Summary for January 28 - February 1, 2008:
Monday, January 28, 2008Korea exports robust in 2008STEADY demand for ships, machinery, and liquid crystal displays will power a robust year for Korea’s exports, according to a government industry-outlook report issued Jan 17. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy report predicts ship production in 2008 will jump 13.6% compared to a year ago, with overseas shipments expected to increase to $30.5bn over last year’s $27bn. Exports make up 37% of Korea’s gross domestic product. The US is the country’s second-largest export destination. The government said production of semiconductors, information and telecommunications products, and steel will expand 5%–9% in 2008. Korea’s trade volume is expected to reach about $600bn per year by 2010, which is a two-fold growth from $291.5bn in 2001. The trade account is forecasted to register a surplus of $2bn–$4bn. Economic growth predictions for South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, range from 4.7% to 5.1% this year, led by strong exports and a rise in domestic consumption. The bright outlook comes despite threatening factors of high oil prices and a weakening global economy induced by the worsening conditions of the US economy. Web site: Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy http://www.mocie.go.kr/language/eng/main.jsp Tacoma port volumes flat in 2007AFTER several years of record cargo performance, the Port of Tacoma cargo volumes flattened in 2007, port authorities reported Jan 23. “Consumer demand is cyclical, and cargo volumes follow these economic factors,” said Port Commission President Dick Marzano. “At the Port of Tacoma, we’re looking to the future by investing in the success of our customers and the economic health of our region,” Marzano added, emphasizing the port’s five-year, $953.6mn capital improvement program that focuses on expanding the port’s terminal, rail, and road capacity. Port of Tacoma Executive Director Timothy J. Farrell expects a recovery in 2009, when Tacoma containerized cargo volumes are forecast to rise to new record levels. The Port of Tacoma’s non-containerized cargoes remained strong in 2007. Total tonnage was up 3%, grain held steady at 6mn tonnes, breakbulk was down 4%, and the port’s automobile volume finished the year up 5%. Web site: Port of Tacoma http://www.portoftacoma.com2006 record year for US trucksATA’s American Trucking Trends 2007-2008 reports that the trucking industry hauled 69% of the total volume of freight transported in the US in 2006. This equates to an all-time high carrying load of 10.7bn tonnes and $645.6bn in revenue, representing 83.8% of the nation’s freight bill. “Americans should understand that their national economy is directly linked to freight transportation,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Trucking is the driving force behind our great economy.” The report noted that more than 26mn trucks of all classes played a part in reaching the tonnage milestone. Of this number, 2.9mn were typical Class 8 trucks operated by more than 750,000 interstate motor carriers. Nearly 8.7mn people were employed in trucking-related jobs across all US industries in 2005, according to the report. Of these, 3.4mn were professional truck drivers. Information on US truck tonnage, employment, freight revenues, shipment value, engine sales, modal share, and international trucking is included in the report. Web site: American Trucking Associations http://www.truckline.com<<<•>>>
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Savannah posts 20.6% gain in 2007More than 2.6mn TEUs were handled through the Port of Savannah in calendar year 2007, a 20.6% increase and a new record for the Georgia Ports Authority. “As the fourth largest container port in the nation and the sixth largest auto port in the nation, we posted another record-breaking year for Georgia’s ports,” said Steve Green, chairman of GPA’s Board of Directors. “Total tonnage at our Colonel’s Island Facility experienced an increase of 13.4% from calendar year 2006. These numbers were bolstered by new customers such as Bunge North America, Bentley, and Maserati as well as increased cargo volumes from existing customers.” “Investments the state of Georgia and the Authority have made in our facilities are paying huge dividends for our customers,” said Doug J. Marchand, GPA’s executive director. “We are setting new records, exceeding service levels, and moving forward with an aggressive $1.2bn capital improvement plan to grow our business to new heights and create more jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Georgia.” The Jan 28 announcement from the GPA also included notice of two important capital improvement projects for the Port of Savannah. Web site: Georgia Ports Authority
AeroLogic leases 8 Boeing 777 FreightersBoeing Co. Jan 28 announced that Deucalion Capital VII Ltd., a company advised and managed by DVB Bank AG, has purchased eight Boeing 777 Freighters for lease to AeroLogic, a new joint venture airline formed by Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express. AeroLogic, based in Leipzig, Germany, will operate the freighters for cargo services on European-Asian routes. AeroLogic is jointly owned by DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo AG, with each company holding a 50% stake. Valued at $2bn at list prices, the eight 777 Freighters were ordered by Avion Group of Iceland in 2005. Avion Group terminated its order, and the airplanes were picked up by Deucalion in late 2007. The 777 Freighter will be capable of flying 4,885 nautical miles (9,045 km) with a full payload, making it the world’s longest-range freighter, according to the announcement. “The 777 Freighter’s twin-engine fuel efficiency, low noise, and overall capability are perfectly suited for our new cargo service out of Leipzig,” said AeroLogic Managing Director Dr. Thomas Papke. “Its combination of long range and maximum payload make it a highly economical and profitable freighter,” Papke added. Web site: AeroLogic http://www.aerologic.aero/web/
POLB names director of real estateKarl Adamowicz has been named director of real estate for the Port of Long Beach, the Board of Harbor Commissioners announced Jan 28. The real estate division is responsible for generating revenue through leases of port property and facilities. The division also “plays a crucial role in implementing the environmental policies and directives of the Harbor Commission.,” according to the announcement. Adamowicz had been serving as acting director of the real estate division since January 2007. He started at the port in 1997 as a leasing officer in the real estate (formerly properties) division. As director, Adamowicz will oversee property negotiations including “Green Leases” that adhere to the port’s Green Port Policy and Clean Air Action Plan. The port has two terminals under Green Leases and will expand them to all terminals as older leases expire. Through Green Leases, marine terminal operators are required to reduce emissions of air pollutants, among other environmental improvements. A resident of Orange, Adamowicz has an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in geology from California State University. Web site: Port of Long Beach <<•>>> Wednesday, January 30, 2008 POLB RTG cranes eligible for upgradeA $5mn grant program to help fund environmentally friendly cargo cranes and improve air quality at the Port of Long Beach has been approved by the Board of Harbor Commissioners, according to a Jan 29 announcement. The grant program would apply to “rubber-tired gantry” cranes, or RTGs, which are used to move containers within shipping terminals. The port’s goal is to help terminals convert all of their RTG cranes from diesel power to electrical power. About 85 RTG cranes operate at the port’s seven container terminals, the announcement said. “If all RTG cranes in the Port of Long Beach are converted to electricity, it will reduce air pollution by about 350 tons a year,” said Richard D. Cameron, director of environmental planning. “We are hoping that by providing these grants, terminals will be encouraged to make this investment.” The port will accept grant applications through the end of March from its shipping terminals, which will be required to provide matching funds. Grants will be awarded competitively, based on cost effectiveness, technical approach, and proposed schedule. The maximum individual award is anticipated to be $1mn. Web site: Port of Long Beach
Panama Canal Q1 metrics releasedCanal Waters Time (CWT), the average time it takes a vessel to transit the Panama Canal (including waiting time for passage) significantly decreased in Q1 FY2008, according to a Jan 29 Panama Canal Authority (ACP) report on canal Q1 metrics. These metrics are based on operations from October through December 2007, the first quarter of the ACP’s 2008 fiscal year, and are compared with Q1 of fiscal year 2007. Average CWT decreased 19.3%, from 29.98 hrs to 24.18 hrs. CWT for booked vessels (those ships holding reservations) decreased by 2.4%, from 17.20 hrs to 16.78 hrs. There also were slight declines in net tonnage, total transits, and transits of supers (vessels 91 ft or more in beam). The drop in CWT can be attributed to general operating efficiency, the effective use of the waterway’s tie-up stations, and a slight decline in transits, according to the announcement. “Soaring oil prices and a general economic downturn … have impacted global production and trade,” said Rodolfo R. Sabonge, ACP vice president of research and market analysis. “As a result, we have seen a slight drop in tonnage and transits during the first quarter.” Web site: Panama Canal Authority (ACP)
Top security meet set for Abu DhabiTop police and security officials from the UAE, Lebanon, UK, France, Germany, and Canada will share their knowledge, experience, and insights on combating threats to international security at the International Security National Resilience (ISNR) Conference Mar 2 in Abu Dhabi. The one-day conference will be held alongside the inaugural edition of the ISNR Abu Dhabi Exhibition Mar 2-5 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre. The conference is being organized by the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, in cooperation with Reed Exhibitions Middle East and the UAE’s Ministry of Interior. INEGMA co-founder and Managing Director Riad Kahwaji said the conference is expected to be attended by up to 300 delegates and more than 100 managers of industrial and security companies. “The ISNR Conference aims to present delegates and participants with a comprehensive overview of threats and challenges for homeland security and the best and most effective ways to tackle them,” Kahwaji said in a press conference. “The conference will be an opportunity for delegates and participants to hear from leading security figures who will share their field experience, case studies, research papers, and the use of advanced technology for enhancing national security,” Kahwaji said. Web site: International Security National Resilience (ISNR) <<•>>> Thursday, January 31, 2008 Virginia Hampton Rds coal exports surgeBECAUSE OF THE weak dollar, coal shipments through the Port of Virginia at Hampton Roads are projected to increase 48% this year to about 42mn tonnes, up from 28.3mn tonnes in 2007, said David F. Host Jan 28. That would raise shipments to their highest level in about a decade. Host, president of Norfolk-based ship agency T. Parker Host Inc., which works with many coal vessels, said much of the additional tonnage is of steam coal, which is used to fuel electrical-generating stations. Orders began increasing in the fall, with most of the steam coal heading to European power plants. “It caught everybody off guard,” Host said. Increases also are expected in 2008 for the metallurgical coal used in making steel, the bulk of the coal handled in Hampton Roads, Host said. Severe flooding recently in Australia, a major coal exporter, may result in much more business for Norfolk Southern Corp.’s Lamberts Point facility, according to the Coal & Energy Price Report newsletter. Hampton Roads’ three coal terminals and the two major railroads that serve them are adding staff and stepping up maintenance to handle the coal influx. http://www.vaports.com/ Port of Seattle has audit action planTHE PORT OF SEATTLE Jan 30 announced it has posted a detailed Audit Response Action Plan to its Web site. The plan, posted on the site’s newly developed Accountability section, outlines how the port will respond to each of the 51 recommendations contained in the recent very critical performance audit report. “I’ve said many times that I am committed to using the results of the performance audit to build a more efficient, effective port,” said Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani. “As we move forward, we will use this roadmap to make the changes we need to make as quickly as we can.” The action plan provides specific information, including what the auditor’s report recommended; changes the port plans to implement; immediate and long-term action steps; status of and estimated date of completion for each item; and staff member or department accountable for its completion. “The commission has taken several steps recently in response to the audit, including strengthening our oversight, delaying projects until contract reforms are in place, and establishing an independent fraud investigation,” said Commission President John Creighton. Web site: Port of Seattle
POLA designated “Climate Action Leader”THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES has earned the designation “Climate Action Leader” from the California Climate Action Registry, becoming the first port in the state with this distinction, port authorities announced Jan 30. The Leader status was granted the Port of Los Angeles upon acceptance of its 2006 baseline greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory by the California Climate Action Registry, a non-profit public/private partnership that serves as a voluntary greenhouse gas registry “to protect, encourage, and promote early actions to reduce GHG emissions.” “This is just one more step to show the region, state, and country how serious we are about greening and growing the Port of Los Angeles,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz. “The Port of Los Angeles voluntarily tracked greenhouse gas emissions and created a baseline from which we are able to gauge changes in the gases going forward,” added Knatz. The port included the impacts of greenhouse gases in its recently approved Environmental Impact Report for its Tra Pac Terminal Project — the first port in the country to include GHG emissions in an EIR document. Web sites: Port of Los Angeles http://www.portoflosangeles.org California Climate Action Registry <<<•>>> Friday, February 1, 2008 Kalmar launches container AutoshuttleKALMAR Industries Jan 30 announced the launch of the Kalmar Autoshuttle — a fully automated, self-loading vehicle able to pick, place, and transport containers between ship-to-shore (STS) and yard-stacking cranes. The so-called one-over-one Kalmar Autoshuttle boasts major benefits over its older rival, the automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), Kalmar said. Advantages include the “decoupling of vessel and yard operations, reduction of traffic congestion, better space utilization behind an STS crane, higher buffer capacity in front of yard stacks, and the elimination of a second STS trolley due to the buffer zone created on the quay,” the company said. Jorma Tirkkonen, president, Kalmar Intelligence and Automation, commented, “In the 1990s, Kalmar designed the Shuttle Carrier to meet the handling needs of future mega-terminals, which are today’s reality.” “Kalmar is again anticipating the needs of its customers by offering the Kalmar Autoshuttle as a faster and more flexible, productive solution.” Only two to three Kalmar Autoshuttle units, compared to five to seven AGVs, are needed to serve one STS crane, resulting in faster, more efficient terminal operations, Kalmar said. Web site: Kalmar Industries Maersk offers new intra-Asia serviceMAERSK LINE Feb 1 announced the introduction of a new Intra-Asia service, the IA-3. This service will connect the ports of Kaohsiung, Xiamen, and Hong Kong with Maersk Line’s Southeast Asian hub port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia and Singapore, according to the announcement. Maersk Line will deploy two 4,000-TEU vessels in the IA-3, which “will provide our customers with a fast pre-carriage service to hub ports and direct access to our global network. With the PANAMAX-sized vessels on the IA-3 service, Maersk Line is scaled to grow in line with our customers’ business.” The first sailing on the IA-3 service will be Maersk Brooklyn departing Hong Kong on Mar 4, 2008. The seven-day IA-3 northbound rotation will be Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), and Xiamen (China). The seven-day IA-3 southbound rotation will be Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Xiamen (China), Hong Kong (China), Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), and Singapore. Maersk Line’s Intra-Asia services also include the IA-2 service, with three 2,900-TEU vessels offering “an extremely fast connection between Thailand and various ports in Japan,” Maersk said. Web site: Maersk Line
CN head champions investmentsTHE PRESIDENT and CEO of Canadian National Railway Co. Feb 1 released a statement summarizing and praising CN’s recent investments. E. Hunter Harrison said the company’s investments in recent acquisitions, continued infrastructure improvements, and new locomotives strengthen Canada’s domestic rail network and bolster its position in the international market place. Harrison said, “CN’s purchase of regional railways in Alberta and our commitment to upgrade these railways, our substantial investments in network capacity and new locomotive acquisitions, along with the investments to support global trade at the Port of Prince Rupert and in-land at Prince George, BC, are significant for the economy of Canada.” In December 2007, the company announced the C$25mn acquisition of the Athabasca Northern Railway Ltd. CN plans to rehabilitate ANY’s rail line for C$135mn over three years. CN in 2006 purchased the Mackenzie Northern Railway and Lakeland & Waterways Railway for C$26mn and the Savage Alberta Railway for C$25mn. The company spent more than C$60mn upgrading the three railways in 2006 and 2007 and will spend another C$26mn on further upgrades to the properties in 2008. Web site: Canadian National Railway Co. |