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World’s First Ammonia-Powered VLCC on Track for 2025 Launch
Agreement calls for the first ammonia-fueled VLCC to enter service before the end of 2925 (MSIC/AET file photo) PUBLISHED APR 4, 2022 8:01 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Just two years after announcing plans for a joint development project to explore ammonia-fueled...
Shanghai lockdown extended, cargo moved by sea to beat trucking restrictions
Shanghai has extended its lockdown and the world’s largest container port has taken using more river and sea transport to bring boxes to terminals. Marcus Hand, Katherine Si | Apr 01, 2022 The two-phase lockdown was supposed to end on Friday in the east of...
Back to the Future
The race to decarbonize global shipping is in full stride with a multitude of proposed solutions. They’re today’s answer to “putting wind back in the sails.” Many leading shipping companies are planning to gradually transition to zero-carbon vessels, like Maersk's...
Manila International Container Terminal to Get a New Terminal
International Container Terminal Services Inc. is set to construct a berth in the Manila International Container Terminal to increase its capacity in anticipation of increased demand. The new berth, “Berth 8”, will serve Megamax ships with a maximum capacity...
Plan in place to refloat Ever Forward
Salvors have put together a plan to refloat the containership aground outside Baltimore Port, Ever Forward, according to an update from Evergreen. Gary Howard | Mar 18, 2022 Evergreen has appointed salvor Donjon Smit to the vessel, and after multiple underwater...
War in Ukraine will push Asia – Europe rail cargo back to sea
Ukraine – Russia conflict could see 1.5m containers shipped by rail between Asia and Europe rerouted to ocean shipping driving up freight rates yet further, warns UNCTAD. A report by UNCTAD on the trade and development impact of the war in Ukraine highlighted that...
IMO seeks safe corridor for ships and crew from Ukraine conflict
An IMO Extraordinary Council Session held at the end of last week on the impact on seafarers and shipping in the Black Sea and the Sea of Avoz from the conflict in Ukraine stated it “deplored the attacks of the Russian Federation aimed at commercial vessels, their...
LA/Long Beach queue set to max out again
The queue of vessels outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is set to start growing again, according to a Sea-Intelligence report. Gary Howard | Mar 10, 2022 Using the fourth quarter of 2021 as a baseline, Sea-Intelligence modelled the cumulative change...
China to reduce port charges from April
China’s Ministry of Transport and National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued notice to reduce port charges starting from 1 April. Katherine Si | Mar 04, 2022 Implementing a decision by an executive meeting of the State Council’s to reduce and...
Repsol and Navantia to develop solutions for decarbonising shipping
Repsol and Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop solutions to decarbonise maritime transport. Michele Labrut | Mar 04, 2022 The aim is to develop solutions in line with the greenhouse gas...
Trade Groups Urge Biden to Get Involved in West Coast Union Contract
With U.S. ports, and especially those on the West Coast, struggling to recover from the backlogs developed in 2021, a group of 49 trade associations from retailing, manufacturing, and other industries is highlighting the potentially damaging effects that could come...
Russian invasion propels price of ship fuel to historic high
Average price at top refueling ports approaches $900 per ton The price of ship fuel was flirting with a new record even before Russia invaded Ukraine. Then war broke out, and the highs of the past were left far behind. Ship fuel costs have “gone parabolic,” said...
Box lines skip Ukraine calls as commercial shipping suspended
Multiple international container lines have announced they will not call Ukraine ports, while Russian services generally remain available. MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM all released operation updates announcing suspensions of vessel calls to Ukraine until further notice....
After Last Year’s Surge, International Trade Growth May Slow in 2022
New data by UNCTAD shows that 2021 recorded the highest trade growth ever. The positive trend was buoyed by increases in commodity prices, subsiding pandemic restrictions and a strong demand recovery due to economic stimulus efforts. Overall, the value of global trade...
How Russian invasion of Ukraine could impact ocean shipping
Military action could cause ship fuel prices to spike, create tanker wild cards Ukraine is on a knife’s edge. Russian troops are amassed at its border. The U.S., EU and U.K. warn of severe consequences if Russia attacks, which the U.S. believes could happen at any...
How the pandemic has propelled maritime tech deals to new peaks
Maritime tech has never seen anything like the past 12 months: a whirlwind of deals that may be just the beginning. “Clearly, there is an influx of capital, especially over the last year, and the pace is just continuing to increase,” said Evan Efstathiou, founder of...
Fifth generation Robert Maersk Uggla to chair AP Moller – Maersk
Robert Maersk Uggla is to take over Chair of the Board of AP Moller – Maersk as Jim Hagemann Snabe stands down. Marcus Hand | Feb 15, 2022 Robert Maersk Uggla, CEO of AP Moller Holdings, is the fifth generation of the Maersk family to lead the company. His mother...
Taihu and Huawei team up for marine technology development
China’s deepsea technology science laboratory Taihu is jointly establishing a vessel and sea data intelligence application innovation lab with Huawei Technology. Katherine Si | Feb 18, 2022 The newly established lab will combine the IT and AI technology with...
Containership queues grow at Asian ports
Port congestion is growing in Asia with an increase in the average numbers of containerships per day waiting to berth at key ports according to analysts project44. Marcus Hand | Feb 18, 2022 The average number of ships waiting per day at Asian ports...
Cybersecurity and automation in shipping
As shipping moves toward semi-autonomous and autonomous vessels Nir Ayalon, CEO and founder of Cydome, says cybersecurity needs to be at the forefront of people’s minds. Nir Ayalon, CEO and founder of Cydome | Feb 21, 2022 Covid has taught the shipping world a lot of...
Covid measures continue to impact SE Asia repair yard capacity
Strict Covid-19 could continue to restrict yard capacity for drydocking in the coming year warn Nippon Marine Paint. Marcus Hand | Feb 03, 2022 The number of vessels drydocked at Southeast Asian yards for paint jobs dropped sharply in 2020 and 2021, and while...
Supply chain chaos and port gridlock could drag on into 2023
The timetable for a container shipping correction keeps receding into the distance, which is either very good news or very bad news, depending upon which side of the market you’re on. The first predictions for a downturn were for October 2020 after China’s Golden Week...
Maersk Reports Record-Setting $24 Billion Profit for 2021
PUBLISHED FEB 9, 2022 1:55 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Calling 2021 an exceptional year, A.P. Moller – Maersk reported year-end results producing the expected records, including the largest profit by any shipping company and the largest ever profit for any...
Maersk boosts integrated logistics strategy with Concor collaboration in India
By Angelo Matthias in India 04/02/2022 Maersk Line is raising the bar on integrated logistics solutions in India, as customers continually demand more on the supply chain-side in a highly competitive market environment. The carrier’s latest effort around...
Maersk Overtaken as World’s No. 1 Shipping Line by MSC
Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks Covid-19’s impact on trade. Sign up here, and subscribe to our Covid-19 podcast for the latest news and analysis on the pandemic. A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is no longer the world’s largest container line. The...
World’s largest container vessel Ever Ace makes maiden call at PTP
JOHOR BARU: Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) became the first port in Southeast Asia to welcome Evergreen Marine Corporation's latest, and the world's largest, container ship Ever Ace as part of the vessel's maiden voyage in the region. The vessel arrived at the port...
Port of LA threatens penalties for empty boxes left at clogged-up terminals
By Ian Putzger, Americas correspondent 21/12/2021 To nobody’s surprise, the spectre of late dwell charges on containers at the prime US port complex receded yet another week yesterday, as the port authorities of Los Angeles and Long Beach deferred a decision...
Maersk hatches ‘winter plan’ to counter record transatlantic storm season
By Mike Wackett 20/12/2021 A record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season has severely disrupted transatlantic liner services, adding to capacity shortage issues on the route. Moreover, an acceleration in modal shift from severely congested US west coast ports...
UN groups in crisis mode over key workers as Covid border restrictions return
As some countries move to reintroduce border restrictions for transport workers – a repeat of last year’s measures which contributed to the supply chain crisis – the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) are forming an emergency...
Trade facilitation: Critical to COVID-19 recovery
Lines of trucks, often hundreds of vehicles long, were a frequent sight at many border crossings at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantining of containers at sea ports and increased delays for restricted goods, including medicine and personal protective...
FACT SHEET: Summit on Global Supply Chain Resilience to Address Near-Term Bottlenecks and Tackle Long-Term Challenges
President Biden announces new domestic steps to continue building supply chain resilience President Biden has made resilient supply chains a top priority of his Administration since Day One. Today, the President is holding a Summit on Global Supply Chain Resilience...
DP Word increases container volume by 11.9%
DP World handled 58.4m teu across its container terminals during in the January-September period, with container volumes increasing by 11.9% year-on-year on a reported basis and up 11.4% on a like-for-like basis. Michele Labrut | Oct 27, 2021 During the third...
Shifting economic demand could be positive for supply chains, long-run
Maersk has warned that the energy crisis in China and the consequent delays and congestion caused by Covid-19 is disrupting services, but some believe the power problems may lead to falling demand following the rush to get goods to market for Christmas. Chinese New...
‘Exceptional’ financial year for the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal closed Fiscal Year 2021 (October 2020-September 2021) with historic PC/UMS (Panama Canal/ Universal Measurement System) tonnage transported through the waterway, increasing by 8.7 %, to 516.7m PC/UMS, up from 475.16m PC/UMS in FY 2020. The...
Waiting ships around the world are the effect of inland logistics bottlenecks, ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon said in a release.
Gary Howard | Oct 29, 2021 In an update on its FY 21 Q2 initiatives, Nixon said that the company continued to see bottleneck constraints as a result of landside labour shortages and high consumer and industrial demand for products. “Hundreds of ships waiting...
Cosco bites the charter bullet, while CMA CGM buys more ships
Ocean carriers are turning the heads of non-operating containership owners with “offers they can’t refuse” in their fervent buying spree. Oslo-headquartered MPC Container Ships announced last week it had agreed the sale of six of its 74-vessel feedership fleet,...
Sea-Intelligence: Two-Thirds of All Containerships Are Behind Schedule
Global port congestion and backlogs continue to play havoc on liner schedules. According to new data from Sea-Intelligence schedule reliability remains at the low end of the range seen in 2021. In September, two out ever three vessels were behind schedule with the...
Driver shortages and rising costs make the UK a tough market, says DSV chief
DSV is to pass on rising haulage costs to its customers, but has downplayed suggestions it has been significantly affected by the shortage of drivers. Road accounts for more than 20% of DSV’s revenue and has seen 12.4% growth in the year to date. It recorded revenue...
San Pedro ports to surcharge carriers for extended cargo dwell times
As the number of ships awaiting berths at the US west coast container hubs of Los Angeles and Long Beach grows the ports are set to surcharge ocean carriers for extended import dwell times. From 1 November, the San Pedro Bay ports will charge carriers $100 per...
Singapore opens mega-port storage early to ease container bottlenecks
Singapore’s new mega-port is just months away from full operations, but it has opened its storage area early to help alleviate the supply chain bottlenecks plaguing container shipping. Congestion has caused ships to arrive late, resulting in logjams of containers in...
PIL launching new service for China and Gulf areas
Pacific International Lines (PIL) announced the launch of a new weekly direct service connecting Central and South China to the Gulf area in the Middle East. Katherine Si | Oct 26, 2021 Effective from 23 November 2021, this new service - Gulf China...
Bunker surcharges resurface – ‘justified by oil price spike’, say carriers
As oil prices spike to multi-year highs of $80 a barrel, ocean carriers are preparing to dust off their bunker surcharge mechanisms to mitigate the impact. Although several carriers, including CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd, have capped further FAK rate increases, surcharges...
Zim Kingston vessel fire was caused by container collapse
A fire which broke out aboard the Zim Kingston was caused by a container collapse that damaged boxes containing dangerous cargo, a spokesperson for vessel owner Danaos Shipping confirmed today. The 4,253 teu vessel, on charter from the Greek owner, was at an...
APM Terminals places ZPMC order, establishes strategic alliance
APM Terminals and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) signed a large equipment purchasing order and formed a strategic alliance to focus on automation. Katherine Si | Oct 25, 2021 To have more access to adequate, state-of-the-art automated...
Maersk makes changes to WCSA services to/from Northern Europe
Maersk announced major changes to its connecting services between the West Coast of South America (WCSA), the Caribbean and Central America to/from Northern Europe that will take effect from January 2022. Michele Labrut | Oct 25, 2021 This includes the closure of...
ZIM buys seven secondhand boxships for $320m
ZIM has acquired seven containerships of between 12 and 14 years old for $320m since the start of October. Marcus Hand | Oct 22, 2021 The vessels purchased are five traditional panamax sized 4,250 teu boxships and two 1,100 teu. The prices of secondhand...
Exporters snap-up capacity as CargoGulf targets stranded freight for Asia
Correction: The Loadstar wishes to make some corrections to the article below that appeared in Tuesday’s edition: Contrary to the article, The Loadstar wishes to make it clear that CargoGulf is not the operator of the panamax vessel Guenther...
Amazon, IKEA and Unilver among shippers make 2040 zero carbon shipping pledge
Amazon, IKEA, and Unilever, are among nine major shippers that have united in a new coalition with an ambition for zero carbon shipping by 2040. Marcus Hand | Oct 20, 2021 The Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) coalition brings together Amazon, Brooks...
President Biden challenges private sector to tackle supply chain logjams
US president Joe Biden has hailed a new 24-hour working system, which he says will help to shift bottlenecks in US supply chains bringing products to market for Christmas. But some industry observers do not share his optimism, believing the shift cannot be made so...
Missing port calls improves liner scheduling, but still delays final cargo delivery
Asia-North Europe ships are taking up to 54 extra days to complete round-trip voyages, due to chronic port congestion at their European hub ports. According to an Alphaliner survey, based on current schedule delays on the services, at least 44 extra ships of...
Local News
XLP member, Megalift Transport for East Coast rail link (ECRL) project in Malaysia
This month, the Megalift team and equipment are occupied with the handling of shipments for East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project. They have 6 units of locomotives entering via Kuantan Port and 95 units of wagons that arrived in Port Klang, both via conventional...
Domestic trade minister: Govt plans to retarget diesel subsidies by June this year
Domestic trade minister: Govt plans to retarget diesel subsidies by June this year. Rererence: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/02/01/domestic-trade-minister-govt-plans-to-retarget-diesel-subsidies-by-june-this-year/115771
Malaysia to participate in military exercise in Thailand
BANGKOK: Malaysia will join the 43rd Cobra Gold, the world's longest-running and largest multinational military exercise in South-east Asia, alongside troops from 30 nations in Thailand from February 27 to March 10.Co-hosted by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the...
2024 will be another year of transition for M’sian economy -Economists
KUALA LUMPUR: Economic growth for 2023 will be below 4% as we forecast this time last year. This is positive but slower than in the past because of the transition to a new era of lower underlying growth due to the damage of Covid-19 policies. We see slower growth...
DTDC WIDENS ITS PRESENCE BY LAUNCHING OPERATIONS IN MALAYSIA, SETS SIGHTS ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN EXPANSION
DTDC in India covers approximately 96% of the population through 16,000+ physical customer access points and has a global reach of 220+ destinations. DTDC has expanded its presence in SEA with its new Malaysia office apart from its existing...
Singapore’s Just In Time Planning and Coordination Platform
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is implementing a scheme titled “Just-in-Time” for vessels arriving at its terminals and berths in Singapore. Our correspondent Spica reports that the purpose of this scheme is three-fold. Firstly to match vessels with...
Groundbreaking ceremony of Kuala Linggi International Port
Scheduled for completion in 42 months, KLIP’s vision is to transform Kuala Sungai Linggi into a Green Global Industrial Hub for Energy Source, Port and Maritime Services. The development plan includes the construction of tank storage, shipyard, heavy...
Hike in drug prices expected soon
PETALING JAYA: Amid reports of pharmaceutical drug prices rising in the United States, the same may apply to Malaysia soon. Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president Prof Amrahi Buang said if drugmakers moved to raise prices in the United States, the prices of...
Will new rail link push more Singaporeans to opt for life in Johor Bahru as cost of living, rent in city state soars?
Despite a strong Singapore dollar and weak Malaysian ringgit, Singaporeans are not eyeing large properties in JB and are prioritising connectivity instead Changing work cultures and the flexibility of remote working post-pandemic are making it increasingly easier for...
Malaysia committed to transparent medicine pricing
ANN/THE STAR – The Malaysian government is dedicated to promoting transparency in medicine pricing. The commitment aims to empower consumers by providing them with the necessary information to make informed choices and compare prices. The ministry is actively...
Recovery in logistics industry to spur AGX
PETALING JAYA: ACE Market-bound AGX Group Bhd is poised for a better year in 2024, following an improvement in its working capital and operational efficiency amid a recovery in the logistics industry, says executive director and chief executive officer Datuk...
Transport minister says no alarms sounding over Red Sea crisis yet
KLANG, Jan 19 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke today said his ministry has not received feedback from importers warning about the potential impact of the Red Sea Crisis on Malaysia. He said the ministry was aware of the need to proactively mitigate supply disruptions...
International News: Malaysian manufacturers warn of tripled freight rates due to Red Sea shipping crisis
Ву Ноrасе Раlасіо: Тhе Fеdеrаtіоn оf Маlауѕіаn Маnufасturеrѕ (FММ) hаѕ іѕѕuеd а wаrnіng tо Маlауѕіаn ехроrtеrѕ аnd іmроrtеrѕ аbоut а ѕіgnіfісаnt hіkе іn frеіght rаtеѕ, ехресtеd tо trірlе іn 2024 соmраrеd tо thе рrеvіоuѕ уеаr. Тhіѕ еѕсаlаtіоn іѕ аttrіbutеd tо thе...
REVOLUTIONISING MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS IN THE IoT ERA
FOR industries dominated by the interconnected fabric of the Internet of Things (IoT), the prospect of streamlining the production and distribution of goods takes centre stage. Imagine the seamless interplay between devices, systems and data – optimising every aspect...
Malaysia’s economic reforms set to eat into budgets of middle, high-income households
KUALA LUMPUR – Rising costs of living are expected to hit Malaysia’s middle- and high-income households the hardest in 2024, as the government shifts to targeted subsidies for fuel and electricity, and imposes tax hikes as part of its economic reforms. Household...
Prime Minister Confident Ptp Will Drive Development of Malaysia’s Logistics And Ports Sector
Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd (PTP), a member of MMC Group is expected to continue driving the development of the logistics and port sector in Malaysia. This is in line with the Group’s commitment to invest nearly RM26 billion over the next five (5) years to build...
Malaysia wants to make Johor ‘new engine of growth’
Economy minister hopes special economic zone with Singapore boosts tech, renewables KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia hopes the southern state of Johor will become a "new engine of growth," as the country works to develop the border area with neighbor Singapore, its economy...
Malaysia and Indonesia Are Links in Iran’s Drone Supply Chain
Companies based in the two countries are part of an “illicit procurement network” that has been targeted by U.S. sanctions. In the early hours of December 16, 2023, a swarm of drones headed toward the USS Carney, a warship patrolling the southern Red Sea. Crew...
Onion prices skyrocket, MEP increased to $1200/tonne
If there is one vegetable that is religiously added to all cuisines across south Asia, it is onions. The staple vegetable holds an extremely important place in the common man’s life. Onions are grown on around 136,000 hectares of land, with the 2020 figures...
Johor state govt proposes Iskandar Malaysia be designated special economic zone with Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR - Johor’s state government has proposed that its business hub Iskandar Malaysia be designated as the special economic zone being planned between Singapore and Malaysia, The Straits Times has learnt. It is not known, though, if Malaysia’s federal...