Brazil's Itaqui Port Open Despite Lockdown, Grain Shipments Up
Brazil's Itaqui port, from where more than 10% of the country's soybeans were exported in 2019, has not been affected by lockdown measures imposed this week in Maranhão state, said Ted Lago, the port's president, on Thursday.Port activity is considered exempt from the order and personnel, rail services and trucks continue to have normal access, Lago said, adding that grain export volume is set to rise thanks to the resilience of the domestic farm sector.
China's Iron Ore Imports Jump in April
China's iron ore imports in April rose 11.4% from a month earlier on robust demand from steelmakers, as downstream sectors started to emerge from lockdowns to contain the coronavirus epidemic.Arrivals of the steelmaking ingredient were 95.71 million tonnes last month, data released on Thursday by the General Administration of Customs showed.That compares with imports of 85.91 million tonnes in March and 80.77 million tonnes a year earlier…
China's Crude Oil Imports Rebound in April
China's crude oil imports rebounded in April from a month earlier on daily basis as refiners ramped up output amid a recovery in fuel demand with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak easing while crude prices crashed on slumping consumption elsewhere.Crude oil arrivals were 40.43 million tonnes last month according to a full data table released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday…
MAN PrimeServ Expands Omnicare Concept
MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ service brand, has extended its ‘PrimeServ Omnicare’ concept from turbomachinery into the marine and power segments. This one-stop service solution now also focuses on maintenance that covers non-MAN as well as MAN machinery, including engines, turbochargers and related auxiliaries.In the marine and power segments, PrimeServ Omnicare provides a maintenance service with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) spare-parts, based on global agreements.
Foreship Unveils Anti-coronavirus Plan for Cruise Ships
A Finnish naval architecture and marine engineering firm said it has devised an initiative to limit the presence and spread of coronavirus and other pathogens on passenger ships and get the cruise sector back up and running.Foreship Business Development Director Mattias Jörgensen says that there is no “silver-bullet” solution for fighting viruses in the cruise industry. “However, by combining our own expertise with the knowledge of medical professionals and that of our extensive partner network…
Crowley Wins NATO Fuels Services Consulting Contract
Crowley Solutions, a provider of energy, maritime, technology and supply chain services for the U.S. government, said it has been awarded a multi-year contract from NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) for global fuels services consulting.Crowley’s technical experts will be supporting and participating in a NSPA project management team (PMT), while assisting in planning and developing technical…
Chinese Coal Imports on the Rise
China's coal imports in April surged 22% from a year earlier, as traders scrambled to snap up low-cost coal from the seaborne market amid plunging demand for the fuel worldwide because of the coronavirus pandemic.The world's largest coal buyer imported 30.95 million tonnes of coal last month, according to the official data from the General Administration of Customs released on Thursday.That compares…
Thome Group Shifts to Remote Audits Due to COVID-19 Restrictions
Singapore-based ship management company Thome Group said it has undergone a series of remote audits with DNV GL in various locations due to the widespread lockdown restrictions across the globe.Thome Mumbai office’s annual ISO 9001:2015 audit was performed online using video conferencing software which enabled document sharing and discussions to take place to verify that all requirements had been met.
China's Soybean Imports Slide 12%
China's April soybean imports fell 12% from a year earlier, customs data showed on Thursday, with analysts citing the impact of bad weather delaying cargoes from top supplier Brazil.China, the world's top soybean buyer, brought in 6.714 million tonnes of the oilseed in April, down from 7.64 million tonnes a year ago, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.Rains in late February held back the harvest and exports in Brazil…
Italy Detains Migrant Rescue Ships
Italian coastguards have seized two charity rescue boats at the port of Palermo citing "technical and operational" irregularities, which the owners called an excuse to hinder missions to save the lives of migrants at sea.The seizure of the German-flagged Alan Kurdi and Spanish-flagged Aita Mari this week followed a sharp rise in the number of migrants reaching Italy, which has angered and embarrassed…
DP World Launches $9 Billion Financing
UAE global port operator DP World has launched a $9 billion financing into a targeted syndication process involving less than 10 banks, according to banking sources.The financing, which backs the borrower's privatization, was expected to sell down in a general syndication, but instead DP World decided to offer the deal to a select group of relationship banks.“(The deal is) going out to less than ten…
Eighth Lifting Lug Installed on Golden Ray Wreck
T&T Salvage installed the eighth lifting lug on the M/V Golden Ray, a roll-on, roll-off vessel that ran aground and overturned near the Port of Brunswick in Georgia in September.In total, 16 lugs will be installed: two on each of the eight sections of the Korean-owned car carrier, which rests on its side in St. Simons Sound.The Golden Ray will need to be dismantled in place and removed in pieces because the vessel…
Injured Tanker Crewman Medevaced Off Texas
The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced an injured crewmember from a Greece-flagged oil tanker approximately 39 miles offshore Port Aransas, Texas, Wednesday afternoon.Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a request for medevac from the captain of the 274-meter Cap Guillaume for a crewmember who suffered an arm injury. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon who recommended…
Virus Lockdowns Pummel Global Gas Demand, Force LNG Output Cuts
Lockdowns to slow the coronavirus pandemic are pummelling gas demand in the world's biggest buyers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), pushing Asia's spot prices to…
Euronav Posts Record High 1Q Results
Leading tanker operator Euronav posted record high first-quarter results on Thursday and expects strong demand for oil storage at sea to continue in 2020, driving its shares up 8.5%.The world is still struggling with an oil glut due to a drop in demand caused by the coronavirus even after top oil producing countries have cut output. The glut has prompted a scramble to find storage options on land and sea.Hugo De Stoop…
Hyundai Heavy Bags $122M Order for Two Oil Carriers
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has said it has won an order to build two crude oil carriers.In a brief statement on the Korea Exchange, Hyundai said the order was worth 149,8 billion South Korean Won, or $122,2 million.Hyundai Heavy Industries said it would build the two crude oil carriers for a European client. It did not provide further details on the client.The deliveries are to be made by mid-February 2022.
Wison Offshore & Marine's LNG Carrier Design Gets DNV GL AiP
China's Wison Offshore & Marine's 200K LNG Carrier (“200K-LNGC”) design has received Approval in Principle from DNV GL.Wison Offshore & Marine said its design offers "an enhanced cargo capacity and greater efficiency."Wison’s 200K LNGC with an overall length of 300 meters holds 200,000 cubic meters cargo capacity (Mark-III FLEX membrane tank). It would be equipped with a WinGD6×72DF dual-fuel engine with lower emission of NOx…
Port of Los Angeles 2020 Cargo Volume Down 15.5%
Cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles is down 15.5% so far this year as the novel coronavirus upends economies around the globe, Gene Seroka, executive director of the busiest U.S. seaport, said on a webcast on Wednesday.April volume was down 6.5% year-over-year as the financial and human toll of the pandemic come into focus in the United States and around the globe.Consumer demand for non-essential…
Alfa Laval Maintains BWTS Production Despite COVID-19
Having quickly adapted to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures from the Danish government, Alfa Laval said its Aalborg, Denmark factory continues to meet global production demands for its PureBallast 3 ballast water treatment systems – and has even surpassed expectations.“While the world has slowed down, the implementation of the ballast water management convention remains unchanged,” said Peter Sahlén, Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast.
Will FMC's New Demurrage & Detention Rules Aid NVOCCs?
On April 28, 2020, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) released the long-awaited interpretive rules in Docket No. 19-05 relating to how ocean common carriers may lawfully apply demurrage and detention charges to exporters, importers and ocean transportation intermediaries, including Customs brokers in certain circumstances and still be compliant with the “reasonableness” requirement of 46 U.S.C § 41102(c).
