Adani Ports considering acquisitions in India, abroad Live Mint Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, India’s biggest private port operator, is looking to complete its “string of pearls” ports strategy by plugging gaps that remain in a few coastal states. In addition, the company is also eyeing overseas acquisitions. The company, part of billionaire Gautam Adani-led infrastructure conglomerate Adani Group, is actively looking at acquisitions, two company executives said, adding that chief executive officer Karan Adani is leading the drive. Karan is Gautam Adani’s son and took charge of Adani Ports on 1 January. In India, the company is looking to expand its presence in Maharashtra and West Bengal. In overseas markets, the company is scouting for port opportunities in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the US and Europe, apart from the ports planned in Australia. “The overall objective is to make the group a trans-shipment port company,” one of the executives cited above said on condition of anonymity.

Planned Colachel port could recapture India transshipment cargo JOC A new deep-sea container transshipment terminal at Colachel on the southwestern coast of India should be able to capture a significant portion of domestic cargo currently relayed over other hub ports in the region, especially Sri Lanka’s Port of Colombo, a preliminary feasibility study for the port project shows. A report by Typsa Group and Boston Consulting Group, two global management consulting firms, found that transshipment traffic via the proposed facility should go up from 700,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units in 2020 to 2.8 million TEUs by 2025 and to 3.9 million TEUs by 2030. The consulting consortium was hired by V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust, also known as Tuticorin, to determine the location and design of the new terminal, as well as to evaluate the long-term viability of the project. The study recommended that the project be set up at Enayam, near Colachel, which offers a natural water depth of 20 meters (about 66 feet) and is close to the busy Suez route. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Container volumes grow 7 per cent in January: IPA Economic Times Container volumes at major ports jumped 7% in January this year on a year on year comparison says the recent data by Indian Ports Association (IPA). Among various regions, South-based ports showed healthu volumes. Ports at Chennai, Tuticorin and Vizag recorded 6%, 26% and 39% respectively on a year on year comparison. According to a report by Axis Securities, "Aggregate cargo volume at major ports grew 5% YoY in Jan (up 3.4% YTD), which was driven by 23% growth in Iron ore and 9% rise in Coal volumes, while fertilizer volumes declined 23%." The report states, " While near term growth for Container Corporation (CCRI) and Gateway Distriparks (GDPL) may remain muted, we are optimistic on their medium term growth prospects given healthy expansion plans across strategic locations.

Budget 2016: Construction of ports should be exempted from service tax payment for reviewing the sector First Post ‘Make in India’ has been poised as one of the most ambitious programs launched by our Honorable Prime Minister, pledging lower barriers to doing business and promoting foreign investment, thereby transforming Asia’s third largest economy into a manufacturing powerhouse like China. However to support the ‘Make in India’ campaign, India needs enhanced infrastructure facilities which includes effective and efficient connectivity between ports, better road and rail connectivity between ports and plants and initiatives from the government to create more facilities to enable the seamless inward and outward movement of goods. In an economy, for any manufacturing or trade activity to breed and grow, robust backing of equally efficient infrastructure and logistics sector plays an extremely critical role. Ports are economic multipliers, as they induce factors in development of an area thus providing space for industrial clusters.

Simatech leads in Gulf feedering Seatrade Maritime Dubai’s Simatech Shipping claims to be the largest feedering player in the Gulf and is continuing to grow despite concerns over the impact of the low oil price on volumes. “I can say we are leading the market. I would say we have around 30% market share in Jebel Ali, if not more,” Simatech MD CF George, told Seatrade Maritime News in an exclusive interview. George estimates fleet capacity utilisation at between 80-90%. “We always have a policy to keep extra tonnage available, so that we don’t need to say no to customers.” He fears that volumes and rates will go down this year as low oil prices hit the market. “Major projects could be delayed or suspended. Nobody whom I have met recently has made any positive remarks on what is going to happen in 2016, [but] everybody is hoping Iran opens up.” During 2015, George said Simatech handled 1.63m teu at Jebel Ali, growth of 11% compared to 2014. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Asia Climate Partners invests in cold chain logistics firm ColdEX Live Mint ColdEX’s customers include the likes of Mondelez India Foods Ltd, Burger King Corp., Yum! Brands, Starbucks Corp., and Amul. ColdEX Logistics Pvt. Ltd, which runs a fleet of 850 refrigerated trucks known as reefers, has agreed to sell a stake in itself to private equity fund Asia Climate Partners for an undisclosed sum. As part of the deal, Asia Climate Partners, backed by the Asian Development Bank and ORIX Corp. of Japan, will also buy a stake held by another private equity firm, India Equity Partners, which acquired the stake in ColdEX in December 2010. With Asia Climate Partners coming on board, this would be the second round of institutional investment in the company. The cold chain company did not disclose details of the stake sale. Cold chain refers to the transportation and storage of products such as meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, drugs and medicines under temperature-controlled conditions in order to increase their shelf life.

Why GST needs to pass in Budget:A warehousing sector perspective Money Control Given the importance of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill for several industries, its passage in this Budget season assumes far greater importance than ever before. It will not only test Modi government’s floor management skills in the Parliament but also show its seriousness on pushing ahead with economic reforms. GST will provide a big push to the manufacturing as well as warehousing and logistics sectors in India and is touted to have the potential of adding 1-2 percent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), from about a year after it is rolled out. GST is built into the value-added structure that would eliminate the cascading effect of taxes (tax on tax) and is expected to boost tax collection by making compliances easy and also reduce overall taxation levels. According to a World Bank analysis, India is gearing to move up the logistics performance index (LPI) from its 54th rank in 2014 among 160 countries.

Infra sector: issues and expectations Live Mint Revival of the infrastructure sector has been one of the priorities of the National Democratic Alliance government over the past 20 months. The government has increased public investment in infrastructure, announced measures to address issues impeding the sector, such as access to long-term funding, inequitable risk allocation in public-private partnership (PPP) projects, adequate institutional capacity, and so on. Sector-specific policies, such as permitting 100% equity divestment after two years of completion for all national highway PPP projects and a one-time fund infusion to revive and complete such projects that are languishing have also been put in place.Key issues faced by the sector in the past few years relate to funding, the financial situation of their developers, and inflation pressures. Overcoming such challenges will take a long time. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Scanning at ports sought to block arms as deal with Myanmar soon The Financial Express-BD The home ministry seeks mandatory scanning of incoming goods and persons at seaports before their entry into Bangladesh under a proposed coastal shipping agreement with Myanmar, officials said. The deal is part of a move for waterway connectivity with littoral countries. After examining a draft deal prepared by the Ministry of Shipping (MoS), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has made the recommendation to block entry of illegal firearms and explosives, they said. "To avoid entry of illegal weapons and explosives modern scanning machines can be installed at the entry point of seaports," the ministry said in its opinion. A senior official at the MoS said the government is giving importance on establishing coastal shipping connectivity with the littoral neighbours-India, Myanmar, the Maldives and Sri Lanka-for promoting trade and tourism.

Forget GST, let’s talk - That should be the objective of the Budget session Financial Express Given the heightened tension over the bungling at JNU and the aftermath of the Jat agitation, the Budget session will most likely be another washout with few Bills getting passed. Yet, the government has done well to try and calm things. While prime minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the all-party meeting last week was one signal, Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari also met senior political leaders to ensure ‘more discussions and fewer disruptions’. The most significant move by government, though, was choosing West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra as the chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on GST. The West Bengal finance minister has taken over from Kerala finance minister KM Mani, who had to resign in November last year due to the corruption charges, and is the second chairman of the empowered committee from West Bengal. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Container freight market hit by ‘exceptionally weak’ demand, as idle capacity undermines charter earnings Hellenic Shipping News The latest Container Shipping Forecaster from Maritime Strategies International reports ‘flickers of improvement’ in February after an opening to the year which saw 1.3m teu of capacity idle, freight rates struggling and the charter market on its knees. Having suffered a torrid end to 2015, liner companies finally managed to produce some upwards movement in freight rates, albeit as a result of the slower erosion of the massive General Rate Increase imposed on January 1. As of mid-February freight rates on the China-North Europe route were assessed at $431/TEU by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, a level suggesting little positive momentum. However, since the period immediately after Lunar New Year is normally challenging for the freight markets, MSI cautions that how the freight markets develop over the first weeks of March will provide a better indicator as to the likely tone of 2016.

Budget 2016 can boost commodities business Economic Times The announcement of the Sebi-FMC merger in the last budget gave a policy boost to commodity markets. An empowered regulator and the introduction of commodity derivatives under the definition of securities in the SCRA are bold moves to drive commodity markets growth. The forthcoming budget can take this to its logical conclusion by addressing three key issues. The first, and most important, is the matter of CTT (Commodities Transaction Tax). Since it was levied, exchange volumes have fallen by 60% leading to low liquidity and making it difficult for the market to meet its key objectives of price discovery and efficient risk mitigation. It has also encouraged ‘dabba’ trading, variously estimated to be between 3 and 10 times of exchange volumes – and generating negative revenue to government in addition to allied social ills.

Inland Waterways to be the game changer in industrial development - Nitin Gadkari Business Standard Union Minister for Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari today emphasized on the need to reduce logistics cost, which would be imperative for the success of Make in India initiative. He was speaking at Sectoral Seminar on Opportunities in Shipping and Port Sectors as part of the Make In India Week in Mumbai. Shri Gadkari apprised the participants that a lot of initiatives including mechanization, modernization and capacity addition have already been undertaken in the Port sector with a massive investment of Rs. 80,000 crore. Similarly an Indian Port Rail Company has been established with a thrust on rail road connectivity. He informed the participants that 3 new ports i.e. Vadhavan (Maharashtra) with draft of 18 mtrs, Sagar (West Bengal) with draft of 14.5 mtrs and Kolachel (Tamil Nadu) with draft of 18.5 mtrs are being developed.

India to issue tenders for consultant for Colachel port by March Live Mint The government will issue tenders by March to find a consultant for the proposed transhipment port planned at Colachel in Tamil Nadu, Union minister of shipping and road transport Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Colachel, Sagar in West Bengal and Wadhawan at Dahanu in Maharashtra will be the three new greenfield ports on the Indian coast, he said on the sidelines of the Make in India Week event in Mumbai. “We have already initiated investments worth Rs.80,000 crore for mechanisation, modernisation and computerisation of ports under Sagarmala project,” he said. Colachel is being promoted as transshipment hub because of deep drought of 18.5 metres as compared to Vizhinjam in Kerala, N. Muruganandam, managing director, Indian Ports Association said. The Vizhinjam port, being developed by Adani Group, was also considered to be promoted as a transhipment hub to capture the container business. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

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Chennai Port tackles truck congestion JOC Chennai Port, India’s second-largest major, public, container handler in a trade announcement said it has effectively dealt with long truck turn times and congestion in the harbor through a slew of proactive measures. Following consultation with various stakeholders, the port authority concluded that the operation of a single round-the-clock gate while traffic restrictions were in place at the other three gates was the main cause for truck delays and congestion on roadways connecting terminals. “Chennai Port had been facing severe road congestion, especially from export-laden container trailers on port approach roads, resulting in long queues. This situation has affected the productivity of container terminals in the port,” the authority said. The port said the new measures included the setting up of a task force comprising officials from terminal management and state police agencies to regulate truck flow,

ABG Shipyard likely to finalise stake sale deal by March end: CEO Economic Times Cash-strapped ship builder ABG Shipyard will likely close the deal for a 51% stake sale by the end of this financial year, its managing director and CEO said Wednesday. Syed Abdi said the company has narrowed it down to one player for the stake sale and looking to raise about Rs 500 crore for its working capital requirements. Its market capitalisation as on Thursday end was Rs 245.03 crore. He confirmed the talks are for a strategic partnership and not with a private equity investor. SBI Capital Markets is managing the deal. ABG Shipyard has been trying for close to one year to look for a buyer, at the behest of its 22 lenders that are restructuring its Rs 11,000 crore debt, under a corporate debt restructuring package. The company was earlier in talks with Beirut headquartered Privinvest Holding SAL, a manufacturer of naval and commercial vessels, but the talks didn't progress, said Syed. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Lorry parking facility to come up at Vallarpadam The Hindu The long-pending problem of lack of space on Vallarpadam island for parking container carriers is expected to end soon with the Cochin Port Trust handing over 3.5 acres to Indian Oil Corporation for developing a modern truck parking yard with various amenities. The land allotment order was handed over by Cochin Port Trust chairman Paul Antony to deputy general manager of the oil corporation V. Gopalakrishnan on Wednesday. Deputy chairman of the Port Trust G. Sentilvel and the traffic manager Unnikrishnan Nair were among the senior officials present at the brief function organised to mark the occasion. The lorry parking facility will come up close to the international container trans-shipment terminal on Vallarpadam. It will have various amenities like ATMs, food courts, rest rooms and toilet block for drivers. The land has been allotted to the oil corporation on concessional rate for a period of 30 years.

Exporters seek fiscal sops, service tax exemption Business Line With exports falling continuously for the past 14 months, exporters’ body Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has called for fiscal incentives for the micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) sector, correction of inverted duty structure and exemption from service tax, in its pre-Budget proposal for 2016-17 submitted to the government. “MSME exporters need to be provided additional export benefits to help them market their products aggressively in view of the current downfall in exports,” FIEO said in its recommendation. It also said that the inverted duty structure in respect of various items needs to be corrected in the Union Budget as it not only affects exports but also the manufacturing sector and the Centre’s `Make in India’ initiative. Inverted duties (where the import duty on inputs is more than that on finished products) exist in a number of sectors in the country such as marine products, chemicals, solar equipment, rubber and silk. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

No deals in shipping, port for two years Business Standard Private equity (PE) firms have stayed away from investing in shipping, ports and logistics for two years in a row. This shows they don't believe the fortunes will change much from the current grim situation. "PEs have stopped coming into the sector and there is no easy money for the shipping business," G Shivakumar, chief financial officer at Great Eastern Shipping, said in the third quarter earnings conference call. The company, like its peers, has given a negative outlook for the dry bulk trade division and did not provide valuations for the offshore business. The recent move by shipping and logistics company, Mercator, also speaks volumes about the grim situation. Mercator not only decided to exit the weak dry bulk business held via its Singapore subsidiary but also sold it to three PE companies for a token amount of three Singaporean dollars. The dry bulk trade across globe has virtually come to a standstill.

Govt should play the role of landlord port Business Line Mark Van Peel, President of Antwerp Port, the second largest European port owned by the local government, feels that while government should play the role of landlord port, concessions or development rights to private investors should be given based on welfare parameters rather than raising maximum funds. In an interview, Peel, who is visiting India, shared his views on promoting the use of LNG at Antwerp and other issues. Edited Excerpts: What are your investment plans in India? Our relationship with Essar was fruitful (Antwerp invested €25 million in Essar Ports in 2012, and exited with capital gains of €6.8 million in December 2015). We are going to continue to cooperate with them, but also look for other partners. We will meet others regarding furthering business through two subsidiaries – training centre with JN Port and Port of Antwerp International that looks after investment and does consultancy. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Hover port work in Puducherry suspended The Hindu Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Wednesday announced that the works for construction of a hover port in the coastal hamlet of Veerampattinam had been temporarily suspended and that the government will not do anything that is against the interests of fishermen. Talking to reporters here, he said that fishermen had been agitating over the hover port citing that it would hamper their free movement and routine fishing activities. He sought to dispel their fears. The land for the proposed hover port had been acquired by the government and handed over to the Indian Coast Guard several years ago. Mr. Rangasamy said that he would talk to the officials of the Indian Coast Guard and the Ministry concerned in the wake of the protests. The government would explore the option of shifting the project to an alternative site and till then the work would be kept in abeyance. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Maersk announces raft of general rate increases worldwide Sea News Maersk Line will increase the rate from north Europe to west central Asia by US$100 per TEU, $150 per FEU and 40-foot high cube from March 1. This will apply to shipments from Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia to Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Maersk also issued another general rate increase (GRI) adding US$100 per TEU, $150 per FEU and 40-foot high cube from March 1 for shipments from Ireland, United Kingdom to Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Maersk will also increase the rate by US$150 per container for all shipments from north Europe to the Far East from March 1. Maersk will increase the rate $80 per TEU, $100 per FEU, reefer, 45-foot high cube for shipments from Ireland and UK to the Far East from March 1.

Cosco-CMA CGM plan with OOCL, Evergreen, would wreck most alliances Sea News A new mega alliance appears to be forming as French shipping giant CMA CGM and China Cosco lead efforts to set up a new carrier partnership that may yet include Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), reports Paris-based Alphaliner. OOCL is understood to be reviewing its options after a high-level meeting with CMA CGM and Cosco in late January, said the Paris-based research house. The plan is to include OOCL and Taiwan's Evergreen that may well split up three of today's four main east-west alliances and leave Ocean Three, CKYHE and G6 alliances in tatters. CMA CGM already stated that it will pull APL out of the G6, once it takes over Singapore's APL in the second half of the year. The Marseilles-based carrier has also expressed the hope that the merged Cosco-CSCL will join the Marseilles-based carrier in a new alliance partnership. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai, Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

Mr Governor, please explain Financial Express Monday, February 15, brought two important bits of news—one most disappointing and the second most surprising. The disappointing news was that India’s exports declined for the 14th consecutive month. I do not recall a similar sustained rout of our most employment-intensive part of the economy in recent times. Exports, which averaged $26 billion per month during 2013-14, have plummeted to $21 billion over the last 12 months. This is an average decline of more than 16% each month for longer than a year. We will, of course, blame this precipitous regression on the terrible global conditions. Suffice it to say, that with a share of a mere 1.5% in global merchandise trade, this failure was surely not inevitable. We could try and raise our market share, as China has done by raising its share from about 1% of world trade in 1998 to 7.5% at present. India’s share has remained virtually stagnant. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai, Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

GST seems fated for further delay; draft Bill not in place Business Line The rollout of the country’s most significant indirect tax reform is almost certain to be further delayed, with the government easing up on the draft of the enabling model legislation to usher in a Goods and Services Tax. While the Constitution Amendment Bill for the GST will be listed for consideration and passage by the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session of Parliament, which starts on February 23, the groundwork for it is not fully in place. A highly placed source said that “the model legislation that has to be passed by the Centre and the States has not been given full shape.” Discussions with the States on the modalities of the GST structure have not yet been held, the source added. The government was hoping to put out the drafts of the enabling legislation – Central GST, State GST, and Inter-State GST – for public discussion by the end of December, but that hasn’t come about.

Transport lifeline Business Standard What differentiates Container Corporation of India (Concor) from its peers is its unmatched infrastructure — a handling capacity of three million twenty-feett equivalent containers (TEUs), 63 inland container depots and container freight stations, in addition to 250 rakes (trains comprising coaches and wagons). All other private players together have 150 rakes. The pan-India presence and low operational cost give Concor a significant edge over competitors, which is set to be reinforced by a doubling of capacity to six million TEUs by FY17. Concor, the Star PSU award winner, is India’s largest multi-modal logistics company, with a market share of about 75 per cent in container cargo transportation by rail. In FY15 it carried 36.18 million tonnes of the 48.83 million tonnes of containerised cargo transported by Indian Railways, or IR.

India public ports record modest container growth JOC Container throughput at India’s major public ports was up 2.21 percent year-over-year in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2015-16, but the growth would have been slightly higher if the largest container handler, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, hadn’t faced slowdowns due to prolonged industrial unrest at the DP World facility in the harbor last month. Port statistics collected by JOC.com show container terminals at the country’s 12 major ports handled 6.78 million 20-foot-equivalent units during April 2015 to January, up from 6.63 million TEUs in the corresponding period in fiscal 2014-15, which ended in March 2015. Of that, JNPT accounted for 3.73 million TEUs, inching up 0.4 percent year-over-year from 3.72 million TEUs. By terminal, APM Terminals-operated Gateway Terminals India handled 1.55 million TEUs, down 7 percent from 1.67 million TEUs;

Maharashtra Maritime board inducts 3 new survey launches DNA In a boost for maritime development in the state, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has inducted new survey launches, which will be able to undertake hydrographic surveys with greater speed and accuracy. The three new boats will also hasten the board's plans to digitise its bathymetric data and ease construction of coastal infrastructure, such as ports, undersea pipelines, coastal roads and inland water transport systems, and operationalisation of ferry and inland water way services by mapping the navigational and geographic features. "These boats will enable state-of-the-art surveys and be much more efficient," MMB chief executive officer (CEO) Asheesh Sharma told dna, adding that the boats would replace the existing 1960 vintage boat, being used at present. Maharashtra will be one of the few coastal states with this facility.

McKinsey: India's Coastwise Shipping Will Grow Rapidly Maritime Executive Consultants McKinsey & Co. and AECOM have completed a study for the Indian Ministry of Shipping regarding the nation's maritime freight traffic, and have concluded that optimization – primarily boosting coastal shipping and speeding up container exports – could lead to cost savings in the billions. Further, the study estimates 20 percent annual growth in coastwise bulk freight traffic through 2025 - an increase from 150-250 million tons per year today to 750 million tons per year by the end of that period. The consultants also expect container volume at Indian ports to double, to 21 million TEU by 2025. If government initiatives like the Make in India program are successful, that volume could be as much as 25 million TEU, McKinsey said.

Vessel stuck on Elbe is afloat again Container Management The 19,000 teu vessel aground on the river Elbe for over five days is afloat again after a successful attempt to free it by taking advantage of the high spring tide on February 9. Following two failed attempts last week, five tugs dragged the China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL)’s Indian Ocean vessel into the navigation channel and towed it to the Port of Hamburg in an operation planned last week by Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME), which took over managing the incident, to take advantage of the full moon high tide. The vessel, which was stranded on February 3 around 25 km ahead of the Port of Hamburg due to a technical failure, arrived at the port at 6.15am (CET) on February 9, following a 20-minute operation to drag the ship back into the navigation channel which began at about 2am (CET) and involved a total of 12 tugs.

RFID to be launched at Chennai port soon The Hindu Radio frequency identification (RFID) and e-seal are expected to be launched at Chennai port within a week or two. At a an interaction session with exporters and importers, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, and the Chennai Port Trust, here on Tuesday Chennai Port Trust Chairman M.A. Bhaskarachar said that live demonstration of the use of RFID was held at the port on Tuesday. It would be introduced for all vehicles so that they need not wait for manual checking for entry, said B. Vimal, traffic manager at the port. The e-seal would be a part of the RFID programme. Mr. Bhaskarachar added that the problem of congestion had also been addressed at the port during the last 10-15 days. A task force had been formed that monitored within the port and a group checked the trailers for documents outside the port area and this had brought down congestion.

Rise in improperly declared hazmat cargo highlights supply chain risk JOC Hapag-Lloyd says there was a 65 percent increase in improperly declared hazardous cargo it carried last year, the latest sign of how dangerous goods could disrupt supply chains through accidents such as those that took place recently in China and Brazil. The announcement of the discovery of more than 4,300 cases of wrongly declared cargo was made possible by Hapag’s Watchdog IT system, which reviews cargo data and flags unusual or suspicious information and shipments for further inspection. It is actually because of one of these aforementioned incidents, the explosion at the world’s tenth-busiest port of Tianjin in August, that Hapag saw such a steep increase in misdeclared cargo. Increased scrutiny of supply chains and shipments by ports in the wake of that explosion, which killed more than 170 people,

Kamarajar Port to invest Rs. 8,100 crore The Hindu Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) will be commissioning five projects, including its maiden container terminal and multi-purpose cargo berths, within the next three years at a cost of Rs.8,100 crore, according to a top official. The project will increase the port’s cargo handling capacity by 44 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes per annum. Talking to The Hindu , M.A. Bhaskarachar, KPL chairman-cum-managing director, said: “A sum of Rs.8,100 crore is being invested in new projects to keep pace with competition from neighbouring ports such as L&T Kattupalli Port, Karaikal, Tuticorin, Chennai and Krishnapatnam Ports. With the completion of these projects, KPL’s terminal handling capacity will increase from 36 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes by 2018 and touch 100 million tonnes by 2020

Move to transport LNG via rail dropped The Hindu A proposal to transport LNG by rail from Vallarpadam to Kayamkulam has been shelved by authorities for unknown reasons. It has never received due official patronage despite being feasible and capable of ending the current phase of uncertainty over LNG connectivity to NTPC, Kayamkulam, according to expert opinion.The rail connectivity project had been discussed with the railway authorities a year ago, but it did not get due support from the government machinery, a top official associated with the project told The Hindu on Monday. Materialisation of the project would have solved the present crisis faced by NTPC, Kayamkulam. The 359-MW power generation unit at Kayamkulam has been remaining idle for most part of the year. The capacity utilisation has reached as low as seven per cent annually.

ASL Aviation to acquire TNT’s airline operations ATW Online Dublin-based ASL Aviation Group has signed a conditional agreement to buy two cargo airlines owned by TNT Express, which is itself being acquired by FedEx. TNT Express is being acquired by FedEx and, if the deal succeeds, TNT’s Belgian airline TNT Airways and its Spanish carrier Pan Air Líneas Aéreas will have to be divested due to airline ownership regulations. As reported by ATW last November, ASL Aviation Group was always a likely candidate to acquire the two airlines. This is because ASL Aviation Group was on track to acquire TNT Airways and Pan Air in 2012, when United Parcel Service (UPS) launched a takeover bid for TNT Express. This deal ultimately failed on competition grounds, thwarting ASL Aviation’s plans to acquire the cargo carriers. In a statement, TNT Express said it has now agreed to sell TNT Airways and Pan Air to ASL Aviation for an undisclosed sum.

SpiceJet plans to start door-to-door cargo delivery service amid turnaround plan DNA Budget carrier SpiceJet is planning to launch a door-to-door cargo delivery service as it seeks to explore other revenue streams amid a turnaround plan. The Gurgaon-based airline is in the process of setting up required infrastructure for the service, which is expected to be rolled out this fiscal, top airline sources said. SpiceJet has already placed order for 100 sub-three tonne trucks with a leading Mumbai-based commercial vehicle maker, besides leasing commercial space for 40 warehousing facilities across the country, they said. Significantly, the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines had unsuccessfully experimented with a cargo delivery service in 2010. "The proposed service is in the planning phase. We are working on it and are hoping that we launch the service within this fiscal," an airline source said.

Government mulls measures to arrest falling exports Hindustan Times An early recovery of India’s economy seems a distant dream, as India’s merchandise exports have been contracting in double-digits since December 2014 due to tepid global demand and volatile global currency market. Data recently released by the commerce ministry showed that during December 2015, exports contracted 14.75% to $22.3 billion, while imports shrank 3.9% to $33.9 billion, amounting to a trade deficit of $11.7 billion. India’s overall exports are projected by the ministry to decline 13% from the last year’s level to $270 billion in 2015-16, with a trade deficit of around $120-125 billion. “The two major reasons behind declining exports are — falling crude prices and the Indian rupee, which has not depreciated as much as the other currencies have. This has made exports from India less competitive. Oil crash is something on which India has no control.

Export Of Goods And Services Regulations Streamlined By The RBI Mondaq The Foreign Exchange Management (Export of goods and services) Regulations, 2000 have been superseded by the Foreign Exchange Management (Export of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2015 ("Export of Goods and Services Regulations 2015") issued by the RBI on January 12, 2016. The Export of Goods and Services Regulations will come into effect from date of its publication in the official gazette. The Export of Goods and Services Regulations 2015 clarify that in case for the export of services where no Form has been prescribed, the exporter may be permitted to export such services without furnishing any declarations, provided the exporter realises the full value of the services exported within the prescribed time and the payments for the services are made in the specified manner.

Baltic freight index hits new record low Business Line The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, continued its nosedive on Tuesday to touch another record low on slowing activity, especially from China. The Baltic Dry Index, which posted its record high of 11,793 points on May 20, 2008, has slumped to 291 points, marking the lowest level since the Baltic records began in January 1985. The index has yet to post a single session of gain this year and has tumbled nearly 40 per cent, touching fresh lows in 25 of the 27 sessions thus far. The index is viewed by investors as an indicator of global industrial activity.

Big Containerships losing edge on lower bunker prices says Drewry Hellenic Shipping News Much lower marine fuel prices are reducing big containerships’ cost advantages. Drewry Maritime Advisors examines the impact on carriers’ network planning. Bunker prices are now at a low level not seen since the early 2000s. When bunker prices increased five-fold, to levels in excess of $600 per tonne, lines responded with a number of cost saving measures as they focussed on bunkers as the biggest single cost item in their business. However, with the complete reversal of that trend, and bunker prices now in the range $100-150 per tonne again, Drewry Maritime Advisors has examined how this change in the line’s cost structure may influence the way in which they plan and operate their networks.Slow steaming – and later super slow steaming – became a feature of lines’ operations when bunker prices rose dramatically in 2007/8. Logistics Service Chennai,Logistics service provider in chennai,International Freight Forwarders chennai,Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai,Sea Cargo Agents in Chennai,Logistics Service in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com

CargoLogicAir reveals fleet plans.

New UK-based all-cargo airline CargoLogicAir (CLA) has revealed it hopes to operate a fleet of five Boeing 747 freighters in 2018.  The much speculated-upon airline today confirmed it had been awarded an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

CLA has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 freighter from Air Castle and will add a second 747F to its fleet in July 2016. CLA expects to have a fleet of five Boeing 747Fs by April 2018. It said it would announce routes and an operations schedule in due course.

The Stansted-headquartered airline said it aimed to become a leader in the European air cargo market offering cargo services on scheduled and charter flights. The airline aims to take a “strong position in the segment of all-cargo and outsize logistics solutions”.  Although many appointments were known due to LinkedIn profile updates, the airline also confirmed Dmitry Grishin, formerly vice president sales at Ruslan International, as its newly-appointed chief executive.

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Amazon not looking to replace the likes of UPS and FedEx.

E-commerce giant Amazon has provided clarity on its moves into airfreight and other cargo transport modes, saying it is not looking to take on existing logistics operators. Over the Christmas period Air Cargo News reported that Amazon had chartered aircraft in the US and Europe in order to move cargo across those continents.

Reports suggested it was looking to charter as many as 20 Boeing 767 Freighters as it planned to set up an overnight US domestic delivery service. Amazon chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said: “What we've found is in order to properly serve our customers at peak we've needed to add more of our own logistics to supplement our existing partners - that's not meant to replace them.

“Those carriers are no longer able to handle all of our capacity that we need at peak. They have been and continue to be great partners and we look forward to working with them in the future. It's just we've had to add some resources on our own.” However, it has invested in its own trucks to move cargo between its warehouses and source centres.

On the shipping side, a Chinese subsidiary registered as a non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) allowing it to block book space on container vessels. These reports led some analysts to opine that it was planning to enter the world of transport and logistics and take on the likes of FedEx and UPS.

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Airport insight: 2015 cargo results.

 Global: Hong Kong still top of the hubs

Hong Kong looks set to remain the top air cargo airport for 2015 despite a near static performance with only a 0.1% rise in freight volumes to 4.4m tonnes. US integrator hub Memphis, number two in 2014, has still to report its full-year results.  Memphis, home to parcels giant FedEx, showed an average 1.2% rise in the first nine months of 2015 which, if it kept at that level, would again place the US mega-hub behind its Asian rival.

Air Cargo News has collated a basket of 40 global airports which have reported that 2015 cargo tonnages to provide an indicative early screenshot of the industry’s cargo gateway performance for the year just passed.   A few caveats first. Many of the key mainland Chinese airports and a couple of the US big beasts, plus those in Latin America and Africa, have yet to issue their results for 2015. There is, however, a sufficient number of last year’s top 20 hubs that have published their 2015 throughputs – fourteen in all ─ to prove a valuable insight into global and regional variation.

If we focus on the representative basket of the top 20 freight hubs (below, figure 1), we see that seven airports recorded a decline, with Taiwan’s Taipei airport having the largest decrease, at 3.3% to just over 2m tonnes, with Europe’s top cargo hub, Frankfurt, the next highest with a 2.3% fall to 2.1m tonnes.

Given below are the TOP 20 Airports of the world and their tonnage handling performance.

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