Asia/US East Coast Shipments Continue to Rise
The surprising surge in cargo volumes from Asia to the East Coast of North America since July remained strong in September, and even appears to have continued in October says a Drewry Maritime Research analysis. Shipments from Asia to the East Coast of North America (ECNA) continued to grow impressively in September, reaching 382,000 teu. It brought the total for the peak season quarter up to 1.14 million teu, a startling 18% increase over the same period last year.
Recent Nigerian Piracy Kidnapping Flags a Caution
“Security in this region [off the coast of Nigeria] is often not sufficient,” says maritime piracy attorney Dennis McElwee “Unfortunately, maritime companies are not always taking the necessary precautions to protect crewmembers from this type of attack.” There are many dangers of working at sea, but McElwee said that U.S. employers are obligated to take sufficient safety measures for their employees.
Australia Takes Tougher Stance on Container Stowage
A container ship which did not meet the minimum access requirements for container stow working space was recently unable to discharge containers at an Australian port and was forced to leave Australia with containers onboard, informs the UK P&I Club. Carriers carrying containers (or cargo generally for that matter) to or from Australian ports should be aware of the requirements of Marine Order, Part 32 - Cargo Handling Equipment.
Latest US Department of Defense Contracts
Included in the latest list of US Department of Defense contracts are those for a USACE Mississippi River dredging operation, and a Navy contract for the phased maintenance of the 'USS San Antonio'.
