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Global News
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...
‘It’s a crazy market out there’ – shipping contract rates jump by 90%
With container spot rates from Asia appearing to have reached a plateau as China begins its Golden Week holiday, the attention has turned to contract rate inflation which, according to Xeneta’s XSI index, is showing a 91% year-on-year gain. The September edition of...
Complaints spark US FMC probe into shipping line bill of lading issues
Maritime regulator the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) yesterday launched a probe into claims that shipping lines serving the US “may be attempting to hold companies financially responsible for transport services they did not contract for and may not legally be...
Local News
Tengku Zafrul: Miti closely monitoring situation in Middle East for possible escalation in conflict
RAWANG, April 19 — The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) is closely monitoring reports on the Middle East conflict for a possible escalation in the region. Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said so far, shipments through the Red Sea shipping...
Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre a crucial cog in Johor’s development, says MB
JOHOR BARU: The Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC) will play a crucial role in the economic development of Johor, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The Johor Mentri Besar said establishing the IMFC was among the issues discussed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar...
Malaysia: Lack of cross-sector merger control sparks updates to current regime and new emphasis on digital economy
In summary This article provides an overview of developments in competition law from 2022 to 2024, including the status of proposed amendments to introduce a cross sectoral merger control regime in Malaysia, the application of merger control via sectoral laws, cartels...
Malaysia is next best bet – Country can position itself as viable alternative to S’pore
PETALING JAYA: With some Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) looking beyond Singapore to base their regional headquarters due to the rising cost there, Malaysia has what it takes to position itself as a viable destination, say economists. Sunway University...
Escalating tension in Middle East could result in supply chain disruption, higher insurance premiums for shipping, say Malaysia industry associations.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Escalated tension in the Middle East with the latest Israel-linked container ship seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier today could result in supply chain disruption and higher insurance premiums, said shipping...
Malaysia’s Sales and Service Tax Increase: What Industries are Impacted?
The Malaysian government officially increased the sales and services tax (SST) rate from six percent to eight percent, effective from March 1, 2024, across several sectors such as finance and leisure. Finance Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Azizan stated that this was part...
Port Of Tanjung Pelepas Adds Five ULCV Quay Cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries
Port of Tanjung Pelepas SdnBhd (PTP), a joint venture between the MMC Group and APM Terminals, announced today a recent signing of an agreement with Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC) for the purchase of five (5) Ultra Large Container Vessel (ULCV) Quay...
Global Trade Compliance: How to Play by the RulesGlobal air cargo demand increases 11.9% to 19.7bil CTKs in Feb – IATA
KUALA LUMPUR: The global air cargo industry registered a total of 19.7 billion cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) in February 2024, representing an increase of 11.9 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The...
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...