Hamburg-Sud joins GA/Zim Atlantic service

Hamburg-Sud is to join the Grand Alliance Lines and Zim Integrated Shipping Services on the Atlantic Express (ATX) service from mid to late June 2009. Hamburg-Sud will initially purchase slots on the service, but at some later stage, could become a vessel operator.

The ATX service operates with four x 4,100/4,500 TEUs vessels with Hapag Lloyd deploying two vessels, and OOCL and Zim one each.

Port coverage for this service is : Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre, Southampton, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Rotterdam.

The move comes less than a month after Hamburg-Sud announced it would launch its own transatlantic service as part of the restructured Trident service covering theEurope/ US/ Australasia trade.


Source: PR News/ Copy 6028/ 30 April 2009

PhD in Transportation/ Logistics/ Suppy Chain Management in Malaysia

Malaysia, reaching the age of 52 soon, should now be equipped with the necessary resources in all areas, including the pool of professionals or experts in logistics and transportation. But, despite the fact that logistics and transportation play an important role in the economic growth and international trading, the prominence is reasonably not there. They elevate the level of success and are well regarded as indispensible in the country.

Malaysia is very much in deficiency of such "authorities in logistics and transportation", especially those with a PhD in Transportation/ Logistics/ Suppy Chain Management. Of course, those are considered as professional logisticians, too.

There may be less than 20 PhDs in the related field(s) in Malaysia now?! Yes, to my best of knowledge and belief, there are very much less than 20 PhD holders of such in Malaysia. Some of those are as follows:-

01. Deputy Minister of MOE - Datuk Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong PhD

02. MOHE - Prof Dato’ Ir Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi PhD (formerly UPM)

03. MIROS - Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah PhD (formerly USM)

04. USM - Prof Dr Meor Othman Hamzah PhD

05. USM - Assoc Prof Dr Hassim Mat PhD

06. USM - Dr Leong Lee Vien PhD

07. UNIMAS - Prof Dr Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim PhD

08. UKM - Prof Ir Dr Riza Atiq O K Rahmat PhD

09. UKM - Prof Dr Ghani Md Nor PhD

10. UTM - Prof Dr Ho Chin Siong PhD, CMILT

11. UTM - Prof Dr Abdullah Ab Rahman PhD

12. UTM - Assoc Prof Dr Othman Che Puan PhD

13. UTM - Assoc Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Chik Ph.D

14. UTM - Dr Muhammad Zaly Shah PhD, CMILT

15. UM - Prof Dr Jamaliah Muhamad PhD, CMILT

16. UiTM - Dr Harlina Suzana Jaafar PhD, CMILT

17. UiTM - Dr Muhammad Akram Adnan PhD

Yes, it's very much in insufficiency. Anyway, almost all of them are having majored in road transportation or traffic engineering. Hopefully, Malaysian universities regardless of public or private universities, with the support from the Government, can encourage more enrolments and produce more PhDs in Transportation/ Logistics/ Suppy Chain Management or its related programme in Malaysia, of course it should not be only emphasized on road transportation related studies, but also maritime/ sea transportation and aviation/ air transportation.

Good Lucks to Logisticians.

CKYH makes China/Mediterranean service changes

The CKYH Alliance is planning to make a series of port changes to its China/Mediterranean Express (CMX) service from May 2009. In the Far East, an existing call at Tianjin will be dropped, and an additional call at Yantian will then be introduced, as well as a new eastbound call at Port Klang.

In the Mediterranean, Naples will be dropped, and replaced by Genoa, while Malta will become a double call, on its east and westbound, a move that underlines the importance of Malta as Hanjin's recently-established Med transhipment centre. The lines will offer an eastbound transit time of 19 days from Genoa to Port Klang, and the double call at Malta will provide a transit time of 13 days westbound from Singapore, and 13 days eastbound back to Port Klang.

Eight Hanjin vessels providing a weekly capacity of 5,400 TEUs will continue operating in the service. New CMX service will cover Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Said, Malta, La Spezia, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, Malta, Port Klang, Singapore and Pusan.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6023/ 27 April 2009

Evergreen combines Asia/ISC/Gulf services

Evergreen is on the way merging two of its Far East/ Middle East/ Gulf services from May 2009, that will take around 2,800 TEUs of weekly capacity out of the trade.

From mid-May, the Far East/Arabian Persian Gulf (APG) and the China Araban Persian Gulf 2 (CPG2) services will be merged under one APG-style service that will also include calls in China. Presently, the APG service operates with 2,800 TEUs of weekly capacity and covers Taiwan, southern China, South East Asia, Indian sub-continent and Middle East, whereas the CPG2 service operates with 3,400 TEUs of weekly capacity and covers China, South East Asia, Indian sub-continent, Middle East.

Under the new APG service, port calls in China and Taiwan will be incorporated and the capacity presently operated on the CPG2 service will be deployed. New port rotation of the APG will be Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, Jebel Ali, Damman, Bandar Abbas, Singapore, Laem Chabang, Hong Kong and Qingdao.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6022/ 26 April 2009

New Piraeus calls

CSAV Norasia and Zim Integrated Shipping Services (Zim), are to make new calls at Piraeus from next month on two separate services.

CSAV Norasia will introduce a new Piraeus call on the Asia Black Sea (ABS) service starting with the first call expected to be made by the 6,500 TEUs Palena on 15 May 2009. The ABS has recently been upgraded from 3,400 to 5,500/6,500 TEUs vessels.

Zim will re-introduce a direct call at Piraeus on the Zim Container Service (ZCS), which operates on the Asia/ Mediterrenan/USEC/ USWC trade with 15 x 5,000 TEUs vessels. The first new Piraeus call on the ZCS is scheduled for 17 May 2009 by the 4,992 TEUs Zim Panama. Anyway, Piraeus was dropped as a direct port of call in April 2008 mostly because of port congestion and strike disruptions.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6014/ 22 April 2009

CMA-CGM and Maersk run another Asia/Med service

According to PR News, CMA-CGM and Maersk are on the way starting up another new joint vessel sharing agreement on the Asia/Mediterraean trade, this time covering the central/eastern Mediterranean market.

Maersk has slots on CMA-CGM's Phoex-Levex (BEXII) service which it markets as the Asia/Europe 22 (AE22) service. But, as from mid-May, Maersk will begin phasing in four 6,500 TEUs vessels to become a vessel provier, and CMA-CGM will upgrade its own existing vessel capacity from 4,300 TEUs vessels to 6,500 TEUs vessels.

There will be port call changes, with existing calls in northern China and Korea dropped. Effectively, the new joint service will run with 8 x 6,500 TEUs capacity vessels and offer direct port calls at Shanghai, Pusan, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Chiwan, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Port Said, Damietta, Trieste, Koper, Rijekea (feeder connection), Damietta, Port Saidm Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore and Shanghai.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6012/ 20 April 2009

Hamburg-Sud/Hapag-Lloyd going to terminate Europe/South America service

Hamburg-Sud and Hapag-Lloyd are going to terminate their joint North Europe/Eastcoast South America String 2 service taking out around 2,500 TEUs of weekly capacity from the trade.

The termination follows earlier confirmation that Hamburg-Sud, together with CSAV, CMA-CGM, Zim, Maruba and Niver Lines were streamlining their Mediterranean/East coast South America services (Sirius service network) to just one service from two.

The String 2 service operates with four vessels of 2,500 TEUs with Hapag-Lloyd deploying three, and Hamburg-Sud, one. The Port coverage is: Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antrwep, Le Havre, Paranagua, Santos, Salvador and Rotterdam. The service runs in conjunction with the Hamburg-Sud String 1 service whichdeploys 6 x 5,560 TEUs vessels.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6010/ 20 April 2009

Agilent to lay off workers in Penang...

NEC Computers Asia Pacific (NECCAP) is alarming...

NEC Computers Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd (NECCAP) (in Malaysia) will no longer market and distribute personal computers and notebooks bearing the trade mark of "NEC" with effect from June 2009. NECCAP shall continue to provide after sales services and support under its warranty and spare part commitments.

For service and spare parts purchase, end-users and customers of NEC PC products can continue to contact its Call Center or its Authorized Service Providers until further notice. However, you may still purchase its current products inventory from its Authorised Resellers.

NEC Computers Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd or NECCAP is a subsidiary of NEC Personal Products in Japan. NECCAP designs, manufactures and markets desktop and notebook personal computers in Asia Pacific with its regional headquarter office in Malaysia.

By leveraging on NEC's No.1* PC Brand position in Japan and NEC's leadership in Computers & Communications Technologies, NECCAP has been providing a full range of innovative desktop and notebook, home media network and enterprise PC solution ideal for consumers and commercial customers.

NECCAP is active in both business and marketing operations in the Asia Pacific regions.

Source: NECCAP

New Bahrain Gateway terminal officially opens for business

The new Bahrain Gateway terminal, operated by APM Terminals, officially opened for business today with the arrival of the 2,468 TEUs APL Dalian deployed on APL's Sub-continent Red Sea Service known as the SRX.

The arrival is expected to be shortly followed by a Maersk regional feeder service call.

Bahrain Gateway, situated at Khalifa Bin Salman Port will take much of the traffic now handled at the old port of Mina Salman which will cease commercial operations in May 2009.

The new terminal will have at least eight regular weekly calls from start up, is confident this year to achieve a 3-4% volume growth on the 270,000 TEUs handled at Mina Salmon in 2008, and expects capacity to rise to some 2.5m TEUs in the short term.

Among the services expected to call at the new terminal, will be a whole network of regional/ feeder loops operated by lines that apart from APL, also include, Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Co, UASC and Evergreen.

It's also expected to come through this year from other mainhaul lines' calls, particularly those involved in the Asia/Middle East trade. APM Terminals has a 25 year concession to run the 1,800m quay front terminal and has already invested in four new post-panamax gantry cranes with twin lift facilities, and a dozen RTGs.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6003/ 15 April 2009

Evergreen extends Asia/Med/Europe services

Evergreen Marine Corporation is to extend the USWC/Asia/Med pendulum service, known as the UAM service, to include a new direct call at Ashdod from mid-May 2009.

Ashdod was previously covered by Evergreen's Adriatic Express (ADR), which was suspended in February/March, and the Israel market was further served by the Asia/East Med (AEM), which was terminated back in mid-2008.

Through the addition of the Ashdod call on the UAM service, Evergreen will offer a direct 20 day westbound Taipei/Ashdod transit, and Tokyo/Ashdod in 28 days. UAM westbound port rotation shall be Tokyo, Osaka, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, Ashdod, Dekheila, Taranto, Genoa, Barcelona and Valencia.

First Ashdod call scheduled for 21 May 2009.

Separately, Evergreen will introduce new call at Qingdao on the China/Europe/Mediterranean Asia/Europe (CEM) service from late April increasing coverage of China to include the northern region. The first scheduled Qingdao call is on April 22nd

CEM westbound port rotation : Kaohsiung, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Taranto, Le Havre, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Thamesport.

Source: PR News/ Copy 6000/ 15 April 2009

Norasia brand to disappear "within a month"???

The name of Norasia is set to disappear as a marketing brand of parent company, Compania Sud-Americana de Vapores (CSAV) "within a month" according to close sources.

It's understood that the brand, which was formed in 2000 following the acquisition of Norasia Lines by CSAV, will be dropped, and parent CSAV will take on overall responsibilities for the operations of both the CSAV Norasia East/West services, and the mainstay of the CSAV operations, that of the North/South trades.

Such market belief has been rife for many months, but this is the first instance that a time frame has been put on the speculation.

As first reported by PR News Service under Copy 5959, 16 March 09 CSAV has turned to the German bank, HSH Corporate Finance for professional advice and assistance in how to proceed in the way ahead through the present market downturn.

Also, on the agenda of the CSAV visit are believed to be top level talks with German shipowner, Peter Dohle, owner of a series of 12,500 teu vessels for delivery in 2010/2011 on long term charter to CSAV.

It will be recalled that CSAV Norasia suspended its Asia/North Europe (ANE) service at the beginning of this year, and after a short lay up period, redeployed the ex-ANE vessels - between 5,500/6,500 teu capacity - on the Asia/Black Sea (ABS) service, increasing capacity by over 20%. Effectively, the only CSAV Norasia East/West service now covering North Europe, is the India/Middle East/Europe (IMEX) service.

The India/Europe trade has seen the reduction of the size of the ISES consortium that previously involved, Shipping Corporation of India, K Line, YML, MISC, and Zim, to just include SCI, K Line and Yangming, and there is strong belief the consortium maybe reduced in size even further.

Separately, credit agency, Standard & Poor has reduced its long term credit rating of CSAV from B- to BB-, a move that reflects a strong degree of negativity within the market.

CSAV is also considering selling its 13.01% stake in fellow Chilean shipping line, Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica SA (CCNI), as well as its stake in port logistics company, Agencias Universal (AGUNSA).

Source: PR News/ Copy 5992/ 7 April 2009