Our good show prompts rivals to spread rumours: VPT official The Hindu Improvement in efficiency parameters on the recommendation of Boston Consulting Group by Visakhapatnam Port Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu and his team has reportedly led to spreading of rumours by rivals on shutdown of operations during the International Fleet Review from February 4 to 8. Beating the global slowdown, the port had improved its performance in the last quarter increasing the total cargo handled to 42 million tonne. Going by the trend, it is likely to either cross or come close to last year’s 58 million tonne. While refusing to name their rival, Visakhapatnam Port Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh told The Hindu that there was no truth in rumours that they would suspend their operations to facilitate smooth holding of IFR. “There is no connection between the two – IFR and port operations,” he said pointing out that they would only stop POL tanker handling near naval jetty for just two days.

Gold Star Line to enhance its Asia-West Africa Service Sea News Gold Star Line is pleased to announce an upgraded and enhanced Far East-West Africa Service (FAX) from February 2016. Two direct sailings per week, offering improved transit times from more ports of loading in Asia to more ports in West Africa are the key advantages of this improved service. The FAX, or Far East-West Africa Express, deploying 11 vessels, will rotate through Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Guangzhou-Nansha, Singapore, Port Kelang, Colombo, Lagos (Apapa), Tincan (TICT), Tincan (P&CHS), Tema, Cotonou, Abidjan, Singapore and back to Shanghai. FA2, or the Asia, West Africa Service operating 12 vessels will rotate through Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shenzhen-Shekou, Guangzhou-Nansha, Singapore, Lome, Lagos-Tincan, Lagos-TICT, Tema, Abidjan, Colombo, Port Kelang, Singapore and back to Shanghai. The new service lineup will add Xiamen and Shekou to the ports of loading and Abidjan and Lome in West Africa

Despite containerization, breakbulk carriers still in natural rubber game JOC Breakbulk shipping has retained a share of the market for U.S. imports of natural rubber, despite a global trend toward use of containers to transport the essential but damage-sensitive industrial commodity. Containers have become the preferred transportation mode for many shippers in markets including China, which imports more than a third of the world’s approximately 12 million tons of natural rubber production, and the U.S., which has about a 10 percent share. Annual U.S. containerized imports of natural rubber ranged from 21,655 to 23,086 20-foot-equivalent units a year since 2010. Savannah, Virginia and Charleston each had about one-fourth last year’s 21,865-TEU volume, according to PIERS, a sister company of JOC.com within IHS. New York-New Jersey and Baltimore handled most of the rest. Breakbulk shipments of natural rubber to the U.S. are dominated by New Orleans and Morehead City, North Carolina.

Industry calls for clarification of box weight rules on national level Sea News There is still confusion among terminal operators and shippers on how individual countries will enforce the new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules, effective July 1, that require shippers to provide the verified gross mass (VGM) of containers before loading. The Brussels-based Federation of European Private Port Operators (FEPORT) said there is still a need for "clarity on implementation" of SOLAS container weighing rules "at national levels," reported American Shipper. According to FEPORT there is "still a lack of information and harmonisation at national level regarding their implementation," saying there is a need for "national authorities to develop guidelines that protect the efficiency of the logistics chain and do not create competitive distortions between member states." Said FEPORT customs and logistics chief Jasper Nagtegaal: "A lack of national guidelines will ultimately lead to confusion in implementation and will have an adverse impact on operations." Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com