20 September 2017

[200917.EN.BIZ] Cosco Box Terminals Record 13pc Growth in August to 7.7m TEU

CHINA's major port operator, Cosco Shipping Ports (CSP), continued with its strong pace of growth in August, with overall throughput increasing 13 per cent to 7.7 million TEU from 6.8 million TEU in the same month last year.

Reflecting the pattern of previous months, gains were led by the overseas ports which saw volumes soar 40 per cent to 1.6 million TEU from 1.1 million TEU in August 2016, Seatrade Maritime News of Colchester, UK reported.

This was followed by the key Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions which saw throughput rise 10 per cent and 6 per cent to 2.4 million TEU and 1.7 million TEU respectively.

The Bohai Rim region continues to show the most anaemic growth among the segments with volumes rising 3 per cent to 1.4 million TEU. Meanwhile the newer ports in the growth regions on the Southeast and Southwest coasts continue to ramp up strongly with the former seeing throughput rise 11 per cent to 468,500 TEU and the latter spiking by a fifth to 121,700 TEU.


Source : HKSG.

[200917.ID.BIZ] TIKI Perkenalkan Jajaran Direksi Baru

KONTAN.CO.ID - Berulang tahun ke-47 pada 1 September lalu, PT Citra Van Titipan Kilat (TIKI) menghadirkan jajaran direksi baru. Harapannya, manajemen baru ini membawa layanan lebih baik.

Jajaran Direksi TIKI yang baru yaitu Titi Oktarina selaku Direktur Utama dan Ester Wiraseputra sebagai Wakil Direktur Utama.

Ada pula Tomy Sofhian sebagai Direktur Pelaksana, Rocky Nagoya sebagai Direktur Komersial, Th Nia Handayani sebagai Direktur Umum, dan Ahmad Ferwito sebagai Direktur Operasional & Jaringan.

Di antara nama tersebut, Tomy Sofhian yang sebelumnya menjabat sebagai Managing Director di PT. TNT, kini memutuskan untuk bergabung dengan keluarga besar TIKI.

Direktur Utama TIKI Titi Oktarini berharap, perubahan ini dapat memberikan pelayanan ke masyarakat yang lebih maksimal dan semakin mendekat dengan masyarakat, terutama pelanggan setia TIKI selama ini.

"Inovasi-inovasi baru akan terus dihadirkan sebagai langkah dari upaya TIKI memberikan layanan terbaik,” kata Titi ketika Media Gathering pada Selasa (19/9) di Restoran Seribu Rasa, Jakarta.

Direktur Pelaksana yang baru Tomy Sofhian juga berkomitmen memperbaiki layanan produk dalam rencana jangka pendek dan jangka panjang.

Rencana lainnya adalah revitalisasi di berbagai gerai TIKI yang tersebar di seluruh Indonesia, dan mendorong layanan digital yang mudah diakses masyarakat untuk rencana jangka pendeknya.

Sementara itu, dia berencana memperluas jaringan TIKI secara global untuk memaksimalkan pelayanan terhadap masyarakat untuk rencana jangka panjangnya.

"Kami berharap TIKI akan menjadi pilihan utama masyarakat untuk melakukan pengiriman barang, di manapun, kapanpun di seluruh Indonesia,” kata Tomy.

Sumber : Kontan, 20.09.17.

12 September 2017

[120917.EN.BIZ] Bayonne Bridge Raising 'Risks West-to-East Cargo Shift'


THE raising of the New York-New Jersey Bayonne Bridge marks the removal of the last major obstacle in the transfer of substantially more market share from west to east coast ports, say experts.

As the 14,400-TEU CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt glided under the newly elevated Bayonne Bridge to Elizabeth, New Jersey, completing a maiden voyage from Shanghai via Panama Canal, it became the biggest ship to ever dock at the east coast port, reported London's Financial Times.

The widening of the Panama Canal could shift as much as 10 per cent of east Asia-origin container imports to the US east coast from the west coast by 2020, says Boston Consulting Group and major forwarder CH Robinson.

At issue are vast tracts of consumers hundreds of miles to the west of the east coast in Columbus, Ohio and Memphis, Tennessee.

"The catchment area between the Appalachian mountains and the Mississippi river is now competitive for different port options, said Dustin Burke of Boston Consulting.

Companies in Ohio and Tennessee may now find it cheaper to bring Asian imports through Atlantic ports than have them trucked or railed from Pacific ports.

Portions of the US Midwest are a "battleground" for ports on either coast, said Bethann Rooney, an assistant commercial director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Source : HKSG.

..

..

11 September 2017

[110917.EN.BIZ] Piracy Falls to Its Lowest Levels Since Current Records Were Kept

FORTY-THREE incidents of piracy in Asia from January to August - the lowest in 10 years - were recorded from January-August 2017, by ReCAAP, the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy.

"There was a 20 per cent decrease in the total number of incidents reported during January-August 2017, and a 72 per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2015," said the ReCAAP August report.

A total of 54 incidents were reported during January-August 2016, and 151 incidents reported during January-August 2015. "

The improvement during January-August 2017 was attributed to the improvement of the situation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (since 2016), and at certain ports and anchorages in India, Indonesia and Vietnam," said the report.

While the overall situation during January-August 2017 has improved, there was an increase in the number of incidents reported at ports and anchorages in Bangladesh (Chittagong) and Philippines (Manila and Batangas) compared to the same period in 2016, it said.

On August 17, the Philippine authorities rescued one of the abducted crewmen of Royal 16 while conducting military operations in the vicinity of Mataja Island, Basilan province.

The Royal 16, was boarded by 10 armed men on November 16 who abducted its six crew. But the Philippine military found the bodies of another two Royal 16 seamen. To date, the remaining two crew of Royal 16 are still being held.

Source : HKSG.

..

...

10 September 2017

[100917.EN.BIZ] Port Tracker Sees 2017 as Bumper Year for US Imports Nationwide

GROWING imports at major US ports set an all-time monthly record in July as 2017 stays on track to beat all-time shipping records, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

"Consumers are buying more, and retailers are scrambling to import more merchandise to keep up with the demand," said NRF vice president Jonathan Gold.

"Docks have been busier than ever as ships unload cargo headed for store shelves, and that's a good sign both for retail sales and the nation' economy," he said.

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.78 million TEU in July, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

That was up five per cent from June and 9.2 per cent year on year, the highest monthly volume recorded since NRF began tracking imports in 2000, beating the previous record of 1.73 million TEU in March 2015.

Global Port Tracker had previously forecast that the record would be 1.75 million TEU and would be set in August, but the record came in higher and sooner than expected.

August's volume was estimated at 1.71 million TEU, a drop of 0.1 per cent from last year but still one of the five highest months on record.

September is forecast at 1.67 million TEU, up 4.7 per cent from last year; October at 1.7 million TEU, up two per cent; November at 1.61 million TEU, down 2.3 per cent, and December at 1.58 million TEU, up 0.5 per cent.

While Hurricane Harvey slowed Gulf Coast cargo and Hurricane Irma is expected to do the same in Florida, neither is expected to significantly impact national totals.

Growth has slowed from the first half of the year but 2017 is expected to total 19.7 million TEU, topping last year's previous record of 18.8 million TEU by 4.8 per cent. That compares with 2016's 3.1 per cent increase over 2015. The first half of 2017 totalled 9.7 million TEU, up 7.5 per cent from the same period in 2016.

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett does not expect volumes to continue growing at current levels.

"The United States economy has experienced a long, sustained period of growth beyond any seen in the last few decades," he said.

"Our models are projecting a slowdown. The positive takeaway is that this is a slowdown in growth, not an actual reduction in volume."

Source : HKSG.

..

..

09 September 2017

[090917.EN.BIZ] Turkish Cargo Expansion Strategy Pays Off With H1 Income Surging 24pc

TURKISH Cargo announced a 24 per cent year-on-year increase in the first half of the year due mainly to its freighter driven growth strategy.

The freight carrier increased its cargo destinations from 55 at the start of 2016 to 72 by the end of August 2017, with seven new destinations added in the past two months alone, including several expansions into Africa. Turkish Cargo also expanded its fleet with the addition of two 747-4 freighters, the company said.

The expansion pushed up Turkish Cargo"s ranking among international airfreight carriers, with the carrier announcing that it had moved into the top ten based on June data from WorldACD. According to Turkish Cargo, its cargo carried increased by 26.1 per cent year on year during the first half of 2017, New York's Air Cargo World reported.

Regionally, Turkish Cargo reported growth of 46.8 per cent in China and ranks itself third among cargo companies connecting Pakistan, Poland and the UAE and fifth among companies linking Austria, Bangladesh, Egypt and Finland.

The company expects to maintain its rapid pace of growth with a strategy that chief cargo officer Turhan Ozen called "aggressive". He said: "The company's vision is to move Turkish Cargo into the top five cargo players worldwide by 2023."

Source : HKSG.



..

..

08 September 2017

[080917.EN.BIZ] Dachser Joins Queue to Warn of Airfreight Capacity Shortages

DACHSER has followed other freight forwarders to warn customers that the air cargo industry faces a capacity crunch in the upcoming peak season.

The Germany-based forwarder told customer in a note that there would be capacity bottlenecks on the Asia-Europe trade and transatlantic trade during the peak, according to London's Air Cargo News.

It added that capacity was already constrained on the transatlantic, while Asia-Europe faces an earlier than expected peak.

"A variety of reasons are causing a shortage of freight capacity. Airfreight companies have reduced overcapacity in the past and at the same time, airfreight volumes are increasing due to a lack of sea freight capacity.

"In addition, existing bookings are being cancelled by air freight companies. Processing bottlenecks at airlines and trading partners could further increase shipment times.

"For this reason, it is recommended that air freight shipments be booked as soon as possible, so that they can be dispatched as planned," the company said.

To overcome the problem, the forwarder said it would charter its own flights, shift good flows to smaller airports and increase standing capacities at strategic airline partners.

In late July, Panalpina warned the Far East peak season is expected to start earlier and be even stronger than last year's, while the transatlantic trade is already seeing tight belly capacity during a period where airlines have added capacity for the summer season.

There was a similar outlook at Flexport, which said the airfreight market, especially from Asia to North America, is the strongest it's has been for the past six to seven years driven by e-commerce, new product launches and quarter-end project shipments tying up capacity and the residual effect of ocean alliance shift in April.

"Airlines are prioritising space for e-commerce shipments, which are highly volumetric and therefore consume more space than typical hard freight consolidations," Flexport said.

Source : HKSG.

..

..

07 September 2017

[070917.EN.BIZ] JD.com Closer to Fully Automated Warehouse With Japanese Partner

CHINA's No 2 e-commerce company, JD.com, continues to take steps to automate e-commerce by opening an "unmanned" parcel sorting centre in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.

This move, according to its website, follows JD.com's alliance with China's Inspection and Quarantine Association to expedite customs clearance for imports into China.

Another partnership with Japanese logistics company Yamato Holdings is to build a cold-chain logistics network to advance JD.com's AI innovation.

The two companies plan to develop technology for unmanned warehouses, automated vehicles and big data technologies.

This suggests, according to China Daily, an ongoing effort from JD.com to utilise "smart" logistics developments to compete with China"s No 1 e-commerce giant, Alibaba.

The Kunshan sorting centre is completely automated - from parcel selection and sorting to loading and unloading trucks, using automated, guided vehicles, China Daily reported.

Current sorting capacity is as high as 9,000 parcels per hour, and could be increased by four times that rate, the article stated.

Implementing automated systems via artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and robots "greatly improves operation efficiency," JD Logistics' head of research and development Cheng Yan told New York's Air Cargo World.

"Our robots can pick at five to six times the speed of manual picking, reaching as many as 3,600 picks per hour." JD.com's automated guided vehicles also increase efficiency as they "automatically figure out when more efficient routes are available, and map them out on their own."

Source : HKSG.

..

..

06 September 2017

[060917.EN.BIZ] DHL Obtains IATA CEIV in Frankfurt and Hamburg

DHL Global Forwarding's airfreight stations in Frankfurt and Hamburg have achieved IATA's CEIV pharma Standard.

The forwarding company started to certify its global stations according to the IATA CEIV Pharma Standard in the third quarter of 2016. Its Thermonet Station Leipzig hub was the first to achieve the certification in April this year. The forwarder said that the standard attests that the highest service and quality standards are maintained at those stations.

Vice president airfreight Germany, DHL Global Forwarding, Thilo Specht, said: "Time critical and temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products require the highest quality standards in terms of warehousing, transportation and handling.

"To achieve this, standardised processes and a compliant, well-orchestrated network are mandatory. Seeing Frankfurt and Hamburg extending our global network on stations certified according the IATA CEIV Pharma Standard is a great achievement giving a strong signal in terms of quality and reliability towards our customers."

At each location, IATA examines the station's correspondence to the Temperature Control Regulations (TCR), the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) guidelines of the European Union, the Annex 5 of the World Health Organization and the US Pharmacopeia Standards, the London's Air Cargo News reported.

Source : HKSG.

..

..

05 September 2017

[050917.EN.AIR] United's Cut Fares Spread, Threatening Renewed Airline Price War

BUDGET carriers are being met by slashed fares from United Airlines, alarming other full-service carriers who fear a renewed price war, derailing a recent recovery in pricing power, reports Bloomberg.

Passenger revenue for each seat flown a mile, a proxy for airlines' control over fares, had finally started rising this year after a slump triggered by a 2015 price war.

Fare cuts hurt airline profits and the pain is keenly felt by full-service carriers, which face higher costs having increased wages.

Said budget carrier Southwest Airlines revenue chief Andrew Watterson: "There is definitely a broad-based discounting among certain carriers. If one moves and you do not, you could lose a lot of volume and you're worse off doing nothing."

American Airlines and United are matching - and sometimes undercutting - the heavy discounts of super cheap Spirit Airlines, said its CEO Robert Fornaro.

Spirit Airlines' base ticket covers a seat and a small carry-on, like a purse. Seat assignments, water and bigger carry-ons cost extra, says Bloomberg.

American was charging US$25 from Dallas to Denver. A round-trip ticket was $70. The availability of such fares typically is limited.

Source : HKSG.

[050917.ID.BIZ] Kemhub Akan Isi Kekosongan Regulasi Taksi Online

KONTAN.CO.ID - Polemik eksistensi Taksi Online kembali bergulir setelah 18 pasal dan 14 poin yang tertuang dalam PM 26 Tahun 2017 yang menjadi payung hukum bagi penyelenggaraan Taksi Online dicabut oleh Mahkamah Agung (MA). Alasannya itu tidak mempunyai kekuatan hukum yang mengikat.

Hindro Surahmat, Plt Ditjen Perhubungan Darat Kementerian Perhubungan menyatakan, pemerintah akan segera menanggapi keputusan MA agar tidak ada kekosongan aturan yang mengatur keberadaan taksi online. Ini mengingat PM 26 tahun 2017 hanya berlaku hingga November mendatang.

Sejauh ini produk aturan untuk mengisi kekosongan aturan setelah November mendatang itu masih dalam tahap pembicaraan di Focus Group Discussion (FGD) antara pemerintah, pengusaha taksi dan perusahaan aplikasi transportasi online.

Cucu Mulyana selaku Direktur Angkutan dan Multi Moda Ditjen Perhubungan Darat Kementerian Perhubungan menambahkan, izin operasi taksi online sudah diterbitkan sejak awal 2016. Namun tidak semua mitra pengemudi taksi online sudah melengkapi syarat-syarat yang sudah ditentukan, termasuk syarat uji KIR.

Hingga 1 September 2017, sudah tercatat 9.403 kendaraan dari 3 operator aplikasi yang sudah mengajukan untuk uji KIR. Dari jumlah tersebut, 8.687 yang lulus untuk iji KIR dan sebanyak 1.531 kendaraan sudah memiliki Kartu Pengawasan (KP).

"Yang dibutuhkan saat ini keterangan telah lulus uji KIR dan kepemilikan KP saja. Maka dari itu, aplikasi yang tidak ada syarat tersebut, kami minta Kominfo agar di-banned," terang Cucu di Jakarta, Selasa (5/9).

Koperasi Jasa Persatuan Pengusaha Rental Indonesia (PPRI) yang menjadi koperasi bagi operator aplikasi Grab Indonesia memiliki sekitar 8.000 anggota aktif dari total 18.000 anggota. Saat ini, koperasi sudah setuju dengan aturan kuota yang sebelumnya sudah ditentukan oleh pemerintah berdasarkan formula yang dirumuskan oleh Badan Pengelola Transportasi Jabodetabek (BPTJ).

Ponco Seno selaku Ketua bilang, namunmasifnya anggota mitra pengemudi yang keluar dan masuk menjadi anggota koperasi harus menjadi perhatian, baik aplikasi maupun pemerintah. "Tiap bulan, 1.500 sampai 2.000 keluar masuk padahal yang efektif hanya 500. Ini yang harusnya diatur oleh BPTJ," kata Ponco.

Sumber : Kontan, 05.09.17.

04 September 2017

[040917.EN.OTH] Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi Ports Reopen With Draft Restrictions

THE ports of Houston, Galveston and Corpus Christi have reopened now that flood waters are starting to recede in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. However, there are a few channel restrictions, including one-way vessel movements, daylight-only transits and draft restrictions of 43 feet.

Several key energy ports remain either shut or running with restrictions, including the Port of Corpus Christi and Port of Port Arthur, Reuters reported.

The storm paralysed the Houston area, forcing operators to shut refineries, pipelines and ports crucial to moving crude oil and products around the region and globally.

On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said that it was reopening the Port of Corpus Christi for vessels up to 43 feet draft, while the port said the ship channel was also reopening with certain restrictions. More than 20 vessels awaited berth assignments at the port.

Port of Houston officials said there was no evidence of flooding on terminals and no visible damage to containers, cranes or other equipment. Power to refrigerated containers was still operational, reported American Shipper. Trucks are also now able to enter the Houston area, although some highways are still underwater.

After almost a week of suspended operations as Hurricane Harvey lashed the US Gulf Coast with heavy rains and flooding, some 20 vessels are awaiting berth assignments. The Port of Corpus Christi said it will allow seven local refineries to resume operations to serve the already short US fuel market.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced a "Regional Emergency Declaration" in 26 Gulf coast and eastern seaboard states as well as the district of Columbia. The emergency declaration provides certain exemptions for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance by transporting fuel products.

BNSF rail yards at Silsbee, Galveston and Beaumont remain closed due to flooding, but the rail line's South Yard, Dayton Yard and Casey Yard have reopened with limited operations. The Houston (Pearland) Intermodal Facility and Automotive Facility are accessible through an automated gate system (AGS) and train loading and unloading operations have resumed, said the Fort Worth, Texas-based Class I railway.

"We continue to re-route or divert as much traffic as possible around the area until flood waters recede and storm damaged lines can be repaired. Routes are open into central Texas and traffic is moving through San Antonio, including trains destined for Mexico through our Eagle Pass gateway," said BNSF.

ABF Freight said Harvey-related complications are interrupting service in Houston, Dallas, Little Rock and San Antonio while Averitt Express LTL trucking terminals in Houston and Beaumont, Texas, were closed on Thursday. Limited trucking services were open at Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Texas, facilities, said Averitt Express.

Source : HKSG.

[040917.ID.BIZ] Ini Strategi Garuda Memperbaiki Kinerja Usaha

KONTAN.CO.ID - Hingga semester I-2017, PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk (GIAA) masih membukukan rugi bersih US$ 283,8 juta, atau naik 349% dibandingkan periode sama tahun lalu yang senilai US$ 63,2 juta.

Salah satu penyebab kenaikan rugi bersih tersebut adalah pencatatan transaksi tax amnesty senilai US$ 137 juta pada April 2017. Selain itu, GIAA harus menanggung beban denda US$ 8 juta akibat kasus persaingan bisnis kargo di 2012 lalu.

Perlahan tapi pasti, maskapai pelat merah ini mulai mencatatkan pertumbuhan positif. Sepanjang Juli 2017, Garuda mendapatkan profit sebesar US$ 31 juta. Ikhsan Rosan, Senior Manager Public Relation Garuda Indonesia mengatakan, capaian positif tersebut karena perusahaan terus melakukan efisiensi. "Berkat program efisiensi, peningkatan penjualan, utilisasi yang tinggi, serta rute-rute baru makanya ada peningkatan revenue," katanya kepada KONTAN, Sabtu (2/9).

Agar kinerja keuangan terus meningkat, Ikhsan menjelaskan, di bawah pimpinan Direktur Utama Pahala N. Mansury, menajemen menjalankan strategi lima program quick win, yakni optimalisasi armada, perbaikan tingkat layanan, optimalisasi rute, peningkatan layanan digital, dan peningkatan sistem manajemen pendapatan.

Harapannya sampai akhir tahun nanti, Garuda bisa menghemat anggaran US$ 100 juta melalui lima program quick win tersebut. Garuda juga menargetkan mulai kuartal tiga dan kuartal empat tahun ini mampu membukukan laba sebesar US$ 12 juta per bulan. "Pada akhir tahun nanti mampu membukukan operating revenue sebesar US$ 3,5 miliar dari maskapai Garuda dan Citilink," sebut Ikhsan.

Per semester I-2017, Garuda mencatatkan operating revenue US$ 1,9 miliar dengan pertumbuhan 7% ketimbang periode yang sama tahun lalu. Kinerja operasional yang tumbuh positif tersebut salah satunya ditunjang oleh pendapatan internasional pada semester I-2017 yang meningkat 16% dengan jumlah penumpang internasional yang juga meningkat 14,8% dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya.

Sampai enam bulan pertama tahun ini, Garuda mengembangkan jaringan penerbangan baik domestik maupun internasional seperti rute Surabaya-Ambon-Sorong, Manado-Gorontalo, Ambon-Kaimana, Kaimana-Manokwari, Kaimana-Nabire, dan Denpasar-Chengdu.

Peningkatan juga tercatat pada pendapatan sektor non-scheduled flight services di semester I- 2017 yang tumbuh signifikan sebesar 131,8% ketimbang periode sama 2016.

Namun Garuda masih terbebani harga bahan bakar yang bengkak 36,5% dibandingkan periode yang sama 2016. Tak pelak berdampak pada total net loss pada semester I-2017 US$ 138 juta diluar non-recurring expense US$ 145,8 juta.

Adapun net loss secara keseluruhan pada semester I-2017 USD 283,8 juta. "Faktor utama kerugian adalah peningkatan beban operasional bahan bakar sebesar 36,5%," ungkap Ikhsan.

Sumber : Kontan, 04.09.17.

03 September 2017

[030917.EN.SEA] Top Box Carriers' Schedule Reliability Falls 1.5pc in July

GLOBAL schedule reliability among container shipping lines declined 1.5 percentage point to 76.25 per cent in July, down from June's 77.7 per cent.

Out of the world's top 18 carriers, 11 improved their on-time performance in July compared to the previous month, according to data compiled by SeaIntel Maritime Analysis.

OOCL emerged as the most reliable ocean liner in July with an on-time performance of 85.2 per cent, followed by Evergreen with 84.8 per cent.

But Maersk Line, usually the best on-time performer, with a reliability score of 75.1 per cent and UASC with 75.9 per cent, were the least reliable.

PIL improved the most since June, by 3.3 percentage points, while Hamburg Sud registered the biggest drop of 4.4 percentage points. On a year-on-year basis, only Evergreen achieved an improvement in schedule reliability, albeit of only 0.8 percentage points.

July was the first time ever Maersk Line was found at the bottom of the ranking. Maersk had a stellar on-time performance between July 2011 and March 2015, coming first in 33 of those months.

"The challenge for Maersk Line seems to be seasonal, as they seem to drop in the lower half of the ranking in June-October. It is also likely that the cyber-security incident in late June played a role, as Maersk Line did not update their schedules for several weeks following the incident," SeaIntel said in a statement.

Across the alliances, Ocean Alliance has continued its strong start with further improvements in schedule reliability, reaching 86.2 per cent in July, an improvement of two percentage points compared to the previous month.

2M, which overtook The Alliance, continued its upward trend and improved 5.2 percentage points month on month to reach 81.7 per cent in July. The Alliance recorded two straight months of falling schedule reliability, registering a drop of 1.2 percentage points month on month to 74.0 per cent in July.

Source : HKSG.

..

..

02 September 2017

[020917.EN.BIZ] CEVA Boosts Pharma Services at New Dublin Temperature-controlled Facility

DUTCH based CEVA Logistics has boosted its operations in Ireland with the introduction of a new 15,000 square foot temperature-controlled facility in Dublin.

The new facility has been constructed as an insulated building-within-a-building on the city's airport industrial park and will allow the forwarder to "better serve customers with medical products requiring a constant temperature range of 15-25 degrees Celsius".

The facility enables CEVA to provide customers with a 24/7 service for any goods moving through the unit as it is now fully authorised under the HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority) Wholesalers Distribution Authorisation scheme.

In order to receive an authorisation to wholesale medicinal products, a potential authorisation/licence holder must show compliance with the principle of Good Distribution Practice (GDP).

The new Dublin unit also features state-of-the-art air conditioning, heating and cooling technology complete with a Sintra system which provides exceptional levels of clean air by using perforated ducts to diffuse the air within the facility.

Having specialist clean room facilities, CEVA can also offer customers additional value-added services including re-kitting and reassembling in a controlled environment, London's Air Cargo News reported.

Said CEVA country manager Gary O'Connor: "Temperature controlled logistics are an increasingly important part of the Irish export market as life sciences manufacturing continues to grow in the country.

"This will enable us to store up to 2,100 pallets of medical products within the 15-25-degree temperature range of customers needing temperature-controlled storage as an essential part of their business," said Mr O'Connor.

The next stage of the facility's development will be the introduction of on-site pharmacists at the end of the year.

Source : HKSG.

..

..

01 September 2017

[010917.EN.BIZ] NZ's Tauranga Handles 1.1 Million TEU in FY2016-17, Up 13.8pc

NEW Zealand's Port of Tauranga handled a total of 1.1 million TEU in the fiscal year ended June 30, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.8 per cent.

Exports rose eight per cent to 14.2 million tons, while imports were up 13.7 per cent to eight million tons, port authorities said in a statement.

The port's net profits increased 7.9 per cent to US$83.4 million during its fiscal year on 4.2 per cent higher revenues at $255.9 million.

Port of Tauranga chairman David Pilkington said the results "were a satisfying culmination to the company's NZ$350 million (US$253.59 million) expansion programme," which was completed last year.

Under the programme, the port's shipping channels have been widened and deepened to 14.5 metres inside the harbour and to 15.8 metres outside the harbour. The port received two cranes and 13 additional straddle carriers, as well as rail investments in facilities and around the port.

"It's been a monumental year," said Mr Pilkington. "The successful completion of our dredging project in September was a turning point, as bigger vessels were able to call in New Zealand for the first time. As soon as the dredging was finished, larger vessels were introduced on Tauranga-only port calls."

He noted that vessels with capacities of up to 11,500 TEU regularly at call the port, with large carriers like Maersk and Hamburg Sud now calling there as well.

Source : HKSG.

..

..