Shares slide as Safmarine sale runs into delay SAFREN shares fell 2.3% yesterday after the South African group admitted that negotiations to sell its key container shipping business had fallen behind schedule.
Tribal warfare: Indian leaders from the Amazon region of Ecuador arrived at a federal court in New York yesterday for a hearing involving their $1bn action against the Texaco oil group for alleged widespread devastation to their rainforest. The hearing was to determine whether the case should be heard in full in the United States, or before judges in the mens' own country.
Weaker rates hit Global Ocean DRY cargo operator Global Ocean Carriers is expecting to suffer a loss for the fourth quarter of last year following deteriorating market conditions.
Angelicoussisset for Navix aframax deal GREECE'S Angelicoussis group is close to purchasing a Navix Lines' aframax in a "bargain" $22.75m deal.
Industry unrest at escalating level of violent pirate attacks A series of brutal attacks on shipping which left 67 seafarers confirmed dead and a further 35 seriously injured are listed in the 1998 Annual Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau which is published today.
Metal workers attend a rally . . . Metal workers attend a rally in front of a banner reading 'strike' during a brief work stoppage of about 300 employees of German car producer BMW's Berlin branch yesterday. German metal and engineering union IG Metall continues to extend work stoppages and demonstrations in support of a demand for wage increases. Already, two shipyards have been affected by the action, the Lindenau yard in Kiel and the Schiffswerft Hugo Peters at Wewelsfleth. IG Metall is seeking a 6.5% rise while employers have offered 2.5% plus a one-off bonus payment of 0.5%, dependent on the success of individual firms.
Brazilian crisis hits neighbours Brazil's neighbours in the Mercosur Customs union have been hit hard by the first shockwave caused by the devaluation of the real.
Germany acts to boost shipping GERMANY'S new maritime legislation will strengthen the nation's role in international shipping, according to Lothar Ibr'gger, parliamentary secretary of state for the transport minister.
Holyman sells NY ferry operator THE dismantling of Holyman, the once diverse Australian shipping group, continues with the sale to Sea Containers of its New York ferry operator Express Navigation.
Spanish shipbuilder to be split BANCO Central Hispano, the majority owner of Spanish shipbuilder Union Naval de Levante, is planning to split the company into separate newbuildings and repairs operations.
Hoverspeed loses immigration fines challenge THE UK High Court has rejected a challenge by Hoverspeed, the cross-Channel ferry operator, to regulations aimed at helping to control the flow of immigrants into the UK.
Gulf of Mexico ferry operator collapses AMERICAN Viking Lines, the latest operator to attempt a ferry shuttle operation across the Gulf of Mexico, has failed after only six weeks in operation.
New tonnage for Columbus HAMBURG-based Columbus Line has embarked on a major tonnage upgrade and realignment of capacity on its Australasia/North America trades.
Landesbank hits out at allegations HAMBURGISCHE Landesbank has hit back at allegations that it has trouble with its Turkish portfolio.
Tenders called for Colombo feeder terminal SRI Lanka Ports Authority has called for tenders for the construction of the second phase of its Unity Container Terminal at Colombo.
Strike paralyses Marsaxlokk MALTA'S Marsaxlokk Freeport is at a standstill as a result of a strike called by a key trade union.
Sri Lankan officials to quiz master MERCHANT Shipping Division officials in Sri Lanka want to question the master of a 65,000 dwt general cargo ship loaded with scrap iron that sank off Colombo last week.
Milford Haven gets two years to pay MILFORD Haven Port Authority will have two years to pay the '4m ($6.6m) fine imposed on it as a result of the Sea Empress incident.
Brostrom sells brokerage firm BROSTROM Ship Agency network, part of the Gothenburg-based shipping group Brostrom, has agreed to sell its 60 per cent holding in brokerage firm SwanFalk Shipping.
Filipino bank sells Starcraft fleet STATE-owned Development Bank of the Philippines is considering bids for 15 ferries, following foreclosure on a loan to bankrupt Starcraft Ferry Corp.
Venice to get distripark ITALY'S Sinport and Interporto di Padova have agreed to establish a distripark in the port of Venice.
Exporters hit out at TSA rate hikes INDIAN exporters are up in arms at the scale of the freight increase introduced by member lines of the US-based Transpacific Stabilization Agreement.
Singapore imposes night barge restrictions SINGAPORE'S Maritime and Port Authority is to restrict the use of line-towed barges at night in the western sector of Singapore port following a number of recent incidents.
Netherlands boost to barge transport THE insatiable appetite for containerised barge transport has generated the opening of another container terminal facility in the Netherlands.
CTO: deuxième terminal roulier dans l'avant-port de Zeebrugge Le port de Zeebrugge est actuellement un grand chantier, tant dans l'avant-port que dans l'arrière-port: de nouvelles sections de quai sont construites, de nouveaux terre-pleins sont aménagés. Dans l'avant-port, les travaux de prolongation du quai est du terminal à containers de l'entreprise de manutenion OCHZ vont bon train.
Dunkerque ne s'attend pas à une guerre du remorquage Selon Jacques Bouvet, président du Port autonome de Dunkerque, il est peu probable que l'on assiste dans son port à une guerre du remorquage comme celle qui se manifeste ou se précise dans certains ports du Nord. Par contre, il souhaite vivement la présence d'une concurrence dans le secteur de la fourniture des soutes.
BTL envisage de vendre ses activités d'expédition Bilspedition Transport & Logistics a clôturé l'exercice 1998 sur un chiffre d'affaires opérationnel de 19,11 milliards de SEK et un bénéfice opérationnel de 631 millions de SEK. Le transport terrestre a une fois de plus généré le plus grand bénéfice. BTL et son actionnaire majoritaire Stinnes, qui ont conjugué leurs activités de transport terrestre, envisagent désormais de se défaire des activités d'expédition, qui sont assurées sous le nom de Wilson Group.
Reprise imminente de Kersten Hunik par ABX Le porte-parole de la SNCB nous a confirmé la nouvelle, annoncée samedi dernier par le journal néerlandais "Nieuwsblad Transport", selon laquelle ABX est en train de négocier avec l'entreprise maritime et de transport Kersten Hunik. D'autres reprises, moins importantes, seraient également envisagées aux Pays-Bas. La SNCB n'a pas voulu donner davantage de détails.
Toll accuses MUA THE Maritime Union of Australia was yesterday accused of taking industrial action to prevent the port of Newcastle becoming more competitive. Toll Logistics said it was considering its response to alleged industrial action by the MUA that has stopped the unloading of timber from the first vessel to berth at the Eastern Basin wharf since it and R&H Transport won the right to develop a new multi-modal distribution centre. The Eastern Basin Distribution Centre and Patrick have an agreement to provide more flexible arrangements for customers of the port. Under the agreement, Patrick is the preferred stevedore for the centre, although customers with existing stevedoring contracts can use the Eastern Basin berths with the stevedore of their choice.
MSC revamps Asian service ahead of trans-Pacific push Mediterranean Shipping Company will significantly revamp its Australia-Asia service, cutting out Xingang, Jakarta, Singapore, Fremantle and Adelaide to concentrate on fast transits between North Asia and East Coast Australia. The substantial changes come ahead of the planned launch of MSC's first trans-Pacific service in May, reportedly employing three new and three chartered ships on an Asia-West Coast North America route. The company will be aggressively marketing the new US service in Australia, relaying local cargo over Yokohama on the Asian trade vessels.
Freight awaits Oneworld attention The simple blue logo of the oneworld airline alliance began appearing on Qantas planes and at Australian airports this week, but it appears that shippers will have to wait some time for the benefits to flow through to the cargo business. Qantas's tie-up with British Airways, American Airlines, Canadian Airlines and Cathay Pacific -- which brings together a combined annual total cargo volume of 2.6 million tonnes -- was announced in September but was only implemented this week. The chief focus of oneworld appears to be initially passenger traffic. Qantas did not comment yesterday, but has previously said it would not specifically apply the oneworld alliance to cargo, saying only that the airlines involved are working on a number of joint services.
Inspections await Temburong The livestock carrier, Temburong, was en route to Batam near Singapore yesterday where she is expected to arrive on Sunday to undergo an inspection by AMSA and Germanischer Lloyd surveyors designed to pinpoint the cause of the power failure suffered by the vessel on 27 January which resulted in around 800 cattle apparently suffocating. An AMSA spokesman said yesterday that the around 200 surviving cattle would be discharged at an as yet unspecified Indonesian port while en route to Batam. "This schedule and routing is, however, subject to change," the spokesman said.
Eden up, Yamba down The outlook for the regional NSW ports of Eden and Yamba remain positive, according to the 1998 annual report of the NSW Ministry for Forests and Marine Administration. It notes that as far as Eden is concerned, a modest rise in woodchip exports is forecast. A feasibility study for an armaments facility is also expected to be completed. "The ports of Eden and Yamba are relatively small, handling just 0.7 per cent of total sea trade through New South Wales ports," the report said.
Atlantic Marine Wins Platform Supply Vessel Contract Astromar'tima Navega''o S.A., a Brazilian shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of offshore supply vessels, was approved by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), for the construction of two Platform Supply Vessels at Atlantic Marine Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. This is the first Latin American transaction ever closed under the MarAd's Title XI Guarantee Program and was approved for Astromar'tima's whole owned Bahamian based subsidiary, Astro Offshore Corporation, which will own the vessels to be operated offshore Brazil by the parent company. The vessels (234'x54'x20'), a design by Peter S. Hatfield Inc., from Vancouver (Canada), have specifications to attend dynamic positioned drill ships, rigs and FPSO's, in very deep waters and tough weather conditions. The placement of the bonds for the construction of the first vessel was successfully completed through Salomon Smith Barney Inc., a Citigroup company on Dec. 7th, bearing interest of 6.0% p.a. and a 21 years term (one year of grace period). Astromar'tima is actively pursuing a contract for the second vessel, before deciding to start construction."
AAPA: Administration's Budget Calls For $1 Billion In New Maritime The Administration's budget request announced on February 1 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program calls for $1 billion in new taxes on the maritime industry through its proposed Harbor Services Fund (HSF). The fund proposes to replace the Harbor Maintenance Tax, which the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional in March 1998.
"AAPA and a host of other organizations are strongly opposed to this new tax," said American Association of Port Authorities President Kurt J. Nagle. "It is a hastily crafted solution to a complex problem that took years to resolve. The HSF proposes to raise nearly twice what is needed for maintenance dredging and, for the first time in our nation's history, the Federal Government is suggesting that it completely abdicate its financial responsibility for navigation channel maintenance."
Norwegian Government Looks To Raise Shipbuilding Subsidies The Norwegian government reportedly seeks to raise subsidies for building new ships to nine percent of the cost from seven percent for vessels priced in excess of $11.4 million.
Stinnes Bids For BTL German Stinnes AG, owner of Germany's largest freight forwarding group Schenker AG, reportedly bid on the remaining shares in BTL AB in an attempt to secure its position as market leader in transport and logistics in Europe.
Murchison Plans Container Venture Murchison SA, an Argentina-based stevedoring group, is reportedly moving ahead with plans to build a new container terminal near Buenos Aires despite the negative affects of Brazil's financial crisis.
Shipowners' Employer Group Warns Of Costly Clauses New clauses introduced into crew contracts issued by the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) as well as amendments to existing clauses will reportedly provide additional benefits to seafarers at significant cost to employers.
ICB Sells VLCC To Cirebon ICB Shipping AB reportedly sold the VLCC Vanadis to Cirebon Shipping Pte Ltd. of Singapore.
Russia, Borders Slow Tallinn Port Growth Poor infrastructure and the fallout from Russia's collapse will reportedly slow growth in activity at Estonia's port of Tallinn in 1999 after several years of rapid growth.
Oil Firms Get Few Breaks In Clinton Budget The Clinton administration's proposed budget for the upcoming spending year reportedly contains several excise taxes and tax rule changes that would cost energy companies $8.2 billion over the next five years.
Taiwan May Allow Passenger Shipping With China Taiwan reportedly will allow foreign passenger liners to operate services between the island and arch rival China as early as May.
Baker Hughes Faces Double-Digit Decline In Revenue Baker Hughes Inc., the world's third biggest oilfield services company, could face a double-digit drop in revenues in 1999 as the outlook for the energy sector would remain difficult in the short term.
Sea Containers Acquires Express Navigation, Inc. Ferry Operator Makes First Foray Into U.S. Markets; New Boats, Routes Promised Sea Containers Ltd. acquired Express Navigation, Inc. from Holyman Ltd. for $5 million. Express Navigation provides services with three passenger ferries between Wall Street's Pier 11 on Manhattan's East Side to Highlands and Atlantic Highlands in New Jersey and Pier 4 in Brooklyn. The three ferries are owned by subsidiaries of Hydrolines, Inc. a Delaware company which has time chartered them to Express Navigation on long term charters. The profitable services of Express Navigation have been capacity constrained and the company's main terminal in Highlands, N.J. needs to be expanded to allow for greater car parking. Holyman Ltd. decided to exit the business rather than make additional capital investment so it agreed to sell Express Navigation to Sea Containers. Sea Containers and Holyman own the successful Hoverspeed Holyman fast ferry service which operates between Dover, England and Ostend, Belgium. Mr. James B. Sherwood, President of Sea Containers Ltd., said that Express Navigation was the company's first passenger transport investment in the U.S. and will form a part of a group of U.S. based ferry services which the company would seek to acquire or initiate in the coming years. More, larger and faster vessels will be introduced on Express Navigation's routes as soon as they can be obtained.
Marine Management Systems Sold Visma has signed an agreement through its subsidiary SpecTec, Inc. to acquire the assets of Marine Management Systems, Inc.(MMS). Visma/SpecTec significantly strengthened its position in the maritime market by increasing its customer base by 25 percent, from an installed base of about 4.000 ships to nearly 5,000 ships.
SpecTec Connecticut, a subsidiary of SpecTec, Inc., signed an agreement with MMS to buy key assets, including intellectual property rights and necessary assets to continue the operation. SpecTec will hire the employees of MMS. The agreement is subject to various approvals expected to be completed in the next couple months. The main software products of MMS, will continue to be fully supported with major systems such as Fleetworks carried forward and supported for at least 5 years. MMS's Fleet Manager is a very well seasoned product, with a large number of satisfied users. SpecTec Connecticut, through its former MMS employees, will continue to provide support and consulting.
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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