Shipping Search - Archive

Sad Start to a Human Resources Update for the Logistics Supply Chain

NORWAY – The Wilhelmsen group has announced the death of Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, the fourth-generation family owner of the Wilhelmsen group, a maritime industry group established by his great grandfather in 1861.

A Few Hand Picked Nuggets of What is Happening Around the Globe

GERMANY – Ceva Logistics has been awarded a five year contract to manage spare parts and components for Airbus at the aircraft manufacturer's 21,000 m² site in Hamburg. Effective immediately Ceva will become responsible for consolidating spare parts and components at the site from other locations across Europe, including Germany, France, Spain and the UK.

Revised ICC Terms Need to Be Studied by Freight Forwarding Agents and Suppliers Alike

UK – WORLDWIDE – Every decade since 1980 the standard terms of contract between exporters and importers have been updated by the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC). Known collectively as Incoterms all shipping and forwarding agents, as well as merchants, should be familiar with a full glossary of the terms so essential in making each party in a transaction fully aware of their responsibilities.

Two Organisations Agree to Promote Safety in Maritime Freight Sector

UK – WORLDWIDE – Freight association platform the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA International) and the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators (ABTO), which was formed four years ago to address an under representation of the bulk terminals sector in home and international politics, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaborative working between the organisations.

Britain vs the EU Looks Like Being an Acrimonious Battle to the End

UK – EUROPE – The tactics used by both sides in the lead up to the negotiations designed to smooth the path of Britain's exit from the EU are beginning to look more and more like the approach best suited to a world heavyweight boxing championship fight.

Cold Supply Chain Protection for Palletised Consignments

UK – US – WORLDWIDE – TLX Cargo, headquartered in the UK and with distributors around the world, uses the technology of thin reflective insulation to produce insulating pallet covers to protect freight moving along the cold supply chain. Now, with concerns over Covid-19 spreading the company says it is producing the world's first cargo cover to be built from viral barrier material to aid in the fight against the coronavirus.

Once Again Delays Dog the Prospects of Increased Trade by Air

UK – Seven months on from the departure of former Transport Secretary and walking disaster Chris Grayling, his decisions whilst in power at the Department for Transport still smack of the poisoned chalice he so often spilt now that plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport have been ruled illegal by the Court of Appeal over environmental concerns.

Technology Keeps Moving Forward with an Eye on Safety

SWEDEN – The future of successfully powering every transport mode, from lorries to ocean going ships and potentially even aircraft, will likely depend heavily on the improvements being made in lithium battery construction. The news comes this week that DNV-GL has awarded its first Type Approval Certificate for a lithium titanium oxide (LTO) battery system.

European Commission Penalises Company After a Decade of Hard Times

ROMANIA – EUROPE – The European Commission (EC) has found that rail freight operator CFR Marfa received at least €570 million of incompatible State aid from Romania through a debt write-off and failure to collect debts from the company. The EC says that Romania must now recover the illegal aid, plus interest, from CFR Marfa. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, commented:

As Antarctic Icebreaker Retires She Could Fill an Emergency Void

AUSTRALIA – Sub-zero weather conditions are not something one tends to naturally associate with a country where bushfires in the middle of the worst drought in memory have been hitting the headlines, however that is what is concerning the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) this month as the country's icebreaker Aurora Australis undertakes her final Antarctic voyage before being replaced by the RSV Nuyina later this year.

New Deal Lasts Through the Next Lustrum with an Option to Extend

DENMARK – WORLDWIDE – In the world of shipping, as with most other industries, refinancing of a large company can be a complex process. When you are the biggest global container freight carrier however the amount of partners involved can reach extraordinary proportions.

MSC puts Safety First to Try and Eliminate the Horrors of a Blaze at Sea

WORLDWIDE – Classification society, DNV GL has awarded a ground-breaking new class notation to mitigate fire risks on container ships, to Swiss container shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The notation has been implemented on the largest container ships in the world, the 23,000+ TEU class, of which the MSC Gülsün was the first to be launched.

Post Brexit Will She Protect British Interests?

UK – Nautilus International, the trade union, representing 20,000 maritime professionals working at sea and ashore, has welcomed the new shipping minister, Kelly Tolhurst MP and called for the government to take urgent action to safeguard the future of British shipping and avert a forecast shortage of home-grown maritime expertise.

It Seems in Some Cases if You Want to Be Environmental - Go Plastic

UK – Just as the Bronze and Iron Ages before it, we are living now in the Plastic Age, and most of the publicity currently is all negative as the material seeps its way into the very fabric of the planet. There may be however some reasons to welcome the controversial product into the supply chain, and one British company puts up a spirited argument in favour of the plastic versions of the ubiquitous pallet which every logistics outfit, and many other industries, are familiar with.

Africa's Wealthiest Resident Buoys Up Flagging Industry

NIGERIA – As the undisputed richest man in Africa Aliko Dangote has a finger in many pies, from the cement business he helped transform, to foodstuffs and logistics, and is somewhat obsessive about enriching his country rather than passing wealth abroad. Now his Dangote group is hailed as saving the production plant of Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (ANAMMCO), Enugu with a string of orders for home built trucks to support his many business ventures.

IMO Sulphur Cap Prompts Overseas Growth

UK – The incoming mandatory fuel sulphur cap regulations for ocean going vessels have seemingly been good news for some marine fuel suppliers. Hartlepool-based Propeller Fuels says the upswing in interest in recent months is attributable to the IMO regulations and it has prompted the company to look at ways to expand its international trade.

Continued Expansion for Container and Logistics Specialist

CANADA – It seems DP World is to continue its policy of expansion after the port and logistics group announced it has completed the acquisition of Fraser Surrey Docks, the facility which, once again a key transition point for container freight, has seen some turbulent times in the past two decades.

Two Shipping Missions to Save a Species

RWANDA – Logistics is often far more than simply shipping commodities around the globe and a report on the work done by aircraft charter specialist Chapman Freeborn, and its subsidiary company Intradco Animal Transport, to save the future of the black rhino in Rwanda in the past few years, deserves a mention.

Bits and Bobs from the World of Transport

UK – The Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show this year at the NEC Birmingham, 28-30 April 2020 will certainly have an 'electric' atmosphere with a veritable host of manufacturers showing off their latest vans and smaller LGVs ready to go to work, with many aimed squarely at the urban freight delivery market.

From Bavaria to London for Hand Blown Glass

GERMANY – UK – Britain may have left the European Community but nothing illustrates the basic nature of trade better than the latest project freight forwarding shipment by German group Dachser.

All Industry Experts Agree New Immigration Policy is a Disaster in Waiting

UK – Three of the UK's most prominent transport and logistics industry associations have all come out strongly against the UK government's proposed points-based immigration system that will limit the number of low-skilled workers entering the UK. The shortage of staff in the sector is by no means new. The UKWA, the RHA and the FTA have all warned for several years that more needs to be done to address the shortfall of workers across the industry but such restrictive measures will only worsen the situation with the government focusing seemingly on higher skilled workers.

Warehouse and Distribution Company Snapped Up

DENMARK – US – AP Moller - Maersk has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Performance Team, a US-based warehousing and distribution company, as the Danish shipping giant looks to further strengthen its capabilities as an integrated container logistics company, offering end-to-end supply chain solutions to its customers.

London and East Coast UK to the Continent Starts Soon

UK – EUROPE – Hardly a surprise as Unifeeder, which boasts it has the biggest container feeder and short sea network in Europe, has announced yet another new service to run from DP World's London Gateway as the two share the same parent organisation.

Too Good (or Bad) to Be True? Read On

UK – Looking through the various stipulations from the Traffic Commissioners (as we transport nerds tend to do) our editor was surprised to note the following clause in the requirements for an operator's licence remains on the appropriate gov.uk page, namely:

UAE Based Competitors Tie Up Freight and Passenger Deal

UAE – WORLDWIDE – Abu Dhabi based Etihad Cargo, the freight and logistics arm of the Etihad Aviation Group, has bolstered its global handling partnership agreements with dnata, the airport services provider owned by the Emirates Group (which owns rival Dubai based Emirates Airline).

Recycling is Essential but IMO Must Also Act

UK – WORLDWIDE – Regular readers will know that the horrors of ship breaking have caused death and misery, particularly on the unlicensed beaches of the Indian subcontinent. On the 31st December 2020 the European Union (EU) Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) will come into force and it is time for ship owners to start taking notice.

Blow to Container Logistics as Development Awaited

CHINA – The fact there is no trading in Chinese currency, with Exchanges unable to handle Renminbi notes shows just how serious the current Coronavirus Corvid-19 is being taken and another casualty has now been announced with the Intermodal Asia show, a favourite amongst logistics interests, being postponed until July.

Container Port Group Aids Conservation Project

PHILIPPINES – International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has recently partnered with the Katala Foundation (KFI) to implement a wildlife research and conservation project within Palawan's Victoria-Anepa'an Mountain Range aimed at improving the conservation status of a critical segment of the country's threatened wildlife.

Moveable Concrete Barriers May Help Solve a Perennial Riddle

UK – The government has announced that a concrete barrier that can be set up within hours to keep Kent's roads moving at times of cross-channel disruption will be available and on standby from later this year. The barrier, which has been developed as a solution to handle potential traffic disruption from the ports in Kent, has been welcomed by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) which says that it is promising news for businesses in the county, and for hauliers who need to keep goods moving between the UK and the Continent.

Corvid-19 Sees Fuel Supplies, Port Calls and Workforces Cut

WORLDWIDE – The biggest story in the past few weeks has of course been the spread of the Coronavirus, or Corvid-19 as it is now known. Anyone walking across Westminster Bridge in London or along Walking Street in Bangkok will have noticed the almost complete absence of Chinese faces, a sign of just how seriously the disease is impacting tourism and trade. So, what is the impact on the shipping and logistics sectors ?

Project Studies the 'Teddy Bears of the Ocean'

UK – Britain has a new species following the arrival of a pair of Sea Otters following a 5,000 mile journey from Alaska as part of a pioneering education and conservation project. But fisherman need not worry, the pair are destined for the purpose-built multi-million pound Marine Mammal Rescue Facility in Birmingham, where they'll become permanent residents following a period of quarantine.

Switch Back to Private Ownership

DUBAI – DP World's parent company Port and Free Zone World has offered to acquire the 19.55% of port and logistics group DP World's shares traded on Nasdaq Dubai, meaning a return of the company to private ownership.

A Variety of Some of the Transport and Shipping Related Stories You May Have Missed

UK – Those attending the Freight Transport Association's (FTA) annual Northern Ireland Logistics Lunch will be treated with a speech from former England international and Premier League footballer Andy Cole. The third highest goal scorer in the League's history and part of the 1999 Manchester United treble winning squad, Cole will regale the audience with his tales of success, failure and resilience as post-lunch entertainment.

Who is In and Who is Out in Logistics Roles This Week

UK – In a surprising move in this week’s Government reshuffle, Nusrat Ghani has been let go in her role Transport Minister with responsibility for Shipping. She had been well regarded in the industry having taken an active interest in the future of the UK's shipping sector. She held the role of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (DfT), her formal job title, since January 2018.

Propeller Prize Up for Grabs Again for Baltic Residents

SWEDEN – There are 200,000 Swedish Krona (€19,000) up for grabs which will be awarded to the winners of this year's Stena Line Propeller Prize 2020. This entrepreneur prize awarded by the RoRo ferry group annually since 2015 to young companies in the ICT and maritime technology arena from countries around the Baltic Sea, found a winner outside the home country for the first time since its inception when Gdynia based Searis Technologies won the category for maritime technology.

Ship Owner Defends How It Now Deals With End of Life Vessels

TAIWAN – WORLDWIDE – Our recent article on ship breaking which highlighted the fact that Evergreen Line, and otherwise owned container ships and tankers vessels past their sell by date were being broken on the beaches of the Indian subcontinent, has elicited a response from the company anxious to prove its green credentials.

UAE Based Group Bulks Up Ukraine Operation

UKRAINE – Global port operator and logistics group, DP World, has agreed to acquire a majority 51% stake in TIS Container Terminal in the Port of Yuzhny, Ukraine, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including regulatory approval. DP World says bringing the TIS Container Terminal into its global network of ports, economic zones, warehousing, and inland logistics solutions will strengthen its position as a market leading terminal operator in the country.

Global Initiatives Launched to Eliminate Vessel Downtime Worldwide

WORLDWIDE – Latest news from the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP), an initiative of the Japanese headquartered International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), contains some interesting facts about ships movements, and delays, as they travel the globe moving around 90% of all the world's goods.

Environmental Gains Through Non Use of Tape

WORLDWIDE – Many office workers will be familiar with the Neopost brand but that group has now been named Quadient and under the new brand has launched the CVP Everest, the latest high velocity, fit-to-size, auto-boxing system from Packaging by Quadient capable of tailor-making over 1,100 e-commerce packages per hour.

UK Warehousing Boss Speaks Out on Radical Solutions Required in a Post Brexit World

UK – The government has confirmed plans to introduce import controls on EU goods at the British borders after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Speaking at a recent Border Delivery Group event the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, made it clear that the policy easements put in place to mitigate the risks of a 'No Deal' scenario are no longer on the table.

Failure to Realise an Electric Future or a Boon for Freight Operators?

UK – It always seemed unlikely that anything could prove as controversial as Brexit but the new high speed rail infrastructure of HS2 is certainly making a bid for the title. The government decision to give the line the green light has produced a torrent of both plaudits and abuse in turn from freight and environmental groups, unions and the motoring lobby alike.

Another Transgression in US Waters Ends with Largest Ever Hawaiian Penalty

US – Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore), a vessel operating company, has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tanker Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.

Discoveries in the Sea off the Coast of Yemen are a Warning to Freight Forwarders

YEMEN – Transport by sea is singled out as a primary method of getting offensive weapons into the conflict zone according to the final report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, sent late last month to the Security Council Committee, with a request it be forwarded to the UN Security Council itself.

Increased Refrigerated Capability to Cope with Larger Volume of Fruit

UK – EUROPE – LATIN AMERICA – A move to larger vessels, from 2,500 to 2,900 TEU on the Maersk 'Banana Boat' service seems to have prompted the switch for the UK call to DP World's container terminal operation at Southampton from the smaller facilities available at Portsmouth.

Logistics Group Partners Technology Research Group

UK – CEVA Logistics is using its Urban Distribution Hub at Dartford, Kent to undertake an electric vehicle trial for lorries delivering into central London. It also has become a partner in Tevva's 'electrify' initiative, which aims to support companies to research electric vehicle technology for the supply chain. Using real-world operational data, the initiative aims to offer practical solutions for companies looking to use electric vehicles in their fleets.

Accident to Sister Ship Causes Court to Permit Arrest of Box Vessel

AUSTRALIA – The sister ship of the YM Efficiency, which lost 81 shipping containers off the coast of Newcastle and Port Stephens in June 2018, has been arrested in Sydney to be held against a pollution debt that could reach as high as A$20 million.

Apprenticeship Schemes Need to be Up to Standard to Attract Young Talent

UK – A joint statement from the two leading organisations which represent the truck drivers on British roads responsible for holding together the seamless links of the country's freight supply chain, is a rare beast.

Tokenised Structural Approach to Enable Fractionised Approach

UK – WORLDWIDE – London based vessel financier Magma Maritime says it is currently in advanced negotiations with potential investors to raise an initial amount of $200 million to purchase a number of modern dry bulk cargo vessels, which will have a tokenised ownership structure.

Hydrogen Produced Entirely from Renewable Resources

FRANCE – WORLDWIDE – When it comes to decarbonising all modes of transport many consider the ultimate future will lie with the widespread use of hydrogen. Despite the currently high energy exchange costs of production, and the difficulties of storage, the maritime sector is taking a serious look at the gas as a fuel of the future as evidenced by the latest move of one of the world's largest container freight shipping lines.

First Refrigerated Option Featuring Self Load Capability Deployed

UK – Walking floor trailers are traditionally associated with the loading of really awkward freight, such as huge granite slabs which can be dropped onto the trailer and shunted forwards or backwards mechanically. Of late however systems have become more refined with sophisticated rollerbed technology shifting all manner of packages such as standard air cargo bins and pallets.

BIFA Gives Newcomers the Chance to Discuss Profession with Their Peers

UK – The growth of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) Young Forwarder Network, designed to fulfil a need for younger members of the freight forwarding profession to meet and exchange ideas and experiences, seems to have been an unqualified success, with another regional group having just been started.

High Street Woes Come Home to Roost for Investors with Sale to Pension Managers

UK – AUSTRALIA – Since the Robert Maxwell affair, the matters surrounding the large pension funds, which so many companies manage on behalf of staff, are always subject to scrutiny. Now according to a Sunday Telegraph article Peel Ports, the second largest such UK company, is apparently to divest itself of 25% of the group to Australia's biggest pension fund manager, AustralianSuper.

Strong Supporter of Transport Charity Passes Away

ZAMBIA – Last year ended with some tragic news for Transaid, with the death of Victor Simfukwe, who passed away in a road traffic incident on Christmas Day. He had been a part of the Transaid family since 2007, working as a Project Manager on many of Transaid's highest profile initiatives in Zambia.

A Look at Things You May Have Missed This Week

SWEDEN – The first two straddle carriers have now been delivered to Stockholm Norvik Port, the country's new freight port, to join the two new ZPMC super-post-Panamax cranes which were delivered last month. The carriers are intended to operate autonomously within the next couple of years.

Freight Group is Lead Sponsor for Event as Kevin Keegan Returns Once More

UK – More than ever the Multimodal exhibition, conference and awards are building to be one of the most talked about events on the logistics calendar. With Brexit dead, but not lying down, this year's seminars will doubtless be of even more interest than usual, whilst there is additional appeal for those in the freight forwarding and warehousing sectors, and this week nominations for the Multimodal awards have opened.

Brexit Stokes Interest in Accreditation

UK – Freight forwarding and logistics firm, Davies Turner is now offering consultancy services on the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme following a surge in enquiries from existing and potential clients. The company says its customers have apparently noted a significant increase in the number of tenders and preferred supplier qualification applications that now ask whether they have AEO accreditation.

Real Time Comparative Rate Comparison Possible

DENMARK – GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – Maersk Line is partnering with Portrix Logistic Software (PLS) to integrate its container spot pricing into the PLS Global Price Management (GPM) software solution.

Faster Crossing on Shorter Inter Country Route

SWEDEN – DENMARK – Having closed the RoRo freight and passenger ferry service between Varberg and Grenaa on Friday 31 January, the following day Stena Line inaugurated its new crossing between Halmstad in Sweden and Grenaa in Denmark with thousands visiting the opening ceremonies at both ports including both the infrastructure and transport ministers of the two countries.

As Two Ships Lie Idle and Unseaworthy Who is to Blame and What Can be Done?

UK – The continuing row over the purchase of two new ships for the lifeline ferry routes to and from the Inner Hebrides, and possibly beyond, is simmering with accusations of favouritism and incompetence with strong words in the Scottish Parliament in recent days.

Dock Workers Vow to Extend Action Over Pension Debate

FRANCE – Human beings are pretty resilient when facing the little annoyances in life. Some like mosquitoes they generally regard with animosity, some, like people who discard rubbish on the street, with contempt, and, for the British, the news of a Frenchman on strike, yet again, often with a sort of puzzled amusement.

Clearances Out of Port to Aid Cross Channel and Tunnel Freight

UK – Despite all the good intentions of British ports which seem determined to convert much of the cross Channel RoRo traffic to short sea feeder container services, the country will doubtless continue to rely on the existing ferry services and the Eurotunnel freight shuttles to carry loaded trailers in each direction.

Demand for Cargo Space Fell as Capacity Increased

WORLDWIDE – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its full-year 2019 data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs), fell by 3.3% compared to 2018 while capacity (AFTK) rose by 2.1%. This was the first year of declining freight volumes since 2012, and the weakest performance since the global financial crisis in 2009, when air freight markets contracted by 9.7%.

From Tankers to Containerships - Reflagged Vessels Still Hit the Beaches

WORLDWIDE – According to new data released by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 674 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2019. Of these vessels, 469 large tankers, bulkers, floating platforms, container and passenger ships were broken down on only three beaches in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, amounting to near 90% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.

Ex Deputy Chair of Government's Own Enquiry Writes to Ministers with Proposals

UK – Those who clamour for the abolishment of the House of Lords may somehow miss the point considering the current row over HS2. The very independence of peers with no fixed political allegiances, and who carry with them the weight of experience spanning generations, are often nowhere near as reluctant as elected politicians to stick their heads above the parapet.

New Year Holiday Period Extended Again

CHINA – WORLDWIDE – Fears that the Coronavirus would spread unchecked seem to be somewhat unfounded after action by the authorities designed to contain the disease have had some limited success. The virus has however now been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation and it is having its effect upon the container trade and other branches of shipping.

As Annual TEU Figures Published Life Goes on as Usual Around the World

UK – DUBAI – WORLDWIDE – Two pieces of news from DP World which illustrate the scale of the port and logistics group's operation from the largest facts and figures to the smallest detail.

Putting the Cost of Flying Up is the Only Real Solution it is Claimed

UK – The report published today by Sustainable Aviation 'Decarbonisation Road-Map: A Path to Net Zero' preceded a meeting between leading airline industry executives and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP to sign a pledge to completely cut out carbon emissions within three decades. Unfortunately the plan has already be dismissed as 'greenwash' by environmental commentators.

Largest Builder of US Navy Vessels Snaps Up Subsidiary Company

NORWAY – US – Technology supply group Kongsberg Maritime AS, owner of Rolls Royce Marine, and which provides a range of solutions to the shipping industry, has agreed the sale of its underwater technology company Hydroid Inc to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest supplier of vessels to the US Navy.

Industry Steps Up to Face Latest Threat as Governments Criticised

CHINA – WORLDWIDE – There is only one major story today in the mailboxes of the global shipping community, with Brexit now settling down to another war of attrition, the Coronavirus dominates the news, both within the logistics sector and beyond.