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Putin Threatens to Pull Out of Ukrainian Grain Shipping Agreement
The UN-chartered bulker Ikaria Angel departed Odesa on Friday, bound for Africa (Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure) PUBLISHED SEP 18, 2022 8:00 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE About 3.7 million tonnes of grain have been shipped out of Ukraine via the Black Sea...
A Second Strike Coming at Felixstowe Port Over Pay Dispute
Posted in Ports by Raghib Raza on Sep 16, 2022 at 02:18. Workers of the Unite Union have scheduled a second strike at Felixstowe, the largest container port in the UK. This strike is the result of a pay dispute between the port operator and the Unite Union that...
New Singapore offshore wind vessel owner targets $1bn fleet
A new offshore wind vessel owning company in Singapore – Cyan Renewables – aims to own and operate a $1bn fleet within five years. Marcus Hand | Sep 19, 2022 Founded by Seraya Partners the energy transition investment platform Cyan is touted as the world's first pure...
Suez Canal to hike transit tolls in 2023
Tolls for vessels using the Suez Canal are set to rise by 15% next year with the exception of dry cargo and cruise ships which will increase by 10%. Marcus Hand | Sep 19, 2022 The transit toll increases from January 2023 were announced at the weekend by Adm....
Key spot container freight index rate falls 10% in a week
The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) plunged 10% week-on-week and is down nearly 19% over the last 14 days. Marcus Hand | Sep 09, 2022 The bell weather SCFI as of 9 September stands at 2,562.12 points down 285.5 points on the level published on 2 September,...
Empty Containers Will Overwhelm Ports in 2023 Warns Sea-Intelligence
Sea-Intelligence forecasts there will be 4.5 million excess containers at the start of 2023 PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2022 6:48 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Ports around the world have been complaining for nearly a year about the build-up of empty containers blaming the...
Retailers Lower Imports Forecast Citing Inflation and Interest Rates
Retailers now see monthly declines in imports for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 (Los Angeles file photo) PUBLISHED SEP 7, 2022 4:53 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The National Retail Federation is revising downward its forecast for retail imports during the...
SMM 2022
Shipping can no longer remain on the sidelines, says ICS The shipping industry must co-operate with other sectors to influence decisions that will fundamentally affect shipping, according to ICS. Gary Howard | Sep 07, 2022 In his keynote address at the opening of SMM...
Container spot rates continue their downward march
Spot rates on most major container trades have fallen significantly on-year, but a few routes bucked the overall trend. Gary Howard | Sep 02, 2022 Most recently, Drewry’s composite analysis of box spot rates on September 1 showed a 5% decrease for the week, the...
Environmental NGOs and shipping industry to share the stage at SMM
The shipping industry and environmental NGOs are set to share a stage at SMM next week to discuss the industry’s decarbonisation challenge and its record so far. Gary Howard | Sep 02, 2022 The NGO debate will be the closing session of gmec, the global maritime...
Singapore officially opens Tuas Port
Singapore officially opened Tuas Port on Thursday as the Republic moves to consolidate all its container terminals into a single location over the next 20 years. Marcus Hand | Sep 01, 2022 Two berths are currently operational in the first phase of Tuas Port which is...
Rystad: Russian Oil Exports Will Decline by the End of the Year
PUBLISHED AUG 26, 2022 9:45 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Consultancy Rystad Energy expects a drop-off ahead for Russian oil production and exports as the cutoff date for the planned EU oil embargo approaches. At the end of this year, the European Union will not...
Seafarers Get Time for Shore Leave During Felixstowe Strike
PUBLISHED AUG 26, 2022 9:23 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The strike at the Port of Felixstowe is creating challenges for UK importers and exporters, and it has also delayed several vessels within the port complex. For at least one crew, this meant an opportunity...
Ukrainian seamen are free to leave country and work abroad, by Government decree
Posted in General by Mikhail Voytenko on Aug 27, 2022 at 16:57. Ukrainian seamen are allowed to leave the country by a special governmental decree during Aug 27 government meeting, said Ukrainian premier Nickolay Shmygal. By this decree, effectively, Ukrainian sea...
Maersk to omit calls at strike hit Felixstowe port
Maersk is omitting three calls at the Port of Felixstowe, UK, next week due to strike action. Marcus Hand | Aug 19, 2022 The UK’s largest port is set to grind to a halt from 21 – 29 August as port workers go on strike over pay. The Danish shipping line said in a...
Falling Rates are Likely to Continue Due to Low Vessel Utilization
PUBLISHED AUG 18, 2022 4:53 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Container prices and spot shipping rates have fallen significantly year over year despite the fact the industry is entering what is traditionally peak season. While declines in demand versus the surge in...
Trans-Pacific rates still sinking. Trans-Atlantic rates still peaking
FBX: Asia-West Coast rates -70% year on year. Europe-East Coast rates +44% It’s a tale of two oceans: The price to ship containers of cargo eastbound from Asia to the U.S. across the Pacific continues to recede from record levels. In contrast, the price to ship...
DP World Sees Profits Soar With Rising Demand for Container Storage
PUBLISHED AUG 21, 2022 10:02 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE In the last few weeks, shipping and logistics companies have mesmerized the world with record first-half profits. DP World, one of the largest port operators worldwide, is the latest addition to the list....
Auckland ports commissions Sparky, first all-electric tug from Damen
Damen’s first all-electric harbour tug has been named Sparky and received her Maori name, Tiaki, on delivery to the Ports of Auckland last week. Paul Bartlett | Aug 12, 2022 The RSD-E Tug 2513 has a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and is capable of assisting the largest...
FMC Considers Invoking Emergency Powers to Alleviate Port Congestion
While West Coast congestion has declined it has increased in ports such as Savannah and Charleston (GPA file photo) PUBLISHED AUG 14, 2022 8:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The Federal Maritime Commission is considering invoking its newly granted emergency powers...
Lines Prepare for Felixstowe Strike After UK Port Labor Talks Stall
Unions are planning an 8-day strike for the port later this month (Felixstowe file photo) PUBLISHED AUG 14, 2022 3:40 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, is heading for a crippling 8-day strike after mediation talks with...
Container volume at major Chinese ports up 6.1% in mid-July
According to statistics released by China Ports and Harbors Association, container volume at eight major Chinese ports increased 6.1% year-on-year in mid-July Katherine Si | Aug 05, 2022 The rate of growth was fairly consistent with the 5.9% volumes increase seen in...
The impact on shipping of China military exercises off Taiwan
In further disruption to the supply chain vessels face being forced to divert from the Taiwan Strait as China launches large-scale, live firing military exercises in the key waterway. Marcus Hand | Aug 04, 2022 China began live firing exercises at 12 noon, local time,...
Bulk carrier with grain grounding at Napoli Port, Italy
Bulk carrier IRVINE BAY ran aground in Napoli Port area while approaching berth, on arrival from Santana Brazil with cargo of grain, at around 1200 UTC Aug 4. She was refloated with high tide at around 0230 UTC Aug 5 with tugs assistance, and berthed. No damages, no...
War effect on crude trade: Long-lasting and just beginning
Euronav and Teekay execs see post-invasion trade patterns sticking Is the shift in global crude flows due to the Ukraine-Russia war a fleeting event or the start of a new era? At first, many market watchers and investors viewed it as short-lived. It now seems like...
What’s Causing So Many Port Strikes? It May be the Profits
Ocean carriers and some terminal operators have had a run of exceptional earnings, and dockers want a share. PUBLISHED JUL 29, 2022 9:29 PM BY BRIAN GICHERU KINYUA Besides congestion, strikes at major ports in Europe, Asia and North America have become another...
Container rates may have peaked – 280% above pre-pandemic levels
Long-term contracted ocean freight rates in the container market may have peaked, but remain 112% up on-year and 280% up on July 2019. Gary Howard | Jul 28, 2022 Data from container market intelligence outfit Xeneta showed a deceleration in the price rise of long-term...
51-Day Strike Ends as Questions of DSME’s Financial Stability Mount
PUBLISHED JUL 22, 2022 7:44 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. and the union representing subcontractors reached an agreement at the end of the day on Friday ending a 51-day strike that threatened the financial stability...
What Does the Black Sea Grain Agreement Mean for Africa?
PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2022 7:23 PM BY WANDILE SIHLOBO If Russia keeps to the deal it has signed with Ukraine allowing for the resumption of grain exports, much needed relief will be provided to importing countries, including many in Africa. The relief would be...
US exports of crude oil and diesel are climbing even higher
More diesel flows to Latin America, more crude to Europe At-the-pump prices for gasoline and diesel may be down from all-time peaks but they remain exceptionally high. Meanwhile, as domestic energy resources flow to the highest bidder, more U.S.-produced crude is...
Congestion shifts to US East Coast ports
Port congestion in the US has shifted eastwards with more vessels now waiting at New York and Houston ports than Los Angeles and Long Beach. Marcus Hand | Jul 19, 2022 Congestion at US West Coast ports hit the headlines last year as it reached record levels with...
Stark warning on European energy crunch
Oslo-based analyst, Rystad Energy, has warned that energy turmoil, caused largely by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions that followed, may cause ‘vast demand destruction across industries and consumers’ in Europe. Paul Bartlett | Jul 19, 2022 Despite support...
Biden Heads Off Rail Strike With 60-Day Cooling Off Period
PUBLISHED JUL 18, 2022 10:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE To head off the supply-chain impact of a railway strike, U.S. President Joe Biden has established a presidential emergency board to help resolve a labor dispute between Class I rail carriers and their...
Clearance of Snake Island Opens Route to Ukraine’s Danube River Ports
The Reni port complex on the Ukrainian side of the Danube. Reni, Izmail and Kiliya now have improved access to the Black Sea (USPA file image) PUBLISHED JUL 11, 2022 2:48 AM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Ukraine is working to revive long-idled inland ports along the...
Post-Covid container demand boom coming to an end
The post-Covid demand surge for container shipping appears to have run its course according to Drewry’s port throughput indices. Marcus Hand | Jul 11, 2022 The Drewry Global Port Throughput Index stood at 141.1 points in April 2022 some 1.5% lower than April 2021,...
Long Beach container backlog crosses red line as delays mount
Long-dwelling containers in the Port of Long Beach now up 9% vs. Oct. 28 he number of container ships waiting off Los Angeles and Long Beach is well off its highs, but the pileup of import containers waiting on Southern California terminal yards is rapidly...
Offshore ship sunk by typhoon off Hong Kong, 27 people missing UPDATE
Jul 2 1500 UTC UPDATE: The ship is identified, it’s offshore construction ship FU JING 001. SAR is under way in extremely challenging weather conditions, 3 SAR ships in the area. So far, 3 people were rescued, 27 remain missing. Offshore construction ship, not yet...
New Maersk feeder servie cuts Asia – Italy transit times
Maersk has launched a new feeder service between Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal and Vado Gateway at the Port of Genoa, which will reduce transit times. Michele Labrut | Jul 01, 2022 The first 3,000-teu feeder of this new service will depart from SCCT...
US outbound container volume drops for 12th month straight
While inbound container volumes continued to rise in the US, export volumes fell for the twelfth straight month in May. Gary Howard | Jun 29, 2022 According to the McCown Report, East Coast and Gulf Coast imports helped inbound volumes rise 2.9% in May across the top...
Containers lost at sea increased 400% in 2020 – 2021
There was a four-fold increase in the number of containers lost overboard during the 2020 – 2021 compared to the previous two-year. Marcus Hand | Jun 22, 2022 According to figures from the World Shipping Council (WSC) 3,133 containers were lost overboard in the 2020 –...
Analysis: The next COVID-19 booster shots will likely be updated for Omicron
NEW YORK: COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people. Moderna, Pfizer and...
UN Ocean Conference is a Key Step to Restoring Ocean Health
PUBLISHED JUN 26, 2022 3:50 PM BY CHINA DIALOGUE OCEAN [By Peter Thomson] With every breath we take, we are connected to the ocean. The planet-defining blue covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, providing half of its oxygen, stabilising our...
US and Norway Launch Green Shipping Challenge to Build Decarbonization
The U.S. and Norway are challenging the shipping industry to develop decarbonization plans ahead of COP 27 PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2022 7:58 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Speaking with world leaders at the third virtual Major Economies Forum President Joe Biden...
Surge in Boxship Orders Could Create Capacity Surplus as Early as 2023
Many of the next generation of boxships will be dual-fuel, like this CMA CGM LNG-powered container ship (CSSC Hudong Zhonghua / CMA CGM) PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2022 7:47 PM BY BRIAN GICHERU KINYUA Although trade volumes are cooling, the appetite by major ocean...
Freight data wars on the horizon
When it comes to anything related to supply chains, uncertainty pervades. Barry Parker | Jun 15, 2022 An early June report from the Freightwaves platform, with the headline, "US import demand is dropping of a cliff”, received a great deal of traction, and caused...
Livestock carrier with 16,000 cattle capsized in Red sea
Posted in Accidents by Mikhail Voytenko on Jun 12, 2022 at 04:10. Livestock carrier AL BADRI 1 capsized and sank along pier at Suakin Port, Sudan, Red sea, in the evening Jun 11, while about to leave port. The ship with some 16,000 cattle on board is resting starboard...
Mission to Seafarers re-opens Singapore drop-in centre
The Mission to Seafarers has officially re-opened its drop-in centre at Jurong Port after a two-year closure due to Covid restrictions. Marcus Hand | Jun 10, 2022 “It’s great to be back!” declared the Mission to Seafarers Singapore (MtSS) Chairman, Capt. Rob Walker,...
Retailer inventories could drag US-China box rates lower
Falling demand and high retailer inventories could bring US-China container rates even lower, according to a supply chain analyst. Gary Howard | Jun 06, 2022 Shifl said that US retailers are sitting with excess inventory and in many cases still awaiting orders which...
Ports get ‘much needed respite’ as container-ship traffic jam eases
Ship queues down off Southern California, Virginia and Charleston It could be the relative calm before the peak-season, post-Shanghai-lockdown storm. Or it could be the final unwinding of COVID-era congestion as inflation takes hold. What happens next is still highly...
Shanghai’s Port is Nearing Normal Operations After Two-Month Lockdown
PUBLISHED JUN 6, 2022 2:34 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE As China continues to roll back restrictions on most parts of Shanghai, port operations appear to be approaching normal levels. It, however, remains to be seen how quickly throughput can be restored at the...
Local News
Kenanga raises Bintulu Port profit forecast for FY2025 on ‘stronger prospects’ for tariff hike
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 ― Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga IB) has raised its financial year 2025 (FY2025) net profit forecast for Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd by 14 per cent on “stronger prospects” of a hike in tariffs for the port. It also lifted the port operator’s...
Transport minister: Govt drawing up strategy to enhance competitiveness of country’s ports
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The government has drawn up short and long-term strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of the country’s main ports, namely Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the strategy covers aspects of...
Service tax exemption for logistics sector, maintenance services
KUALA LUMPUR: The Finance Ministry has refined the scope of Service Tax to benefit the logistics sector and maintenance services, offering service tax exemptions for both. The ministry said the objective was to alleviate the direct impact on the rakyat’s living cost...
Logistics, a magic bullet for sustainable trade?
B ATTLES are won with tactics. Wars are won with logistics, Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk said. Indeed, improving performance of logistics helps organisations and economies further engage in local and international trade. This makes logistics a powerful...
MMAG banking on aviation arm to boost competitive edge in logistics industry.
KUALA LUMPUR: MMAG Holdings Bhd (MMAG) is banking on its aviation arm, MMAG Aviation Consortium Sdn Bhd (MAC), to unlock its next growth phase and play a key role in unleashing Malaysia’s potential as a regional air cargo hub. MMAG said this followed the...
Transport minister: Malaysia open to extending China-led rail project to Thai border
KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 ― Malaysia's government has said it would consider extending a US$10 billion (RM47.3 billion) China-led rail project to its border with Thailand to boost economic ties between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Part of China's Belt and Road...
Senator: Govt should balance assistance between B40, M40 groups
KUALA LUMPUR (March 20): The government has been urged to balance assistance between the B40 and M40 groups in helping them face the current economic challenges. Senator Datuk Lim Pay Hen said the action was necessary as the M40 group was the most affected by the...
Asia feels the pinch of growing ‘food chokepoints’
In recent years, global food security has suffered from overlapping crises caused by conflicts, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in severe food supply disruptions. These disruptions have been accentuated by several “food...
Foreign investments worth RM281.5b approved in 2022-2023 to create 98,725 jobs in Malaysia, says deputy minister
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — A total of 898 foreign investment projects valued at RM281.5 billion have been approved in the manufacturing and services sectors from 2022 to 2023, said Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong. He said the approved...
Call made on Malaysia, Japan govts to reject carbon capture, storage
MIRI (March 21): Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Friends of the Earth (FoE) Japan had called on the Malaysian and Japanese governments to reject Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). In a joint statement, they said this technology only delays real climate action and the...
New service tax increase is rational, says analyst
PETALING JAYA: On March 1, Malaysia’s service tax rose from 6% to 8%, sparking concerns about price increases during the 2024/2025 school term and Ramadan.The Madani government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, assured that essential items like food, beverages,...
Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone deal set for year-end signing
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: The Ministry of Economy of Malaysia announced that the joint agreement for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS–SEZ) is anticipated to be finalized by year-end. According to a report from Malaysia’s state media Bernama, the agreement...
Loke: Contractors need not curry favour with ministers under this govt, just required to get job done
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has vowed that contractors do not need to cultivate a relationship with Cabinet members to be awarded contracts. The DAP secretary-general said it is enough for those awarded contracts to carry out their...
Ports kick off 2024 on a good note
KUALA LUMPUR: The ports segment started the year on a positive note as the export volume index rose five per cent to 156.5 points in January 2024 from 148.5 points in January 2023, said AmInvestment Bank Bhd. In a note, the research house has maintained its overweight...
Expert says efforts to enhance Malaysia-China ties the right move
Business Expert says efforts to enhance Malaysia-China ties the right move Hayatun Razak 18-03- 2024 07:15 AM From left: Loh, Lim and Hairil Yahri. PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has set its sights rightly on furthering...
MoF sees need to enhance insurance protection among SMEs as risks rise
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) sees a pressing need for insurance protection among small and medium-sized enterprises due to the escalating climate change and other risks, said Secretary General of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican. He said that there...
Finance Ministry: Govt expected to generate RM3.45b additional revenue from service tax
KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — The government is expected to collect additional revenue amounting to RM3.45 billion from the expansion of the scope of service tax and the increase in the service tax from six per cent to eight per cent, according to the Finance Ministry. The...
Valuations yet to price in execution and opex risks
PETALING JAYA: Despite having an “overweight” call on the oil and gas (O&G) sector, UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) Research suggests cautious trading as the sector valuations may not have fully taken into account the execution and operational expenditure (opex) risks. In a...
ECRL anticipated to contribute 3.8pc increase to Malaysia’s GDP by 2047, says Tengku Zafrul
KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is anticipated to contribute a 3.8 per cent increase to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2047 by enhancing trade, boosting tourism, and stimulating regional development. Investment, Trade and Industry...
Cabotage policy reinstatement ends years-long debate
KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s decision to reinstate the cabotage policy exemption brings an end to the years-long debate over allowing foreign ships to undertake undersea cable repairs locally.Malaysia OSV Owners’ Association (MOSVA) and Malaysia Shipowners’...