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Shipping News

Top 25 carriers make up half of global capacity
[SINGAPORE] A survey of the top 100 container shipping lines shows that while the combined capacity of the global fleet has risen 8.5 per cent in the last 12 months to 5.2 million TEUs (20-ft equivalent units), the top 25 carriers account for nearly half this capacity.
Feasibility study on Colombo port expansion completed

Air and Land Transport

UK urged to delay sale of air traffic control
[LONDON] The UK government should postpone plans to sell part of the country's air traffic control network until a new control centre is operating and the network recovers from projects that had to be abandoned, a report by a lawmakers committee said.
Airbus to push A380 in Japan
Legend Airlines to resume flights soon: report
China Eastern's air traffic up
Profit at AMR falls, US Air, America West turn in losses

web site

Shipping News

Top 25 carriers make up half of global capacity
[SINGAPORE] A survey of the top 100 container shipping lines shows that while the combined capacity of the global fleet has risen 8.5 per cent in the last 12 months to 5.2 million TEUs (20-ft equivalent units), the top 25 carriers account for nearly half this capacity.
Feasibility study on Colombo port expansion completed

Air and Land Transport

UK urged to delay sale of air traffic control
[LONDON] The UK government should postpone plans to sell part of the country's air traffic control network until a new control centre is operating and the network recovers from projects that had to be abandoned, a report by a lawmakers committee said.
Airbus to push A380 in Japan
Legend Airlines to resume flights soon: report
China Eastern's air traffic up
Profit at AMR falls, US Air, America West turn in losses

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Trans-Pacific volume slumps at West Coast ports in December After twelve whirlwind months of growth, cargo volume in the trans-Pacific trades is tapering off in both directions as Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland all showed weakening traffic. Most air carriers keeping fuel surcharge intact Most air cargo carriers have yet to follow Lufthansa Cargo's lead when it announced earlier this week that it will be cutting its surcharge by $.05 a kilo, effective Feb. 1. CMA-CGM to upgrade Asia-Europe services The carrier will start introducing the first of eight new 6,500-TEU container ships onto its flagship French Asia Line service in May, replacing 4,000 TEU-ships reassigned to the North China Express. WSC: Dredging, yes; taxes, no Needing an $100 billion in new investment to handle a projected doubling of cargo over the next 10 years, the newly formed World Shipping Council will lobby for more dredging of the nation's harbors and oppose any new taxes on ocean shipping, according to its president, Christopher Koch. China Airlines to cancel freighter flights for Chinese New Year Four ships chartered by Cho Yang are transferred to Senator Lines International Shipholding reverses fourth-quarter loss Metals lead Customs anti-dumping complaints Expeditors names former China Airlines president COO-Asia Amsterdam airport evacuated after explosion, fire CPSC looks to shippers for hazardous products info Maersk Sealand extends terminal contract at Charleston UP earnings declined in fourth quarter Cathay delays aircraft orders fearing U.S. economic slowdown

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HK control point slow-down ECT develops bigger terminal Conference on China and WTO New simplified Nigeria tariff Congo crisis Middle East marketplace Evergreen joins Hanyang Shipping in joint venture New Visakhapatnam office for Gulf Agency Company HK International Airport destination incentive approved UPS acquisition Polar adds Malaysia to network Congo crisis US Airways cargo centre up and running

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JANUARY 18, 2001
Northwest Airlines to acquire 52 new aircrafts P&O Nedlloyd stake in OceanConnect.com Danzas outsourcing contract from Vossloh-Schwabe Revenue Boeing down, but margin and net up Vopak acquisition of Ellis & Everard completed Continental net income increases 31 per cent

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Coir exports moving up Palm oil forecast to lead global vegoil trade growth India sells 84,000 tonnes sugar Wheat export prospects brighten Pepper exports down by 50 pc TCT handles over 1,50,000 TEUs in first year of operations Vizag Port emerging as No. 1 in cargo throughput Kulkarni explains stand on payment of wage arrears Calcutta DLB reconstituted Export sops to drain Rs 17,000 cr. Customs revenue Ministry clears scheme to retain 15,000 t of coffee exports Karnataka going ahead with Devanahalli airport Cabinet panel on divestment to meet on January 30 RBI ready to cut CRR even below 3 pc Fieo prepares action plan for 20 pc export growth annually IMC to hold 'Integrated Transport Policy' seminar in February

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JANUARY 18, 2001
Severe congestion in the ARA region Great Belt: Good avails, strong demand Tallinn prices competitive Improved conditions in Falmouth St Petersburg fuel oil prices move closer to ARA levels Gibraltar: One supplier short term congestion Softer fuel oil prices in Italy and Malta Piraeus: Fuel oil prices down by $6 Istanbul bunker market steady this week Demand picked up in Hong Kong Softer levels in the Korean bunker market Steady market in Japan Bearish pre-holiday market in well-supplied Singapore

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JANUARY 18, 2001
Conversion contract for Bender Under a $24.4 million MarAd contract, Bender Shipbuilding and Repair, Mobile, will convert the National Defense Reserve Fleet vessel, Cape Bon into a school ship for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Global Marine earnings soar Global Marine Inc. today reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2000, of $113.9 million New UAE dry dock inaugurated Arab Heavy Industries,which owned by the Ajman Government, Al-Futtaim Group, Singapore's Keppel Group and other investors, has officially opened its 30,000 dwt dry dock in Ajman, United Arab Emirates.

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JANUARY 18, 2001
Union Pacific to spend $11.2 million on bridges and tunnels along I-5 corridor Port Bellingham signs lease with STS for space in International Trade Building Port of Vancouver, USA commissioners elect Arch Miller as Board president Port Portland awards employees for K-Line Electronic Invoicing OECD quarterly ports meeting set for January 23 in Salem

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Stallion: KRA Holds Imports at Port THA Posted $15 million Profit in 2000

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Via libera del Comune all'uso dell'area per scopi commerciali Approvato il polo di Napoli Est Stanziamenti per 125 miliardi Al traguardo il piano di Bari Brindisi, una gara per i lavori del molo La riforma rimane ancora sotto la lente di Bruxelles Porti & sviluppo Previsti nei prossimi tre anni 400 miliardi di investimenti per infrastrutture Genova, record in banchina A trainare la crescita l'area passeggeri Verso un'inversione di tendenza per l'occupazione edile Lunedì la scelta del Comitato Livorno, rush finale per l'assegnazione di Darsena toscana

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Lords' decision rewrites cover NEW terms are set to be drafted for all hull insurance policies in the wake of a House of Lords ruling clarifying shipowners' duties of disclosure to marine insurers. Azipod settles Carnival dispute ABB AZIPOD will pay Carnival Cruise Lines more than $18m in an out-of-court settlement over problems suffered by the Azipod electric propulsion system of two cruiseships. Lloyd's tipped for return to black LLOYD'S could get back to profit in 2001, barring dramatic catastrophes, leading analyst Chatset has forecast. Next six months 'will be critical' for London market MARKET veteran Dieter Losse has said the London insurance market is poised to move ahead in a positive fashion, although the next six months will be critical, writes Denzil Stuart. Duisburg box project under fire THE new owners of DeCeTe container terminal in Duisburg have sharply criticised plans for construction of a further container terminal in the Rhine port, to be operated by P&O. Dover eyes bigger ships and train ferry market The port of Dover, Europe's largest ferry terminal, has ambitious plans to cater for the bigger ships likely to be ordered by cross-Channel operators in the next few years. Safmarine eyes new routes and wider coverage SAFMARINE Container Line is studying a number of new routes that would lessen dependence on its core markets in South Africa, Europe and India. LR joins 'name and shame' trend LLOYD'S Register has joined the growing trend for classification societies to name publicly vessels kicked out of class.

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JANUARY 18, 2001
One down in Durban bunker war Castor cargo transfer on again 'Explosive device sank Estonia' Cocaine roundup in Puerto Cabello OPEC cut 'will hit 36 tankers' Move to amend Malta's constitution P&O Ports' box volumes soar Owners seek service with rate hike URAG will stay in German hands Asset write-down hits PPA Workers plan privatisation response Klang makes bid for feeders Cura'ao cruise calls surge Møller talks business with Mbeki LA set to top Long Beach Lloyd's reviews Churchill extension Islam's first open register opened Dubai signs India port MOU Court rejects crew's wage claims EPA to set US emission standards

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Le premier méga-terminal rhénan opérationnel à Duisbourg Le tout premier terminal à containers de Duisbourg a été mis en service il y a 16 ans par DeCeTe. Le centre de transbordement annoncait une ère nouvelle pour le plus important port rhénan. Là où il était orienté sur le transbordement de vracs - les matières premières de l’industrie sidérurgique - et de produits semi-finis, le port s’est depuis axé sur l’activité logistique. Les entreprises portuaires ne veulent pas financer l’aménagement de la Deuxième Maasvlakte L’industrie et les entreprises portuaires de Rotterdam ne veulent pas co-financer l’aménagement de la Deuxième Maasvlakte. C’est ce qu’a fait savoir Klaas Westdijk, président de la fédération portuaire et industrielle SVZ/EBB, mercredi soir au cours d’une rencontre festive au Cruiseterminal Rotterdam, où le nouveau nom de la fédération (Deltalinqs) a été dévoilé. “Faire appel au secteur privé pour financer des grands travaux d’infrastructure ne me semble pas très économique. Personne n’a un cost-of-capital plus bas que les Pays-Bas et seules les autorités peuvent se permettre les échéances nécessaires pour ce type d’investissements”, dit Westdijk. Les syndicats des douanes modérément positifs après l’entrevue avec Reynders “On a enfin pris conscience du fait que nos chiffres sont corrects et qu’il nous faut effectivement 200 nouveaux employés dans le port d’Anvers. Le ministre s’est engagé à remédier à ce manque de personnel”. C’est ce qu’a déclaré un Emiel Boriau (UNSP) passablement satisfait à l’issue de son entrevue avec le ministre compétent Didier Reynders. Son collègue Guy Dirckx (CSC) est plus sceptique et estime peu probable que l’on réussisse à trouver 200 personnes sans modification structurelle du statut du personnel. “C’est un faux-fuyant pour ne pas devoir chercher de solutions structurelles ou satisfaire aux besoins commerciaux du port”. Les trois syndicats informeront leur base dans les jours à venir. En attendant, les actions sont suspendues. Flandre et Nord-Pas-de-Calais veulent coopérer sur le plan portuaire Michel Delebarre, président du Conseil régional du Nord-Pas-de-Calais, et Patrick Dewael, ministre-président du Gouvernement flamand, ont signé hier à Lille une déclaration réaffirmant la volonté de leurs deux régions de “renforcer et concrétiser leur coopération, ainsi que leur contribution à l’intégréation européenne. La mobilité et les transports sont un des domaines dans lesquel le développement des relations entre les deux pôles économiques devraient prendre une forme plus concrète. Dewael et Delebarre ont annoncé la création d’un groupe de travail sur la mobilité, qui se penchera notamment sur le dossier de la coopération portuaire.

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JANUARY 18, 2001
*Maritime Contract News* MW 50 Sheds 18 Ice Melt Aids Mississippi Navigation Bush Comments Buoy Oil Markets P&O Business Remains Firm Howard Smith Claims Tug Division Hanjin Profits Expected To Rise U.S. Lawmakers Seek New Ban On Alaska Crude Exports Australia Numbers Confirm LR Quality Clean Power For Southern California Charter Fleet Horizon Delivers New Z-drive Tug For Dixie Towing

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JANUARY 18, 2001
Anger as Ofer replaces ABC crew Moves to replace British bulk carrier masters and officers may be raised in UK parliament. USCG pulls in cracked OBO The US Coast Guard detained 15 vessels as a result of port state control inspections during December. OBO held for ten days Combination carrier owned by Chemikalian Seetransport and Belships hits problems over structural defects. Venus Glory heads bedplate repair queue Concerned VLCC owners may finally get some answers to the Sulzer engine bedplate cracking problem. France imposes fine over Fareast Victory slick A French court has fined the owner and captain of a bulker which left a 20 kilometre oil slick in the English Channel in 1999. Toisa places offshore order The UK shipowner has signed up for a multi-purpose construction vessel in the Netherlands. Hanjin upbeat on 2001 prospects Korea's second largest shipowner is forecasting further recovery in its income. Port growth up for P&O P&O is opting to give regular updates on its group's trading activities. Algoma takes write-down hit The Canadian owner will reduce net income by $12m after reassessing the value of its tanker and cargoship fleet. Halul Offshore develops own fleet The Q Ship and Qatar National Navigation & Transport joint venture is spending $36m on newbuildings.