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NMPT introduces priority berthing facility The Hindu Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) P.C. Parida said here on Monday that the port has allowed priority berthing facility for coastal cargo ships (ships which sail from one port to another port within the country). A berth has been earmarked for the purpose. With this, the ships carrying coastal cargo need not wait at the port for the berth, he said. Addressing the members of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said that the port has provided several other facilities to promote coastal shipping of cargo. Highlighting one of the recent initiatives he said the port has introduced Ro-Ro (roll-on roll-off) service between Mangaluru and Hazira port. In Ro-Ro, the loaded trucks are driven into the vessel, and are driven out from the vessel once they reach the destination. Explaining the benefits of coastal cargo movement, Mr. Parida said it would bring down the congestion on the highways.

Government asks exporters to set up warehouses to push trade with LatAm Financial Express In line with its plans to boost exports to Latin America, New Delhi has asked exporters to create a supply chain through backend operations and logistics. According to sources, government has asked exporters to create warehouses wherever necessary to plug the transportation gap. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) has undertaken various initiatives to promote the export of handicrafts in the Latin American region through participation in several trade shows. The EPCH has been holding shows like Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair to create brand image of Indian handicrafts and to attract buyers. There has been a steady growth in the export of handicrafts items from India to Latin American region. Currently, exports to the region stands at $ 60.40 million in 2014-15. Continuing with the initiatives in the continent, the council earlier this month had decided to set up a warehousing facility at Montevideo, Uruguay.

DPCL inks deal with Railways The Statesman The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Ports and Special Economic Limited (APSEZ), signed a Commercial Agreement with Ministry of Railways at its East Coast Railway Headquarters here, according to non-government railways status to DPCL. The agreement was signed by Subrat Tripathy, Director and Chief Executive Officer of DPCL and P.C.Sahu, Chief Commercial Manager, Freight Service, East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar. Binayak Swain, Chief Commercial Manager, Bijay Kumar, FA & CAO and M.K. Misra, Secretary to GM as representatives of Indian Railways and Sajal Mittra, head of Railways, APSEZ were also present. This is the first of its kind NGR status granted in the Odisha and only the second in India. Non-Govt. Railway Policy is to encourage strategic partners like port and industries to invest in creating additional railway infrastructure as a result, the connectivity to hinterland can be extended to major railway network.

Logistics industry must adapt to GST ecosystem: CII-PWC report Business Standard Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is expected to be beneficial for the transport and logistics (T&L) sector as the new tax regime is likely to remove multiplicity of taxes and also help in consolidation of warehousing segment, according to a new CII-PwC report, on ‘Goods and Services Tax: Transport and logistics sector’. “Currently, a complex web of subsidies, tariffs and cascading taxation in the T&L sector has resulted in distorted pricing, created wasteful leakages and opportunities for rent-seeking. GST is expected to minimise the issue of multiplicity of taxes and tax cascading, especially in view of the seamless flow of credit. It is anticipated that GST will result in consolidation of warehousing alongside facilitating seamless interstate flow of goods. GST is also expected to provide an opportunity to dismantle various check posts, thus bringing about a substantial reduction in logistics costs,” said Tushar Jani, chairman - CII WR Logistics Sub-committee and chairman, SCA Group.

Earnings, cargo volume growth slow at India's largest port operator Joc Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone increased its net income and revenue in the second fiscal quarter, but it did so at a slower rate than last year as India’s biggest non-government port operator struggled to maintain its growth momentum amid a global shipping slowdown. Despite slowing growth, the company expects its future to remain bright because of its diverse cargo base and expanding network of terminals across the country. The port infrastructure conglomerate posted a consolidated net profit of Rs. 667 crore (about $103 million) in the three months through the end of September, up 16 percent from Rs. 574 crore a year earlier. Group revenue for the quarter increased 6 percent year-over-year to Rs. 1,986 crore, APSEZ said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday. That compares with a 68 percent jump in net profit and a 33 percent increase in revenue during July-September 2014 over the same period in 2013

Mobile-based freight brokerage set to take off Business Line After making an impact in the passenger transportation market, Uber-type smartphone-based aggregator platforms are set to make a similar mark in the freight market, connecting truckers with customers. Chennai-based start-up GoGo Trucks and Delhi-based Truckmandi are a few such players in the Indian market. Based on a study in the North American market, research firm Frost and Sullivan has stated that by 2025, 16 per cent of third party logistics business will be enabled by mobile platforms. In effect, the mobile-based freight brokerage – connecting truck owners/fleet owners with customers – is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 74.65 per cent and generate $26.4 billion in revenue in 2025, says the study. Mobile-based freight brokerage is in a nascent stage, with a penetration rate of lower than one per cent (in 2014) and approximately $100 million in total revenues, said the study.

CSCL confirms charter of six 21,000 teu boxships to be built at SWS Seatrade Maritime China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), through its wholly-owned CSCL HK, has confirmed a bareboat charter deal over six 21,000 teu containerships to be built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS). China Shipping Group’s CSCL announced earlier that it planned to bareboat charter up to 11 units of 21,000 teu containerships, of which five will be options exercisable after six months of charter for the first six ships. The owner of the containerships is China Shipping Nauticgreen Holdings Company, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of CSG. CSCL announced that the charter hire for each of the vessel is $41,000 per day for the charter period of 12 years. “The charter hire is determined by reference to the market freight rates for liners in the Far East and Europe trade lanes during the past five years (2010 to 2014),” CSCL said, adding that it expects to generate profits from the vessel charters.

ZIM starts regular service between Shanghai and Russia Far East Sea News ZIM is using six vessels with capacity between 3,000 and 4,500 TEU one its newly inaugurated regular service between Shanghai and Vostochny Port in Nakhodka, Russia. The service, to be run on a weekly basis, started last week with a rotation of Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shanghai, Pusan, Vostochny and returning to Busan. The first ship engaged into the loop is Uni Florida, which departed from South Korean on October 29, and according to ZIM, the new loop was started following increasing trade volumes between Russia, China and South Korea and the increased import of the second largest economy in the world, Maritime News reported. Vostochny Port in Nakhodka, Russia is one of the four major terminals in Russia. Currently the port is part from regular services of 12 container lines and receives more than 20 calls per week.

India’s exports will do relatively well in 2016, says UN report Business Line Exports from India and Vietnam are expected to relatively do well in 2016 as their shipments are largely directed to advanced economies in Europe and North America that are expected to expand in the coming year, a United Nations report has said. The Asia-Pacific region, which includes India, China, Japan, Russia, and the ASEAN nations, among others, will hold its position as the largest trading region in the world despite the lowering of trade growth prospects due to global slowdown, the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2015 brought out by UN ESCAP on Monday, pointed out. Countries, heavily dependent on China for their exports, however, will not do well, due to the slowdown in the country’s economy, the report added. Lauding the relatively strong performance of the Indian economy, the report pointed out that it was unlikely to compensate for sluggish performances elsewhere as India’s market remains only “weakly and selectively’’ integrated with the Asia-Pacific region overall.

CMA CGM to improve its service between East Africa and Europe by upgrading its NOURA EXPRESS service Hellenic Shipping News Following its core strategy of continuous Africa Lines service upgrade, CMA CGM is pleased to present its latest significant improvement on its NOURA EXPRESS service connecting East Africa with Europe. Starting end of November 2015 with m/v MARIE DELMAS, NOURA EXPRESS fixed-day direct service from Kenya and Somalia will be upgraded with a weekly direct call at Salalah (Oman). First call is expected on December 12th, 2015. This service extension will allow smooth and fast connections from Salalah to Europe with EPIC service. Operated with 4 vessels up to 2,750 TEU for a 28 day-rotation, NOURA EXPRESS service upgrade will bring the following benefits on the East Africa-North Europe trade: Direct call for Mombasa exports to North Europe with very competitive transit times, New positive development for reefer cargo from Mombasa to Rotterdam in 29 days, Transit time from Mogadishu to North Europe improved by 6 days.

China's container port operators expected to be more profitable in 2016 Joc China’s nine major listed container terminal operators will be more profitable in 2016 with a majority booking high single or double-digit growth in net profit when compared with 2015, according to a valuation report issued by Citi Asia Pacific. Global transportation valuation figures released by the bank today forecast that at 18.9 percent, Hong Kong-listed Dalian Port will book the highest growth in net profit next year, ahead of Cosco Pacific at 15.7 percent, Shanghai International Port Group at 9.8 percent, Qinghuangdao Port at 8.5 percent and China Merchants at 8.3 percent. Citi has a buy recommendation on the shares of three of the port groups — China Merchants, Cosco Pacific and Qinghuangdao, a major coal port in northeastern China. The bank is advising investors to hold onto shares in Hutchison Port Holdings. Citi expects earnings per share at all nine listed port groups to increase next year, with Dalian Port, SIPG and China Merchants leading the way at 16.9 percent, 9.3 percent and 8.3 percent respectively. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com