Category Archives: Shipping

The railways have decided to run MEMU express special trains between Kakinada Port and Visakhapatnam. Train no. 07265 Kakinada Port-Visakhapatnam MEMU special train will leave Kakinada Port at 4.25 a.m. with effect from July 19 and arrive in Visakhapatnam at 9.40 a.m. In the return direction, 07266 Visakhapatnam-Kakinada Port MEMU special will leave Visakhapatnam at 5.05 p.m. with effect from July 19 to reach Kakinada Port at 10.10hrs. These trains will have stoppages at Kakinada Town, Samalkot, Pithapuram, Gollaprolu, Annavaram, Tuni, Gullipadu, Narsipatnam Road, Regupalem, Elamanchili, Narasingapalli, Anakapalle and Marripalem. These trains will have 16 coaches of MEMU rake.

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, launched its Carrier Haulage service from Kolkata to Biratnagar via road, where the first shipment was successfully transported on July 6th 2021. With this service, the Group is able to provide a seamless, one-stop solution to its customers for moving their cargo from Kolkata to Biratnagar. Since 2017, the CMA CGM Group has been successfully operating its Rail Service to ICD Birgunj via Kolkata & Visakhapatnam. With the launch of the new Carrier Haulage Service, Biratnagar is the second key location in Nepal being covered by CMA CGM global network. CMA CGM connects Nepal with its global maritime service via its hub ports in Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang which is connected to Kolkata and Visakhapatnam via dedicated feeder services.

Cargo handled at India’s dozen state-owned major ports soared 27.16 per cent during the April-June quarter to 180.609 million tonnes (mt) from 142.033 mt a year ago. The rebound in cargo volumes during the first quarter of the current fiscal was led by solid growths in containers, iron ore and pellets, thermal and steam coal, as well as coking coal, according to the Pinistry of ports, Shipping and Waterways. The 12 major ports handled a combined 2.753 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 57.86 per cent more than the 1.744 million TEUs handled during the first quarter of FY21. Of this, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s busiest state-run container gateway, handled 1.364 million TEUs from 848,000 TEUs during the same period last year.

Ocean carriers could be in line for profits of $100bn this year and look assured of continued medium term profitability as capacity remains an issue globally in a market described as “crazy”. The Loadstar reports a substantial upgrade of Drewry’s quarterly Container Forecast report from an ebit (earnings before interest and tax) figure of $35bn to $80bn this year. Senior manager of container research and author of the report Simon Heaney, said: “If freight rates surpass expectations in the remainder of the year, we would not be surprised to see an annual profit line in the region of $100bn.” Incidents such as the Ever Given Suez grounding and Yantian port restriction have helped fuel a market where triple digit annual growth figures for spot rates are no longer surprising, Heaney said. Although Drewry expects ebit to drop by a third next year, it still predicts industry profits of almost $70bn.

Logistics major DP World is planning to acquire South Africa’s Imperial Logistics Ltd for $890 million, one of DP World’s most significant acquisitions in Africa so far. DP World is interested in acquiring Imperial and all its businesses to expand its logistics footprint in Africa and Europe. Imperial’s Logistics International business is within the scope of the offer and as such will not be sold separately under this proposed offer. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “We are excited to announce the proposed acquisition of Imperial, which will add significant strategic value to DP World given its attractive footprint and strong logistics solutions capability. Imperial has a significant presence in Africa, a market where trade is expected to grow at more than 2x GDP driven by population growth, accelerated urbanisation and rising middle classes. Imperial’s business strongly complements DP World’s existing footprint in Africa and Europe and will allow us to deliver a fully integrated end-to-end solution to cargo owners across a wider market.”

With the easing of lockdown restrictions and pickup in the domestic economic activity, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), one of the premier container handling ports, recorded a throughput of 441,984 TEUs in June 2021 as compared to 289,292 TEUs in June 2020. A growth of 52.78% as compared to the same period last year. In terms of rail operations, JNPT handled 88,849 TEUS of ICD traffic from 548 rakes in June 2021, and the Rail-Coefficient is 20.10%. Commenting on the performance, Shri Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPT, said, “We are proud to see the efficiency of the entire JNPT ecosystem improve, resulting in increasing numbers in container handling, overall container traffic, and throughput even during a pandemic. At JNPT, we appreciate the efforts taken by our talented and skilled workforce, esteemed and valuable Stakeholders. Our ever-aiding Trade Partners have shown in maintaining JN Port’s position as a major contributor to India’s economic growth and the nation’s fight against Covid-19 by relentlessly handling the evacuation and procurement of Medical Grade Oxygen and other Medical accessories and supply”.

Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s biggest container shipping companies, has suspended carrying fresh Bangladesh-bound cargoes from Singapore port, which may worsen the ongoing container crisis in Chattogram port. The company has stopped it as per the advice of the Port of Singapore just a couple of days ago, according to a document obtained by the FE. The advice reads: “The German shipping giant will not carry Bangladesh-bound cargoes up to 4 weeks.” People at the shipping circle in Dhaka and Chattogram said that many big container transportation firms were now focusing on China, Europe and USA routes for their recent economic booms coupled with higher freights. Hapag Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest shipping firm by fleets, has a significant market share in Bangladesh as it carries nearly 9,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of imports per month.

S.A. Consultants and Forwarders has extended its reach in southern India with the opening of a new branch office in Bengaluru. Having strong presence in Cochin and Chennai, the company steps into the IT hub of the country. The new office is strategically located in the proximity to Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru providing excellent connectivity to the customers. The company has invested in its Bengaluru office to offer all kind of import and export shipments via both air and sea. The team is fully capable to handle temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals/perishables shipment, dangerous goods and general cargo. The Bengaluru team has even successfully handled RAP 4 containers and Class 9 Dangerous Goods shipments in no time at all. Says Ashish Asaf, Managing Director, S.A Consultants & Forwarders, “The new office will allow us to continue expand our capabilities in support of our customers’ growth in southern India complementing our air, ocean and warehousing services. Our aim is to empower emerging airfreight forwarders by proposing them competitive prices and pan-India presence. We believe in gaining customer loyalty by practicing the general act of openness and securing our customers’ business. Transparency is a critical part of our company’s growth and we make sure that our customers’ business is totally protected with us.”

The first container block train from Finland to India is on its way carrying 32 containers loaded with paper-based products of a Swedish company. It is the first such service linking Europe and India using the western wing of a new transport corridor that seeks to cut transit time and cost of transportation. The train will pass through the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The estimated travel time by rail from Vuosaari to Astara station in Azerbaijan is eight days. From Astara, the containers will be transported by road to the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran and then hauled by a ship to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, the state-owned container gateway near Mumbai. The transit time from Vuosaari to Jawaharlal Nehru Port is around 25 days, about half that it takes to go via the Suez Canal, said a spokesperson for Nurminen Logistics Services Oy.

On the occasion of Day of the Seafarer, DP World, UAE Region reaffirmed its support for the seafarer community through the Jebel Ali International Seafarers Centre, located in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza). The Jebel Ali International Seafarers Centre has been a breakout zone for crew members of vessels calling at the Jebel Ali Port and the crew of vessels at other ports in the UAE. Since the relaunch of the Jebel Ali Seafarers Centre in 2016, the entity has supported over 20,000 seafarers through various initiatives. As part of its sustainability initiatives, DP World, UAE Region will be carrying out several activities including medical screening (vital signs, ophthalmology, dental, etc.) and distribution of food packs/meals and giveaways packs to support the seafarers. The smart trade enabler will also host awareness sessions on ocean protection topics.