Marine terminals

The Port of New York and New Jersey is preparing for the future arrival of 18,000-TEU vessels by raising cranes, planning new dredging, and looking to improve the efficiency of ships through its main channel.

The Port of New Orleans has signed a 50-year lease with Ports America to spend $66.5 million to improve its existing container terminal and perhaps build a new one in the future, doubling the port's capacity.

The appeals court in Mumbai, in an interim ruling, gave CCI the nod to complete its investigation.

GTI shortened cargo dwell times substantially in the most recent measuring period and also notched impressive performances in other metrics.

Ennore is located just 15 miles north of Chennai, and Adani's new terminal is seen as a more-formidable competitor than other minor terminals in the region.

PSA’s BMCT at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, among other qualities, is proving that it can undertake rapid cargo moving operations demanded by larger ships.

“This [the new rail route] will help exporters and importers move their cargo faster and safely through an environment-friendly mode of transport,” said Keld Pedersen, managing director of APM Terminals Pipavav.

“This is a result of the excellent all-round operations by the team and the state-of-the-art technology, which has enabled the terminal to log higher productivity and operational efficiencies,” DP World said.

Cosco will shift its intra-Asia CI-1 (mainland China-India) service from APM Terminals’ Gateway Terminals India (GTI) to PSA’s new Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, with a major revamp.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, which officially opened in February, has added a fortnightly coastal service from domestic shortsea ship operator Shreyas Shipping and Logistics.

The impasse occurred after the company fired a large number of contract workers — reportedly 99 — as part of an operational realignment to reduce costs and improve profitability.

The company has resolved a concern raised by the Maritime Association of Nationwide Shipping Agencies regarding storage charges on import containers handled via the direct port delivery program.

“We have to move together with the village so we can all advance together and create the solutions that the new economy requires,” PSA International Group CEO Tan Chong Meng told roughly 500 attendees in his keynote address at JOC's TPM Asia 2018 Conference in Shenzhen on Wednesday. “Somewhere in our strategies, I hope we will overlap.”

The terminals in Brazil, the economic powerhouse of South America with more than $2 trillion GDP, have drawn inquiries from several international shipping operators.

Some argue the planned roughly $1.4 billion upgrade will make the port more efficient, with modern services for shippers that should reduce cargo processing time, while others argue it concentrates terminal ownership too much.

The Dubai-based port operator said the transfer of Port de Djibouti SA shares in the terminal joint venture to the government of Djibouti appeared to be an attempt to undermine a new ruling by the English High Court on the increasingly acrimonious dispute.

Maersk’s container terminals posted higher traffic and revenue in the second quarter, thanks to new business from German carrier Hamburg Süd, which was acquired by Maersk Line, its major customer.

Western Canada has been “behind the curve” in developing inland ports compared with the US West Coast and South Atlantic regions. However, that will change with Ashcroft's expansion.

Shippers will likely see a substantial benefit from a new refrigerated container option for a peel-off pile program at the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Looks can be deceptive. Terminal operators, a very visible component of container shipping, are often the first to be criticized by BCOs and truckers when there are delays in delivering cargo. However, they have no control over the various transport modes that bring cargo to them.

However, given India’s hyper-competitive shipping market, one month is not enough to conclude that the volume boost represents a long-term freight shift toward Pipavav from hinterland shippers controlled by rivals.

The desire to control global end-to-end container logistics is a strategy that mirrors those being employed by container lines, most notably Maersk Group, which is using in-house units Maersk Line, APM Terminals, and Damco.

The E*Dray platform will enhance the ability of beneficial cargo owners and their truckers to aggregate containers into peel-off piles at the ports — and with the new system the potential is there for a substantial reduction in truck turn times.

Terminal underinvestment points to trade growing at a stronger rate than terminal expansion in the immediate years ahead. Further, there’s another container shipping trend that’s placing an additional demand on terminals/ports.

The expansion is needed to process increasing cargo volumes in the Manaus industrial park, also known as the Manaus Free Trade Zone.

Major ports’ productivity statistics collected from official sources show vessel turnaround times have dramatically improved in recent years.

US tariffs on Chinese imports are threatening to not only increase costs for shippers, but also force them to pay more for the equipment they use.

The company overseen by Beijing’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission likened its plans for the east African country to the development of its home base of Shekou and Shenzhen in southern China, where it has carried out extensive port, industrial, and real estate development.

Djibouti’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden makes the area an important military outpost for several world powers.

Two other Pipavav changes are likely to help speed cargo, terminal officials said.

SSA Marine’s 24-year lease extension in Oakland will open the door to increased investments in marine terminal and related infrastructure improvements that beneficial cargo owners should see reflected in more efficient operations at Oakland’s largest container terminal.

While terminals have made good strides in improving technology within their four walls, they are poorly connected with the greater supply chain in which they play a critical role as the interface between the water and the land; that connectivity has to occur for the industry to advance. And with International Longshoremen's Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union labor peace, there’s now time to do it.

The improvement reportedly came after terminal and port authorities jointly worked on alternative traffic measures to clear up truck line buildups, following intense pressure from the truckers’ association and various trade groups.

When finished, the terminal expects to be able to handle three mega-ships at once in an effort to give shippers a smoother, more efficient gateway for cargo.

APM Terminal officials said their digitial change ended truckers' need to present a key form — and the change will lead to a substantial benefit.

Ports in North Europe had the biggest increase in average call size in 2017, but Southeast Asia and Latin America also had impressive average growth increases.

Terminal operators, in a desire to control global end-to-end container logistics, are mirroring a strategy being employed by container lines.

Confirming to Alphaliner that it is discussing US terminal assets with Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States officials, Cosco, a China government-backed carrier, said it is confident the deal will pass the US review and that the deal’s June 30 deadline will be met.

The warning follows reports that Djibouti is working with other parties at the disputed Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT), a move DP World said would violate its exclusivity rights. Further, DP World said it has started new arbitration proceedings at the London Court of International Arbitration to settle the DCT issue with the government of Djibouti.

“There is nothing good about a trade war,” said Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, which produces the Global Port Tracker report for the National Retail Federation. “It is a vicious circle of retaliation where there are no winners, only losers.”