Shipping

New era for shipping lines in the offing

The repeal of regulation 4056/86 by the EU in the near future will usher a new era for shipping and will pave the way to establish rates based on negotiations between shipping lines and shippers said an official in Asian Shippers Council.

This was revealed at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Asian Shippers’ Council (ASC) held in Macau recently, hosted by the Macau Shippers’ Association.

The meeting was attended by representatives from 20 shippers’ councils of 16 countries in 5 regions.

Delegates deliberated on issues of common concern, including maritime regulatory reform, surcharges, freight transportation security, air freight transportation, infrastructure challenges, carbon emissions and incoterms.

The implementation of the repeal of Regulation 4056/86 by the EU on 18 October 2008 will herald in a new stage for shipping. We will see a shift away from rate setting conferences to a market-based mechanism, on which rates are established based on negotiations between shipping lines and shippers.

We believe that what has begun in Europe will have ripple effects around the world. And in the US there is a call for review of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act.

In Asia, China’s antitrust law has been put into full implementation from 1st August 2008, which is going to bring about a more market-based system in shipping. Unlike Singapore and Australia, China has made no block exemption for shipping conferences, an official of the ASC said.

With its sizeable volume of imports and exports, China is in a strong position to bring about changes in the obsolete conference system, an anachronism in this modern age of free market principles.

The list of charges and surcharges that shippers are asked to pay on top of freight rates for sea transport has continued to lengthen. There is an extra charge for just about everything - Terminal Handling Charge (THC), Origin Receiving Charge, Bill of Lading Fee, Documentation Fee, Equipment Management Fee, Container Seal Charge, Port Security Fee, Currency Adjustment Factor, etc. There should only be all in freight rates, he said.

SLPA welfare facilities expanded

The management of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has taken steps to offer a number of new welfare facilities to its employees to mark the 29th anniversary of SLPA.

The latest welfare facilities constructed for the employees at SLPA were handed over to them by Minister of Port, Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management, Chamal Rajapaksa.

Among the facilities are a welfare building of 6,700 square feet, constructed with a cost of Rs. 18 million including gymnasium, library and administrative facilities for the employees at the Prince Vijaya Quay (PVQ) and a welfare building of 8,000 square feet, constructed with a cost of Rs. 30 million for the employees at the Mechanical Engineering Division.

Hanjin Shipping receives new 4,300TEU vessel

Hanjin Shipping has announced the delivery of a new 4,300TEU vessel.

Hanjin Durban, christened at Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje Island today, is the fourth in a series of the eight 4,300TEU container ships ordered back in 2005.

Hanjin Shipping comments that this new 4,300TEU vessel, equipped with the state-of-the art engine, consumes less fuel than any other ships of the same class and can easily change its speed according to operational situation. In addition, Hanjin Durban will be deployed in Hanjin Shipping’s AWG (All Water Gulf) service and start its operation from early September in Busan.

Executive Vice President, Jong Sun Lee attending the ceremony adds, with the deployment of this state-of-the-art ship, we will be able to upgrade the competitiveness of our fleet and improve our schedule regularity as well as customer service.
 

Optimising the usage of yard space, the forward part of Repair Dock No. 01 of Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has been allocated for shipbuilding, where a barge has been specially modified and located to perform as a production platform. The production platform (LOA: 55 meters x Beam: 22 meters) now stands on 18 specially designed pedestals. The fourth Anchor Handling tug for Greatship India Ltd., is being constructed on this production platform. This innovative approach has been adopted to address the space constraints faced by CDPLC for daily operations. The anchor handling Tug taking shape on top of the building barge in CDPLC’s Dock No. 01 is in the picture.