[310113.EN.SEA] Cosco Faces De-listing Risk After Warning Of 'Significant' 2012 Loss

CHINA Cosco Holdings, the flagship of the Cosco group, is warning of a "significant net loss" for 2012 on the back of excess shipping capacity globally, soft freight rates and high bunker costs.

China Cosco posted a loss CNY4.87 billion (US$781.8 million) in the first half of 2012, after losing CNY10.45 billion in 2011.

The Shanghai Exchange has procedures for companies making two straight annual losses. It caps share movements at a five per cent up and down in daily trading, which affects share liquidity, plus an ST sign is stuck on its stock code.

Trading will also be suspended if net annual losses continue for a third year, and if the losses carry on for a fourth year, the company would be officially de-listed, reported London's Containerisation International.

The reporting of a significant annual net loss by the company to be dual-listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai means it will receive a de-listing risk warning, also known as "special treatment" in Shanghai. The company is due to announce its annual results on March 28.

Cosco said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, the anticipated loss "is primarily due to the imbalance between supply and demand in the international shipping market. Although the freight rates in the container shipping market had rebounded moderately in 2012, the overall rate for the year was unsatisfactory.

"In addition, the dry bulk shipping market remained weak. The average Baltic Exchange Dry Index (BDI) for the year of 2012 was 920 points, a drop of 40.6 per cent compared to the average of 1549 points in 2011, while fuel and other related costs remained high," said the stock exchange filing.

"That mindset also partly explains China Shipping Container Line's year-end rush to sell and lease back 28 per cent of its boxes to garner one-off gains to avoid a red bottom line. CSCL, also dual-listed in the two exchanges, made an annual loss in 2011," the report said.

To avoid special treatment, China Cosco is expected to sell loss-making assets to its parent group, which is wholly owned by the State Council, or obtain a regulatory exemption from authorities.

"Our base case, though, is that China Cosco would most likely get a waiver from the exchange to avoid a de-listing," Barclays analyst Jon Windham said in a research note.

Source : HKSG, 30.01.13.

[310113.ID.AIR] BATAVIA AIR Setop Operasi : Seluruh Karyawan Diberhentikan

JAKARTA-Manajemen Batavia Air menyatakan menerima putusan pailit Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat sesuai dengan putusan pengadilan No.77/pailit/2012/PN.NIAGA.JKT.PST tanggal 30 Januari 2013.

Permintaan pailit itu diajukan oleh perusahaan sewa guna pesawat International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).

“Manajemen Batavia Air menerima putusan pailit itu,”kata Elly Simanjuntak, Manajer Humas Batavia Air, malam ini (30/1).

Gugatan pailit itu menyangkut ketertarikan Batavia Air untuk mengambil pesawat jenis pesawat wide body Airbus 330 untuk angkutan penerbangan jemaah haji.

Ternyata, 3 tahun berturut-turut Batavia Air tidak mendapatkan proyek haji, sehingga timbul tunggakan pembayaran. ILFC lalu melayangkan permohonan pailit kepada Batavia Air  ke  Pengadilan Niaga Jakarta Pusat pada 20 Desember 2012.

“Adanya informasi negatif dan simpang siur mengenai Batavia Air yang beredar selama beberapa waktu terakhir ini mengakibatkan hilangnya kepercayaan para agen, pelanggan, dan partner bisnis Batavia Air. Dan setelah keluarnya putusan pailit tersebut, dengan sangat terpaksa seluruh kegiatan operasional bisnis penerbangan Batavia Air ditutup mulai pukul 00:00 WIB pada 31 Januari 2013,” ujarnya.

Surat Pemberitahuan Setop Operasi telah dikirimkan malam ini (Rabu, 30/1) juga kepada Ditjen Perhubungan Udara.

Dia mengatakan Pengadilan Niaga Jakarta Pusat menunjuk empat kurator yakni Turman Panggabean, Andra Reinhard Sirait (Lawfirm Duma & Co), Permata N Daulay (Law Firm PN Daulay & Partners) dan Alba Sukma Hadi (Sukma & Partners).

Menurutnya, para kurator tetap itu akan membantu menangani segala urusan dan dampak dari penutupan perusahaan Batavia Air.

Adapun seluruh karyawan Batavia Air efektif mulai 31 Januari 2013 dengan sangat terpaksa diberhentikan secara hormat kecuali mereka yang ditunjuk sebagai tim pemberesan.

Batavia Air didirikan pada 2002 dan awalnya berhasil membangun reputasi sebagai maskapai lokal. Perseroan sempat mengoperasikan armada terdiri dari 33 pesawat, Batavia Air melayani 42 rute penerbangan domestik dan rute internasional di antaranya, Singapura, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuching, Dili, Guangzhou, Hangzhou.(yus)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 30.01.13.

[300113.EN.SEA] MOL To Install Containerised Ballast Treatment In Ship's Cargo Hold

JAPAN's shipping giant MOL has announced it has acquired approval in concept for the installation of a packaged container ballast water treatment system that can fit inside a vessel's cargo hold.

The new technology is said to greatly reduce installation times on an existing vessel, compared to systems installed in the engine room.

These commercially available ballast water treatment systems are packaged in a 40-foot containers along with the supporting electric equipment. A container was used in the design for ease of maintenance and accessibility.

MOL and MHI have already started detailed engineering work and plan to install an experimental system with a capacity of 750m3/h in a 40-foot container on MOL's 8,100-TEU MOL Competence this spring.

The container-type ballast water treatment system aims to lessen the work required for preliminary inspection, allowing for a considerable reduction in detailed pipe fitting and adjustment at the installation stage. The installation time has been shortened by an estimated seven days, compared to installing a system in an engine room, which requires more space.

The group added that these efforts come as it has been preparing for compliance with the IMO's Ballast Water Management Convention by accumulating experience in system installation and operation.

Source : HKSG, 29.01.13.

[300113.ID.BIZ] Inovasi PT KAI: Bangun Area Parkir Berdaya Tampung 5.000 Kendaraan

JAKARTA-PT Kereta Api Indonesia akan membangun area parkir baru di stasiun Bekasi pada Februari 2013 untuk memperluas kapasitas parkir kendaraan bagi penumpang rute Bekasi sekitarnya menuju Jakarta.

Kepala Stasiun Bekasi Raden Bagus Sucahyo mengatakan pembangunan lahan parkir baru itu  menggunakan lahan PT Kereta Api Indonesia seluas 9.000 meter. 

“Area parkir baru untuk menampung kendaraan calon penumpang yang akan ke Jakarta sehingga mereka naik KRL dan kendaraan diparkir,” ujarnya kepada Bisnis, Sabtu (26/1).

Dia menjelaskan area parkir itu akan dikerjakan oleh anak usaha PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) yakni PT Reska  Multi Usaha.

Area parkir itu ditargetkan dapat menampung 5.000 kendaraan roda empat dan roda dua. Stasiun Bekasi saat ini, hanya mampu menampung 100 mobil dan 1.500 kendaraan.

Menurutnya, perluasan lahan parkir ini agar dapat meningkatkan kapasitas penumpang sesuai dengan target PT KAI dapat menampung penumpang mencapai 1,2 juta orang per hari. (yus)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 26.01.13.

[290113.EN.SEA] Antwerp Builds 500 x 68-metre Lock On River Scheldt - World's Biggest

BELGIUM is building the world's biggest lock - as wide as a 19-lane highway - ready to dock the latest generation of mega ships, reports Reuters.

With three times as much steel as the Eiffel Tower, 500 metres long and 68 metres wide, the EUR340 million (US$457.6 million) lock will be one of the gates to the Port of Antwerp on the River Scheldt to be completed in 2016.

At the construction site, 30 huge dump trucks moved enough earth away enough to fill London's Wembley Stadium eightfold.

A century ago, Antwerp could handle the Titanic, the largest ship of its time. But as ships grow in size and the Panama Canal plans to triple present capacity in 2015, Antwerp must grow to get the mega ship trade.

The financially-troubled EU is on the hunt for economic growth through global trade following the collapse of the 10-year Doha round of global trade talks. The EU hopes to start negotiations in 2013 towards free-trade accords with the United States and Japan.

European Union legislators approved free-trade accords with Colombia, Peru and six Central American nations in December and also wrapped up trade talks with Singapore. A deal with Canada is expected to be finalised early this year and a more limited investment pact with China is a possibility.

If the EU successfully completes its trade talks, the 27-nation bloc will add two per cent to its economic output, or EUR275 billion, according to officials.

Source : HKSG, 29.01.13.

[290113.ID.BIZ] Ekspor Impor : Pungutan Layanan Dokumen Dihapus

JAKARTA: Pemerintah secara resmi menghapus pungutan yang dikenakan atas jasa pelayanan dokumen impor dan ekspor. Aturan tersebut mulai berlaku pada 1 Februari 2013.

Regulasi tersebut tertuang dalam Peraturan Pemerintah No.01/2013 tentang jenis dan tarif penerimaan negara bukan pajak (PNBP) yang berlaku pada Kementerian Keuangan.

Susiwijono Moegiarso, Direktur Penerimaan dan Peraturan Kepabeanan dan Cukai Direktorat Jenderal Bea dan Cukai Kemenkeu, mengatakan PP tersebut merupakan revisi PP No.44/2003 yang mengatur hal serupa.

"Intinya pada lampiran, PNBP untuk jasa pelayanan impor dan ekspor sudah dihilangkan," kata Susiwijono melalui pesan singkat kepada Bisnis, Jumat (25/1/2013).

Pungutan yang dihapus mencakup PNBP untuk jasa pelayanan dokumen pemberitahuan impor barang (PIB), dokumen pemberitahuan ekspor barang (PEB), dokumen cukai, dokumen ekspor-impor kawasan berikat (BC 2.3), dokumen manifest, dan dokumen pos manifest.

PNBP tersebut merupakan tanggung jawab Direktorat Jenderal Bea dan Cukai Kemenkeu dan diproyeksi berkontribusi sebesar Rp120 miliar terhadap setoran PNBP Kemenkeu.

Penghapusan pungutan atas jasa pelayanan dokumen ekspor impor dinilai tidak akan berdampak terhadap penerimaan negara. Karena yang lebih penting dari kegiatan ekspor impor adalah setoran bea masuk, bea keluar, dan aliran devisa.

Sebelumnya, dalam PP No.44/2003, jasa pelayanan dokumen PIB dikenakan tarif Rp50.000 dan Rp100.000/dokumen, sedangkan pelayanan dokumen PEB, cukai, dan kawasan berikat tarifnya Rp30.000/dokumen non elektronik dan Rp60.000/dokumen elektronik. Adapun pelayanan dokumen manifest dan pos manifest tarifnya berkisar Rp50.000-450.000/manifest.

PP No.01/2013 berlaku 30 hari sejak diundangkan pada 2 Januari 2013. Artinya, ketetapan tersebut baru berlaku pada 1 Februari 2013.  (ra)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 28.01.13.

[280113.ID.BIZ] Batubara Telat, PLTU Kritis

PANGKALAN BUN – Pasokan batubara untuk Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Uap (PLTU) milik PT Ekploitasi Energi Indonesia (EEI) di Kecamatan Kumai hingga Minggu sore belum juga tiba. Tongkang pembawa batubara yang sudah berangkat dari Banjarmasin belum bisa dihubungi sehingga belum jelas jadwal kedatangannya di Pangkalan Bun. Akibatnya, PLTU semakin kritis dan kini hanya mampu memasok listrik sebesar 3 megawatt (MW).

Manajer Administrasi dan Servis PLTU PT EEI, Teddy Widjanarko mengatakan, pihaknya belum dapat kabar dari tongkang pembawa batubara. Setiap saat pihaknya selalu menghubungi namun masih belum bisa tersambung.

”Kita terus kontak, tapi belum juga tersambung. Cuacanya buruk, berdasarkan informasi dari BMKG. Mudah-mudahan tongkang bisa selamat sampai tujuan," harap Teddy. Menurutnya, perjalanan tongkang pengiriman batubara kali ini dikabarkan sangat berat karena gelombang tinggi dan melawan arah angin.

Seperti diketahui, akibat terhambatnya pengiriman batubara ini, PLTU telah menurunkan beban beberapa kali. Dari kekuatan normal 11 MW dengan dua mesin, diturunkan menjadi 8 MW, sampai akhirnya PLTU mematikan lagi satu unit mesin dan menurunkan beban menjadi 3 MW.

Jika hingga hari ini masih juga belum datang, diperkirakan PLTU benar-benar padam. “Harapan kita segera datang, saya akan koordinasi terus, dan nanti kalau sudah ada kabarnya akan tiba kita informasikan,” jelasnya.

Sementara itu Manajer PT PLN Rayon Pagkalan Bun Matenu mengaku sudah mempersiapkan kemungkinan terburuk. Jika PLTU benar-benar kehabisan batubara dan tidak bisa operasional, maka PLN akan memaksimalkan Pembangkit Listerik Tenaga Disel (PLTD) yang ada. 

Namun PLTD hanya mampu menyuplai sekitar 7,6 MW, sementara kebutuhan untuk di Kobar rata-rata antara 16-17 MW. Apalagi kalau pada saat beban puncak, di Kobar bisa mencapai 21 MW. Konsekuensinya, PLN akan memberlakukan pemadaman bergilir. (sam)

Sumber : JPNN, 28.01.13.

[280113.EN.SEA] Panama Canal Expansion 50pc Done, Faces Year's Delay, Opens 2015

THE Panama Canal Authority has announced that the project to double the capacity of the Canal and allow passage to larger container ships is half done.

"We estimate based on the progress that we can begin commercial transits mid-2015," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano. Earlier, the date had been slated for mid-2014.

"The programme continues to progress and reach milestones while we focus the next phases on building the locks," he says.

At the start of the New Year, several expansion projects were complete. They include the dredging of the navigational channels at the canal entrances on the Pacific and Atlantic sides, as well as Gaillard Cut. The remaining dredging work in the Gatun Lake is expected to be done this year.

The excavations of the Pacific lock access channel are 70 per cent complete. This project calls for the excavation of 50 million cubic metres of materials along a 6.1 kilometre span and is executed in four phases. Three of the four phases have been completed and the fourth phase is 69 per cent complete.

In addition, the first shipment of 47 valves, to be used for the operation of the third set of locks, has been delivered. These valves are part of the postpanamax locks electromechanical system that will regulate water flow between the chambers, the culverts and water-saving basin conduit. A second shipment is scheduled to arrive at the end of January. By the end of 2013, a total of 158 valves (culvert, equalisation and conduit), 84 bulkheads and 328 trash racks will have arrived for the project. The valves where built in South Korea by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

Construction of the new locks is 37 per cent complete. The new lock complexes in the Pacific and Atlantic sides will feature three chambers, three water-saving basins per chamber, a lateral filling and emptying system and rolling gates.

Source : HKSG, 28.01.13.

[270113.EN.LOG] China Post Says 2012 Express Sector Cuts Delivery Time By 5.5 Hours

CHINA State Post Bureau says its study showed that the average package delivery speed in China's express sector had shortened by 5.5 hours from 2011's 60.5 hours to 55 hours, Xinhua reports.

The results of China Post's express industry survey on 11 major companies in 50 major cities, examining sorting, transport, and distribution and time spent, also showed that speed was the biggest customer concern, followed by price, network coverage and service quality.

Still, different users have different issues in choosing an express company. Individual users tend to care more about network coverage, while speed and security loom larger with corporate users.

China State Post Bureau director Liu Liangyi said consumer's demand has diversified as the ties between express service and people's daily life grow closer. Express companies have to offer a more diversified spectrum of services to cater varied needs.

Source : HKSG.

[270113.ID.BIZ] 10 Perusahaan Korsel Hengkang Dari Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Pemerintah hendaknya cepat mengambil keputusan berkaitan dengan upah minimum provinsi. Hal itu perlu dilakukan untuk menjaga terjadinya kemungkinan pemutusan hubungan kerja dan hengkangnya perusahaan dari Indonesia. Saat ini sudah 10 perusahaan Korea Selatan di bidang garmen yang hengkang.

Hal tersebut disampaikan oleh Ketua Umum Asosiasi Pengusaha Indonesia (Apindo) Sofjan Wanandi pada acara Penandatangan dan Kerja Sama Apindo dengan Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI), Selasa (22/1/2013), di Markas Pusat PMI, Jakarta. Pada acara itu, hadir pula Ketua Umum PMI Muhammad Jusuf Kalla dan kalangan pengusaha. Apindo mengucurkan bantuan Rp 1 miliar serta sandang dan pangan bagi korban banjir di Jakarta.

Sofjan menilai, antara pemerintah pusat dan Pemprov DKI Jakarta tidak ada gerakan bersama untuk menyelesaikan masalah upah minimum provinsi (UMP). ”Pemerintah pusat sepertinya menyerahkan urusan UMP kepada Pemprov DKI. Kesannya tak serius,” ujar Sofjan.

Sementara itu, sekitar 1.500 buruh yang tergabung dalam Sekretariat Bersama Serikat Pekerja Serikat Buruh Kabupaten Gresik, Jawa Timur, Selasa, berunjuk rasa ke Kantor Bupati Gresik. Mereka menuntut pemberlakukan upah minimum sektoral. Mereka juga menuntut Pemerintah Kabupaten Gresik menindak tegas perusahaan yang melanggar Undang-Undang Ketenagakerjaan, termasuk soal pengupahan, jaminan sosial tenaga kerja, dan pemutusan hubungan kerja sepihak.

Koordinator Sekretariat Bersama Serikat Pekerja Serikat Buruh Gresik Subari mengatakan, upah sektoral secepatnya harus ada kejelasan sebab 28 Januari 2013 batas akhir penyerahan usulan kepada Gubernur Jawa Timur. Usulan besaran upah sektoral yang diajukan buruh bervariasi. (K13/ACI).

Sumber : Kompas, 23.01.13.

[260113.EN.SEA] Union Labour Costs, Manning Scales Make Major US Ports Uncompetitive

THE high cost of union dockers in the US combined with lagging port modernisation are making major American ports uncompetitive and giving obscure ports in right-to-work states an advantage.

With an east coast dock strike looming, terminal operators have invested more in automated equipment to reduce manpower. But more automation, US dock productivity trails overseas ports and smaller terminals in right-to-work states.

Rotterdam and Shanghai ports use fewer than five dockers to do what 20 do in the US, according to Jim Kruse, director of Texas A&M University's Centre for Ports and Waterways.

Reuters reports that US dockers are among the highest-paid blue-collar workers in the country, with the average man making more than US$115,000 a year.

High pay, workplace efficiency and automation have proved major hurdles in the talks between union and management at US east, west and Gulf coast ports.

"Everyone wants to reduce costs and that means lower wages or fewer people," said a west coast container terminal operator.

The Texas A&M report said tensions are likely to remain high, particularly as competition between ports heats up ahead of the 2014 opening of a triple-capacity Panama Canal accommodating ships of 14,000 TEU.

This will lead to more containers switching from US west coast to east and Gulf coast ports to be closer to final destination.

Miami, Charleston, Savannah, New York and other large east coast ports have been dredging harbours to 50 feet to accommodate larger ships.

An example of the inability of US ports to compete is the US$330 million terminal owned by MOL in Jacksonville. Since the terminal's opening in 2005, it has been unable to compete with cheaper surrounding ports that employ non-union labour.

MOL expected to handle containers from North America to ports in the Caribbean and Latin America but the cargo did not materialise, said general manager Dennis Kelly.

To compare, Florida is a right-to-work state, meaning employees need not join a union. Terminals are not bound by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) rules can be flexible about starting times, the number of workers employed and rates of pay.

"It limits my opportunity to go out and compete for new business," Mr Kelly said. "It's pretty much impossible because our labour agreement with the ILA makes us non-competitive."

The report described the latest bout of labour disputes as not being this bad since the 1970s when west coast dockers went on strike. Then President Richard Nixon invoked the back-to-work Taft-Hartley Act.

At the end of last year, unionised clerks at the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach struck for eight days in a dispute about outsourcing of jobs. Dockers refused to cross their picket lines, effectively shutting down most of the container terminals at the San Pedro port complex - America's biggest.

With an east coast strike looming, the ILA, which represents 14,500 dockers, and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), agreed to a temporary deal on December 28. A strike is still possible, though, if the talks fail to secure a deal to be ratified by workers by February 6.

Source : HKSG, 25.01.13.

[260113.ID.BIZ] Pembersihan PT KAI : Penertiban Pedagang Berlanjut

JAKARTA—PT Kereta Api Indoensia kembali melakukan penertiban kios pedagang yang telah selesai masa kontraknya di stasiun kereta api di sejumlah kawasan di Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang dan Bekasi.

Kepala Humas PT KAI Daop I Jakarta, Purbawa menjelaskan dalam waktu tiga hari sejak 19 Januari 2013 hingga 21 Januari 2013 pihaknya telah menertibkan ratusan kios yang telah habis masa  sewanya di 4 stasiun.

“Total kemarin ada 118 kios dan nantinya kami akan tertibkan yang di stasiun Klender Baru. Ini [penertiban kios] untuk perluasan lahan parkir dan peron agar [mencapai] target 2018 angkut 1,2 juta penumpang per hari,” ujarnya kepada Bisnis, Jumat (25/1).

Purbawa mengungkapkan 4 stasiun yang telah ditertibkan yaitu stasiun Karet, stasiun Bekasi, stasiun Tanjung Barat dan stasiun Cakung.

Dia menambahkan 10 kios telah ditertibkan di stasiun Karet dan 20 tenda liar juga telah ditertibkan di petak jalan antara stasiun Karet dan Sudirman.

Sebanyak 9 kios di stasiunTanjung Barat, paparnya, telah dikosongkan dan dibongkar atapnya oleh penyewa kios.

Dia mengungkapkan di stasiun Cakung pihaknya juga membongkar 35 kios dan 10 lapak pada 21 Januari 2013.

Dia menjelaskan pihaknyajuga  melakukan penertiban 118 kios di stasiun Bekasi dan 8 kios diantaranya masa kontraknya belum habis.

PT KAI, tuturnya, telah memberikan kompensasi pada pemilik 8 kios yang masih memiliki sisa kontrak pada 22 Januari 2013.

Dia menambahkan lahan bekas pembongkaran kios di stasiun Bekasi seluas 9000 meter akan digunakan untuk pembangunan park dan ride bagi penumpang kereta rel listrik (KRL).

Menurutnya penertiban itu sesuai dengan instruksi dalam peraturan presiden nomor 83 tahun 2011 tentang penugasan kepada PT KAI untuk menyelenggarakan sarana dan prasarana kereta api dan sarana kereta api bandar udara Soekarno Hatta di wilayah Jabodetabek.

Dia menjelaskan pihaknya menargetkan pada Februari pihaknya telah merampungkan penertiban kios dan bangunan liar di sejumlah stasiun di Jabodetabek agar dapat meningkatkan pelayanan dan kenyamanan bagi penumpang kereta api. (Bsi)

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 25.01.13.

[250113.EN.LOG] Forwarders, Carriers Find New Markets In Adverse Economic Conditions

BOTTOM feeding for growth appears to be the trend emerging from random comments collected by researchers of the Payload 2013 supplement, as forwarders and carriers appear to see growth well away from major trade lanes.

Talking to Lloyd's Loading List researchers, opportunities in Africa, South America, Turkey as well as the "stans" arise from comments as well as an apparent distancing from China sourcing.

"China, even India are not growing as everybody hoped. There will be a move over the next five to 10 years as China becomes less important for manufacturing and more important as an import country, and manufacturing moves closer to Europe and other centres, say Mexico," said one NVOCC.

Many had high hopes of Africa. "African destinations are looking at healthy growth over the next five years," said a forwarder.

Said another: "Africa is growing nicely, especially east and west Africa. There seems to be a lot of freight and not a lot of competition."

But some expressed caution. Said one NVOCC: "In African markets, there is a lot of corruption and a lot of bureaucracy with regards to documentation. We've been in the market 20 years, but there are some markets in which, when something goes wrong, you can never get to the bottom of it."

Another said: "The port rate increase in Mombasa means a lot of people will be looking for an alternative. It is such a big increase - people might start looking at Dar-es-Salaam."

Said an NVOCC: "East Africa has potential for growth. The only issue is that trying to find skills."

Said a forwarder: "Russia presents opportunities but is also a risk market. It does a lot of business but it is difficult to build relations mainly because of the language barrier."

On South America, one said: "South America because of the investment in the Olympics and the World Cup. A lot of materials will be sourced from the UK and Europe. Tax embargoes around South America are also now being lifted."

Said a carrier agent: "People are discovering natural resources in Africa and South America. Natural resources are what are keeping the economy and shipping lines going."

Turkey too aroused interest. Said one NVOCC: "Istanbul is interesting because more business is moving from Turkey than it used to because of prices. China is farther away and not much cheaper whereas Turkey is much cheaper so it is featuring more."

Said another NVOCC: "Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar will remain key growth catalysts for the contract logistics market in the Middle East."

Said one forwarder: "Russia - St Petersburg. Our growth in that market is considerable."

Another said: "Business to Baku [Azerbaijan capital on he Caspian Sea] is increasing. It used to be just drilling equipment but now the country has started spending money on consumables, and exports from the UK are increasing. We are dealing with Debenhams and other high street retailers."

A carrier agent agreed: "There is huge potential in the 'stan' states. Resources there are huge, but getting freight there is hard."

There was even money in poverty, said one forwarder: "We have moved municipal vehicles to Greece - second-hand vehicles. Markets are created out of adverse times. "

One NVOCC said: "Movements across borders - meaning border controls and the quality of processing more than security."

Source : HKSG, 25.01.13.