ISSUE 1 2010


NEWS


Shipping groups call for pre-export container-weighing rules


The World Shipping Council and the


International


Chamber of Shipping are calling on the International Maritime


Organization


(IMO) to make weighing of containers mandatory prior to export. Following numerous representations from the industry, and a number of conferences on the subject, the industry organisations have called on the IMO to establish a universal international requirement that export cargo containers must be weighed by the marine terminal upon receipt and before vessel loading. They also want the actual container weights to be made available to the vessel operator and used for vessel stowage planning. A legal requirement to weigh


stuffed containers is feasible and practical, say the two bodies, pointing out that one already exists in the US and no problems have been reported. They add that in some parts of the world an increasing number of container terminals are weighing boxes at


in-gates, without any apparent disruption. “These practices demonstrate that there is no technical or operational reason that stuffed containers cannot be weighed in advance of vessel loading,” said WSC and ICS in a statement. However, in the absence of a legal requirement to weigh containers, “it would appear that most marine terminals and vessel stowage planning will continue to operate on the basis of accepting shipper declared container weights” They say that while there is


no reliable data on how many containers are overweight, the problem is significant, and in some trade lanes, “at times, rampant” with overweight or incorrectly declared weights reaching 10% of the total cargo on board vessels. Some carriers report that actual total cargo weight aboard ship can be 3- 7% greater than the declared weight. While WSC and ICS have produced guidelines on safe loading of containers, these can


only recommend best practice, “and have had little discernible effect on reducing the incidences of shippers providing incorrect container weights, or on ensuring that marine terminals verify the weight of loaded containers upon receipt/prior to loading.” Moreover, the fact that some


carriers and terminal operators are less attentive to the issue of overweight containers “can be a significant competitive issue” and unilateral action by a shipping line to weigh containers can be commercially difficult where there is no regulatory requirement. David Cheslin, whose company recently organised a conference on the subject (FBJ 2 p27) commented: “With the backing this proposal now has, I am sure IMO will put the wheels in motion. It will take some time though but don’t be surprised if some lines pre-empt IMO and not wait for the legislation.” He added: “Although the WSC/ICS announcement quite


specifically mentions ‘overweight containers’, many in the industry believe that all containers should be weighed, not just loaded units. There are grounds for suspicion that many containers declared as empty are not empty. For example, an importer may return an empty container having first loaded it with waste material that would otherwise have had to be disposed of legally and expensively. “And of course, if a terrorist organisation ever did try to ship a ‘dirty bomb’, they may well choose to do so using an empty container.”


The proceedings of June 2010’s “Weighing containers: Is it really that difficult?” conference in London have now been published by Dunelm Public Relations. Cost is £100 or €125 and includes downloadable access to the full set of PowerPoint presentations. Contact:


judycheslin@dunelmpr.co.uk Allport merges with Far East partner


The UK’s largest privately owned forwarder Allport is to merge with CS Logistics Holdings, the parent company of Hong Kong and China-based Cargo Services Far East. The two companies have been working together for 20 years including setting up the Far East Cargo Line NVOCC network and other joint ventures in South Africa, Singapore, Thailand and Korea.


Allport’s two original founders, together with the new group managing director, Chris Cargill and deputy group managing director, Jerry Gray, will retain a 10% stake in the company. HSBC has also become


Kong and China, employing over 4,200 staff. John Lau said: “I am very


John Lau


a strategic financial partner in the group. Allport was founded almost


50 years ago by Will Toye and John Clayton, who both retain a minority stake in the new venture. CS Logistics Holdings was founded in 1990 by John Lau, with Allport taking a shareholding from its inception, and now has 28 offices in Hong


excited by the new opportunities and challenges that this merger will bring. We have always worked closely together and now, with more than 5,500 personnel in over 70 worldwide locations, we have the combined strengths to accelerate our growth on a global scale.” Allport’s current group managing director Derek Davis and his deputy Danny Toye will move to non-executive roles; their places will be taken by colleagues Chris Cargill and Jerry Gray respectively. The business will continue to


operate under the two existing brand names. Headquartered in Cowley


(near Uxbridge), Allport operates from 25 locations in the UK and employs 1,000 people, specialising in chemicals, fashion, retail, beverages, defence, finance, medical, technology and telecoms. Cargo Services Far East, which lists its specialities as fashion, retail and industrial, has offices in 28 cities in China, plus Hong Kong, Singapore, Brisbane, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Los Angeles and a network of agents in over 80 countries. It already has equity interests in Allport Thailand and Allport Korea.


New guide to freight carbon cutting


The Department for Transport and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have produced a new guide on measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport. Aimed mainly at transport operators, though also of interest to users of such services, it has been produced with the help of industry bodies such as the Rail Freight Group and the Freight Transport Association. It aims to give clear instructions on how to calculate greenhouse


gas emissions and is concerned solely with calculating and reporting the direct effect of burning fuel to drive vehicles it is designed to be used alongside general guidance from Defra on reducing greenhouse gases. The document also contains ‘signposts’ to further information. The advice is mainly applicable to road, sea and rail transport. Many companies are now requiring their freight providers to


provide information on emissions and such information is often included in many company reports. The document covers emissions that are under the direct control of the organisation and those that are not, but which nevertheless many companies want information on in order to calculate their total climate impact. There is also a quick reference guide, giving an overview of the key


stages companies need to go through in order to measure and report their emissions. Welcoming the move, Freight Transport Association chief economist


Simon Chapman, said: “More hauliers and rail service providers are being asked by their customers for greenhouse gas data linked to the freight movements they are undertaking. This new guidance will help ensure that carriers can provide data using a consistent approach.” ww2.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting


ROUND-UP: CUSTOMS & TRADE


Britain was in the bizarre position of exporting more to Ireland than to China, India and Japan combined, business secretary Vince Cable told Mumbai businessmen on 18 January. In a speech to the Confederation of Indian Industry as part of an official visit to India, he said that the UK needed to rebalance its traditional trading relationships following the global economic crisis and boost trade with emerging markets like India China, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia and elsewhere. While relationships with EU neighbours, and the US, must remain


strong, “we must build far deeper ties with new centres of global growth, and rebalance and improve the low trade volumes with India,” he said.


Customs services are in a unique position to monitor international trade and ensure security, said the World Customs Organisation in a communiqué on air cargo security, issued at its policy commission in Shanghai on 8 December. It said that customs is aware of all cross- border transactions and had the means to identify and stop any illegitimate ones, and possessed information on supply chains as well as powers to inspect. It could also identify patterns emerging from its vast stock of data and apply various control techniques including knowledge of traders, risk analysis, scanning and physical examination.


ROUND-UP: FORWARDING & LOGISTICS


Aramex offered a sea-air service from China to the UK and Europe via Vancouver during the Christmas rush in 2010. The logistics specialist says that it offered a faster and more cost-effective via the relatively uncongested Canadian port and airport. Aramex also secured ocean capacity from China and guaranteed airfreight slots from Canada into the UK, the Netherlands and France, with a transit time of 18 days.


Logwin has opened a new 2,000sq m bonded logistics centre in Shanghai offering a range of value-added services including temperature controlled storage, processing and specialised sorting, packing and labelling of fashion goods for European markets. Logwin also holds a Class-A license for logistics and trading operations.


GAC Logistics has opened an office in Sheffield, its tenth in the UK. It will provide a wide range of services and solutions to serve companies throughout South Yorkshire and the North Midlands. GAC is planning to open a further eight locations in the UK over the next two years.


DSV has achieved SQAS chemical and dangerous goods safety and quality assessment for its fourth UK site at Tamworth. The company already has similar status for its sites at Purfleet, Manchester and Bristol.


Geodis UK (Geodis Calberson) has been certified as an authorised economic operator (AEO) by HM Revenue & Customs. It allows Geodis improved and priority clearance for goods under customs control.


Kuehne + Nagel Bulgaria has moved its headquarters to the new Sofia Airport Centre, where it will also offer 900sq m of warehousing. The new facility is equipped with temperature control, round the clock security and video surveillance.


Damco, the logistics arm of the AP Moller-Maersk Group, has appointed Thomas Shortley as its new global head of aid and relief. A US national with 18 years of international development experience and based in Cape Town, he will lead the dedicated Aid and Relief team and raise Damco’s profile among aid agencies. He has held key managerial positions with the United Nations and private sectors both in the headquarters and field levels and also served as US congressional liaison and desk officer for the Africa Great Lakes and DPR Korea emergency response programs.


GAC Clearing & Forwarding (Nigeria) has been certified by the TRACE anti-bribery association for its commitment to strict ethical business practice. As part of its commitment, its logistics staff are now completing an online International course.


Industry Training Provider, Learning World is urging companies to sign up their employees for training courses before Government funding is withdrawn. While it claims to have the largest government funding contract in the country, it warns that with looming spending cuts, this may not continue indefinitely. There is currently Skills Funding Agency money available for Driving Goods Vehicles (QCF) Level 2, Logistics Operations Management Level 3, Traffic Office Level 2 and Warehousing and Storage Level 2. It adds that it will handle any paperwork involved and that assessment can be carried out during business hours at times convenient to the employer.


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