Weekly edition 30 June

Repair firms do it tough as industry moves and Oz dollar drags anchor

NEW SOUTH Wales shipbuilder and ship repairer Storey & Keers is currently going through an internal restructure of its business, according to director Wal Boscoscuro.

Offshore resource security inquiry

The following is the text of a speech to the House of Representatives by ANTHONY ALBANESE*, introducing an inquiry into security issues that face offshore resources facilities around Australia.

Letter: More to slow steaming issue than conference coverage

WHILE the June 23 article (Lloyd’s List DCN, “Slow steaming slammed by NZ food exporters,” page 4), on slow steaming by carriers operating on New Zealand trades does not mention any lines by name, Maersk is widely regarded as having pioneered the move to reduce vessel speeds in order to save fuel and generate significant economic and environmental benefits.

Rosser leaves Hutchison

HUTCHISON Port Holdings’ (HPH) key Australian manager, Phil Rosser, has surprised the local maritime community with his decision to leave the company.

NZ port injury investigation

INVESTIGATIONS are underway into an incident that occurred on a dredger in Port Taranaki, New Zealand on May 8.

Auckland gives berth to bigger capacity

CONSTRUCTION of a new mooring dolphin has begun at Auckland port’s Fergusson container terminal, as part of an NZ$8m expansion project.

Fremantle future in box as WA commits to growth

WESTERN Australia’s Government has confirmed plans to retain Fremantle Port’s Inner Harbour as a container and general cargo ‘working port’ over the long term.

Into Africa – changing world trade patterns point to Oz gains from targeted investment

FOR so long Africa has been synonymous with difficulties – a continent of civil wars, corruption and coups.

Grain buyers expressing container concerns

CONCERNS have been raised over the quality of containerised grain exports.

What are you worth?

Fair Work Australia (FWA), the employment watchdog, has given its decision in respect of the second annual wage reviews under the Fair Work Act. Many bodies had input into the decision, according to an FWA document, and a variety of economic researchers carried out projects and work to help the FWA’s Minimum Wage Panel (the panel) come to its conclusions.

Vietnam has ambitious coal plans

VIETNAM has received its first thermal coal cargo from Indonesia and has grand ambitions to import 100m tonnes of coal a year in ten years.

Dry bulk vessel demand to hit 500m dwt in 2011

DRY BULK carrier tonnage demand is set to break the 500m dwt barrier this year, as over 3.5bn tonnes of dry bulk commodities are forecast to be shipped at sea, according to forecasts from Lorentzen & Stemoco. By 2014, this tonnage demand figure could close in on the 650m dwt market, as a growing world population consumes an increasing volume of iron ore, coal, grains and other bulk goods, data from the Norwegian broker’s half year report shows.

Thai sugar shipments sticky mess

THAILAND, the world’s second-biggest sugar exporter, is driving up global prices as the worst port congestion in memory restricts shipments, Bloomberg writes.

Markets this week 30 June 2011

Capesize rally contrasts with other dry markets

When good intentions fail

Facing a growing shift of annual volumes towards the peak season, lines in the North & East Asia-Australia trade did their darnedest this year to curb southbound capacity and preserve rates during the quiet months. Alas, as DALE CRISP reports, they mostly failed – and managed to frustrate exporters at the same time.

Grand China chokes

FOR THE third or possibly fourth time, plans by Grand China Shipping (GCS) to enter the Australian trade have come to nothing.

Steady sailing – ships now plying the routes

NEWS that TS Lines/Hainan PO Shipping will re-tonnage their CAX service, moving from 2800 teu to 3500 teu units from next month, represents almost the only significant change to capacity on the North & East Asia-Australia routes since our last survey in November 2010.

Interpol to track down Viet duo

INTERPOL has been called in to help track down two officials from the financially-troubled Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry who are alleged to have absconded to avoid punishment, according to state-affiliated media.

Super-sized containerships winning slot cost debate

CONTAINER lines that have so far resisted ordering the latest generation of super-sized vessels may have little choice but to jump on the bandwagon or miss out on considerable cost savings.

Casualty briefs 30 June 2011

Maritime

Cargo caused all 44 dry bulk deaths last year

ALL 44 deaths on bulk carriers lost last year were caused by cargo-related issues such as liquefaction, nickel ore problems and non-compliance with regulations, according to an analysis of the sector published last week by owners’ grouping Intercargo.

Shipmanagers recruited for arrest work

INQUIRIES are on the rise from banks looking for shipmanagers to provide services for vessels that have been arrested due to financial problems, according to Graig Ship Management chief executive Ian Morgan.

Container prices hit record high

SO MUCH do container shipping lines fear a shortage of boxes this year that container prices and leasing rates are beginning to hit record highs, while lease utilisation levels are now at 99% and have been at 98% for more than a year.

Boxship investment powers ahead

INVESTMENT in new containerships looks set to easily outstrip 2008 levels as confidence returns to the sector after two years of flat newbuilding activity.

Dalian to build largest green recycling facility

CHINA’S largest shipbuilder, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co, (DSIC) is expanding its services into the recycling sector, with construction underway to create the world’s largest green dismantling facility, a move that will see the state-owned company become a cradle to grave, one-stop shop for shipowners.

Australia’s Herman Melville? Henry William Downes’ illustrated log of the barque Terror

IN 2004, the Australian National Maritime Museum successfully bid at auction for a wonderful and rare ship’s log kept by Henry William Downes. In 2011, the museum has included digital images and a transcript of the richly decorated journal on its website.

Leading on IR again and a beastly invasion 10 years ago

MUA AND Patrick were at it, again, in the winter of 2001. Ten years ago the perpetually scrapping duo were in discussion on a new enterprise agreement although details agreements were reported by our predecessors as “being some way off”.

The danger of putting safety last

DNV’s assessment of declining standards supported by Tokyo MoU findings, reports TOM LEANDER

Basis for valuing ships is undergoing sea change

Traditional approaches are increasingly being regarded as inadequate to meet the latest accounting rules’ more stringent requirements, reports STEVE MATTHEWS

Is LNG the right solution for our more complex trade environment?

Debate on ship propulsion is still wide open, but scrubbing or distillates may be more practical, writes NICK BROWN

Human cost of piracy remains hidden from view

There is no single reliable source to inform seafarers or the general public of how crew are treated during captivity, or how widespread abusive tactics are among the pirate gangs, writes KAIJA HURLBURT