Pudong volume suffers first airfreight fall since 2006

PostTime:2008-11-14 07:59:05 View:574

CHINA's largest airfreight centre Shanghai Pudong Airport registered a 2.3 per cent decrease in September's mail and cargo throughput, the first slowdown in monthly volume since 2006, reports Logistics Week.The airport's cargo volume fell 16.8 per cent on domestic routes and 0.2 per cent on international services. Also its passenger volume fell 14.8 per cent in September, compared with August's 8.4 per cent decrease, but with a 4.8 per cent growth on domestic routes while a 26.7 per cent slump on international services.

China's debut shipping trust launched in Shanghai

PostTime:2008-11-13 08:13:58 View:569

China has its first shipping investment trust. Launched by Shanghai listed Anxin Trust and Investment on Tuesday the Yuan Cheng No.1 - Ship-pledged Loan Capital Trust Programme plans to raise up to Yuan170m from domestic retail investors which will then go to a local owner in Zhejiang province called Deqin Enterprise to pay for four handysize ships.

Dozen ships lay up in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai

PostTime:2008-11-06 07:50:06 View:1299

A DOZEN 5,000-8,500 TEU ships are said to be laid up in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai in the wake of the global economic downturn, according to AXS-Alphaliner News.Idle ships in the 3,500-5,000 TEU range are expected to increase in number in the weeks ahead as more news of service closures comes in, said the Paris-based industry research and news agency.While many more vessels are laid up in the 2,000-3,000 TEU range, most are between 1,000-2,000 TEU, and 50 ships are "believed idle in this size range, awaiting a charter", said AXS Alphaliner, estimating the idle fleet at 150,000 TEU or representing around 1.25 per cent of global cellular tonnage.Alphaliner recalled that at the deepest of the 2002 downturn, there was 180,000 TEU of idle tonnage, or 3.2 per cent of the then current fleet.

Volume up, but growth down for Shanghai to US and EU

PostTime:2008-11-06 07:49:17 View:555

THE growth of Shanghai's exports to US and EU has fallen since May when the impact of global slowdown was first felt on the city's foreign trade, reports Xinhua.Shanghai foreign trade value was up 14.7 per cent to US reaching US$79.7 billion, and up 29.3 per cent to the European Community at $105.96 billion in the first nine months. But growth itself was down 1.7 per cent to the EU and 3.4 per cent to the US.

China State Shipbuilding Co Q3 earnings up 16%

PostTime:2008-10-31 07:56:54 View:511

Shanghai-listed China State Shipbuilding Co saw third-quarter earnings rise by 15.5% mainly on investment gains.The largest shipyard operator by capacity in China said late last night that it earned Yuan1.2bn ($175m) of net profit in the third quarter this year, 15.5% higher than in the same period last year.It recorded sharp increase in investment gains which amounted to Yuan54.0m in the third quarter, up from Yuan10.6m in same period last year.However, operating profit fell slightly from 1.56bn a year ago to Yuan1.49bn, as operating revenue rose 45% to Yuan7.64bn while operating cost surged by 67% to Yuan6.2bn.For the first three quarters, its net profit increased by 48.7% to Yuan3.2bn. Operating income amounted to Yuan18.4bn, up 42% from the same period last year while operating costs rose 54% to Yuan14.5bn.The firm said that the rise in operating costs was due to enlarged capacity and higher labour and raw material costs.High labour and raw material costs are also cited by sister company Guangzhou Shipyard International as the reason behind its earnings decline in the third quarters. The yard said yesterday that its Q3 earnings fell 28.84% to Yuan 154m.CSSC is the listed unit of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp which also controls GSI.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao delivers world's first VLCC built to common structural rules

PostTime:2008-10-30 08:01:04 View:674

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard (SWS) yesterday delivered to Singapore's Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd becoming the first very large crude carrier (VLCC) built to Common Structural Rules (CSR).The 318,000-dwt Hua San, the first of 11 VLCCs confirmed to Lloyd's Register class at Shanghai Waigaoqiao, was delivered to the owners five months ahead of schedule, ushering in a CSR era that is committed to increase the durability of hull structures for the modern fleet."We are obviously very proud to have supported the design, construction and now delivery of the world's first VLCC built to Common Structural Rules. That the vessel was delivered well ahead of schedule is a testimony to the professionalism of our partnership with Ocean Tankers and Waigaoqiao Shipyard," said Nick Brown, General Manager China for Lloyd's Register Asia. "With a global recession looming and financing harder to find, the industry spotlight rightly has intensified on maintaining the construction of quality ships. The success of this project is the result of our strategy to work with yards and owners who share our vision for quality."The Hua San is the first of an initial order of six VLCCs ordered by Ocean Tankers at Shanghai Waigaoqiao, four of which were classed to Lloyd's Register. The expansion-minded tanker operator last year returned to the yard for another order of three VLCCs, with three options, again awarding the class for the confirmed ships to Lloyd's Register.

Shanghai port activity runs deep

PostTime:2008-10-29 08:00:19 View:559

THE Yangshan Deep Water Port is full steam ahead and on track for Shanghai's goal of making the city an international shipping hub.The project's developer plans more auxiliary facilities and value-added businesses.Phase III-B, the final phase of the project's main northern development, is due to be operational this December, bringing the port's annual designed handling capacity to 9.3 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) with 16 berths.Construction on the project's new western section would start next year and the section would be gradually put into use from 2010 through 2013, said Liu Zuoliang, chairman of the Shanghai Tongsheng Investment Group, which started to develop the deep water port in 2002.The western development will include 10 to 12 berths in relatively shallower water, with designed annual capacity of 7 million TEUs."We don't want to start them too hastily, as current capacity expansion can meet demand growth, which has shown signs of easing," Liu told reporters yesterday.He said that while the northern section's design capacity was 9.3 million TEUs, this could be expanded to between 12 million and 15 million TEUs.The port handled 6.09 million TEUs in the first nine months, and is expected to handle 8.5 million TEUs for the whole year. This compares to the full-year government forecast of 28.5 million TEUs for the whole of Shanghai.Liu said his company would open a ferry center in the western extension, and further develop logistics, processing, tourism and other infrastructure in the northern area.The port, connected to Shanghai by the Donghai Bridge, also plays a key role to ensure the city's energy supplies. An area has been developed that serves as an energy port, housing liquefied natural gas receiving facilities and refined oil storage tanks.The LNG facilities are expected to receive the first cargo of clean fuel from Malaysia early next year.

Yangshan Port third phase ready in December

PostTime:2008-10-27 08:07:07 View:577

The third phase of Yangshan Port, a deep-water harbour in Shanghai, will begin operations on December 10, SinoCast reported.Under the third phase, the last project of the port so far, will embrace three 100,000 to 150,000-tonnage berths equipped with 13 cranes. They will be 15m deep and have a 1,250m long coastline.

Shanghai anticipates 5pc less container traffic in 2008

PostTime:2008-10-24 07:44:24 View:499

THE world's No 2 container port, Shanghai, sees five per cent less box traffic because of current global turmoil, reports the Shanghai Securities News.The Shanghai International Port Group's (SIPG) expects volume to hit 28.5 million TEU, falling short of the 30 million TEU it had predicted, said group president Chen Xuyuan.Lower trade volume due to the weakening global economy, slowing domestic growth and natural disasters in China have affected the port's container operations, said Mr Chen.SIPG throughput rose 10.4 per cent year on year to 13.82 million TEU in the first half, slower than the 20.4 per cent growth of 2007 when volume hit 26.2 million TEU.Agence France-Presse also reported that China's economy expanded nine per cent in the third quarter, the lowest level in about five years. In the first nine months of 2008, said the agency, container handling through Chinese ports rose 14.9 per cent to 94.5 million TEU, 2.2 per cent lower than the first half according to Ministry of Transport figures.

Shanghai port cuts 2008 container traffic target

PostTime:2008-10-23 08:03:25 View:567

Shanghai's port, one of the world's busiest, has cut its container traffic target for the year by five per cent, blaming the global financial crisis and an economic slowdown, state media said Wednesday.The Shanghai International Port Group's handling volume is expected to reach 28.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), less than its earlier target of 30 million TEU, the Shanghai Securities News reported, citing group president Chen Xuyuan.Lower trade volume due to the weakening global economy, slowing domestic growth and natural disasters in China this year have affected the port's container operations, Chen was quoted as saying.China's economy expanded by nine per cent in the third quarter, the lowest level in about five years as the global credit crisis put a dent in its booming economy, official data released on Monday showed.The port operator's container throughput rose 10.4 per cent from a year earlier to 13.82 million TEU in the first half, sharply slower than the growth in 2007, when throughput jumped 20.4 per cent to 26.2 million TEU.In the first nine months of 2008, container processing in Chinese ports rose 14.9 per cent to 94.5 million TEU, 2.2 per cent lower than the first half, according to Ministry of Transport figures.

Zhengzhou-Shanghai sea-rail container intermodal service launched

PostTime:2008-10-17 07:50:51 View:615

A new sea-rail container intermodal for carrying trade cargo between port of Shanghai and central China's hinterland city Zhengzhou has been launched, Logistics Week reported.The service was jointly operated by China Rail Container Transport Corporation's Shanghai and Zhengzhou branch. It runs weekly from Zhengzhou's east railway station to Shanghai's Luchao port area.Launch of the service is bound to provide great convenience to importers and exporters in Henan province, where Zhengzhou is located, helping to save time and money, said the report.Henan has seen its trade volume grow during the first half of the year. There were more than 400 TEU transported to Shanghai from Zhengzhou every month.

Shanghai Port:dangerous cargo and anti-pollution operations paperless declaration

PostTime:2008-10-16 08:34:51 View:625

Since Oct. 1st, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration officially has full implementation of the paperless declaration on ship-borne dangerous cargos and anti-pollution operations in Shanghai Port. The whole declaration will cost merely 10 minutes.According to incomplete statistics, compared to the written declaration, every set of paperless reporting will save on average 3.6 pieces of paper, 75 minutes, RMB 55.8 regarding transport costs, RMB 158 on labor costs. Once this paperless declaration and approval system is fully started, Shanghai Port is expected to handle annually 250,000 reports, saving costs concerned at RMB 54.35 million.