ASIA BECOMES MAERSK LINE’S MAIN HUB: Maersk Line has announced that it is changing its Oceania services from early 2007, which will have implications globally.  The carrier is ending direct services between Europe and Oceania and all cargo volumes will be moved through the dedicated Maersk-run transfer operations in Malaysia (Tanjung Pelepas) and Singapore.  The focus will be on providing services through the extensive global network available to the company at this transhipment point.  It will provide direct services to and from Africa (3 dedicated strings); East Coast of South America (1 dedicated string); Europe (covering North Europe, East and West Mediterranean, Black Sea and North Africa – 7 dedicated strings); and South Asia / Middle East (3 dedicated strings).  With regard to the Oceania-Americas/US East Coast trade, this service will be separated from the present Europe service and a dedicated weekly service will be provided to and from the US East Coast.  In addition to the present Philadelphia and Savannah calls in the East Coast, the carrier will add a direct call to Norfolk.  Maersk Line is also planning to expand coverage of New Zealand ports with direct calls at New Plymouth and Timaru.  Full integration will continue in its Americas network, providing weekly coverage of South/Central American and Caribbean ports.  A seasonal loader programme will be deployed to cater for the dairy and fruit cargoes from Oceania.

4.  AMERICAS & THE CARIBBEAN

EVERGREEN PLANS CARIBBEAN HUB: Evergreen is reported to be planning a new hub in the Caribbean and is considering Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas as potential sites.  The initiative is said to be part of plans to establish a new route in 2008 connecting Asia to the western hemisphere through the Suez Canal.  Any new facility would complement the company’s existing container terminal in Colón on the Panama Canal.

TOP NORTH AMERICAN PORTS: Containerisation International has reported that the total container throughput at the main US and Canadian gateways were up to 21.58 million TEU for the period January – July 2006.  The top 10 ports for container throughput were:  Los Angeles (4,620,000 TEU; +10.2% growth); Long Beach (4,110,000 TEU; +10.5% growth); New York/New Jersey (2,100,000 TEU; +10% growth); Oakland (1,360,000 TEU; +7.8% growth); Vancouver (1,230,000 TEU; +25% growth); Savannah (1,210,000 TEU; +15.1% growth); Tacoma (1,160,000 TEU; +3.6% growth); Charleston (1,150,000 TEU; -1.4% growth); Seattle (1,120,000 TEU; -3.7% growth), Virginia (1,110,000 TEU; +5.2% growth).

HUTCHISON INVESTS IN ECUADOR TRANSHIPMENT HUB: HPH is to invest in the Ecuadorian port of Manta with the intention of turning it into one of the largest transhipment ports of the west coast of South America.  It was the only bidder for the 30-year concession.  According to HPH’s managing director, Manta would become an essential centre for the transfer of cargoes between Asia and South America as well as the gateway for the Pacific-Atlantic corridor.  Being the closest port to Asia on the west coast of South America, the new terminal is expected to benefit from the growing trade between the two regions. 

5.  ASIA PACIFIC

OOCL AND HANJIN TO SELL TERMINALS: Hong Kong based shipping line OOCL, and South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping are considering selling some of their marine terminals.  UBS Investment Bank has been appointed to advise on the possible sale of four OOCL terminals in Canada and the USA – Vanterm and Deltaport in Vancouver operated by its subsidiary TSI Terminal Systems, New York Container Terminal on Staten Island and Global Container Terminal in New Jersey.  The company will retain terminals of strategic value to its business such as its Long Beach terminal in the US, Koahsiung in Taiwan and facilities at Ningbo and Tianjin in China.  In the case of Hanjin however, the picture is not clear.  The company is reported to be considering options, including partial disposal of its terminals.  Hanjin operates terminals in a number of countries, including Busan and Kwangyang in South Korea, Koahsiung in Taiwan, Tokyo and Osaka in Japan and Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle in the USA.

ICTSI EXPANSION: ICTSI, the Philippines based terminal operator has entered the Indonesian port market, acquiring a majority shareholding in a company offering stevedoring/terminal management services in the port of Makassar.  In October, the company signed a $120m credit facility as a ‘war chest’ for its overseas expansion plans.  According to the company’s chairman and president, the facility is designed specifically to facilitate the expansion of the company’s international terminal network.  ICTSI is reported to be looking to bid for a wide range of projects in countries including Argentina, Ecuador, Indonesia, Australia and China.  The company recently won a concession in Syria.

SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN KARACHI DEEPWATER PORT PROJECT: Following the extension of the deadline for expressions of interest in the proposed Karachi deepwater container port, there are now 9 bidders for this contract.  The initial six bidders were port operators – PSA International, Hutchison Port Holdings, AP Moller-Maersk Group, DP World, ICTSI and Pakistan International Container Terminals.  Three other groups have now joined the bidding – Gulftainer with a consortium of Emirates Trading Agency and ETA-Ascon; Noor Financial Investment with a consortium of KASB Securities, Megatech and Forbes Group; and Port World Logistics and RGL Port International.  The deadline was extended at the request of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce.  The deepwater port is due to be built at Keamari Groyne with private sector participation.

6.  AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

NEW EQUIPMENT BRINGS IMPROVEMENTS IN MOMBASA PORT: New cargo handling equipment has brought major improvements to loading and unloading in the port of Mombasa, Kenya.  Unsurprisingly, efficiency problems are linked to inadequate equipment in many African ports. The majority of the port’s cargo is due for Uganda but cargo to and from Sudan is expected to grow once the reconstruction of that country is underway and the exploitation of Sudan’s oil reserves grows.  Apparently, the Japanese Bank for International Co-operation is currently financing a review and update of a feasibility study carried out in 2000 on additional container-handling capacity at Mombasa which would involve the construction of  new container berths and stacking areas.  Unions may wish to find out more about the study and how any proposed expansion would be financed.

MAPUTO WORKING ON DIRECT LINK WITH EAST ASIA: The port of Maputo in Mozambique is negotiating with several potential carriers, including China Shipping Container Line (CSCL) for a direct container link with East Asian ports, and is working to overcome obstacles to becoming the port of choice for South Africa.  Maputo apparently offers the closest and most direct route of any harbour in the region to trade with Gauteng in South Africa, even though delays at border crossings remain an issue.  According to Fairplay, if this problem can be ironed out, Maputo should logically have little competition given its newly dredged port, the global services put in place by the private operator and the fact that its distance to Gauteng - in particular the rich mining and agricultural regions of Mpumalanga and Limpopo – in South Africa is less than Durban or Richards Bay.

continue reading>>