International ports

The Port of Constanta in Romania reported container traffic through the country’s ports in 2012 was 684,059 20-foot-equivalent units, rising 3.2 percent from 662,796 TEUs in 2011.

Belgium's Antwerp Port Authority and the Panama Canal Authority have reconfirmed their collaboration agreement to promote trade between the port and the west coast of South America via the Panama Canal.

Cosco Pacific starts a series of roadshow presentations to investors this week ahead of a planned issue of U.S. dollar notes, fuelling speculation the Chinese container terminal operator is set to bid for a majority stake in the Greek port of Piraeus.

Antwerp’s container traffic dipped 0.3 percent in 2012 from 2011 and total tonnage was down 1.6 percent as the Belgian port managed to contain the impact of economic slowdown across Europe.

The European Union will co-finance, with more than 2.2 million euros (about US$2.9 million) from the trans-European transport network program, studies analyzing options to improve rail connections to France’s Port of Dunkirk...

The Panama Canal Expansion Program has received the first shipment of valves that will be used for the operation of the third set of locks.

The Port of Singapore reported its container throughput in 2012 was a record 31.6 million 20-foot-equivalent units, increasing 5.7 percent from 29.9 million TEUs in 2011.

According to provisional figures, total transshipment in the port region along the North Sea Canal in the Netherlands, including the ports of Amsterdam, Ijmuiden, Beverwijk and Zaanstad, is expected to reach 94.4 million metric tons...

The Panama Canal Authority has issued a notice to Vinci Construction Grands Projets to start building a bridge on the Atlantic side of the canal.

The Port of Dunkirk in France reported container traffic for the year 2012 was 260,000 20-foot-equivalent units, dropping 5 percent compared with 2011.

Port Elizabeth in South Africa has received a delivery of two ship-to-shore cranes manufactured by IMPSA, which will be used to move 20-foot-equivalent and 40-foot-equivalent container units.

DP World’s Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates today celebrated the maiden visit of the world’s largest container ship, CMA CGM Marco Polo, a 16,020 20-foot-equivalent unit mega liner vessel.

China Merchants will acquire a 23.5 percent stake in Port de Djibouti SA for $185 million.

Indian container port Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru) said trucks carrying export containers “without proper documents” are causing congestion.

The arrival of the Cosco Vancouver at the Port of Prince Rupert on Nov. 18 was a milestone at the 5-year-old port because the vessel carried the 500,000th container unit to be handled this year at the rapidly growing gateway 500 miles north of Vancouver.

Port operator Yildirim has acquired RotaPort, a port in Korfez, Turkey, located about 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Istanbul.

Eight European container ports handled 12.5 percent of the total TEU throughput...

The International Transport Workers Federation joined the UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union in calling for reforms from global retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Sears...

DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali terminal in Dubai has handled a record 500,000 automobiles so far this year, 21,000 more than in the previous full-year pre-recession peak in 2008.

Shanghai is the most popular port of call for the largest container ships...

A panel of judges at the Nuit du Shortsea event in Paris, organized by BP2S, the French bureau for promotion of short sea shipping and intermodal transportation, recently awarded HAROPA...

When the Panama Canal’s third set of locks opens sometime in mid-2015, it won’t be the last time the Panama Canal Authority expands the canal, former administrator Alberto Aleman Zubieta says.

Hong Kong’s total port cargo volume in the third quarter was 69.4 million metric tons (about 76.5 million tons), a 2 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2011...

In calendar 2012, the top 15 mainland China container ports increased their container volume 7.3 percent, reaching 147.3 million TEUs from 137.2 million TEUs in 2011.

Brazil’s government has launched a $26 billion public-private drive to modernize crowded ports, which have been eroding the country’s competitive edge as a major commodities exporter, Reuters recently reported.

Officials from the Port of Long Beach and the Panama Canal Authority have renewed a memorandum of understanding that promotes trade between Latin America and the U.S.