[290212.EN,SEA] Maersk 2011 Profits Total US$3.4 Billion, But Containers Lose $600 Million

DANISH shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk, which owns the world's biggest container carrier Maersk Line, posted 2011 profits of US$3.4 billion, down 32 per cent year on year due to "low container freight rates especially on Asia-Europe trades".

Maersk's container business made a loss of $600 million in 2011, a steep decline from a $2.6 billion profit in 2010.

Group revenue increased seven per cent to $60.2 billion in 2011 from $56.1 billion the previous year, "positively affected by higher oil prices and container volumes, but offset by lower freight rates," said the company.

Commenting on the under-performance of its container business, the company said: "The negative result was primarily due to the low rates on the Asia-Europe trades. The freight rates started the year at a reasonable level, but decreased throughout the year as large amounts of new tonnage was delivered.

"Overall freight rates were eight per cent lower than in 2010 and this, combined with 35 per cent higher bunker prices, reduced margins considerably. The number of containers carried increased by 11 per cent to 8.1 million FEU, and the group more than regained the market share lost during 2010."

Besides the liner business, APM Terminals posted a profit of $649 million in 2011, down 18 per cent from $793 million in 2010. However, said the company, the "profit excluding sales gains and impairment losses was 24 per cent higher than in 2010".

Its terminals' container throughput increased eight per cent on a like-for-like basis and the ROIC was down about three percentage points to 13.1 per cent from 16 per cent in 2010.

"The high investment level from previous years continued, and during 2011 APM Terminals secured further new investments and development projects primarily in emerging markets," said the company statement.

Additionally, Maersk Drilling made a profit of $495 million, up 24 per cent from $399 million in 2010, due to higher day rates and better contract coverage.

The company said it has signed several new long-term contracts and has committed $3.9 billion for investments in six new rigs.

And Maersk Supply Service made a profit of $210 million last year, up four per cent from $201 million in 2010 because of higher activity level and improved spot rates.

Damco, the group's freight forwarding and supply chain management business, posted a profit of $65 million in 2011, up $21 million from $44 million in 2010, attributing the gain to air freight with its acquisition of NTS International Transport Services in China.

Its ocean towage business Svitzer also experienced a profit of $133 million from $130 million in the previous year.

Looking ahead, the AP Moller-Maersk group expects "a positive result lower than the 2011 result. Cash flow used for capital expenditure is expected to be around the same level as in 2011 while cash flow from operating activities is expected to develop in line with the result."

For liner business, the company expects a "negative result in 2012 as a consequence of excess capacity. Global demand for seaborne containers is expected to increase by four to six per cent in 2012, lower on Asia-Europe trades but supported by higher growth in the north-south trades".

It expects the APM Terminals to perform better than in 2011, growing "more than the market supported by volumes from new terminals."

The total result from all other activities is expected to be at the same level as in 2011 excluding divestment gains and impairments, said the company.

But the company also said that its "outlook for 2012 is subject to considerable uncertainty, not least due to developments in the global economy".

Source : HKSG, 28.02.12.

[290212.ID.SEA] Pelindo II : Terminal Kalibaru Ganti Nama Jadi Tanjung Priok New Port

JAKARTA:  PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II mengganti nama terminal peti kemas Kalibaru menjadi Tanjung Priok New Port seiring diluncurkannya logo dan nama baru perseroan.

Direktur Utama Pelindo II RJ Lino mengatakan terminal Kalibaru senilai Rp17 triliun itu terdiri dari tiga terminal kontainer berkapasitas 4,5 juta TEUs dan dua terminal bahan bakar minyak.

"Kalibaru mulai sekarang kita sebut Tanjung Priok New Port. Spirit-nya biar proyek ini segera dimulai," katanya saat launching new coorporate identity PT Pelindo II, hari ini (22/02)

Dia menjelaskan melihat pertumbuhan arus peti kemas di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok, kawasan tersebut memerlukan satu terminal baru setiap tahun berkapasitas 1,5 juta TEUs.

Selain launching logo baru, Pelindo II juga mengumumkan pemenang lomba karya tulis jurnalistik pelindo II yang dibacakan langsung salah seorang dewan juri Benny Butar Butar.

Kormensius Barus, wartawan Majalah Business Review menyabet juara I sedangkan juara II dan III masing-masing dimenangkan Edwardi dari Harian Singgalang dan Haryo Damardono dari Kompas. Lomba karya tulis ini menyertakan 1.100 naskah.

Selain lomba karya tulis, Pelindo II juga mengumumkan pemenang lomba foto jurnalistik yang diikuti oleh 640 karya. Ut diumumkan langsung salah seorang dewan jurinya Beawiharta.

Arfah Aksa, fotografer Makassar Terkini memperoleh juara I sedangkan juara II dan III dimenangi oleh Astra Bonardo dari Harian Seputar Indonesia dan Budi Sugiharto dari media online www.detiksurabaya.com. (ra)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 22.02.12.

[280212.EN.SEA] ESC Calls For Removal Of Anti-Trust Block Exemptions For Shipping Lines

THE European Shippers' Council, reiterating its standing plea, is again demanding the scrapping of anti-trust block exemptions around the world for shipping lines.

The renewed call follows the release of a US Federal Maritime Commission report on the impact that the EU repeal of the block exemption in 2008 and its effect on US shippers trading with Europe.

Said the ESC statement: "The impression gained by reading this document is that maintaining the status quo in the US regulatory field would be the best option."

Others take a different view, saying the FMC report sets stage for further regulation because it concludes that the EU ban on rate-setting shipping conferences did no harm. As it stands, conference-like "discussion agreements" or "stablisation agreements" exist on the transpacific trade in which member lines "recommend rate" increases to themselves.

The ESC said the US report failed to "recognise the greater transparency and potential negotiability which now exists of fuel surcharges (BAF) and Terminal Handling Charges (THC) following the regulatory repeal".

Commenting on the recent spate of rate hikes, Jean-Louis Cambon, chairman of the ESC's Maritime Transport Council, said: "Notwithstanding the self-inflicted dire situation in which the carriers find themselves, it is very remarkable that the date of March 1 be so often adopted by most of them with a largely similar quantum of increase. It is all the more peculiar that, very rarely in the past has a GRI been successful at such a date, so shortly after Chinese New Year, and taking now into account the background of a depressed European economy.

"Is there a commendable logic in the behaviour that pushed a number of carriers to chase market share, often pricing below shippers' target levels, then having to ask for unreasonable increases in one go? The answer can only be negative. Going for market share always brings depressed revenue levels for largely unchanged market positions. It is called value destruction and is detrimental to both carriers and shippers."

The ESC statement said it will maintain a close watch on the larger carrier alliances to ensure there is no "infringement of normal business conduct. There are mechanisms for removing volatility, and one of the best is to enter into longer term contracts which removes the short-term unpredictability from the rates."

Said Mr Cambon: "Rather than staying with the status quo, as implied by the FMC's report, we should be focusing on the encouragement of more liberalisation with the removal of anti-trust block exemptions around the world, following Europe's lead."

Source : HKSG, 27.02.12.

[280212.ID.SEA] Kapal Bermuatan Barang Ilegal Tenggelam

BATAM: Kapal Kartika Sari GT 35 No.666/PPe bermuatan barang yang diduga ilegal tenggelam di perairan Tanjunguncang, Batam, hari ini, 28 Februari 2012.

Kapal tersebut berlayar dari Singapura menuju Tembilahan dan diamankan petugas Bea Cukai di Perairan Nipah pada Sabtu malam.

Pihak Bea dan Cukai menduga kuat kapal itu bermuatan barang ilegal sehingga menggiringnya ke Kantor Bea dan Cukai di Tanjunguncang untuk diperiksa meski setelah sampai di sana tidak langsung dibongkar.

Menurut keterangan dari sejumlah petugas di lapangan, kapal yang dinakhodai bernama Ahmad dan empat ABK lainnya itu tadi malam mengalami kebocoran tanpa diketahui penyebabnya.

Akibatnya, kapal kemasukan banyak air sehingga setengah badan kapal miring dan hampir tenggelam.

Melihat kondisi itu, warga pulau yang berada di sekitar Perairan Tanjunguncang berbondong-bondong menjarah barang-barang yang ada di kapal tadi pagi.

Kapal itu diketahui bermuatan 50 ton gula pasir, ribuan unit Printer Canon, puluhan ton minyak goreng, ratusan gulung terpal, alat pancing, ratusan keyboard dan ribuan mainan anak-anak.

"Kami lihat kapalnya makin tenggelam, akhirnya barang-barang yang ada di dalam kami ambil. Awalnya masih mainan anak-anak, tapi semakin lama ikut juga barang-barang yang lain," ujar Agustina, salah seorang warga.

Dia menambahkan awalnya warga masih mengambil beberapa barang yang terapung di kapal. Namun lantaran ada larangan dari pihak Bea Cukai mereka sempat menghentikan untuk mengambil barang itu. (k59/tw)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 28.02.12.

[270212.EN.LOG] West China To Be Linked With New Expressways And Railway Lines To Seaports

BEIJING has decided to build expressways and railways connecting to coastal ports through southwest Guizhou province, reports Xinhua.

The province, bordered by Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Hunan, is a gateway to both the Pearl and Yangtze rivers. But as its traffic capacity is still very restricted, southwest China's development suffers from a transport bottleneck of inadequate infrastructure.

The central government will support the building of an expressway network in coming few years from Sichuan to Guizhou and another from Yinchuan in northwest Ningxia to Longbang in southern Guangxi. This will be the second route from the southwest China coming after the first one from Chongqing to Zhanjiang in Guangdong that opened in 2005.

Construction of the main phase of the Yinchuan to Longbang expressway within the Guizhou provincial territory started last year. It will link Chongqing to the Guizhou expressway to the north, and to the south link Baotou in Inner Mongolia to the Maoming Guangdong expressway at Lanzhou Gansu to the Haikou Hainan expressway, and to the Longbang checkpoint bordering Vietnam via the Yinchuan to Longbang expressway.

Besides building expressways, the government will also start to build railways from Guizhou to Sichuan and Chongqing as soon as possible with the goal of increasing the provincial railway trackage to 5,000 kilometres by 2015, while the expressways will reach 4,500 kilometres by then.

Moreover, Xinjiang in northwest China will be connected to seaports in the Beibu Gulf and in the Pearl River Delta via railways under construction such as on from Lanzhou to Urumchi, and from Lanzhou to Chongqing and from Guizhou to Guangzhou.

China will advance port construction in Chongqing on Yangtze and other western inland river ports with an aim to improve the cargo handling capacity to more than 300 million tonnes and set up a large shipping network transporting iron ore, coal, crude oil and container cargo, said Transport Minister Li Shenglin.

Source : HKSG, 27.02.12.