Russia wants to increase trade, commercial ties with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Russia considers Pakistan an important country of the region as it has great economic potential and wanted to increase bilateral trade and cooperation with Pakistan in diversified areas of economic activity. 

Strong bilateral trade and larger cooperation between Pakistan and Russia would bring prosperity and integrity to the region.

Yury M Kozlov Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Pakistan at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said, “Russia eyes Pakistan as a significant market and many Russian investors are taking interest to explore Pakistan for joint ventures and investment”. 

He said previously Russia participated in some big projects in Pakistan including Pakistan Steel Mills and now there was a renewed interest to enhance trade and economic ties with Pakistan in multiple areas. 

Kozlov said negotiations are in process with Pakistan for energy projects and cooperation in science and technology. He said a Russian company has already offered $1 billion financial and technical assistance for rehabilitation and upgradation of Pakistan Steel Mills. He said Russia was also ready to implement 500-600 megawatts coal-fired thermal power projects near Muzaffargarh and Jamshoro and also to modernise and convert some other power projects in Pakistan to coal. 

He briefed the local businessmen about the upcoming trade exhibitions in Russia and invited them to participate in these exhibitions for exploring new areas of business cooperation.

Zafar Bakhtawari President Islamabad Chamber said Pakistan was now focusing on Central Asia for trade and exports and developing strong economic relations with Russia was vital for tapping huge markets of this region. 

He said Pakistan was occupying a key economic location in the region and Russia should provide support to Pakistan to get the membership of Shanghai Cooperation organisation.

He said the bilateral trade of $542 million between the two countries was far less as Pakistan and Russia has the potential to take bilateral trade up to $4 billion for which serous efforts are required to be made by both sides. 

He said many Pakistani products including food, fruits and vegetables, livestock, leather products, surgical equipment and sports goods have the potential to meet Russian consumers’ needs and private sectors of both countries should be facilitated for direct contacts to tap all untapped areas of mutual cooperation. 

He stressed for direct air flights between Islamabad and Moscow and soft visa policy for promoting trade up to potential.

Russia is the third largest textile importing country of the world importing textile products of $20 billion annually and Russian textile importers should avail quality textile products of Pakistan, which are very competitive and affordable. a
He said the government in Pakistan was determined to undertake big infrastructure development projects including roads and railway network and invited Russian investors to take active part in these projects.

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Russia to build three new-generation ice-breakers for Northern Sea Route

Russia will float out a new-generation nuclear ice-breaker by 2017 with two more to follow in 2020 under a government program to ensure commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) – a 6,000-km Arctic waterway stretching from the Barents Sea in the west to the Bering Strait in the east. Russia is the only country with a nuclear-powered ice-breaking fleet. By the early 2020s, the NSR is expected to start recouping its cost.

The NSR is currently operational all year round. As cargo traffic increases, Russia will need more ice-breakers to cut the way for commercial ships. At present, Russia has five ice-breakers in its Arctic waters. But by 2021, four of them will be decommissioned.

In former Soviet times, the NSR was closed for military reasons. Now that foreign commercial ships are allowed to use it, more and more companies are seeing it as an effective transport corridor connecting Europe and Asia, said Yuri Shcherbanin from the Institute for Economic Forecasts of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"The distance between Northern Europe and Northeast Asia is much shorter than the traditional route through the Far East and the Suez Canal. Cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route has grown considerably over the past two years. More than 45 commercial ships sailed through it last year, including a liquefied gas tanker that brought over 66,000 tons of LNG from a Statoil plant in Norway to Japan."
In 2012, The Norwegian-flagged Marika tanker shipped more than 65,000 tons of aviation fuel produced from Sakhalin oil from Korea to Finland.

Within a few years, Russia will start developing oil and gas deposits on its Arctic shelf. The Novatek company is launching the construction of the Sabetta port and an LNG refinery in the Gulf of Ob. Future LNG exports both to Europe and Asia will require more ice-breakers, Mikhail Babenko, a gas environmental policy coordinator at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), told the Voice of Russia.

"It’s absolutely evident that no diesel-powered ship can manage to sail the whole length of the NSR without refueling. A diesel-powered ship can’t cut its way through ice as efficiently as a nuclear ice-breaker. Another big advantage of nuclear ice-breakers is the absence of soot emissions."
New-generation ice-breakers will surpass their current analogues over a whole range of parameters, said Alexander Voznesenksy, Director of the Baltiysky Zavod shipyard.

"The new ice-breaker will have a draft of between 8.5 m and 10.5 m. Thanks to its unique design, it can be operated both at the Northern Sea Route and in the estuaries of Siberian rivers. Its width – 34 m – means that it can cut the way for tankers with a dead weight of 100,000 tons."

New-generation ice-breakers will be equipped with advanced security and navigation systems.

Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_08_25/Russia-to-build-three-new-generation-ice-breakers-for-Northern-Sea-Route-9892/

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EU to enter talks with China on ending its anti-dumping wine probe

CHINA and the European Union continue to negotiate anti-dumping probe of European wine exports which amounted to 257.3 million litres in 2012, valued at US$1 billion, half of which were from France. 

A decision to drop the wine anti-dumping probe is unconfirmed with a latest report from Reuters citing law firm's continued investigation into the Chinese industry association's complaint. However, discussion is a sign that Europe's most important trading partner is willing to ease tensions. 

The threat of duties on European wine from France, Italy and Spain appears a symbolic move, particularly centred on the two countries, France and Italy, most in favour of hefty fines on Chinese solar panels. 

Germany and Britain opposed the move with Germany as they would be hurt by tariffs in China, a major exporter of polysilicon, a raw material used in making solar-energy devices. 

Source: http://www.schednet.com/home/index.asp?area=seacargo

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Seaport operations company loads landship during training

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. - With clear, blue sky above and the hot afternoon sun shining down on the Vissering Landship Training Facility here, the 390th Seaport Operations Company out of Ceiba, Puerto Rico, is hard at work. The soldiers of the 390th SPOC are conducting their yearly Extended Combat Training exercise to learn new skills and refresh current skills as Army cargo specialists.

The training at the Vissering Landship is unique since it gives soldiers the chance to practice loading and unloading cargo and vehicles from a sea vessel while remaining on land. 

The types of training we are doing here is called a Logistics–Over-The-Shore operation, said Sgt. Carlos Garcia, a cargo specialist with the 390th SPOC. Garcia explained that the training involves loading and unloading cargo onto a watercraft, and roll-on and roll-off training for the vehicles being loaded onto a vessel. This is just one of many exercises they will be doing in preparation of the final live exercise, he said. 

The 390th SPOC leadership will be busy training their soldiers in all aspects of their job during this training event as cargo specialists. 

“We specialize in transporting cargo and personnel in planes, trains and sea vessels,” said Pvt. Richard Paul Lopez, a cargo specialist with the 390th SPOC. With so many aspects in which to train, the 390th SPOC will be working hard to give every soldier the best possible experience. Garcia said they are constantly rotating their training, and they will soon be training on tactical maneuvers while on convoys. With so much to learn and do, soldiers are constantly being challenged, he said. 

“So far it’s been great,” Lopez said. “It’s great, because the training never gets repetitive.” 

This training exercise gives the Soldiers a chance to work with equipment they don’t have access to back at their home station in Puerto Rico, said Sgt. 1st Class Luis Gonzales, a cargo non-commissioned officer with the 390th SPOC.

At the training site, the 390th SPOC continually emphasizes the importance of safety, especially for the junior-enlisted soldiers. Garcia said that safety is the main priority as well as refresher training. He said the training is important because it goes down to the basic soldier skills, from discipline to situational awareness, and that is why safety is so important. 

Along with safety, the need to know the job well and be able to perform is important. Gonzales explains that safety is a big part of this training, but we also have to take advantage of all the knowledge the instructors here have and learn from the experience of all the soldiers.

With so much to brush up on, and the need to train more than 150 Soldiers in land, air and sea cargo loading operations, the 390th SPOC is well on its way to guide all their soldiers to success. 

The chance to work with new equipment and being able to utilize the experience of instructors has the 390th SPOC running like a well-oiled machine.

Source: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/111180/seaport-operations-company-loads-landship-during-training#.UftMeORHL_I#ixzz2amzpMWOi

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Piracy and its Effect on Global Trade

Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, Director General of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), contends that over the last ten years, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea have reached high levels of piracy, lending to increased risk for the maritime shipping industry. At Tuesday’s international symposium entitled: ‘The Challenges of Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea,’ he highlighted the issue.

“The risks of such crimes taking place are exacerbated by links to organizations involved in international terrorism. Undoubtedly, the volume of global trade that passes through the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea makes this region an indispensable economic artery and maritime corridor for world security and stability,” he is quoted as saying.

However, aiming for a balance in his rhetoric, he also accentuated how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have shown their commitment over the past ten years to reducing piracy and related activities in the region. These actions by the UAE have shown positive results, as well as a commitment to working against international terrorism and the collateral crime manifests itself as a bi-product of it.

Acknowledging the notion that piracy is largely a bi-product of weak government as well as ties to terrorist organizations, Dr. Al-Suwaidi is later quoted as saying: “In response to maritime piracy activities in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, the UAE is following a two-track approach. On the one hand it provides support for international efforts to confront maritime piracy gangs and on the other hand it supports political ties aimed at enabling the Somali state to control its territory.” Lending credit to the nations in the region for exhibiting their best efforts to curb the phenomenon of piracy is a major step forward into the realm of significantly cutting down on the problem.

The symposium held on Tuesday reflected the issue of piracy in the region, while also seeking solutions through various panels to combat the problem in the future. Overall, it will contribute to safer shipping lanes and economic activity in the region to be reflected in the coming months/years.

Source: http://globalseafreight.com/piracy-and-its-effect-on-global-trade/

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GMS Offers Valuable Service for Retired Vessels

Being as controversial as it is, the practice of shipbreaking is relinquishing its role to more productive means of retiring used vessels. One of these means is ship recycling. One of the most prominent companies in this industry is GMS LeaderShip, a company with a global office disposition that conducts cash buys of ships in order to recycle them or sell them to other companies that do.

So far, GMS has negotiated the recycling of about 2,000 vessels, making them the premier company in the industry worldwide. They operate out of offices ranging from Bangledesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Shanghai to Dubai and Romania. GMS stands out due to its exceptional Corporate Social Responsibility Standards (CSR). It has exhibited these many times over through its deals with other companies and its innovative solutions to ship recycling.

GMS has achieved numerous milestones over the last three years. These include: negotiating more than 100 ship buying deals over the last nine years, delivered 300 ships in one year, developed a Green Ship Recycling Program, and delivered 24 vessels in one month. For more information on GMS’ accomplishments, visit the following site: http://www.gmsinc.net/gms/aboutus.php.

In the coming years, GMS will be a significant partner for companies who want to exercise CRS and engage in disposal of vessels in a way that will not be harmful to the environment or the people who work to dispose of them or recycle them.

Source: http://globalseafreight.com/gms-offers-valuable-service-for-retired-vessels/

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Future Expansion of Malaysian Ports

Kuantan Port in Malaysia is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. A partnership between IJM Corp Bhd and its subsidiary Kuantan Port Consortium Sdn Bhd (KPC), as well as China’s Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group will facilitate the expansion.

The final design of the project is due in October; the partners have agreed to expand the facility with 16 extra meters of draft alongside the new facility’s berths to help support trade to and from the adjacent Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s major gateway near the capital, is also slated for expansion. Rumors of a third major port being built have also circulated via the Port Klang Authority; this would be in response to rising demand. Westport and Northport currently handle container traffic at Klang.

This presents an issue because these ports also have their own ambitions for expansion, being hindered in their endeavours as long as Port Klang continues to use their facilities. Northport’s plans to increase capacity include means of purchasing larger container-handling equipment, while Wesport plans to raise funds for new developments through a proposed initial public offering. Westport’s goal is to have this complete within the calendar year.

The expansion in Malaysia means more access of maritime shipping to the Asian market, especially due to the connections between Malaysia and China. This is an expansion project that companies will want to be familiar with in the coming months, as its development will affect access to the region.

Source: http://globalseafreight.com/future-expansion-of-malaysian-ports/

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Peak Season Surcharge for All Imports to Vostochniy, Russia

The shipping industry experienced a flux of increased freight rates.  This is due to the year before showing exceptionally low freight rates where shipping companies lost billions of dollars due to overcapacity.  The consequence of this was a 2012 that saw many companies looking for ways to increase their rates to meet costs on ocean freight.

This phenomenon has manifested itself in many companies increasing previously implemented or implementing peak-season surcharges.  One of the most recent to adopt this measure is MCC Transport.

MCC Transport is a regional specialist handling all Intra-Asia containerized cargo for the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group in addition to providing feeder services for a wide range of regional and global shipping lines.  Their rates, going into effect on 15 July 2013 for all dry cargo imports, will be as indicated in the following table:

TYPE	PEAK SEASON SURCHARGE
	20’	40’	40’HC	45’
DRY	USD 50	USD 50	USD 50	USD 50

Source: http://globalseafreight.com/peak-season-surcharge-for-all-imports-to-vostochniy-russia/

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Georgia ports set multiple freight records

Georgia’s ports set records during the last fiscal year for tonnage, bulk cargo, auto and machinery units, and freight moved by intermodal rail, the Georgia Ports Authority(GPA) announced Monday.

In the year ending June 30, the ports moved 27.23 million tons of cargo, a 2.4 percent increase over fiscal 2012.

“Our overall tonnage increase has been fueled by the strength of U.S. exports and the GPA’s varied cargo spectrum,” authority Executive Director Curtis Foltzsaid.

For the second year in a row, the GPA achieved a record for auto and machinery units with an 11.7 percent increase over fiscal 2012. The Port of Brunswick is the third busiest port in the U.S. for total roll-on/roll-off cargo and the second busiest for imports of such cargo.

Bulk cargo movement soared by 61.8 percent, while the authority moved a record 314,623 containers by rail, up 4,600 containers over fiscal 2012.

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/07/29/georgia-ports-set-multiple-freight.html

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Freighters and belly cargo conference 2013

This year's Freighters and belly cargo Conference will be held at the Park Hyatt Hotel on Sadiyaat Island, Abu Dhabi from 29 September to 1 October 2013.

This is the 13th consecutive year we have held the Freighters World Conference – and this year we have included topics on belly cargo.

This two-day conference presents fantastic opportunities to network and socialise. Attended by delegates and speakers who can make things happen, make a difference and make change, you will not be disappointed.

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel in the United Arab Emirates is an exclusive sanctuary for the discerning business and leisure traveller, located on a nine-kilometre stretch of environmentally protected beach on Saadiyat Island. The resort is adjacent to the famous Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, minutes from the city’s prime business district, the Abu Dhabi Corniche, and 25 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport. The island is only a 40 minute taxi journey from the business district of Dubai.

Source: http://www.aircargonews.net/events/book-event-form.html

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Cargo Airline of the Year 2014

The 31st anniversary of Air Cargo News awards evening, Cargo Airline of the Year, will take place at the Lancaster London Hotel on Saturday, 26th April 2014. If you need any further information about this Air Cargo News event, known throughout the airfreight world as the ‘Oscars’ of the air cargo industry, then please contact Patricia Cooper, General Manager of the Events Division on p.cooper(at)aircargonews.net or telephone +44 (0) 1784 255000

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Three new container freight stations mooted

VISAKHAPATNAM: Three new Container Freight Stations (CFS) are expected to be set up in the Port City around the end of the year. Currently, the Container Corporation of India (Concor), Sravan Shipping Services Private Limited, Gateway East India Private Limited and CWC-SICAL have one CFS each in Visakhapatnam.

According to sources, Concor and Sravan Shipping Services plan to set up one more CFS each in the near future. The central government too plans to set up one CFS in Vizag to cater to the increasing demand for container services. "The Balmer Laurie CFS is being undertaken as a joint venture between the central government and Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT). "We are finalising the joint venture," said the senior port official. The proposal was made three years ago but could not be implemented because of land related issues. "The handling capacity details will be released once the formalities are completed," said the official.

Phase 1 and 2 of the Concor CFS is expected to come up across 80 acres and is likely to handle around half-a-million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), according to a senior port official."The new (phase 1) Concor facility will be built with a terminal built across 55 acres adjacent the Aiyappa temple. We have transferred the land and it will be operational by October," said the official.

Sravan Shipping chief executive G Sambasiva Rao said the firm aims to handle 10,000 TEUs per month with a CFC built across 30 acres from December. "Container cargo is the future. More than 70% of the commodities in the developed world are switching to container cargo. In some places, even iron ore and coal are being transported through containers. Though container cargo in vizag is just 5% of total cargo handled, it is expected to increase provided there is improved infrastructure in place," he said.

"People are looking at better viability. Earlier, lorries used to be used to transport marble slabs from Rajasthan which was expensive. However, now with domestic and exim (export import) facility available at the ports, businesses are looking at container traffic," said a source.

VPT handled 45.54 lakh tonnes of container traffic in terms of tonnage and 2.48 lakh tonnes in terms of TEUs in 2012-13 as compared to 42.14 lakh tonnes and 2.34 lakh tonnes respectively in 2011-12.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/Three-new-container-freight-stations-mooted/articleshow/21436552.cms

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Indore domestic freight charges- July 26

July 26 (Reuters) - Freight rates from Indore, the key wholesale soybeans
market in central India, to other destinations in India :

    --Charges for WET CARGO, in rupees per 10,000-litre tanker--


 
                      Friday's            Previous
    Indore to
    Abohar       ---               33,000-33,500       33,000-33,500
    Alwar        ---               24,500-25,000       24,500-25,000
    Ambala       ---               31,500-32,000       31,500-32,000
    Amritsar     ---               34,000-34,500       34,000-34,500
    Banglore     ---               32,000-32,500       32,000-32,500
    Bulandshahar ---               23,500-24,000       23,500-24,000
    Chennai      ---               36,000-36,500       36,000-36,500
    Chandigarh   ---               33,500-34,000       33,500-34,000
    Delhi        ---               25,000-25,500       25,000-25,500
    Faridabad    ---               24,500-25,000       24,500-25,000
    Gaziabad     ---               22,500-23,000       22,500-23,000
    Hedarabad    ---               21,500-22,000       21,500-22,000
    Hisar        ---               27,000-27,500       27,000-27,500
    Jaipur       ---               20,500-21,000       20,500-21,000
    Jalandhar    ---               34,000-34,500       34,000-34,500
    Jammu        ---               40,500-41,000       40,500-41,000
    Kanpur       ---               22,500-23,000       22,500-23,000
    Karnal       ---               30,000-30,500       30,000-30,500
    Ludhiana     ---               34,500-35,000       34,500-35,000
    Mumbai       ---               14,000-14,500       14,000-14,500
    Modinagar    ---               23,000-23,500       23,000-23,500
    Pathankot    ---               38,500-39,000       38,500-39,000
    Rajpura      ---               33,000-33,500       33,000-33,500
    Sangrur      ---               33,500-34,000       33,500-34,000
    Sarhanpur    ---               29,500-30,000       29,500-30,000
    Sikandarabad ---               23,000-23,500       23,000-23,500

    --Charges for DRY CARGO, in rupees per 10-tonne truck load--


    Indore to:
    Ahmednagar   ---               12,500-13,000       12,500-13,000
    Ahmedabad    ---                9,500-10,000        9,500-10,000
    Amritsar     ---               30,000-30,500       30,000-30,500
    Aurangabad   ---               12,000-12,500       12,000-12,500
    Baroda       ---                8,500-9,000         8,500-9,000
    Bedi Bunder  ---               10,000-10,500       10,000-10,500
    Bhavnagar    ---                9,500-10,000        9,500-10,000
    Bangalore    ---               25,000-25,500       25,000-25,500
    Chandigarh   ---               25,500-26,000       25,500-26,000
    Delhi        ---               20,000-20,500       20,000-20,500
    Dhulia       ---                8,500-9,000         8,500-9,000
    Faridabad    ---               20,500-21,000       20,500-21,000
    Jaipur       ---               18,500-19,000       18,500-19,000
    Jalandhar    ---               29,000-29,500       29,000-29,500
    Jammu*       ---               36,500-37,000       36,500-37,000
    Kandla       ---               11,500-12,000       11,500-12,000
    Karar        ---               16,000-16,500       16,000-16,500
    Karnal       ---               23,000-23,500       23,000-23,500
    Kolhapur     ---               17,000-17,500       17,000-17,500
    Ludhiana     ---               26,000-26,500       26,000-26,500
    Malegaon     ---               10,000-10,500       10,000-10,500
    Mumbai port  ---               14,500-15,000       14,500-15,000
    Mundra       ---               12,000-12,500       12,000-12,500
    Nashik       ---               10,000-10,500       10,000-10,500
    Nanded       ---               13,000-13,500       13,000-13,500
    Navlakhi     ---               12,000-12,500       12,000-12,500
    New Bombay   ---               13,500-14,000       13,500-14,000
    Okha         ---               12,000-12,300       12,000-12,300
    Porbandar    ---               11,000-11,500       11,000-11,500
    Pipawa       ---               11,500-12,000       11,500-12,000
    Pune         ---               14,500-15,000       14,500-15,000
    Satara       ---               15,500-16,000       15,500-16,000
    Sangli       ---               16,000-16,500       16,000-16,500
    Solapur      ---               15,000-15,500       15,000-15,500

    * 9 tonnes

source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/07/26/indore-freights-idINL4N0FW2RK20130726

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Giant Logistics Group Falls Foul of Freight Forwarding Ownership Law

FedEx Proposes to Continue Operations Despite Being Ruled Out of Public Utility Contract 


PHILIPPINES – When the judiciary comes up against state in virtually any country, casual observers can often sit back and enjoy the ensuing row. After effectively being kicked out of the country this week when a Court ruled that its government-issued freight forwarding licence was invalid, FedEx has apparently vowed to continue operations whilst awaiting the final decision of the Supreme Court after two native logistics firms won a wrongful practice suit.

The government, under the auspices of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), issued FedEx with the 5 year licence in May 2011 following a Department of Justice authorisation some years earlier that exempted freight forwarders from the national requirement to only grant public utility contracts to companies owned and operated by Filipinos.

The appellate Court begged to differ however saying, having made the original decision to disqualify FedEx (and any other forwarder affected by similar licence arrangements) that the Justice Department had no authorisation to overturn its ruling. Three justices all agreed on this after a case was brought by two Philippine companies, Merit Freight International Inc. and Ace Logistics Inc., aiming to prove that FedEx is a foreign corporation.

There was precedent for the prosecution in that one company, Royal Cargo, apparently previously 70% owned by Filipinos and with a foreign president but married to a native, exchanged their president for a German national which caused the CAB to rescind their licence to operate unless a further change of presidential status was effected within one month.

It is difficult to see how FedEx can win this particular argument and certainly there may be some residue of distaste after the events of February 2009 when the logistics giant pulled out of its contract to operate a 300,000 square foot cargo terminal in the Subic Bay International Airport. The closure, despite an agreement stretching into 2010, was due to FedEx’s desire to reposition its main Asia Pacific hub to China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the first time the US company had ever closed a main cargo hub. The move cost over seven hundred Filipino jobs and followed a move the previous year when FedEx pulled the plug on the operations of Corporate Air which also had a presence at Subic.

It is presumed that the FedEx appeal will centre on the money the US corporation says it is has earmarked to invest in the expansion of its facilities in the country, which was to include new offices and freight terminals supposedly at a cost exceeding $11.5 million. In a statement a spokesman for FedEx (Philippines and Indonesia) said:

“FedEx is operating under the international freight forwarder licence issued by the CAB as an independent entity in the Philippines. The licence was issued on May 2, 2011 and is valid until May 1, 2016. Pending the final decision of the Supreme Court, the CAB has confirmed that FedEx (together with all of the 30 plus other foreign-owned air freight forwarders) can continue to operate under the licence.”

source: http://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/giant-logistics-group-falls-foul-of-freight-forwarding-ownership-law-_4791

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VAT on China freight charges

New rules have been issued by the Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Tax in their Cai Shui no.37 (Circular 37) regarding application of VAT to ocean transport services. The majority of carriers have confirmed that they will start to debit 6 % VAT on all charges payable in China.

---

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the application of the new rules and some carriers are seeking clarification with Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Tax. We understand that until those carriers receive clarification of the rules and their application to ocean shipping, existing invoicing arrangements will remain unchanged.

As is often the case with changes to regulations in China there will be some contradictory statements and we cannot make definitive statements regarding implementation at present.

We have compiled the below information from carrier notices:

The following carriers have indicated that they will apply the 6% VAT charge on all invoices payable in the PRC from 1st August 2013based on the issuance date of the VAT invoice.
 
OOCL, Hamburg Sud, MSC, MOL, NYK Lines, CSAV, China Shipping Container Lines

The following carriers have stated that existing invoicing arrangements will remain unchanged until they have obtained clarification with the Chinese Authorities

Evergreen, Maersk, MCC

Source: http://www.bifa.org/content/popmessage.aspx?sec=2&id=3642

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Why cars and rough seas don't mix

It is not uncommon for cars to spend weeks on cargo ships en route to their destination - but sometimes the cars simply don’t make it.
That scenario played out on a ship that experienced rough seas on a chaotic ocean crossing from Japan to Russia by the Cambodian vessel, Astongate.
According to the description of the dramatic vision uploaded to YouTube, the ship was carrying 64 used cars to Vladivostok, but following a storm and enormous swells, only 12 made it to the end. Further investigation suggests the incident may have actually occurred in February 2012, according to The Maritime Bulletin.
The vessel is described as being a Roll-on, Roll-off (RO-RO) ship, which are commonly used for shipping cars. In most cases, however, the vehicles are secured in the hull of the ship, meaning they won't be exposed to the elements. In this instance, however, the cars were on the top-deck.

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The video shows several cars falling over the edges of the ship, and it appears there are broken tie-down straps littered over the deck.
The person who paid for the cars to be carried on the top deck of the ship reportedly signed a document acknowledging the risks involved.
There have been two well-documented incidents involving RO-RO ships, including the sinking of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, and the capsize of the TEV Wahine in New Zealand in 1968.
And even cargo ships with the cars secured in the hull can experience significant problems at sea. For example, the Norwegian carrier MV Tricolor sank in the English Channel in 2002, taking 2800 cars with it. And in 2006, a ship with nearly 5000 Mazdas on board tipped onto its side in rough seas.

Source: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/why-cars-and-rough-seas-dont-mix-20130726-2qp1r.html

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Construction of dry-cargo terminal at trading port near Baku to end in 2015

The construction of a dry-cargo terminal of the new international trading port near the Azerbaijani capital Baku is due to finish in 2015.

"It is planned to put into operation the ferry terminal and the entire road infrastructure in 2014," Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov said during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, which was dedicated to the results of Azerbaijan's social-economic development in the first half of 2013 and upcoming tasks.

"The construction of the largest and modern international sea trading port in the Caspian Sea continues successfully. A channel with a length of 7.5 kilometers to the shore and with the depth of 7 meters has opened and work on the construction of installations onshore is underway," Mammadov said.

The construction of the new international trading port began in November 2010. It is located 65 kilometers south of Baku in the Alat settlement.

The construction of the international sea trading port will be implemented in three stages. The first stage of the project includes the construction of two ferry and three cargo berths for receiving containers of 'RoRo' type and simple (universal) dry-cargo ships. The second phase of the project envisages the construction of three more cargo berths, and the third phase implies the construction of two additional cargo berths. The port can accept up to 11.6 million tons of cargo a year.

The minister also said that four new tankers and five ferries have been acquired for the last five years at the expense of the state budget funds.

Besides, the Baku International Bus Terminal, around 11 terminals and bus stations have been built in Azerbaijani regions in the last five years, he added.

According to Mammadov, eight terminals and bus stations have been reconstructed and three terminals are being built.

Concerning the issue of the car fleet renewal, he said around 3,471 new large and medium buses, as well as 1,850 taxies, including 1,000 "London cabs", have been obtained over the past five years.

In particular, 16 Boeing, Airbus and Embraer passenger aircraft as well as three helicopters were purchased in 2008-2012. Mammadov said that international airports have been put into operation in the major regional centers of the country, such as Ganja, Lankaran, Zagatala and Gabala.

Touching upon the implementation of major transport projects by Azerbaijan, Mammadov also spoke about the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. He said that 2 kilometers of the total of 4.2 kilometers of the tunnel on the border of Turkey and Georgia have been laid.

"In the framework of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project it is planned to build a new 105-kilometer branch railway line," he said. "As is expected, each year 30 million tons of cargo will be transported via the BTK railway line, which will have direct access to the European rail network."

Source: http://www.azernews.az/business/57118.html

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