30 April 2006 issue

Headlines

Sea and waterways transport

Joint services between three Asian shipowners

Hanjin has started up a new service NMX between the Mediterrenean and Asia with its two partners Yang Ming and K Line. The joint service between the three Asian shipowners links Genoa, Fos, Valencia and Port Said to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Kaohsiung and Yantian via Suez and Djeddah. Transit time to Singapore from the west docks of Marseilles is 17 days. 7 ships of 3300 teu are deployed on this service; K Line owns 5 of them and Yang Ming 2.

Source : L’Antenne du 18 avril 2006

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New service South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico

CMA CGM will offer from 4 June, a new service South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico operated in partnership with the Evergreen subsidiary , Hatsu Marine and China Shipping Container Line. Five ships with an average capacity of 2800 teu each (2 deployed by CMA CGM, 2 by CSCL and 1 by Hatsu Marine) will be deployed on the following rotation : Le Havre, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Charleston, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, Le Havre. Transit time between Bremerhaven and Charleston will be nine days. A commercial service on the West African lines of Delmas will be available from Houston via a transhipment at le Havre.

Source : Antenne, 19 April 2006

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China charges security fees

China will levy a security charge on goods imported and exported through its ports from 1 June to cover increased security costs. The government said it had already invested heavily in port security since the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), (see the article on ISPS) came into effect in 2004 and the upgrades had increased operational and management costs at ports. Importers and exporters will be charged Rmb30 (Euro 2) for each 20ft container, and Rmb30 per 40ft container. Empty containers will not incur a charge. The charge will be in effect for three years, the ministry said.

Source : IFW 24 april 2006

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A year of prosperity for shipowners

According to a report made public by BARRY ROGLIANO SALLES, (BRS), Paris’ broker agency, the shipowners world is composed of private groups with large financial resources. This year a large number of takeovers took place to form huge shipowner companies. These in turn control hundreds of ships in the containership sector (MAERSK, MSC, CMA CGM, HAPAG-LLOYD), as well as in petrol (FRONTLINE, WORLD-IDEBERGESEN, TEEKAY). However the dry bulk remains more “fragmented”. This concentration of movement also touches the port handling sector where there was a struggle between Dubai and Singapore to obtain the port and ferry branch of British P&O, while new privately owned terminals, often joint property of the shipowners who use them, are created in large ports. These big groups should contribute to stabilizing the market and to creating a balanced dialogue between shipowners and shippers, states the report by BRS.

Source : Antenne 21 April 2006

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The Rhine river

According to note 83 of Isemar; 2 m teus are transported on the Rhine every year. Operators have to deal with cargo fluctuation and the management of empty and full containers. Exports are 60% in volume , between Rotterdam and Cologne as well as from Cologne to Karlsruhe. This ratio is reversed after Karlsruhe where imports are dominant (55%).

Source : Antenne, 24 April 2006

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Geest plans north European network

Geest North Sea Line is restructuring its services in the Scandinavian and Baltic markets to boost capacity by 50% and better integrate the former Samskip services into the Geest network. Major changes include establishing a new hub operation in Helsinborg, Sweden, direct calls in Denmark and Lithuania and a switch from Terneuzen to Rotterdam. Capacity will also be upgraded with the introduction of a 500teu vessel on the Swedish service this month and two 350teu ships on the Latvian route in May.

Source : IFW 17 April 2006

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Railway transport

Liberalising railway freight in Europe

According to the General Management of sea and transport ((DGMT), part of the French Ministry of transport, equipment, tourism and sea), cargo traffic by road has gone up from 35%, with 73% of transported volumes over the last ten years compared with 6% by rail. Market shares of new member countries of the EU is about 3 or 4%, with a noticeable gap between member states. The German market has been opened to competition since 1996. In Germany the railway share is stable at about 20% according to DGMT. In the Netherlands, 6 operators control the market. Today railway share is at 3,9%. Privatising English rail was completed in 1996. Railway shares went from 7.1% to 11.2%. In Italy rail handles 9.2% of cargo transport. In Sweden railway freight was liberalised in 1996. Despite the emergence of some operators, 92% of the traffic is still dealt with by SJ Green Cargo. Railway share still remains high at 36.1%. Railway freight represents 16% of cargo transport in France and 12% of all land transport.

Source : Antenne 20 April 2006

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Rail venture offers fast Russia link

A joint transport company is being formed to offer a faster rail freight route between Germany and Russia. The company comprises state owned German operator DB, PKP from Poland, BC Rail from Belarus and Russia’s RZD. It is expected to be up and running before the end of the year. The journey from Berlin to Moscow could be completed in 79 hours.

Source : IFW 17 April 2006

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China charges security fees

China will levy a security charge on goods imported and exported through its ports from 1 June to cover increased security costs. The government said it had already invested heavily in port security since the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), (see the article on ISPS) came into effect in 2004 and the upgrades had increased operational and management costs at ports. Importers and exporters will be charged Rmb30 (Euro 2) for each 20ft container, and Rmb30 per 40ft container. Empty containers will not incur a charge. The charge will be in effect for three years, the ministry said.

Source : IFW 24 april 2006

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Air transport

Sharing of codes between Vietnam Airlines and American Airlines

Vietnam Airlines and American Airlines started on Monday to share codes on flight between Vietnam, Japan, Europe and the USA.

Source : Antenne, 19 April 2006

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India adopts two-hour rule on air imports

New regulations in India require all house air waybill (HAWB) information to be received by Indian Customs two hours prior to the arrival of the flight. This new regulation came into force last week.

Source : IFW 17 April 2006

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Road transport

May day deadline for tachographs

D-Day for digital tachographs will be 1 May following publication of the drivers’hours regulation in the Official journal of the European union last week. After 1 May, drivers whose countries are still unable to issue driver cards are open to prosecution. The latest details from European monitoring website MIDT last week showed that most of the 25 members states had started issuing cards. Member states were in varying stages of compliance in other areas, such as connection to the Tachonet enforcement and monitoring network, workshop approval and enforcement, officer training and equipping. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain currently tick all the boxes.

Source : IFW 17 April 2006

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China

China creates jobs

The economic expansion of China has created 10 m jobs in the world since 2001, when it entered WTO, said the Chinese vice-president, Zeng Qinghong. “Since it joined the WTO (World Trade Organisation), China has imported goods worth approximately 500 bn dollars yearly, creating roughly 10 m jobs for other countries or regions, declared the vice-president.

Source : Antenne du 25 avril 2006

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Australia

Customs fines down under

Australia is to begin fining companies failing to comply with the country's new customs reporting procedures, introduced last year. A moratorium for cargo reporting penalties ended on 12 April and Australia's customs authority has decided not to extend the moratorium.

Source : IFW 24 April 2006

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