[301119.EN.AIR] Boeing Studies New Ways to Improve Efficiency of Its 767 Freighter

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is looking into how it can improve the efficiency of its 767 freighters over the coming decade, studying a possible re-engined version of the twinjet, powered by GE Aviation GEnx engines.

The project is understood to be designated "767-X", reported London's Air Cargo News.

Boeing's vice-president of commercial marketing Randy Tinseth was quoted as saying during an interview at the Dubai air show: "We're going to be delivering 767s well into the next decade and the last ones off the line will probably be operated for as long as 40 years by the US government.

"We're looking at the future of the 767 in that [freight] marketplace. We have certain requirements that kick in the middle of the next decade in terms of efficiency and we're asking ourselves how we might address that. We're looking at that closely."

Boeing's range of new-build freighters includes the B767-300F, the B777 freighter and the B747-8F.

Mr Tinseth said consideration is also being given to its wider long-term cargo strategy: "We think part of the freight market is around the 777-sized freighter, and we're engaged with our customers to see what the next generation of 777 freighter looks like based on the 777X platform."

Source : HKSG.

[301119.ID.BIZ] Jepang Siapkan Paket Stimulus Ekonomi US$92 Miliar

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA - Pemerintah Jepang tengah mempertimbangkan penyusunan paket stimulus ekonomi skala besar dengan pengeluaran fiskal melebihi US$ 92 miliar. Hal ini dilakukan guna mengurangi dampak kerapuh ekonomi negara itu di tengah permintaan global yang lemah dan perang dagang AS-China.

Berdasarkan berita Nikkei, yang dikuitp Bisnis dari laman Reuters (30/11), menambahnya ketegangan pada keuangan Jepang membuat pemerintah menerbitkan lebih banyak obligasi untuk mendanai pengeluaran pekerjaan umum hingga 4 triliun yen (US$ 36,82 miliar), sekaligus menebus kekurangan pajak karena perusahaan merasakan kesulitan akibat tekanan dari ketegangan perdagangan.

Perdana Menteri Shinzo Abe akan menyelesaikan paket fiskal tersebut pada awal minggu depan setelah berkonsultasi dengan koalisi yang berkuasa. Sayangnya, para pejabat kementerian keuangan Jepang tidak segera bisa dihubungi untuk diminta komentar.

Adapun, anggota parlemen partai yang berkuasa telah menekan pemerintah untuk menyusun paket pengeluaran besar sehingga fiskal dapat memainkan peran yang lebih besar dalam mendukung pertumbuhan. Meskipun pada akhirnya ada risiko lebih banyak dalam penerbitan utang.

Gubernur Bank of Japan Haruhiko Kuroda sebelumnya mengatakan kebijakan ultra-longgar bank sentral bertujuan untuk mencapai target harga, bukan pada pendanaan pengeluaran pemerintah.

Pengeluaran fiskal di bawah paket tersebut mungkin akan melebihi 10 triliun yen, yang akan didanai oleh anggaran tambahan untuk tahun fiskal berjalan yang berakhir pada Maret 2020 dan anggaran tahunan tahun depan.

Itu kira-kira akan cocok dengan paket pengeluaran 13,5 triliun yen yang disatukan pada tahun 2016, ketika Inggris keluar dari Uni Eropa yang mengguncang pasar dan meningkatkan ketidakpastian atas ekonomi yang bergantung pada ekspor Jepang.

Paket yang sedang dikerjakan pun akan mencakup pengeluaran untuk bantuan bencana, pembangunan infrastruktur dan langkah-langkah untuk membantu perusahaan meningkatkan produktivitas.

Surat kabar Nikkei menyebutkan pemerintah Jepang juga akan menerbitkan lebih banyak obligasi yang menutupi defisit, karena pendapatan pajak untuk tahun fiskal berjalan akan menggeser perkiraan awalnya sekitar 2 triliun yen.

Namun, di samping pengeluaran fiskal, Jepang pun akan memberikan pembiayaan kepada perusahaan untuk investasi di luar negeri untuk membantu mereka mendiversifikasi produksi.

Sebagai informasi, pertumbuhan ekonomi Jepang merosot ke level terlemah dalam satu tahun di kuartal ketiga karena permintaan global yang lemah sehingga menekan ekspor serta memicu kekhawatiran resesi. Beberapa analis juga khawatir kenaikan pajak penjualan pada Oktober bisa mendinginkan konsumsi swasta.

Sumber : Bisnis, 30.11.19.

[291119.EN.BIZ] Russia's Rosatom to Start Arctic Container Shipping With US$7 Billion

RUSSIA's state-owned Rosatom Group has been holding talks with VTB Bank to secure US$7 billion in funds to acquire up to 55 ice-class containerships and upgrade port facilities along the Arctic's Northern Sea Route (NSR), a shortcut between Asia and Europe.

Shipping traffic along Russia's Arctic coastline continues to be at an all-time high, reaching 30 million tons in 2019. The vast majority of this traffic comes from the transport of oil and gas and general cargo. Container shipping, however, has been very limited, with Maersk being the first company to send a containership along the route last year, reported High North News, Bodo, Norway.

While most shipping experts remain sceptical that container shipping in the Arctic is economically viable, Russia appears set on stepping into direct competition with the Suez Canal. Just last month, the Ministry for the Development of the Far East put forth a proposal to establish a state-run box shipping company offering service between Murmansk in the west and Kamchatka in the east.

This latest Russian initiative stands in direct conflict with efforts by environmental advocates to limit the amount of shipping activity in the region. In recent months several of the world's largest box shipping companies, including CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd, announced that they would not operate in the Arctic, citing environmental concerns.

In contrast, Russia and its state-owned companies are pushing ahead with the development of Arctic shipping routes as an avenue to export the country's vast oil and gas resources - and, if Rosatom succeeds, transport millions of cargo containers along the route.

The company plans to begin a container service along the route next year. However, it remains unclear what vessels it will be using for the service as it does not operate any containerships and ice-class containerships are commonly purpose-built for shipping operators, such as for service in the Baltic Sea.

Rosatom Group designs, builds and operates 35 nuclear plants in Russia and sells nuclear technology abroad. Its subsidiary, Rosatomflot operates the country's four nuclear icebreakers, one nuclear-powered cargo vessel and a number of other icebreakers and service vessels. In 2018 Rosatom icebreakers escorted 331 vessels transporting 12.7 million tons of cargo along the NSR.

"Serious questions have been raised about the commercial viability of establishing regular container routes, for several reasons," said Fridtjof Nansen Institute's senior research fellow Arild Moe.

"Due to shallow straits, the bigger - and most economic - container vessels can't pass, the route is only usable part of the year, and even in the summer, season ice can delay journeys, making it impossible to guarantee just-in-time deliveries."

Source : HKSG.

[291119.ID.BIZ] Shopee Pertegas Komitmennya Terhadap Kemajuan UMKM Indonesia

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA - Shopee, perusahaan e-commerce berkomitmen terus berevolusi untuk memberikan peluang dan kemudahan bagi para pelaku UMKM.

Komitmen itu disampaikan pada pertemuan dengan  Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia Ma’ruf Amin.

Berbagai inovasi yang diberikan di antaranya adalah untuk membantu menjawab tantangan yang dihadapi para pelaku UMKM di era perdagangan terbuka dan berbasis daring saat ini..

Salah satunya adalah keikutsertaan Shopee dalam meningkatkan literasi digital di bidang pemasaran dan pengembangan produk bagi santri dan masyarakat pondok pesantren. Mengambil bagian dalam implementasi Strategi Nasional Keuangan Inklusif (SNKI), Shopee bekerja sama dengan kementerian dan lembaga pemerintah terkait untuk menjalankan program Santripreneur yang sebelumnya telah berhasil dijalankan di beberapa pesantren di seluruh Indonesia.

Untuk dapat membantu para pelaku usaha kecil di tengah tantangan ini salah satunya dengan mengambil inisiatif untuk berkolaborasi meningkatkan ekspor Indonesia melalui pemanfaatan e-commerce.

Shopee melaksanakan program ekspor Kreasi Nusantara “Dari Lokal untuk Global” ke Malaysia dan Singapura, sebagai bentuk riil upaya pemanfaatan perkembangan e-commerce untuk meningkatkan ekspor Indonesia, beberapa pelaku UMKM terpilih telah menjalankan program edukasi guna mengasah kualitas dan daya saing mereka sebelum menghadapi pasar global.

Para pelaku UMKM terpilih berhasil mencatatkan progres yang sangat baik dalam program ekspor pertamanya. Setelah terlibat dalam kampanye Shopee 11.11 Big Sale yang serentak diselenggarakan di semua negara tempat Shopee beroperasi, para pelaku UMKM terpilih dalam program ekspor Kreasi Nusantara “Dari Lokal Untuk Global” berhasil mencatatkan peningkatan transaksi 3 kali lipat jika dibandingkan dengan hari biasa.

Handhika Jahja, Direktur Shopee Indonesia mengatakan, di tahun keempat Shopee beroperasi, kami ingin semakin memperkuat komitmen untuk dapat membantu para pelaku usaha kecil di tengah tantangan pasar global berbasis daring seperti sekarang.

"Kami percaya keikutsertaan Shopee dalam pengembangan daya saing para pelaku UMKM akan memberikan manfaat dan pengalaman yang besar terutama untuk meningkatkan keahlian bisnis mereka," katanya.

Selain berpartisipasi dalam program pemerintah, Shopee juga menyiapkan momentum internal yang turut mempromosikan bisnis mereka agar lebih luas lagi. Salah satunya menyiapkan festival belanja yang lebih spesial lagi dimana bertepatan dengan ulang tahun Shopee, menghadirkan 12.12 Birthday Sale.

"Kami menyambut baik upaya pelaku e-commerce seperti Shopee yang turut mendukung percepatan perkembangan ekonomi umat dan keuangan syariah di Indonesia. Kami berharap ke depannya upaya ini bisa terus dilakukan secara berkelanjutan. Melalui pertemuan hari ini, pemerintah akan selalu mendukung para pihak yang mengedepankan kemajuan pelaku UMKM di dalam negeri, terutama untuk mendorong kegiatan ekonomi dan pembangunan.” ujar Wapres Ma'ruf Amin.

Shopee juga memperkenalkan Shopee Barokah sebagai one-stop muslim lifestyle destination yang telah mengkurasi produk dan layanan syariah dan bermitra dengan berbagai brand dan lembaga kemanusiaan ternama seperti BAZNAS, Dompet Dhuafa, ACT, dan Rumah Zakat untuk memudahkan para pengguna setia Shopee dalam berdonasi dan menunaikan zakat. Ke depannya, Shopee Barokah juga akan melengkapi kanalnya dengan pengingat waktu salat dan Alquran.

Sebagai negara muslim terbesar di dunia dengan lebih dari 200 juta penduduk muslim1, potensi perkembangan pasar syariah ini juga dilihat dari keberhasilan Indonesia menduduki peringkat kelima tahun ini dalam Indikator Ekonomi Islam Global (GIEI) oleh DinarStandard2. Indonesia berhasil naik 5 peringkat dibandingkan tahun lalu karena adanya inisiatif kuat dari pemerintah untuk terus mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi syariah. 

Laporan ini juga menunjukkan adanya ruang bagi industri halal dari berbagai sektor untuk bertumbuh dengan pesat. Tren ini juga sejalan dengan data internal Shopee, di mana kategori fashion muslim selalu menjadi kategori favorit.

Sumber : Bisnis, 29.11.19.

[281119.EN.BIZ] Canadian National Railway strike ends, membership still to ratify deal

THE weeklong Canadian National Railway strike that halted shipments across Canada and into the United States, is over, reports Bloomberg.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union said it reached a tentative deal with Canadian National Railway and normal operations will resume. About 3,200 conductors and railyard workers walked off the job November 19 over issues such as working conditions and drug benefits.

The deal must now be ratified by union members via secret ballot electronic voting, which CN Rail said in a statement it expected to take eight weeks.

The union thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for respecting workers' right to strike. "Previous governments routinely violated workers' right to strike when it came to the rail industry," said Teamsters Canada president Francois Laporte.

The walkout was the first in a decade at Canada's largest railway, one of the two main companies that haul cargo across the country, and had begun to take an increasing toll on the economy.

Industry groups had been pleading with Trudeau to legislate an end to the strike but the government had pushed for a negotiated settlement.

Montreal-based CN Rail carries about C$250 billion (US$189 billion) worth of goods annually, including 180,000 barrels a day of oil in September, according to its earnings call.

Source : HKSG.

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[271119.EN.BIZ] Kuala Tanjung gains support to become a leading port in Indonesia

PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I (Persero), owner of Kuala Tanjung International Hub Port and Industrial Estate, has signed a head of agreement (HoA) with Port of Rotterdam Authority and the operator of the world's biggest cargo terminal in Ningbo, Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group, that aims to speed up the development of the port and industrial estate.

The scope of the HoA covers the development of Kuala Tanjung International Hub Port and Industrial Estate located in Indonesia's north Sumatera province, to turn it into a world class port and industrial area. The project includes the optimisation of the multipurpose terminal by offering direct shipping between Kuala Tanjung and Ningbo through the network owned by Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group.

The collaboration also involves the holding of joint workshops to develop new business plans and commercial terms by including Kuala Tanjung Multipurpose Terminal as part of the whole project.

"This cooperation is one of the steps we take to increase Kuala Tanjung capability in competing with other major ports along the Malacca Strait," said PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I (Persero) president director Dian Rachmawan at the signing ceremony that was held at the Ministry of Transportation office in Jakarta.

"With the experience owned by the largest ports in Europe and Asia in collaboration with PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I (Persero), it is expected to be able to push the port of Kuala Tanjung to become a world-class port and to encourage regional and even national economic growth," said Mr Dian.

The first phase of Kuala Tanjung port, which was completed in 2018, established a multipurpose terminal. At present the deep-sea port has a 500 x 60 metre jetty and a 2.8-kilometre trestle for four track lanes as wide as 18.5 metres.

The second phase involves the development of a 3,400-hectare industrial estate, while the third and fourth phases will focus on turning the Kuala Tanjung into a hub port.

Source : HKSG.

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[261119.EN.BIZ] Ports America Deploys New Navis N4 Operating System in Baltimore

PORTS America Chesapeake (PAC) has rolled out a new terminal operating system (TOS), Navis N4 that will act as a single platform for all the cargo handled at its terminals.

The new TOS is part of a wider US$142 million investment in equipment and infrastructure upgrades to remain competitive in the region, reported Seatrade Maritime News, Colchester, UK.

Ports America said that the system will form the backbone for further enhancements at the port of Baltimore's Seagirt and Dundalk marine terminals.

"Adopting a modern, streamlined TOS like Navis N4 will provide stability and yield results as we push our capacity goals further and support sustainable growth of the port," said Ports America Chesapeake vice president Bayard Hogans.

He said that along with handling extra volume, the new system will boost velocity, efficiency and safety.

The company has been in the process of standardising its core TOS platform as it has upgraded major facilities to N4 including PNCT, New Orleans and now PAC.

New Jersey-headquartered Ports America operates in 42 ports and 80 locations. It handles 13.4 million TEU, 2.6 million vehicles and 10.5 million tonnes per annum.

Source : HKSG.

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[251119.EN.BIZ] Levesque Quits as Modern Terminals Boss For Ports America Top Job

HONG KONG's Modern Terminals has announced that managing director Peter Levesque has decided to leave the company at the end of January 2020 in order to return to the United States.

Mr Levesque has lived in Asia for 25 years, having joined Modern Terminals in 2010 as chief commercial officer, rising to chief operating officer in 2015 before becoming managing director in 2016.

Former Modern Terminals engineering chief Horace Lo, who has been with the company since 1995, will take over as managing director in February.

Mr Levesque returns to the US to be become president of Ports America Group, the biggest port operator in the United States based in Jersey City, NJ.

He then led the company in the formation of the Hong Kong Seaport Alliance which was formally launched in April.

Looking ahead, his successor Mr Lo said: "While we are facing many challenges in this difficult market, I'm confident that with our solid and professional team we will navigate through them successfully together with our customers and other stakeholders.".

Source : HKSG / Photo : The Standard.

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[211119.EN.SEA] ONE Back In The Black But Misses Out On Revenue And Profit Forecasts

JAPANESE carrier Ocean Network Express (ONE) almost hit its target for profitability in the second quarter of its fiscal year, which ended September, posting a positive result of US$121 million, compared to a loss of $192 million in the second quarter of 2018.

Second quarter revenue increased by five per cent compared to the same period last year to $3.11 billion.

After the first six months of the financial year, ONE is in the black to the tune of $126 million, earned on revenue of $5.98 billion, a 4.9 per cent increase on the same time period last year. The profit $126 million is a massive swing back into the black from the $311 million loss recorded in the first six months of its 2018 financial year.

ONE missed its half yearly revenue forecast by $105 million and missed its profit forecast target by two million dollars.

Commenting on its results, ONE remarked in a statement that freight rates were below expectations for the Asia-North America trade. It also noted that the Asia-Europe trade was "sluggish as there was no peak season rate hike due to [a] deteriorated supply-demand balance".

The company said that it had reduced variable costs owing to cargo portfolio optimisation and cost-saving.

Unfortunately, the company did not meet its liftings targets for the intra-Asia and Asia-North America trades. However, liftings nonetheless increased across all trades owing to "service stabilisation".

Liftings on the Asia-North America route (eastbound) stood at just over 1.44 million TEU and utilisation ran at 90 per cent. Meanwhile, westbound liftings on the same route stood at 660,000 TEU with a 42 per cent utilisation rate.

On the Asia-Europe route, westbound container liftings stood at 947,000 TEU with a utilisation rate of 97 per cent. Eastbound liftings stood at 651,000 TEU and had a utilisation rate of 64 per cent.

However, the outlook is rougher weather for the carrier. ONE said it now expected to report a loss of $66 million in its trading in the second half of the year and has downgraded its full-year profit forecast by $30 million, to $60 million.

The shipping company said it expected deterioration in spot rates and expressed concerns over a further slowdown in the global economy.

The forecast also assumes that the additional costs for compliance with IMO 2020 will be recovered in full by its OBS (One Bunker Surcharge) mechanism, adding that its "customers' awareness" of the regulatory compliance was increasing. It also said that the installation of exhaust gas cleaning scrubber systems on its vessels was "under study" for some of its larger ships.

Source : HKSG.

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[201119.EN.BIZ] Manila Deems ICTSI's Proposal To Develop Iloilo Ports As Complete

THE Philippine Ports Authority has declared the proposal submitted by International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) to develop Iloilo ports, to be complete.

ICTSI made the announcement after it received from the PPA a letter of acceptance for completeness, in accordance with the Revised Guidelines and Procedures for Entering into Joint Venture Agreements between the government and private entities (2013 NEDA JV Guidelines).

The PPA will now begin to evaluate the legal, financial and technical merits of ICTSI's proposal to modernise the Iloilo commercial port complex and the port of Dumangas within a maximum of 60 days.

"We are confident we will be able to assist the government upgrade the country's port network; and help Iloilo attain its full potential in facilitating connectivity for cargo movement," said ICTSI global corporate head Christian Gonzalez.

Once it receives the OPS, ICTSI's proposal will be turned over to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for evaluation. If it gains the approval of NEDA, the proposal will go through a Swiss challenge.

Over the life of the concession that will be agreed on with the PPA, ICTSI has estimated an investment of PHP8.7 billion (US$171.21 million) to fully develop the Iloilo port complex.

This includes dredging the channel to allow the direct entry of new generation, international vessels; and the purchase of modern quayside crane handling equipment estimated to cost PHP1.35 billion.

ICTSI is also offering to substantially invest in the development of the port of Dumangas in order to seamlessly handle the spill over from the city port.

"The Iloilo-Dumangas bid is ICTSI's first foray in the Visayas with the end goal of providing a national network of ports with ICTSI's brand of operational synergy that would further improve the country's supply chain and competitiveness in global trade," the company said.

Source : HKSG.

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[191119.EN.BIZ] Cosco Secures Bank Funding of US$156.8m to Expand Greek Port of Piraeus

COSCO has won EUR140 million (US$156.8 million) in funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Export-Import Bank of China, equivalent to 40 per cent of the funds it requires to upgrade facilities at the Greek port of Piraeus, including the development of a fourth container terminal.

Chinese lenders such as Bank of China and the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), both of which recently established a presence in Athens, are also likely to award financing at a later stage, reported Seatrade Maritime News, Colchester, UK.

The funding comes as the Chinese shipping giant is about to enter into talks with the Greek government on the terms and conditions that will allow for Cosco's investment master plan for Piraeus port to be expanded to $1 billion from the currently approved $672 million.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Chinese President Xi Jinping at meetings in Shanghai earlier this month showed that both nations aim to turn Piraeus into one of the biggest ports in southern Europe.

The Chinese president revealed in Athens recently 11 that all licensed projects in the Cosco master plan will be launched immediately, starting with the extension of the cruise terminal and the construction of the new passenger terminal whose concession process and funding scheme have already been completed.

The Greek government and Cosco are actively working to eliminate any reservations and objections locally to the Cosco master plan for Piraeus to ensure the planned $336 million fourth container terminal garners widespread approval.

The terminal is set to raise the capacity of Piraeus port from the present seven million TEU to 10 million TEU. This year the four Cosco-managed terminals are forecast to handle 5.6 million TEU.

Source : HKSG.

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[181110.EN.SEA] Hapag-Lloyd's Profits Soar In First 9 Months of The Year

HAPAG-LLOYD's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in the first nine months of the year soared 115 per cent to EUR643 million (US$722 million), up from EUR299 million in 2018.

The group's net result grew to EUR297 million over the reporting period and was far higher than the EUR13 million reported last year.

Revenues from January to September rose to EUR 9.5 billion, up from EUR8.5 billion in 2018.

Transport volume increased by 1.2 per cent to 9 million TEU, and the average freight rate climbed by 4.2 per cent to US$1,075 per TEU. Transport expenses grew by 3.5 per cent, in particular due to a slightly higher average bunker consumption price of $425 per tonne, versus $406 per tonne in 2018, and a stronger average US dollar exchange rate against the euro.

"We have achieved a very respectable result after nine months. Despite geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions, we benefitted from higher transport volumes and better freight rates and also kept a close eye on our costs," said chief executive officer Rolf Habben Jansen.

The container shipping giant, which operates a fleet of 231 container ships with total transport capacity of 1.7 million TEU, saw revenues climb 6.2 per cent in the third quarter to EUR3.24 billion.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) jumped 21.6 per cent in the period to EUR253 million and, despite average industry-wide spot freight rates having been lower for most of 2019 compared to a year earlier, Hapag-Lloyd managed to claw a 2.7 per cent increase in freight rates measured in USD/TEU from customers during the third quarter.

Net profit in the third quarter totalled EUR115 million compared to EUR 113 million in the same period last year.

For the full financial year 2019, the company expects an EBITDA in the range of EUR1.6 to EUR2.0 billion and an EBIT in the range of EUR0.5 to EUR0.9 billion.

Source : HKSG

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[171119.EN.SEA] HMM Still in The Red in Q3, But Cost-cutting Efforts Are Working

SOUTH Korean carrier Hyundai Merchant Marine has posted a third-quarter operating loss of KRW46.6 billion (US$39.8 million), representing a 62.1 per cent year-on-year improvement on last year's Q3 loss of KRW123.1 billion.

The company said the improvement largely came about as a result of its cost reduction efforts. "HMM has achieved a significant reduction in its operating loss as compared to the preceding year, mainly due to tear-down (TDR) and redesign activities which include overall process innovation in the field of sales, operation, and administration."

Total revenue for the third quarter rose 1.5 per cent year on year, to KRW1.44 billion, despite the continued uncertainty of global trade and oversupplied market with weakening freight rates.

It noted that the composite SCFI container freight rate for the period was some 10 per cent below the corresponding period in 2018. For the first nine months of the year, HMM posted revenues of KRW4.2 billion, a 10.2 per cent year-on-year increase, and a year-to-date operating loss of KRW265.2 billion, which represents an improvement of 46.2 per cent over the first nine months of 2018, reports The Loadstar, UK.

It did not disclose the volumes it carried, although Alphaliner data released recently shows it did increase volumes on the transpacific trade by 2.4 per cent in the first nine months - bucking the market, which is likely to show a slight decline - to carry around 750,000 TEU. And the carrier sounded an optimistic note for the remainder of the year, which came with the normal caveats.

"Although the fourth quarter is the traditional slack season for the container sector, an increase in volume is expected ahead of the early Chinese New Year in 2020.

"However, global trade uncertainty will still persist, due to the US-China trade conflict, instability in the Middle East/Hong Kong and Brexit," it said.

Next year, it will begin taking delivery of its new ultra-large container vessels under construction in South Korea, and will also end its vessel-sharing agreement with the 2M partners and join THE Alliance.

"HMM is working on the smooth transition to THE Alliance without service disruption, and will offer reliable services with diversification of service routes and improve cost structure through TDR," it said.

Source : HKSG.

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[161119.EN.SEA] Maersk To Introduce The Use Of Batteries On Container Ships

DANISH shipping giant Maersk line is to install a containerised battery system on its 2011-built, 4,500 TEU container ship Maersk Cape Town with a capacity of 600kWh, which is equivalent to six Tesla cars.

The large battery to be housed in two containers is not powerful enough to propel the ship but will be used to complement the auxiliary engines. With the battery installed the ship's auxiliaries can be run more optimally. The battery can also be used as an emergency power source, according to London's ShipInsight.

Charging of the battery is done during sailing using a waste heat recovery system.

"We look forward to seeing the potential of the pilot project. Both in relation to what the battery technology can have for the improvement of the performance of our ships and not least the reduction of fuel consumption that goes for purposes other than operating the propeller," said fleet technology manager at Maersk Line, Ole Graa.

"We hope that the project will give us a greater knowledge of energy storage, which will enable us to further electrify our fleet," said a senior executive member of AP Moller-Maersk.

The new container battery system was assembled in Odense and is now in Aarhus before sailing to Singapore. The Maersk Cape Town will be sailing from Asia to West Africa over the next 3-4 months, and after evaluating the trial Maersk will be deciding whether to extend it to more ships.

"It's a really exciting project, and we welcome all initiatives that contribute to lowering CO2 emissions," said Maria Skipper Schwenn, director of safety, environment and maritime research at Danish Shipping.

Source : HKSG / Photo : VesselFinder..

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[151119.EN.BIZ] DP World, GMP to Build, Operate Two New Container Berths at Le Havre

THE concession for the construction and operation of berths 11 and 12 at Port 2000 in Le Havre has been awarded to a joint venture set up by DP World and the France-based international container terminal operator Terminal Link - PortSynergy Group (GMP).

The new terminal will add one million TEU in annual container handling capacity and will include a 700-metre-long quay and a 42-hectare site. The concession agreement is for a term of 34 years, including two years of studies and design, two years of civil engineering work and 30 years of operation, reported Devdiscourse, Delhi area.

The new berths will feature state-of-the-art equipment to service large containerships, creating a terminal with smarter trade-enabling solutions to increase productivity and greatly enhance its service capability and quality, including a 35-hectare stacking area, direct rail access into the hinterland and a seven-hectare area dedicated to buildings and operating infrastructures.

GMP managing director Louis Jonquiere said: "The addition of the two new berths will enable us to secure more volume and provide high-efficiency services. As a major hub port, the expansion in the terminal will facilitate the capture of more volume from the trade, benefitting from the momentum that has built in the region."

He continued: "We aim to enable smarter trade and create a much stronger economic engine for the national and regional market. By investing further in the terminal, GMP is driving economic development for the region and generating career opportunities for the local population."

Source : HKSG.

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[141119.EN.SEA] Demand For Mid-size, Smaller Box Ships Looks Promising: Global Ship Lease

SHIP charterer Global Ship Lease Inc has announced that third quarter net income rose to US$9.9 million, up from $3.9 million in the third quarter of 2018. Operating revenue in the third quarter stood at $65.9 million, up from $35.9 million in the same period last year.

GSL's growth in revenues reflects its acquisition of the 19-ship fleet of Poseidon Containers in November 2018, reported American Shipper.

GSL has just contracted to purchase two 2002-built 6,650-TEU ships, which are to be delivered in December 2019 and January 2020. That will raise its total fleet size to 43 containerships, with capacities ranging from 2,207 TEU to 11,040 TEU.

According to executive chairman George Youroukos, the company focuses on trade lanes responsible for "70 per cent of global container trade and which typically grow more reliably and more quickly than the big east-west trades".

He was quoted as saying: "The market for our fuel-efficient, in-demand vessels has remained strong, and with a minimal number of viable containerships currently sitting idle, we have continued to command strong rates on term charters."

GSL chief commercial officer Thomas Lister said demand for container transport is likely to expand by 2.5 per cent in 2019 and 3.7 per cent in 2020.

"Transpacific trades get all the headlines thanks to the trade dispute between the US and China, but China-US trade actually makes up only 6.7 per cent of the global volume pie," he said, and "cargo being imported by the US from other Asian countries rather than from China has grown faster than cargo flows from China have shrunk".

Mr Lister said: "Trade tensions have actually stimulated trade and further stimulated demand for mid-size and smaller ships."

He said 70 per cent of global container volumes are on intermediate and intra-regional trades, like the intra-Asia trade lanes, and that is where GSL's ships tend to be deployed.

"While sentiment in the containership sector remains under pressure from the ongoing US-China trade tensions, the trade lanes in which our vessel classes primarily operate have been largely unaffected and continue to show growth," Mr Youroukos said. "This same negative sentiment has contributed to a continuing modest or zero orderbook for our vessel classes, projecting negative net vessel supply growth in the coming years."

"Paradoxically, negative sentiment and trade tensions have been a good thing, at least for the mid-size and smaller container ship classes focused on by GSL," Mr Lister said. "This is really a supply story - idle capacity is minimal, scrapping of marginal ships is increasing and, most importantly, the orderbook is under control."

He explained that in 2007, the containership capacity on order (as measured in TEU) amounted to 60 per cent of the global fleet, whereas today it is just 10.6 per cent.

He believes that because of the higher cost of low-sulphur fuel needed to comply with the International Maritime Organization's low-sulphur mandate, shipping companies next year will slow their vessels to cut costs, "triggering a further reduction in effective supply".

A reduction in speed of one nautical mile per hour by the global containership fleet would effectively reduce supply by 6.7 per cent, he said.

Source : HKSG,

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[131119.EN.BIZ] Drones Pass Tests in Busy Antwerp Port, Readying For Urban Acceptance

PRACTICAL use of drones. for package delivery, inspection flights and as emergency monitors, has been tested in the precincts of the busy Port of Antwerp, in a deliberately challenging environment to test safety and economic viability.

Earlier, drone use - including package delivery, inspection flights and monitoring emergency situations had been tested successfully in the safe DronePort in Sint-Truiden, not far from Antwerp, reported the American Journal of Transportation.

The SAFIR consortium, 13 organisations selected by Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) to demonstrate drone traffic management, held testing in a more urban environment.

During the different flights the SAFIR team successfully demonstrated the safety and economic viability of integrated drone traffic, said the press release.

The consortium made up of Unifly, Amazon Prime Air, Skeyes, DronePort, Proximus, Port of Antwerp, Helicus, SABCA, Elia, Explicit, C-Astral, Tekever and Aveillant went on to prove the effective operation of a management system (UTM platform) that shows which drones are flying where at all times.

This enables local authorities to control, inspect and manage their airspace, including the imposition of "no fly" zones, it said.

The Antwerp port area covers 120-square kilometres of sensitive industrial infrastructure. The use of drones combined with a central management system can make a significant contribution to general safety in this complex environment.

Port of Antwerp innovation officer Erwin Verstraelen, confirmed that drones can play an important role in the port of the future:

"Our objective is to have a network of autonomous drones supplying a live feed of the various port activities. This will be an enormously useful tool for the entire port community," Mr Verstraelen said.

Source : HKSG.

[131119.ID.BIZ] Mundur Dari Presiden Bolivia, Evo Morales Mendapat Suaka Dari Meksiko

KONTAN.CO.ID - MEXICO CITY. Setelah mengundurkan diri, mantan Presiden Bolivia Evo Morales terbang ke Meksiko. Seorang diplomat Meksiko mengatakan, Morales mendapat suaka  dari Meksiko ketika kerusuhan mengguncang Bolivia.

"Evo Morales berada di pesawat pemerintah Meksiko, dikirim untuk memastikan perjalanannya aman ke negara kami," kata Menteri Luar Negeri Meksiko Marcelo Ebrard dalam cuitan di Twitter seperti dikutip Reuters.

Ebrard juga men-tweet foto Morales yang sedang duduk di pesawat Angkatan Udara Meksiko dengan bendera Meksiko di pangkuannya.

Ebrard mengatakan kehidupan Morales berada dalam bahaya dan keputusan Meksiko memberinya suaka adalah tradisi lama Meksiko untuk melindungi orang-orang buangan.

Seorang pejabat Amerika Serikat (AS) mengatakan Presiden Donald Trump tidak keberatan dengan tawaran suaka Meksiko kepada Morales. AS malah menganggap ketidakhadiran Morales dapat membantu menstabilkan politik Bolivia.

Tetapi, kata pejabat AS itu, stabilitas politik Bolivia akan memakan waktu dan banyak yang bisa tergantung pada pesan seperti apa yang Morales kirimkan kepada para pengikutnya di Bolivia begitu dia berada di Meksiko.

Pemerintah Morales runtuh pada Minggu (10/11), setelah sekutu partai yang berkuasa mundur dan tentara Bolivia mendesak Morales mundur.

Krisis politik Bolivia dipicu hasil pemilu yang mengundang protes keras karena penuh kecurangan.

Bolivia dilanda protes dan kerusuhan berminggu-minggu. Penjarahan dan penghalang jalan mengguncang Bolivia setelah Morales mengundurkan diri. "Hidup dan integritas Morales  dalam bahaya," kata Ebrard sebelumnya.

Meksiko akan memberi tahu Organisasi Negara-negara Amerika, dan Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) soal suaka politik bagi Morales ini.

Presiden Meksiko Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador memuji sikap Morales yang memilih mengundurkan diri daripada membahayakan nyawa warga Bolivia.

Sumber : Kontan, 12.11.19.

[121119.EN.BIZ[ Sinotrans Q3 Profit Slips 6.64pc To US$19.68 Million, But Mum On Sales

SINOTRANS, a Hong Kong-based company principally engaged in forwarding, posted a 6.64 per cent year-on-on year decline in third quarter net profit to CNY599.83 million (US$19.68 million), but made no mention of its quarterly revenue performance.

Operating profit of the Hong Kong-listed company fell 5.79 to CNY8.13 billion.

Sinotrans reported its shipping agency business increased volumes by 3.98 per cent to 19.29 million TEU in the third quarter. Contract logistics was essentially flat year on year, falling by 3.96 per cent to 29.1 million tonnes.

It was a similar pattern across its other logistics, storage, terminals and other transport businesses with some volumes marginally up and others flat or marginally down.

Source : HKSG.