Blogs

As February flew by in a jiffy, the shipping world has stepped into the new month with newer developments that have affected countless companies and workers, throughout the world. Being a huge industry in itself, there is no dearth of news and we bring to you the sensational ones that created a significant stir in the past week. Inauguration of ‘Ease of Doing Business Initiative’ Project by the Government of India On 26 th February, Shri Nitin Gadkari (Honorable Union Minister for Shipping and Water Resources, Road Transport and Highways, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation) inaugurated the brand-new Information Centre and Truck Parking Terminal at the V.O. Chidambaranar Port. There is a huge investment behind this project (312.33 crores, to be precise) and the VOC port shall receive a revenue share of 55.19% from the PPP operator. The ‘Ease of Doing Business Initiative’ has been commissioned by the Government of India, keeping in mind the aim to reduce the prices and dwell time of the clearance of cargo at the Indian ports. The Information Centre will incorporate touchscreen kiosk systems to provide all the necessary information related to the various seaports, EXIM trade, shipping, etc. An in-built theatre room will allow 80 people (seating capacity is 80) to enjoy the visual representation of the numerous Port activities. Read more . APM Terminals Pipavav Happily Hosts ‘Adrian Maersk’ The APM Terminals Pipavav attained an achievement by welcoming the container vessel called ‘Adrian Maersk’ (overall length of 353 meters), which is the longest vessel to anchor itself at the port, till date. The Managing Director of the APM Terminals, Keld Pederson, is of the opinion that the port is well-equipped with all the necessary landside and waterside infrastructure to skillfully handle the heavy ships like the Adrian. The Adrian Maersk decided to make the Pipavav port call as an extension of their FM3 service that connected the Pipavav port with the key markets based in Singapore/ Dalian/ Xingang/ Quingdao/ Busan/ Kwangyang/ Ningbo/ Tanjung/ Pelepas/ Colombo/ Nhava Sheva. The ship replenished its storage with essential commodities such as electronic items, glassware, wastepaper, auto parts, wastepaper, apparel, etc. for import service, along with stone articles, polypropylene, auto parts, inorganic chemicals, fabrics etc. for export purposes. The APM Terminals is well-appreciated for being an all-weather port that is functional round the clock and has never experienced any delays due to bad weather. Moreover, it also offers well-trained pilots and a fleet of tugs for carefully maneuvering the vessels inside the port. Read More . HMM Plans to Return to the Europe Trade Lane Again On February 28 th , the Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced its decision to return to the Asia-Europe trade lane scenario with its new, independent service called the AEX service. On April 8 th , the Asia-North Europe Express (AEX) service will commence by launching ten, large vessels each of 4,600 teu . As per the current reports, the port rotation reads as: Busan- Shanghai- Ningbo- Kaohsiung- Shenzhen- Singapore- Colombo- Rotterdam- Hamburg- Southampton- Singapore- Hong Kong to Busan again, with an incredible transit time of 30 days for the journey from Busan to Rotterdam. In addition to that, HMM has also planned well ahead with the intention of ordering some ultra-large vessels that will be delivered in 2020. The CEO of the company, C.K. Yoo, has voiced the opinion that the inclusion of new environmental regulations will bring about the winds of change in both the competitive market environment, as well as the shipping industry. Read More . Mitsui OSK Lines Confirms a Large-Scale Restructuring Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is Japan’s largest shipping line and is a very trustworthy name in the maritime industry. Recently, the company has put forth some massive changes in the senior management department to carry on a large-scale restructuring for the overall benefit of the organization. A new ‘technology innovation’ service is all set to be introduced that will be incorporated with advanced, technical equipment. Besides, the new post of a chief financial officer has been created, keeping in mind the strategic planning of business ventures and also, to target the improvement of the financial status of the company. The head office (based in Tokyo) is presently undergoing a structural change to restructure their organizational system for the optimum use of resources. Read More . Karaikal Port Unites Container Services with the Aid of Coastal Movement The Karaikal Port in the Union Territory of Puducherry has successfully berthed a container vessel from the Chennai port through coastal movement. The media has reported a formal ceremony being held to celebrate the achievement of hosting a container ship at the port. The port is also involved in promoting coastal cargo movement because it is an eco-friendly transportation service, which is not too expensive too. The Karaikal Port is free from any traffic congestion and contains all top-notch facilities. Read More .