Ports of Auckland targets Tauranga assets

New Zealand-base Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen has unveiled a company plan to buy Port of Tauranga’s container business.

Ports of Auckland, which declared an annual net profit of $21.1m for 2007 - down from $64.6m the year before (that included one-off profits), had previously attempted the merger. “Although the 2007 Port of Tauranga / Ports of Auckland merger proposal was not successful the rationale for changes in the industry in the upper North Island is still strong," Madsen said. "The sustainability of New Zealand’s existing ports sector investments, the industry’s ability to invest in the future and the global competitiveness of the country’s supply chain might be assisted by the purchase of Port of Tauranga’s container business by Ports of Auckland," he continued, adding, "A single integrated container business at the upper North Island would also facilitate a more sensible and coherent approach to investment in supporting infrastructure - in road, rail and coastal shipping." However, Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns is reported to have dismissed the idea of a buy out on the basis that “A rough and ready calculation would suggest that Tauranga's container business would be worth substantially more than Ports of Auckland's container business."
Read More

Foreign-flag ships in detention in UK ports after failing inspections

Eight foreign-flag ships remain under detention in UK ports during July after failing Port State Control inspections.

According to the UK Maritime and Coastguard agency, latest monthly figures show that there were five new detentions of foreign-flagged ships in UK ports during July 2008 and three vessels under detention from previous months. Out of the detained vessels, four were registered with flag states listed on the Paris MOU white list, two were registered with flag states on the grey list, one was registered with a flag state on the black list and one was registered with an unlisted flag state. During July, 107 Port State Control inspections were carried out in the UK.
Read More

Hamburg Sud to add fifth Brazil port of call

Hamburg Sud is adding a weekly port of call from Jacksonville to the southern Brazilian port of Navegantes, to take advantage of the South American nation's booming economy.

The stop at Navegantes will be launched from mid-September, making it the fifth Brazilian port called on by the line, said Francis Larkin, Hamburg Sud's senior vice president, reports the Jacksonville Business Journal. It is noted that Brazil is Florida's top trading partner and Jacksonville's second largest trading partner, and imports are expected to continue to grow. The main imports from Brazil are building materials, lumber, furniture, textiles and auto parts, with chemicals and raw materials being exported to Brazil.
Read More

China's international forwarders council meet in Anhui

China International Freight Forwarders Association's (CIFA) third council meeting has recently been held in Huangshan, Anhui province.

The Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Civil Affairs and Anhui provincial Department of Commerce officials delivered speeches at the meeting and expressed continuing support for the domestic freight forwarding industry. Vice chairman of CIFA Liu Zhanfang hosted the meeting, while chairman Zhao Huxiang presented the work report and vice secretary-general Lin Zhong presented the financial report. The meeting heard a report on the earlier fifth Sino-International Freight Forwarders Conference and the FIATA annual meeting in September. Regional representatives expressed the hope that the Ministry of Commerce would give more support to the domestic forwarding industry, and suggested that CIFA should learn from its overseas peers in urging the industry to enhance its self-discipline and that all forwarders associations should strengthen communications.
Read More