half, and has set the share parity for the merger.
Canada Maritime recently christened the "Canmar Honour" in Le Havre, and is making massive investments in other equipment.
NOL is planning how to compensate for its losses.
The International Safety Management Code is being introduced over four years from July 1, 1998.
Germanischer Lloyd shows satisfactory growth this year.
Calendar of events: Bimco course for application of the ISM Code.
Taca delays publication of its business plan for 1999.
Forwarding
Fiata world congress in Sydney: the direction of the new form is right, but improvements are needed.
Fritz recorded a strong start to the year in its first quarter.
Union-Transport posted higher figures for first half fiscal 1998.
Danzas expands in Malaysia.
Aviation
Strategy of a small carrier. Air Canada Cargo is deriving the impetus it needs from a presence in key markets and its membership of the Star Alliance.
United Airlines plans to fly nonstop between Boston and London.
Lufthansa will launch flights to Dhahran and suspend passenger service to Nairobi.
Atlas Air is flying for Iberia and has entered a purchase/leaseback agreement with Cargolux.
The USA's 13 largest carriers posted a good second quarter.
Singapore Airlines is interested in acquiring a share of Thai.
Swissair has taken over the first in a series of 15 Airbuses.
Calendar of events: Eighth ACI world conference in Sydney.
Prospects of success in liner shipping. The criteria for success in liner shipping are geographical coverage, degree of independence and depth of service.
Maritime
Pan Arab Shipping launches conventional Antwerp-Mideast service.
UniFeeder serves Larvik in the Oslo Fjord from North Germany.
Delmas charters two con/ro freighters for the West Africa trade.
APL wants to profit from deregulation. In spite of being a long-time supporter of conferences, APL has announced its withdrawal from the TWRA.
CMA-CGM Holding reported a profit in this year's first half, and has set the share parity for the merger.
Canada Maritime recently christened the "Canmar Honour" in Le Havre, and is making massive investments in other equipment.
NOL is planning how to compensate for its losses.
The International Safety Management Code is being introduced over four years from July 1, 1998.
Germanischer Lloyd shows satisfactory growth this year.
Calendar of events: Bimco course for application of the ISM Code.
Taca delays publication of its business plan for 1999.
Forwarding
Fiata world congress in Sydney: the direction of the new form is right, but improvements are needed.
Fritz recorded a strong start to the year in its first quarter.
Union-Transport posted higher figures for first half fiscal 1998.
Danzas expands in Malaysia.
Aviation
Strategy of a small carrier. Air Canada Cargo is deriving the impetus it needs from a presence in key markets and its membership of the Star Alliance.
United Airlines plans to fly nonstop between Boston and London.
Lufthansa will launch flights to Dhahran and suspend passenger service to Nairobi.
Atlas Air is flying for Iberia and has entered a purchase/leaseback agreement with Cargolux.
The USA's 13 largest carriers posted a good second quarter.
Singapore Airlines is interested in acquiring a share of Thai.
Swissair has taken over the first in a series of 15 Airbuses.
Calendar of events: Eighth ACI world conference in Sydney.
Prospects of success in liner shipping. The criteria for success in liner shipping are geographical coverage, degree of independence and depth of service.
Maritime
Pan Arab Shipping launches conventional Antwerp-Mideast service.
UniFeeder serves Larvik in the Oslo Fjord from North Germany.
Delmas charters two con/ro freighters for the West Africa trade.
APL wants to profit from deregulation. In spite of being a long-time supporter of conferences, APL has announced its withdrawal from the TWRA.
CMA-CGM Holding reported a profit in this year's first half, and has set the share parity for the merger.
Canada Maritime recently christened the "Canmar Honour" in Le Havre, and is making massive investments in other equipment.
NOL is planning how to compensate for its losses.
The International Safety Management Code is being introduced over four years from July 1, 1998.
Germanischer Lloyd shows satisfactory growth this year.
Calendar of events: Bimco course for application of the ISM Code.
Taca delays publication of its business plan for 1999.
Forwarding
Fiata world congress in Sydney: the direction of the new form is right, but improvements are needed.
Fritz recorded a strong start to the year in its first quarter.
Union-Transport posted higher figures for first half fiscal 1998.
Danzas expands in Malaysia.
Aviation
Strategy of a small carrier. Air Canada Cargo is deriving the impetus it needs from a presence in key markets and its membership of the Star Alliance.
United Airlines plans to fly nonstop between Boston and London.
Lufthansa will launch flights to Dhahran and suspend passenger service to Nairobi.
Atlas Air is flying for Iberia and has entered a purchase/leaseback agreement with Cargolux.
The USA's 13 largest carriers posted a good second quarter.
Singapore Airlines is interested in acquiring a share of Thai.
Swissair has taken over the first in a series of 15 Airbuses.
Calendar of events: Eighth ACI world conference in Sydney.
Skyrocketing yen creates price gap Skyrocketing yen creates price gap CURRENCY TURMOIL and price-cutting in the Far East are creating upheaval for shipbuilding prices. The sharp rise in the value of the Japanese yen and Korean determination to win contracts means a huge gap is opening up between prices.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is ready to explore the next frontier of supply-chain management for retailers: in-store logistics. With 80 percent of its total cost tied up inside its stores rather than in the physical flow of inventory, the retailer wants to move product directly from the back of a truck to the selling floor. Wal-Mart expects vendors to package product so that it needs no handling from store staff. That means more specialty packaging like Wal-Mart's PDQ or "pretty darn quick" packs. These are self-contained displays that are self-dispensing and clearly labeled with brand name and product information. "We see store handling as the enemy of inventory," said Tom Burgmeier, a supply chain manager for Wal-Mart.
He is the voice of shippers. He wields power on Capitol Hill and is adamant that rail reform is needed. He questions the purpose of the Surface Transportation Board. He is winning big praise for his role in what led to the passage of long-awaited ocean shipping reform. He is Ed Emmett, president of the National Industrial Transportation League, and he is tirelessly trying to boost shippers' position in Washington.
Neptune Orient Lines is gearing up to sell the stacktrain services arm of APL, according to reliable sources. The sale, with an estimated value of up to $600 million, would include both international and domestic intermodal business. Sources speculate the property is most valuable to rail carriers Norfolk Southern or Union Pacific Railroad, which already move significant amounts of freight with the steamship line. However, there may be a catch: a controversy over the assignability of the rail contracts already in place could be a deal-breaker to potential players.
Three well-managed trucking companies reported strong third-quarter earnings. M.S. Carriers and USA Truck, two top-flight truckload carriers, had record quarterly earnings and revenue. American Freightways, a regional and interregional LTL carrier, reported a 3.7 percent rise in net income but said that overall market conditions had been "unkind" to the LTL sector.
Polar Air Cargo has a tough row to hoe. The airline is losing money and a lot of it. Just in the first six months of the year, the all-cargo carrier is down $40 million. Its minority owner, GE Commercial Aviation Services, is considering selling off its 49 percent share in the company - if it can find a buyer. Asia, once Polar's mainstay, continues to plague the airline with financial problems. Considering all of that, how and where does Polar fit in the air freight landscape?
The wrath of Hurricane Georges continues. The Port of New Orleans was especially hard hit, closing its Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet to most deep-draft container traffic until the Army Corps of Engineers can dredge the mounds of sediment Georges left in his path. Big ocean-going vessels won't be able to use the connection between the river and the Gulf of Mexico for at least four months. Although diversions to other ports are inevitable, New Orleans is trying to hang on to the 100 or so ships that were scheduled to dock over the next several months.
Logistics executives from major retailers talked about the challenges facing their companies at the Council of Logistics Management's annual conference in Anaheim, Calif. Retail companies are relying on logistics to help them keep up with the demands of global distribution, labor issues and of course, technology. When a retailer starts taking orders over the Internet, observed John J. Ling of Crate & Barrel, you instantly become an international company - whether you want to be or not.
The partnership between i2 and IMI could change the face of the enterprise resource planning software market, industry experts are saying. The initiative between the companies, one of which focuses on supply-chain planning and the other on actually moving whatever is in the supply chain, could provide shippers with a new software solution.
Times are a-changing for Canadian trucking companies. The Canadian Trucking Alliance, an off-shoot of the reshaped Canadian Trucking Association, is trying to boost the trucking industry's image in the eyes of the government and the country's citizens. "People don't seem to appreciate the importance of transportation," said David Bradley, the alliance's director. "It shows how much work we have to do." On the agenda, Bradley would like to see the allowance of longer trucks and a rewards programs for drivers and companies that make investments in safety.
- 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
