Container Shipping News

Hamburg, Germany-based Norddeutsche Vermogen Group and Munich-based Conti Group have appointed H. Schuldt Shipbrokers, part of Norddeutsche Vermogen Group, for the joint marketing of their container fleets.

Cosco Container Lines will implement a general rate increase for all shipments from northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean to the Far East and India and Pakistan region, effective March 1.

Nashville, Ind.-based transportation forecaster FTR Associates’ Shippers Conditions Index for November fell slightly from October to a reading of -5.3, a sign that 2013 will be challenging for shippers.

Classification of distiller’s dried grains with solubles as non-hazardous cargo has become final and mandatory under the International Maritime Organization’s code.

Moody’s downgraded HSH Nordbank’s standalone financial strength rating, citing the impact of the deepening crisis in the shipping market on the world’s biggest ship finance bank.

Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department reported the volume of exports of goods in November 2012 increased by 10.2 percent, and the volume of imports of goods rose by 7.6 percent, compared with the same month in 2011.

CMA CGM has reduced some of its services into and out of China, in anticipation of reduced production during the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Naviera Master Line de Venezuela, a division of Miami-based Master Line Shipping Company, has selected Port Manatee in Florida for a new container and breakbulk service to Caribbean and Central and South American locations.

German carrier Hapag-Lloyd has revised its Europe-Asia Loop 5 service. It will now call Southampton, England, instead of London’s Thamesport.

As China goes, so goes the U.S. export trade in wastepaper and scrap metal. Unfortunately for shippers of these two key commodities, the news from China wasn’t very good in 2012.

German carrier Hapag-Lloyd has postponed its general rate increase for dry shipments from Canada and the U.S. to East Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Swedish shipping company Rederi AB TransAtlantic has appointed Erik Hansen as interim CFO, effective immediately.

The G6 Alliance today announced that it will maintain the current five-loop product structure for its Asia-North Europe service in 2013.

The Grimaldi Group this week laid the foundation stone for the new Grimaldi Terminal Barcelona at the Muelle Costa in the Port of Barcelona in Spain.

Ireland, which took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union on Jan. 1, has made trade one of its top priorities, according to the European Parliament.

United Arab Shipping Co. has revised its France origin terminal-handling charges on U.S. imports, effective Feb. 15.

CaroTrans has added a new weekly less-than-containerload export service from San Francisco to Japan.

In his 2013 policy address, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive CY Leung announced that the government will consider introducing new legislation to require marine vessels to switch to low-sulphur diesel in Hong Kong port...

Pirates attacked 297 ships in 2012, a five-year low and a 32 percent decrease compared with 2011’s 439 ship attacks, according to a global piracy report by the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau.

Hong Kong-based container ship lessor Seaspan has signed contracts for the construction of five 14,000-TEU container ships at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Ship management company TOTE Services, a division of Princeton, N.J.-based TOTE, has announced that its president, Jorge Aguirre, will retire on Jan. 31.

Maersk Line will implement a general rate increase from India to Latin America on Feb. 1.

A.P. Moller-Maersk, owner of ocean carrier Maersk Line, said the container shipping industry needs to hike rates by $300 to $500 per box on the Asia-Europe trade lane to yield profit, Bloomberg reported.

Container transportation company APL is introducing a new weekly service between Germany and Poland.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based trucking and marine freight company Trailer Bridge’s board of directors has appointed Chris J. Dombalis as a board member and CEO of the company, effective Jan. 16.

Orient Overseas Container Line has decreased its low water surcharge for all cargo shipments via the Port of Montreal, effective Feb. 1, following the latest projections for improved water levels in the Canadian St. Lawrence River.