Holland America crew member jailed for attack A 29-year-old Indonesian national has been sentenced to 30 years and 5 months in prison by a South Florida federal court for attacking and attempting to murder a cruise passenger. Ketut Pujayasa was employed as a room service attendant by Holland America at the time of the February 2014 attack on
Costa Rican day cruise turns deadly Three people were killed after a tour boat capsized off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The 30m (100ft) catamaran Pura Vida Princess was carrying 99 passengers and 10 crew when it capsized on 8 January during a 90-minute excursion between the mainland and Tortuga Island, according to an AP report.
New cable-laying vessel delivered to Van Oord Dutch offshore contractor Van Oord took delivery of the first Damen Offshore Carrier (DOC) 8500 cable-laying vessel, Nexus, at the end of December, it was announced today. Once all cable-laying equipment is fully installed on the vessel, it will install electricity cables for the Gemini Offshore
TUI Group pays EUR278M for Europa 2 Germany's Hamburg-based TUI Group announced today that it was paying EUR278M ($328M) to acquire the luxury cruise ship Europa 2, which it already operates under charter. The May 2013-built Europa 2 is currently operated by TUI Group subsidiary Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten (HLK) but owned by Swiss
Gibson employees launch buyout Shipbroker Gibson confirmed today that it is to undergo an employee buyout and that there are no future plans for a merger or acquisition. "We are keeping everything in-house," Gibson managing director Nigel Richardson told IHS Maritime, adding that the move would protect employees from "anyone
Osaka salvors tackle weather and water Höegh Autoliners' pure car and truck carrier Hoegh Osaka, which was deliberately grounded on a sandbank in Southampton Water on 3 January after developing a severe list, floated free on a high tide at 13.55 yesterday. Acting for H'egh, Mark Clark of Navigate Response told IHS Maritime that after
NYK boss: no end in sight for overcapacity Overcapacity persists even though shipping is in demand, NYK president Yasumi Kudo said today. In his new year message, Kudo said, "While the demand side is maintaining an expansionary tone, supply pressure in shipping capacity remains deeply rooted, particularly in terms of container ships and
Auditing system launched to end enclosed space deaths An auditing management system that will include live input from crew members has been created to address the ongoing problem of enclosed space deaths. Maritime e-training provider Videotel has teamed up with Mines Rescue Marine, which was originally a mine rescue specialist, to create the Enclosed
MyFerryLink Dover shutdown maintained Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel is to seek a buyer for its ferry subsidiary, MyFerryLink, following today's confirmation by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) of a ban on the ferry company using the port of Dover. The tribunal upheld the decision of the Competition and Markets Authority
Volkswagen ramps up shipments European car manufacturer Volkswagen increased vehicle shipments via its German hub Emden by more than 6% last year. The group's port terminal subsidiary, Autoport Emden, announced today that the number of finished vehicles loaded and discharged at Emden rose to 1.31 M - the highest annual volume
Fugro Equator joins seabed search for MH370 The refit of the Fugro Equator has been completed and the vessel is now on its way to the priority search area to join the underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Until now, the Fugro Equator has been engaged in bathymetric surveys, with 208,000 square kilometres of the search
Dredging begins in Singapore's Sungei Changi Maintenance dredging of Singapore's Sungei Changi, formerly known as Changi River, has begun and will last until 5 June. A notice from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that dredging work will be carried out by excavator on flat top barges. "The dredged materials will be
Papal visit may bring congestion back to Manila Manila's ports could become congested again with the upcoming papal visit, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has said in appeal to get cargoes moved. "The next seven days will make or break the port decongestion efforts being carried out by the government," the Authority said in a 7 January
Yang Ming takes new ship and launches new routes Taiwanese carrier Yang Ming Marine has announced that it will deploy 4,662teu box ship YM Enlightenment for its China-Pakistan Express (CPX) service. This new container vessel was delivered on 5 January, the third of five 4,662teu full-container vessels built for Yang Ming by China Shipbuilding
China COSCO's scrapped tonnage exceeds target China COSCO, the flagship listed-unit of COSCO Group, sped up offloading of old tonnage with a total of 56 scrapped ships in 2014, according to its stock filings. The number exceeded the original target for 2014 that China COSCO had planned earlier that year. In January 2014, the company announced
PSA Marine Qalhat seals contract with Oman LNG Singapore-headquartered PSA Marine and Oman-based Golden Dunes International (GDI) joint venture company, PSA Marine Qalhat (PSAMQ), has won a 10-year contract with Oman LNG (OLNG), a JV between oil major Shell and Omani government. Under the 10-year contract, PSAMQ will deploy four new-built tugs
XL's Catlin takeover won't change soft hull market Shipowners can still expect low rates, say sources
Star Bulk expands public offering to scoop $245m Fundraiser looks to cover newbuilding funding gap but triggers sharp fall in share price
UK court rule against Eurotunnel owning ferries MyFerryLink could be forced to close down Dover to Calais service following latest decision by UK competition body
Aegean pounces on OW-operated vessels in Germany US listed company continues moves to fill market gaps left by collapsed bunker supplier
New suezmax tanker indices on Baltic Exchange reflect changing trade dynamics Instead of West Africa to Atlantic coast, the Baltic Exchange now reports rates for West Africa to northwest Europe
Box lines faced with slow steaming conundrum Research shows that fuel prices have reached the point where slow steaming no longer saves bunker costs
Maersk and MSC inaugurate 2M with Dalian loading Update: Brand new Triple-E Munkebo Maersk will be the first ship to sail in mega alliance. MSC Oscar to follow in a fortnight
Spot rates continue downward trend Double-digit drop in Asia-Europe rates increases pressure on carriers to succeed in mid-January price push
Golar LNG raises funds for floating liquefaction project Golar focuses on floating liquefaction and regasification during what it sees as a temporary dip in the fortunes of traditional LNG shipping
WFW behind Reliance's VLEC shipping deal with MOL Law firm advises on Indian industrial giant of shipping project
Avance Gas lines up $200m for four more VLGCs Five banks participating in loan
White list falling short of Beijing's goal to channel yard loans Chinese banks stick by their own qualifications in sizing up credit-starved shipyards
Sharjah volumes exceed 400,000 teu for 2014 UAE container terminal posts double-digit volume growth
NYK gung-ho on LNG as others highlight risks Japanese shipowner betting big on LNG as others raise concern over Asian LNG demand growth and new cargo supply from Australia and the US
No full market recovery on cards for handysize and supra sector in 2015 Easing of oversupply will be insufficient to boost rates significantly
Week on Wall Street | January 9 Sizing up crude opportunities and flirting with contango
China Cosco sends 17 ships for demolition Flagship listed unit meets goal of scrapping 41 vessels in 2014
US exporter layoffs highlight West Coast port congestion damage A Washington state-based timber company said it will lay off an unspecified number of workers at its Longview liquid packaging site because the labor dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association has hampered its ability to ship certain products. Weyerhaeuser ships mostly through the ports...
US-Mexico trade boom shows little sign of relenting Accusations that Mexican municipal authorities were complicit in the presumed September killing of 43 students by drug traffickers has rocked the country just as it appeared drug-related violence was decreasing. The situation is grave, but those who focus merely on the tragic headlines miss some positive news: Mexican factory production is...
Survey of US shippers finds biggest spurt of optimism since 2011 U.S. shippers are the most optimistic they have been in nearly three years about freight growth, but they are also bracing for the sharpest uptick in transportation costs, excluding fuel costs, since 2011, according to a recent survey. The roughly 600 shippers surveyed by Wolfe Research late last year are planning...
Second LA-LB drayage operator organized by the Teamsters Drayage drivers at Shippers Transport Express, a subsidiary of SSA Marine, on Friday chose to make Teamsters Local 848 in Southern California their exclusive bargaining representative, making Shippers Transport the second trucking company at Los Angeles-Long Beach after Toll Group to be represented by the trucker union. Teamsters spokeswoman Barbara Maynard...
Fortress puts TRAC Intermodal up for sale TRAC Intermodal, the largest lessor of intermodal chassis, is being offered for sale by Fortress Investment Group, the private equity company that acquired the company seven years ago. The sale plan was first reported by Reuters, and was confirmed by persons familiar with it. The company could be valued at more...
US strives to improve trade facilitation at non-Customs agencies U.S. Customs inspector finds numerous violations with an imported Mini Cooper at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The car will be destroyed as a result.WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working with slightly more than a dozen federal agencies to help them better determine...
US container volume forecast to rise in first half of 2015 Container volume through the top U.S. port gateways is expected to continue rising through the first half of 2015 after traffic rose 6 percent year-over-year in 2014 despite U.S. West Coast port congestion, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report. The report, produced for the National Retail Federation by Hackett...
US trucking employment rises 3 percent as factory output, tonnage increase Trucking employment in the U.S. rose 3 percent in December, as a larger-than-expected year-end surge in hiring added 252,000 jobs to the economy, bringing the U.S. unemployment rate down to 5.6 percent and building on November employment gains. The more than 100,000 for-hire trucking companies tracked by the U.S. Bureau of...
Eimskip expands global reefer forwarding reach with Dutch acquisition Iceland-based niche carrier Eimskip has continued its expansion into refrigerated logistics services by acquiring Rotterdam-based forwarder Jac. Meisner. Jac. Meisner is a 55-year-old forwarding business with annual turnover of about 7.5 million euros. It specializes in customs brokerage, inspection and receiving of frozen and chilled imports to European countries. Eimskip has been...
Matson: Higher China rates, domestic growth will lift profit Matson said higher rates for its China express service, growth in its domestic Hawaii and Guam markets, and improved logistics profitability are expected to produce a sharp increase in the company's fourth-quarter operating income. The carrier said its expects to report higher fourth-quarter operating income from ocean transportation and logistics, and...
DP World terminal blamed for long truck waits at JNPT Customs brokers in Mumbai are blaming a lackadaisical inventory management by DP World-operated Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) for the long truck waits outside Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India's largest container gateway. "NSICT is not following the practice of first-in, first-out for delivery of containers to container freight stations (evacuation...
Brazilian port Itajai risks losing future cargo after 30-hour blockade The port of Itajai risks losing future business from shipper skittishness after a protest blockade shut the second-largest Brazilian container gateway down for more than 30 hours earlier this week. Port operations resumed Tuesday afternoon after a flotilla of more than 200 fishing vessels left the waters but not before causing...
SCFI: Spot rates get year off to a weak start ahead of January GRIs HONG KONG - Spot freight rates on the major east-west trades were predictably weak in the first full week of the year with demand dropping off before the Chinese New Year peak period begins later this month. The latest reading of the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) showed Asia-Europe spot rates...
Shanghai's Pactl passes 2014 cargo target to finish off record year HONG KONG - Record December throughput took Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal Ltd. (Pactl) past its annual 2014 target of 1.45 million tons as healthy demand kept air freight flowing through China's busiest airport. Almost 50 percent of cargo passing through Shanghai Pudong is handled by Pactl, and total tonnage...
Rand a bigger prize Ameriprise Financial has lifted its stake in Rand Logistics to the 10% level.
Union warns on terror A maritime labour union says a proposed trade agreement between Canada and Europe could increase the terrorism threat in the North American nation.
Teekay LNG carrier aground A laden LNG carrier controlled by Teekay LNG Partners has ran aground in Nigerian waters.
Babcock bidding The UK's Babcock group is to bid for a contract to build the country's new £200m ($300m) polar research ship.
New ships for ACL American Cruise Lines (ACL) is set to build a new fleet of modern riverboats, changing its design approach so far.
Star Bulk shoots for more Star Bulk Carriers has upsized an equity offering aimed at funding a vast newbuilding orderbook.
Odfjell plans $100m swing Odfjell has revealed a wide-ranging restructuring that will see a number of redundancies in Norway.
Amur up for sale again Russia is trying for a third time to offload a 25.5% stake in cargoship and tanker company Amur Shipping.
Norden cashes capesize Danish giant Norden has reduced its exposure to the capesize market following the sale of one of its vessels.
Backing for Eitzen Chemical Eitzen Chemical has won bondholder support for a major restructuring effort.
HMM selling up Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) says it is seeking a buyer for its controlling stake in sister company Hyundai Securities.
Cosco expects loss Cosco Corp (Singapore) has projected a significant decline in its earnings for the financial year ended 31 December 2014.
Tankerska eyes IPO Croatian owner Tankerska Plovidba is mulling its options to raise money to expand its products tanker fleet after splitting the company.
NAT in dividend hike Herbjorn Hansson's Nordic American Tankers has hiked its dividend in the face of an improving suezmax market.
Three strikes and out The Paris MoU port state control organisation has barred two cargoships after they failed inspections for a third time.
Kalavryta a target A US judge has given Iraq the right to sue Kurdistan over the case of a tanker laden with disputed oil, as long as it crosses into US waters.
Cargoship gets a tow A Korean cargoship needed a tow after suffering engine failure off Jeju Island.
Big money for Chandris VLCC Greek owner Chandris has secured a bumper price for one of its VLCCs from a conversion buyer.
Sinotrans orders quartet Shanghai Bestway to design 4,000-teu boxships to be built at Shanghai Shipyard.
Go easy on the goose We take a look at what was said in the market over the past week.
India eases pressure? India's shipping ministry has proposed a five-year freeze on interest repayments to help shipowners.
Aegean takes OW charters Aegean Marine Petroleum Network (AMPN) is moving into the German bunker sector with a deal to take over two OW Bunker vessel charters.
Liquid Gold arrested Yet another tanker belonging to Elmira Tankers Management of Greece has been taken into custody by the Sheriff of Singapore.
Osaka pumping begins Salvors are pumping out up to 3,000 tonnes of water from the listing car carrier Hoegh Osaka off Southampton.
Golar sells Golar Golar LNG is selling down its stake in Golar LNG partners in a fundraising exercise for its planned conversion of the 126,000-cbm LNG carrier Gimi (built 1976) into floating natural gas liquefaction facility (FLNG).
Constellation gets busy EMAS AMC, the subsea services subsidiary of Singapore-based Ezra Holdings has lined up a lucrative contract worth AUD 130m ($105m) for its 48,800-gt offshore construction vessel Lewek Constellation (built 2014).
Ezra revenues down Singapore listed Ezra Holdings has reported a $60.6m profit after tax for the first quarter of its 2015 financial year, largely attributed to largely attributed to a one off gain from the consolidation of its subsea subsidiary EMAS Offshore.
Matson ups forecast US liner operator Matson Inc. has upped the operating income outlook for its fourth quarter 2014 to $45m.
Fast ferry sinks Three people have died after a high speed catamaran sank off the Latin American nation of Costa Rica.
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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