Weekly edition 9 June

Live animal trade is under extreme stress after outing

AUSTRALIA is facing growing pressure to ban live cattle exports to Indonesia, in the wake of the ABC’s explosive Four Corners documentary.

Call for logistics peak body to steer industry into new era

AUSTRALIA needs a peak body dedicated to freight, according to the CEO of a logistics lobby group. Addressing the Transport NZ Summit and Expo in New Zealand earlier this month, Michael Kilgariff of the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) called for the establishment of “Freight Australia”.

On appeal: fair go for seafarers

NOT ENOUGH is being done to stop seafarers from being criminalised for acts that they are often not responsible for, according to the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

PDL reshuffles Pacific vessels and services

PACIFIC Direct Line (PDL) has made changes to its Australian and New Zealand services and has introduced a new Trans Tasman service.

Guest speaker in no mood to take prisoners on state of shipping

AS A GUEST speaker at the Australian Maritime College, the general manager of Marine Safety for Western Australia gave a lively talk about the challenges of managing shipping off the WA north-west coast.

Offshore law set for big reform

A WIDE-ranging inquiry into Australian regulation of the offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage industry has been announced following the introduction of five bills into Federal Parliament.

Union targets ships flying flags of convenience

A UNION crackdown on foreign ships took place in New Zealand last week against alleged substandard seafarer conditions.

Budget brings new hope of progress on quarantine issues

A CBFCA conference in Victoria has heard of some of the current quarantine issues facing Australian importers and exporters.

Royal Wolf price lifts on listing

SHARES in NSW-based seller and lessor of shipping containers, Royal Wolf, rose as much as 20% on its first week of trading on the Australian stock market.

College forum airs shipping’s current concerns

SAILORS, industry leaders, researchers, union activists, professors, top bureaucrats and just about anyone else with an interest in the sea rolled into Launceston late last month.

Newcastle firm cheques support for seafarers

THE MISSION to Seafarers has received a $5000 cheque from Newcastle Stevedores, which was presented at the company’s office.

Port of Melbourne box trends reviewed in detail at southern CBFCA convention

URBAN encroachment and the handling of empty containers are issues that must be confronted at the port of Melbourne, leading transport industry figures say.

Iron ore price bubble set to burst

THE IRON ore market has risen to “bubble” levels that will burst as new mines create oversupply of the steel making raw material, according to Baosteel Group Corp, China’s second-biggest mill, Bloomberg reports.

Naphtha set for boost on Japan petrochemical restart

JAPAN’S petrochemical capacity is coming back on line as the country steadily gears up for the arduous task of reconstruction more than two months after the earthquake and tsunami.

Markets 9 June 2011

Capesize rates start to move back above handy bulkers

COAL: Still a key cargo despite a reputation for controversy

If coal were a sportsman, it would be something like Shane Warne, writes DAVID SEXTON.

Retaining iron grip on ore trade

SELDOM has an Australian industry been talked about in terms of such spectacular growth as for iron ore.

Dry bulk market could be on track for July recovery

A RECOVERY in the dry bulk market could take place as early as July, said Mitsui OSK Lines president Koichi Muto as he downplayed the emergence of industrial shipping giant Vale on the key Brazil-China iron ore trade.

Season to be merry as grain drinks to growth

A RETURN to wet weather proved a boon for grain growers in Victoria and southern Australia during the recent seasons.

Raft of newbuilds set to flood sector

With 1700 bulkers predicted to enter the market in 2011, there is a need for more vessels to be scrapped to avoid collapse of the sector, writes DAVID BULL*

Grand China Logistics builds on its ambitions

Owner has set its sights on being the world’s third largest dry bulk company by 2015

Port operator buys expansion route

INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), the acquisitive container port operator with an appetite for smaller-scale, emerging-market opportunities, has made an all-cash offer for Singapore-listed Portek International worth S$181m (US$147m).

Japan urges China to support IMO emissions rules

IT IS in the interests of China and other developing countries to agree to the proposed mandatory rules on greenhouse gas reductions for the shipping industry at the next meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s maritime environmental protection committee, which will take place July in London, according to a top Japanese government official.

Bright future for mid-sized container ships

OWNERS and operators of containerships in the intermediate 3000 teu-4000 teu size bracket should be optimistic about the prospects for their ships in the charter market, despite a growing trend for ever larger vessels, a leading German owner has told Lloyd’s List.

Casualties 9 June 2011

Maritime

Bulker freed after a major salvage operation using five tugs

BULK carrier Chios Wind, laden with 25,132 tonnes of wheat and corn gluten, ran aground while entering the Bocas de Cenizan, River Magdalena, on passage to the port of Barranquilla on May 20.

Questions raised over bunkers outsourcing

A PROPOSAL that shipowners should outsource fuel procurement has been questioned by some of the independent fuel analysis companies.

Evergreen orders 10 vessels

TAIWAN’s Evergreen has ordered the final 10 boxships on a series of 30 vessels of 8000 teu capacity from Kaohsiung-based China Shipbuilding Corp.

Shipowners back IMO move on box weighing

LAST month’s decision by the International Maritime Organization to consider the problem of misdeclared container weights has been warmly welcomed by shipowners, although no agreement has been reached about whether to move towards a mandatory regime.

Conference Shipping: 1969-2006*

CHANGE, and the acceptance of change, is an interesting subject to observe. Some people embrace change as an opportunity for improvement. Others see change as an intrusion into an already comfortable routine, and promptly reject it.

The cold war and changing trade patterns – 25 years ago

 

Private Chinese yards get state backing

PRIVATELY owned Chinese shipyards are not under threat from closure and, just like state-owned facilities, are receiving support from the country’s government to keep employment high and the economy moving, according to a leading Chinese broker.

Inmarsat ship communication service under fire

INMARSAT, the maritime industry’s largest satellite provider, has been accused of taking advantage of shipowners’ ignorance of the satellite communication market as it pushes ahead with its new Global Xpress launch.

Why Shen Neng 1 is a wake-up call on safety

A large part of the maritime industry operates on the assumption that those who work on ships do not need sleep like the rest of humanity, writes STEVE PELECANOS

How to stifle piracy without going to court

A legal minefield needs to be cleared before ships’ armed guards are granted their licence to kill, writes JOHN AC CARTNER