SHIPPING UPDATES DATED 28.09.2016

We serve you  today’s Shipping News - Tuesday September 27,  2016 to keep you posted on the International Shipping and Air Freight Industry. We’re sure you will find this CNL interesting and informative. 

Air Freight News :

New UN and WCO air cargo unit makes first bust.

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The World Customs Organisation's (WCO) and ICAO’s new Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) has completed its first drug seizure.

The ACCU, which was established by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as well as ICAO and the WCO as part of its container control programme, will be established at selected airports to detect illicit goods.

The first pilot unit was established at Karachi International Airport in Pakistan has so far seized a total of 4.6kg of heroin and 8.9kg of crystal meth concealed in marble handicrafts. Three people were arrested  as a result of the investigations.

“It is particularly rewarding for the international organizations involved that the pilot unit at Karachi International Airport successfully implemented the container control air cargo training, provided by trainers of the UK Border Force and WCO, and recently seized separately two shipments destined for Damman and Dubai,” the WCO said.

WCO, UNODC and ICAO will expand the Air Cargo segment of the Container Control Programme to other airports in Asia, Latin America and the MENA region.

The establishment of the air cargo control unit in Karachi was financially supported by the governments of Denmark and the US.

Dirk Reich planning to open consultancy offices next year.

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Former Cargolux chief executive Dirk Reich’s aviation consultancy is planning to open offices in Zhengzhou and Luxembourg at the start of next year.

The company, R+R International Aviation, will provide senior advice and investments in the fields of aviation, logistics, e-commerce and China with its current core activity being the promotion of cross border investments between the Henan province and Europe.

Dirk Reich holds the position of founder and chairman, while Julia Reich is listed as chief executive, Elke Reich chief financial officer and Axel Reich as the Germany representative.

Reports in Luxembourg Wort say the company has existed for some time but has now been reactivated.

Sea Freight News :

Cochin Port starts coastal shipping of cars Business Standard Cochin Port, one of the top 12 major ports in the country, has begun coastal transportation of cars, with carrier ship M V Dresden carrying 500 vehicles reached with first consignment. The Ministry of Shipping said, "The car carrier has circuit of Ennore-Cochin-Kandla-Cochin-Ennore, connecting the automobile production hubs in Tamil Nadu in the East coast and Gujarat and Haryana in the West of India. The ship has 13 decks with the capacity to carry 4,300 cars." M V Dresden is a foreign carrier of Cyprus registration, which has obtained licence for coastal run between the ports in India, and is of 177 metre length and 7 metre draft. The operator of the Car Carrier is SICAL Logistics based in Chennai, which is a leading player in bulk operations in many ports and operates a Coal Terminal at Ennore. "The operator will be carrying the vehicles of Renault, Ford, Hyundai and Toyota from Tamil Nadu and Honda and Ford from Gujarat. The operator is also targeting Maruti. The Steamer Agent of the Car Carrier at Cochin is Neo Logistics," the statement said.

How Gadkari’s Grand Ideas Are Reshaping India’s Transportation Sector Swarajya They say an idea can change your life. Small ideas often lead to larger ones and could usher in a revolution. The Industrial Revolution happened because of ideas – ideas on science, ideas on how the church was wrong, ideas on promoting knowledge and so on. Keeping all this in mind, it does come as a surprise when an Indian minister shows that he is open to ideas. Being open to new ideas is the first step in sparking major changes in lifestyle which impact everyday incidents and also have long-term advantages. Three ministers, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari, have shown that they are not against trying out new ideas; but among them, it is Gadkari, who stands out. Those who have travelled on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway would know what a stellar work of infrastructure it is. In 1997, former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray had told Gadkari that Mumbai to Pune travel must not take more than three hours.

Trial run of GPS-monitored cargo truck between India and Bangladesh successful India Today Following the success of the trial run of the GPS-monitored cargo truck between India and Bangladesh, secure and smooth movement of cargo trucks will soon become a reality. In near future, cargo trucks plying between Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal will be cleared expeditiously as they will be closely monitored through a common GPS protocol and will be sealed electronically. Senior customs official said that following the success of the trial run, the Union ministries of Finance and Road Transport are now working out the modalities to put the system in place soon. This new system will ensure fool-proof security and will also ease traffic congestion at the borders. This will also make tampering with the cargo impossible. Earlier this month, a new chapter in Customs Cooperation between India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal was opened when cargo-laden truck from Bangladesh carrying readymade garments entered the Customs ICD, Patparganj, Delh.

DP World adds two new routes to Container Rail Road Services portfolio Business Line Global trade enabler, the DP World-operated Container Rail Road Services (CRRS), has added two new rail services to its portfolio so as to increase connectivity between Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) and Kanpur, and Mundra and ICD Bawal in Rewari district of Haryana. The services operate on eco-friendly and energy-efficient modes of transport which warrant reduction in costs through railroad, and further ease congestion at ports and national highways. Trucking solutions have also been introduced to enable easy movement of cargo to and from ICDs to the customers’ door step, said Anil Singh, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, DP World Subcontinent, in a statement here on Monday. He said CRRS enables the company to go beyond the terminal gates, to get closer to its customers and offer services to their logistics chain.

Tax department issues draft rules on registration, invoice and payments Indian Express To prepare the groundwork for a smooth rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the tax department on Monday released three sets of draft rules and their formats relating to registration, invoice and payments under the new indirect tax regime. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has invited comments on draft rules by Wednesday, which would be finalised by Friday. The draft rules provide for online registration by residents within three days of submission of application. Non-residents coming under the purview of GST will be required to electronically submit the application for registration at least 5 days prior to the commencement of business and shall also deposit full tax liability in advance. Registered taxable person shall display his certificate of registration and GST identification number in a prominent location at his principal place of business and at every additional place or places of business, the CBEC said.

Government to Jawaharlal Nehru: Lift extra import charges JOC Terminals at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India’s biggest container gateway, have come under fire from customs authorities for collecting “unauthorized” charges from shippers toward using the direct port delivery scheme meant to speed up cargo flows and lower logistics costs. The DPD procedure facilitates speedy processing of documentation and customs duty payment via a dedicated customs wing and has encountered many operational bottlenecks since its expanded launch in February because of additional terminal demands. "It has come to the notice of the department that port terminals are asking the ACP [accredited client program] clients to give a security deposit as a precondition of registration [for DPD services],” the JNPT customs directorate said in a public notice. “Port terminals can’t put an extra condition on DPD applicants from their side without approval of the competent authority.”

BBIN can be a game-changer Dhaka Tribune The three planned land ports under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal initiative will, if implemented properly, revitalise trade relations in the region and open up new vistas for Bangladesh. The proposed land ports in Sylhet, Rangamati, and Satkhira are strategically placed for the greatest trade benefits. The Bhomra port in Satkhira, for example, is close enough to Kolkata to drastically reduce import-exports costs between India and Bangladesh. Safe, economically efficient, and environmentally sound road transportation policies would go a long way towards cutting out unnecessary hindrances to trade in the region that the business community often faces. With lower transportation costs, improved facilities, and increased trading capacity, everybody wins. Greater regional cooperation between these four countries is imperative if the region is to prosper, and BBIN may have a chance to succeed in areas where SAARC has failed.

Exempt accredited warehouses from stock limits, says Sebi Business Standard The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has written to the finance ministry seeking exemption for exchange-accredited warehouses from stock limits under the Essential Commodities Act. “We want warehouses registered with commodity derivatives exchanges to be exempt from stock limits,” said S K Mohanty, executive director, Sebi. He was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day conference on agriculture supply chains here on Monday. There are 1.4 million tonnes of warehousing space accredited with exchanges. Stock limits now apply in sugar and pulses. Among pulses, only chana is allowed to be traded on the futures market. Here too, launch of new contracts has been suspended because of a spike in spot prices. Sugar mills and traders face stock limits.

Land acquisition formalities hold up Wardha dry port work Times of India Union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis both hail from Vidarbha. However, this has not helped the proposed dry port at Sindi in Wardha district. Gadkari had announced two satellite ports of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) at Aurangabad and Wardha. While the work on the former has started, land acquisition for the latter is yet to be completed. The Sindi port requires 350 acres of which 212 acres belong to SICOM, a government of Maharashtra undertaking. JNPT, in its board meeting, has already passed a resolution to provide money to SICOM in lieu of the land, but the hand over has not taken place due to some remaining formalities. Vivek Deshpande, a JNPT trustee from Aurangabad, told TOI, "We have placed tenders for building the compound wall of the Aurangabad dry port. The preparation of development plan is also in advanced stage."

SLPA warns against too much competition in Colombo Container Management As the tender process for Colombo’s East Container Terminal (ECT) enters its next phase, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is concerned about excessive competition at the port. China Merchants operates the only current deep water terminal in the port, while an APM Terminals (APMT)-backed consortium and the port authority itself run the other facilities. At present, “the three terminals are competing and my view is that it is not a healthy situation,” SLPA chairman Dammika Ranatunga told the Sunday Observer. “I believe we need to do a concerted marketing plan, putting our strengths together and get more volumes in,” he added. The deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in the pre-qualification stage to build and operate the terminal was extended for the second time to September 22. “We have had preliminary discussions,” Ranatunga stated.

Government working to give services trade a reforms push Economic Times Worried by the shrinking trade surplus in services, the government is working on a bouquet of reforms to play to the country's core strengths of technology, leisure travel and medical tourism. The commerce department has circulated a cabinet note on domestic reforms to enhance earnings from services exports, detailing measures that can be implemented after due deliberations. "It is work in progress. There are services like IT, tourism, medical tourism, legal and education, which are not our jurisdiction...We can apply our mind but it is up to the line ministries,"said an official, requesting anonymity. The services trade surplus narrowed 9% to $5.36 billion in July from $5.88 billion a year ago. The department is calling for an overarching strategy dealing with services exports as it is an area of strength that the country can leverage as it enters into trade deals.

Maersk abandons mega ship ordering to focus on liner acquisitions Sea News AP Moeller-Maersk has revealed plans to stop ordering new containerships and instead turn its attention to acquiring shipping lines. Maersk Group chairman Michael Pram Rasmussen told Bloomberg that the company "is done with ordering new steel". He said no longer made sense to order new ships as there are already too many in the market. "So if we want to grow, we need to do it through acquisitions so that we don't flood the market with more ships," he said, Maersk Line still has 27 ships in its order book, corresponding to 12 per cent of its current fleet. The container industry's combined order book represents 17 per cent of the global fleet. "It has previously made a lot of sense when we went out and ordered specific vessels," Mr Rasmussen said. But "there's already a large order book in the market and at the same time, world trade isn't growing a great deal."

Courtesy : ACI & IST.

Air Freight News :

Hactl passes GDP audit with flying colours.

Hactl has completed its World Health Organization (WHO) Good Distribution Practices (GDP) audit, with no non-compliances or observations.

It is the third successive year in which Hactl has passed the audit with a perfect score.

Hactl was the first cargo handler in Hong Kong to attain WHO GDP accreditation; the initial and subsequent audits have been conducted by leading independent global standards auditor SGS.

The WHO GDP audit once again included examination of Hactl’s staff competence, premises, equipment, processes, quality control system and hygiene standards.

It confirmed that Hactl’s entire cold chain management system continues to conform to its specified standards and those of the relevant GDP legislation and guidelines, and that the company continues to adhere to its stated policies, objectives and procedures.

UPS reaches tentative contract agreement with pilots.

The Independent Pilots Association (IPA) and UPS Airlines have reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year labour contract for pilots, after four years of discussions.

UPS and IPA said the new agreement provides for improvements across all sections of the contract but added that specific details of the agreement will not be disclosed before the union presents the proposed contract to all UPS pilots.

The contract must be ratified by a majority of UPS’s 2,600 pilots. The vote by the pilots will be completed on August 31 and if ratified, the new contract will become effective from September.

“This tentative agreement has been unanimously approved and endorsed by both the IPA executive board and our negotiating committee. Over the next month we will present it to our members with an unqualified recommendation for ratification,” said IPA president Captain Robert Travis.

“This is an excellent offer and we are pleased to have reached this agreement,” said Brendan Canavan, UPS Airlines president.

“This contract rewards our crew members for their outstanding contributions and contains provisions that protect UPS’s ability to deliver competitive service to our global customers.”

The tentative agreement was signed yesterday by the IPA and UPS in the presence of Nicholas Geale, Chairman of the National Mediation Board (NMB).

Sea Freight News…

Ships get relief from piracy insurance premium at Indian ports Financial Express Ships entering or leaving Indian ports are not required to pay a piracy-related additional insurance premium now, a move which will help thousands of the vessels. The development has come after seas close to the country’s western coast were removed from the list of the High Risk Areas (HRA) for piracy. About 22,000 ships, that called on Indian ports between 2010 and 2015, paid an estimated additional war risk premium (AWRP) of about Rs 8,500 crore. “Ministry of Shipping took up the issue of redrawing of the High Risk Area (HRA) Line back to 65 Degrees E (from 78 deg E) in the International Maritime Organization and as a result the HRA was redrawn at 65 deg E,” the ministry said in a statement. “Thereby, the ships coming to or leaving Indian ports do not have to pay AWRP now,” the statement said. Debt-ridden barge owners in Goa banking on Gadkari for bailout Business Line Struggling to get rid of high debts with bankers and financial institutions, barge owners in Goa are banking on Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari to bail them out through the intervention of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). IWAI is the statutory authority in charge of promotion of waterways in the country. With the iron ore mining and exports coming to a halt three years ago following the Supreme Court order, barge owners were one of the major stakeholders affected, with bank debts mounting to 360 crore with around 400 barges going out of work. Atul Jadhav heading the Goa Barge Owners’ Association (GBOA) has been seeking the intervention of the State and the Centre to overcome the debt crisis. GBOA initially tried in vain to press for complete takeover of all outstanding loans by the government under a Central assistance scheme of the IWAI. Nitin Gadkari seeks US help to build smart transport systems Economic Times India is seeking US cooperation in innovative technologies in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) with its policy shift from 'Build Roads' to 'Move in India' with special emphasis on efficiency and improving logistics. This will be high on the agenda of Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari when he meets US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx here on Monday. He will also seek US cooperation in areas of project highways, material, equipment, tunnel projects, road safety initiatives and training institutes and equipment like training simulators. Gadkari, according to an official accompanying him, will highlight the positive indicators contributing to the phenomenal revival of the roads and highways sector in India and brief Foxx about India's leapfrog from Bharat Stage BSIV to BSVI emission norms by 2020. First cargo vessel reaches city from Hooghly Times of India For the trial of goods transportation through inland waterways of Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system (NW1), a cargo vessel from Haldia reached Rajghat here on Monday and another vessel is likely to reach here in next two or three days. The first vessel from Haldia has already reached here and another vessel will arrive by Wednesday or Thursday, assistant director, IWAI A K Mishra said. "Presently, the vessel is docked near Rajghat as it cannot move further in the tortoise sanctuary without the permission of the forest department. After the nod of forest department, both the vessels will move to Ramnagar, where a terminal is being constructed for loading of goods," Mishra said. "The IWAI officials have sought permission for the movement of vessels and the matter is under consideration," DFO, Kashi Wildlife division Manoj Kumar Sonkar said. New path forward for India's logistics industry Meri News India's position to 35th rank in the latest bi-annual World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI) report will open many corridors of opportunities as industry will witness swift growth in international as well as inter-state freights, an effect of Union Government's commitment to make India as a preferred destination for many global businesses. Noticeable in the government's latest first of its kind facility in India, the implementation of logistics data tagging of containers to track cargo at the JNPT. "The application of innovative tagging and tracking, which enables in-transit visibility and real time status update, has been so far successfully adapted in many advanced nations such as America, Japan and Germany. Introduction of the same in India is unquestionably claiming India's strong position in the global trade map", said Brijesh Lohia, Managing Director of Global Ocean Group in a statement. India Ports See Huge Growth Port Technology Major public ports in India have seen first fiscal quarter growth of more than 6% in comparison to the same period in the last financial year, with the country’s 12 major ports handling more than 2.1 million TEU from April-June, 2016, compared to 1.99 million a year prior. PTI previously reported that India was looking to build another eight major ports across the country to bring the total number up to 20 and further fuel economic growth. Despite some political uncertainty, a greenfield deep-sea port has been approved by the Indian government and to be built near Colachel in Tamil Nadu, in order to reclaim gateway cargo lost to neighbouring regions. A major initiative currently taking place in the country is the ‘Sagarmala’ which aims to improve ports and logistics processes in India, and is anticipated to receive US$60 billion in investments over the next five years. CMA CGM reconfigures Middle East to East Africa service Arabian News CMA CGM will reorganise its services connecting India and the Middle East to East Africa in a continued effort to provide increased reliability and quality services. The shipping line said in a release that the reorganisation was largely a result of evermore challenging market conditions in the container shipping sector. Starting mid July 2016, Noura Express and Swahili services will be reconfigured: reefer cargo from Port Victoria will go direct to India and to Europe with a weekly frequency instead of fortnightly. Service reliability to Mogadishu from Mundra will be improved with direct service in 18 days instead of in transhipment, and a very fast transit time from Jebel Ali to Port Victoria in 18 days. The Noura Express service operated with 4 vessels of 2,200 TEU will cease Salalah calls and add in Mundra and Port Victoria. Noura Express service new port coverage will be the following: Mundra - Khor Fakkan - Jebel Ali - Mombasa - Mogadishu - Port Victoria - Mundra. China aims to out-flank India by developing Sri-Lanka as a shipping hub Canadian Manufacturing Sri Lanka—China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will align its maritime silk road project with Sri Lanka’s development plans to enable the island nation to become a shipping hub in the Indian Ocean. Wang’s comments came after meeting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, starting a two-day visit. It is a sign of Sri Lanka’s new government’s increasing receptiveness to Chinese projects having previously suspended some to investigate corruption and possible environmental hazards. “We’ll take the building of the maritime silk road as a priority to better align our development strategy including your five-year development plan so that we can come up with a comprehensive blue print for future co-operation, so that we can help Sri Lanka build itself into a shipping centre in the Indian Ocean,” Wang said. Perishable exports on decline due to lack of packhouses Times of India Lack of certified perishable packhouses and accredited testing labs in Goa have led to a drop in the export of vegetables and fruits to four to five tonnes per day from a high of 60 tons per day in 2012, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) officials said. Despite Goa International Airport's attractive freight rates, exporters have found it difficult to increase exports and expressed their concerns to the state government in a recent meeting held with agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar. "There are at least 15 major exporters who are ready to export, but because Goa does not have a packhouse and an agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) approved testing lab, only two to three exporters are operating," said GCCI member and former secretary of Air Cargo Association of Goa Satyajit Bhattacharya. Keeping pace with maritime regulatory changes Hellenic Shipping News Many of the players in the maritime industry are likely to associate the date 1 July 2016 with the entering into force of the new container weight verification requirements. Others view the same date as an important milestone in their work towards implementation of ECDIS onboard ships. Through our Gard Updates, we focus on a wide range of shipping, claims and insurance issues from the perspective of sharing knowledge and providing advice and recommendations on how to manage technical and operational risks, including information about important maritime regulatory changes (international, regional or domestic) that may affect Members’ and clients’ operations and obligations. Below are only a few examples of international and regional regulations that have entered into force so far in 2016 and for which non-compliance could compromise the safety of the ship and/or come with financial consequences for the shipowner: LNG bunkering market: IMO regulations and government efforts to encourage usage of LNG as a bunker fuel across shipping industry An increasing number of ships and vessels are using liquefied natural gas or LNG as a clean fuel to comply with the regulations laid by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) across emission control areas. LNG as a ship fuel reduces the emission of sulphur dioxide by 90-95% compared to the conventional petroleum fuels. This factor has propelled the growth of the global LNG bunkering market. The market stood at 70 kilo tons in 2013 and is anticipated to expand phenomenally at a CAGR of 63.6% during the period between 2014 and 2025. The overall market is projected to reach 22,540 kilo tons by 2025. The lack of LNG fuelling infrastructure across the major bunkering destinations is one of the primary factors impeding the growth of the LNG bunkering market worldwide. The high cost of building LNG fuel ships has slowed down their adoption among the shipping companies.

Updated Shipping News 15th June 2016

Coming soon: Freight trains with assured transit time at no extra cost. Business Line Indian Railways is looking to launch time-tabled freight train for containerised routes within a few days without charging any extra freight charges, said multiple sources in the know. This was one of the announcements made by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Railway Budget. Container train operators (CTO) have been demanding trains with assured transit time for many years now. A few years ago, the Railways had launched assured transit time trains on certain routes with higher freight charges than those on which it did not charge any premium. This time, the Railways plans to launch time-tabled train for containerised cargo without charging a premium on existing freight charges, the source said. The proposed routes include Tughlakabad-Bengaluru, which will move containers on the domestic segment and JN Port-Chennai, which will move boxes on the export import segment.

Traders for maximum use of Kochi port The Hindu Industrialists here district have plans to maximise the use of Kochi port for import and export. The idea that the industrialists would benefit from the facility was prompted by a recent interaction they had with the Chairman of Cochin Port Trust, Senthilvel. The interaction was organised here by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Erode Zone. Mr. Senthilvel and P. Tamilvanan, Advisor (Marketing), Cochin Port Trust, told the gathering the Cochin Port Trust was opening up for investments, and apprised them about the measures taken for handling cargo from the North-Western region of Tamil Nadu in a cost-effective and efficient manner for the benefit of trade and development. Owing to the advantage of direct sailing to Europe in addition to the regular sailings to the gulf countries, and Colombo, Cochin Port Trust ensures reduction of seven days transit time and substantial savings in overall supply chain cost for Europe-bound exports, Mr. Senthilvel said.

Concor hopes to see cargo on Delhi-Bengaluru route doubling Business Line Container Corporation of India (Concor) will start running time-tabled freight trains between Tughlakabad and Delhi. The move comes on the back of Indian Railways’ move to launch time-tabled and assured transit time freight trains for containerised routes within a few days without charging any extra freight charges, said multiple sources. This was one of the announcements of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Railway Budget. At present, the Railways does not provide any assured transit time service for its freight customers, due to capacity crunch. Container train operators (CTO) have been demanding trains with assured transit time for many years now. A few years ago, the Railways had launched assured transit time trains on certain routes with higher freight charges. This time, the Railways plans to launch time-tabled train for containerised cargo without charging a premium on existing freight charges, the source said.

Singapore Port interested in investing in Colombo Port News As the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) last week called for Expressions of Interest for the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port, the Business Observer learns that several key players have shown keen interest in coming to Colombo. Among the interested parties is the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), a highly successful global port operator with facilities in several parts of the world. The Minister who met the chief executive officer of PSA in Colombo recently said: “They are bullish of the prospects for Colombo which has potential to become ‘the service provider’ for this part of the world when the middle classes of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh begin to exercise their ability to spend very soon.” Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said trade of goods going through Colombo will be massive – and it makes so much sense for Colombo to be ready to be the logistics and shipping hub in the region and become a key part of the global production network.

Sri Lanka to enforce container weight rule from October 2016. Economy Next Sri Lanka’s ports and shipping ministry said new international safety regulations that make container weighing mandatory for shippers would be enforced from October 1, 2016. Local regulations giving effect to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) would be implemented from July 1 by the director general of Merchant Shipping, a statement said. Minister of Ports and Shipping Arjuna Ranatunga has held discussions with all relevant parties involved in the shipping industry on the new IMO rule. The IMO said last month that it would take a “pragmatic approach” to the new container weighing law that comes into effect globally from July 1 and give three months for shippers and others to prepare in order to minimise supply chain disruption. The IMO relaxed its stance after surveys revealed that many shippers and forwarders were still not sure how they should comply with the new rules.

Hanjin Shipping Rises as Merger Hope Eases Survival Concern Bloomberg Hanjin Shipping Co. gained the most in a week in Seoul trading as concerns that the unprofitable shipping line wouldn’t be able to survive eased after the government indicated a merger with a smaller rival is possible. Hanjin Shipping, South Korea’s biggest container shipping line, climbed 6.3 percent to close at 2,290 won, the largest gain since June 7. Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., the country’s second-biggest container shipping line, advanced 2.4 percent to 14,900 won. South Korea is reviewing various measures including a possible merger to increase competitiveness in its shipping industry, which is struggling with mounting debt after years of losses from weak demand, the Financial Services Commission said Monday. Hanjin Shipping is among liners worldwide that are selling assets, consolidating and seeking new partnerships to stem losses as slowing trade and overcapacity depress cargo rates.

Logistics Sector Set To Essay Key Role In India Growth Story Business World The domestic logistics sector is in a state of flux today. With the government initiating campaigns like Make in India to harness domestic entrepreneurial capabilities and the country witnessing the largest capital inflow till date from FIIs in fiscal 2015-16, the integrated development of the logistics sector is set to play a key role in the India growth story. The highly-anticipated passage of the GST legislation, the 7th pay commission implementation which is expected to spurt consumer demand and a revival in infrastructure spending are some of the key triggers which would place the logistics sector on a high growth trajectory. Two consecutive years of drought compounded with lower price for crops have negatively impacted consumer demand in rural areas, especially the hinterlands of the country.

Incheon port starts first ever container service connecting the Middle East. Seatrade Maritime South Korea’s Incheon port has commenced a new regular container service connecting the port directly to the Middle East for the first time, backed by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced that Iran’s state-run shipping firm IRISL has deployed the 5,100-teu boxship Touska into the route, named HDM Loof. Three boxships of 5,100-teu including Touska, and four 6,500-teu boxships will be put into operation into HDM Loof. As a result, a total of seven container vessels will enter Incheon New Port on a fortnightly interval. The launch of the new container service followed the partial opening of Incheon New Port since June last year. Yoo Chang-keun, president of the IPA, said: “It is very meaningful to open new route for Incheon Port and connect the port to Iran that has abundant natural resources and a big potential for high economic growth.

Sagarmala aims at sea change in India’s maritime & logistics sectors. Exim The government’s ambitious Sagarmala programme aims to change the way logistics evacuation happens in India and save logistics costs nationwide for cargo handled and evacuated through seaports. Augmenting the operational efficiency of ports, optimising logistics evacuation and increasing port-led development for India can help achieve this. The project could form around 2 per cent of the country’s GDP from coastal states and districts and create societal impact in the form of 10 million jobs, coastal community skill building, etc., highlighted a communiqué. There are five commodities—coal, petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), iron ore, fertilisers, and containers—that contribute around 80 per cent of the total export-import freight movement with dynamic origin and destination points across the country. The broad vision of the Sagarmala programme stands on four pillars

Chennai hopes tech breaks bottlenecks. Joc Chennai shippers who have long been subjected to major cargo delays amid landside bottlenecks may soon see improvements as authorities at India’s second-busiest public gateway are deploying new technological systems to improve productivity. DP World-operated Chennai Container Terminal on Tuesday launched a mobile app that allows its customers to track the whereabouts of their containers. It is available for Android operating systems and can be downloaded from the Google Play store by keying in “DPW Chennai.” "Users can track the status of their containers in real time with information on the exact position of the container — whether it is in the yard, has been loaded, is in transit to the container freight station, or has been delivered,” the Dubai-headquartered company said in a trade advisory.