International ports

After cabotage relaxation was implemented May 21, foreign-flag carriers became free to transport laden export-import containers for transshipment and empty containers for re-positioning between Indian ports.

The water level of the Upper Rhine is getting close to a critical point and barge operators are being forced to suspend their operations or only use one-third of their capacity, according to Hapag-Lloyd.

Businesses applauded the decision, terming it a “superb step” that will help the port achieve its goal of maximum use, around the clock.

The port of Halifax has three objectives in mind with its tech upgrades, and if the port is successful shippers and other trade stakeholders will benefit from all three.

An invaded ship is the latest job action by dockworkers at the port of Santos. They say they extend their existing three-day job action that ends Saturday if Brazil’s government does not agree to their pay/pension demands.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust handles the majority of India’s container freight and, as such, the government is extremely keen on reducing cargo dwell times there.

APM Terminals is in the midst of a whirlwind trade outreach program, with the goal of attracting more customers to its recent ease-of-doing-business measures.

The leading container ports still call the shots — thanks to the schedules of the three powerful alliances — but rival smaller ports are adding business and in the process are giving shippers options to northern and southern Europe.

Just when conditions started to return to normal for shippers who use Santos, stevedores Wednesday will implement a three-day strike aimed at securing an agreed-to pay increase.

It is another bad news, good news statistic for Antwerp and Rotterdam. The bad: an intermodal operator has warned that barge congestion is already causing delays of up to 36 hours at Antwerp and 72 hours at Rotterdam. The good: container volume growth continues to shine.

Protesters — seeking a special, community-based reservation program for jobs and education — blockaded all main highways and port connecting arteries.

Local trade sources said that labor groups are pressing for a reversal of an action by APM Terminals.

Shippers should be pleased by an increase in competition in several Baltic region trade lanes.

Shippers express concern about a recent spike in container dwell times in Vancouver, but Global Container Terminals Canada and Canadian National Railway say the fluctuations do not mean things will get worse during peak season.

A rule requiring electronic locking of containers and re-imposition of weight limits for trucks is riling Chittagong shippers.

Authorities at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust believe less free time for rail shipments would improve port operations, but shipping agents are dubious.

In a trade advisory, the port trust announced substantial tariff reductions for domestic and foreign ocean carriers handling export-import containers for transshipment.

Krishnapatnam Port officials have a specific objective in mind as they deploy the expansion and productivity improvement plan.

Port statistics show Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals processed 17 ship calls in June, compared with 10 calls a month since March, after the new terminal settled into a steady/seamless operation.

The suspension decision was implemented after delegates from the National Sindifisco and a politician close to Brazilian President Michel Temer reached an agreement.

Shippers that had cargo delayed at Canada’s west coast ports last winter will monitor that region's ports and railroads to gauge whether service and infrastructure changes have resolved all issues.

The government of India is pushing major, public ports on the east coast to take advantage of expected demand growth in a more favorable market environment.

Canada has an opportunity to create a national cargo gateway on its east coast, if it chooses the right project(s) and it correctly identifies where the shipping industry is headed.

Every year, during the April to October period, Chittagong Port experiences severe congestion, which causes a vessel backup at the outer anchorage lasting from several days to more than a week.

Despite a container consolidation partnership among marine terminals, inland shipping companies, and inland centers, barge operators say there's been little improvement in reducing barge delays during peak times — something one intermodal services provider argued was due to not having enough handling capacity during peak times.

The new community, approved by the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and the Federal Customs Service, will work to speed port operations and and decrease shipper costs.

The port’s board of directors Tuesday selected Shaun Stevenson to replace Joe Rektor, who has served as interim president and CEO since October.

Beneficial cargo owners in eastern Canada and the US Midwest should welcome the expansion as a step toward preventing a return of the congestion that Prince Rupert experienced last winter.

Krishnapatnam Port — a fast-growing, privately operated east coast gateway — has set up Rapiscan X-ray machines and radiation portal monitors for cargo inspection — touted as the first-of-its-kind customs’ initiative at Indian ports.

China Merchants’ purchase of a stake in the Port of Newcastle, Australia’s largest east coast port, would be its first in Oceania. However, the dealoccurs at a time of increased political and trade tension between the strong-performing Asian economies.

An average of 24 container ships have been waiting daily at the port’s outer anchorage, officials said.

The Port of Duisburg may be Europe shipping’s ‘best kept secret.’ But as a strategically located, multipurpose logistics site, it also may be the port most likely to benefit from the synchronized, regional economic expansion that’s propelling trade and GDP higher in Asia and Europe.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals substantially increased its crane rates and rail volume last month — and the latter improvement is particularly noteworthy, after previous mixed train handling issues with its peers at the port.

At a June 6 meeting in which 30 port stakeholders reviewed the impact of increasing the hours from beyond the old time of 6 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., to close instead at 7 p.m., the terminals agreed to extend the project, which began May 14 and was due to end on June 22, at least through the summer.

Officials have taken steps to reduce container levels at the port, however with almost all trade and business operations closed for the week, cargo buildup and handling delays will occur.

A pilot project in Rotterdam will give shippers and forwarders greater visibility of containers and allow them to better plan box transport.

Inland container depots (ICDs) are responsible for stuffing and unstuffing export and import containers on their premises. If Bangladesh does not add more ICDs, cargo delays and missed shipments are likely to increase at/near Chittagong Port.

DP World said the longer truck turn times are infrastructure upgrade-based, but truckers argue they are a reoccurring problem.

Only a small percentage of Hamburg’s container traffic is transported to and from the hinterland via the network of inland waterways, something the German port wants to change.

What's more, the tech and infrastructure improvements have proved to be a major catalyst in facilitating swift and cost-effective trade solutions for hinterland shippers, DP World said.