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Issue 6 2013


Mixed reception for container weighing plans


The Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) is calling on governments to support compromise proposals for the verification of container weights at the International Maritime Organisation’s Sub- Committee on Dangerous Goods on 16 September. The GSF has said that it believes


the compromise proposal, (which includes two methods for verification), is the ‘best possible outcome’ for shippers and the maritime industry. It is a flexible and workable solution which can be adopted by industry without significant cost or delays in the supply chain. GSF adds that the IMO Correspondence Group has


accepted proposals by shippers and a number of governments to provide for a second method of verification, which will allow shippers to use a calculated option whereby the shipper can weigh all packages and cargo items including pallets, dunnage and the tare of the container. GSF Secretary General, Chris


Welsh said the IMO had “listened carefully to shippers’ arguments regarding appropriate methods for verification. This will be a key benefit for shippers using audit- based SAP systems as they will be able to adapt their existing systems to comply with their responsibility for obtaining and documenting the gross mass weight of a packed


container.” Welsh added that while most


shippers do make accurate cargo declarations, “a number of recent incidents have highlighted that weight misdeclarations may be on the rise. We believe that the IMO Correspondence Group proposals are sensible and proportionate and will lead to improved operational performance and enhanced safety within the maritime supply chain.” But the European Shippers’


Council (ESC), the European and international Freight Forwarders associations (FIATA and CLECAT) and the European representation of maritime terminals


and stevedores (FEPORT) were less Oslo firm offers ‘real’ freight rates


Oslo-based Xeneta is offering a


container shipping price


comparison service based on ‘real’ data actually paid by shippers. Its aim is to increase transparency of the market and show users the rates they could be paying by providing benchmarks and market averages. Initially the service will cover 20’,


40’ and 40’ high-cube containers although other container types such as reefers or other modes of


transport such as bulk shipping, air, road or rail could be added at a later stage. Xeneta’s head of marketing


and communications, Christoffer Moen, explained: “We check prices from a whole range of suppliers, initially focussing on medium and large companies which tend to have more data.” However, a model allowing for the generally higher rates paid by smaller volume shippers would be developed


later, he said. Unlike other indices, Xeneta’s information is based on actual rates paid by shippers rather than information from the shipping lines, and it is not restricted to specific routes, he said. Currently, much of the information available is for Far East to North Europe routes but information on other trade lanes is being added all the time as a critical mass of data is built up.


At the moment, shippers who


provide data for the service can view the results (all anonymised of course) for free although the pricing model may change in future, Moen said. “We now have 2,400 port pairs,” he told FBJ. So far this year, Xeneta has found


widespread volatility in shipping rates. A general rate increase imposed in mid-May did have an effect for a time but rates have since resumed their downward path before stabilising again.


French Ecotax delayed again 14203-Seatruck 270x60mm Advert 23/10/2012 1:47pm Page 1


France’s new ‘Ecotaxe’ for trucks, due to be introduced on 1 October, is unlikely now to be introduced until January 2014 at the earliest, reports the British International Freight Association. The tax will be charged on all French and foreign commercial vehicles over 3.5 tons on 15,000 kilometres of the


national and district road network. The scheme was announced


in the spring of this year but expected trials in the Alsace region of France did not take place.


All commercial goods


vehicles over 3.5 tons will need to be equipped with an on board GPS unit which calculates the amount


of tax due based upon the vehicle size, distance and roads travelled. Depending on vehicle size, the tax will range from 8 and 14 euro cents per kilometre. With the new tax charged at


€0.12 per km, a trip from Calais to the Spanish border at Le Perthus, southern France would cost


between €43 - €72 depending on the route taken.” Under French regulations companies delivering to a French destination have to list the cost of the tax separately on the invoice so the customer can compare the costs of road haulage against other modes of freight transport.


International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced a range of measures to help African countries trade internationally on 15 July. Britain would help 20,000 firms in 15 countries unpick barriers to trade through a new £7.2 million investment in the Geneva- based International Trade Centre. The support will help collect and share data on how permits, regulations and bureaucracy can impact on trade in developing countries. Two further projects with Nairobi’s TradeMark East Africa will boost growth and job opportunities by cutting the cost and time it takes to move goods in and out of customs and by building vital infrastructure across eastern Africa.


Tamworth-based NVOCC Cargo Marketing Services has entered the South and Central American trades by acquiring a majority stake in specialist operator MSL (UK). MSL operates consolidation and full containerload services.


DSV is to buy UK-based forwarder SBS Worldwide. Described by DSV CEO Jens Bjørn Andersen as “an excellent match for DSV”, SBS has major markets in the US as well as the UK and offers air and sea transport and logistics solutions. It has three UK offices and four offices in the US and mainly focuses on the transatlantic trade lanes. SBS has 220 employees and in 2012 reported revenue of about £50 million from those of its activities that are expected to continue. The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction price.


Kuehne + Nagel has appointed Dr Detlef Trefzger as its new chief executive officer. He has been a member of the Swiss-headquartered forwarding and logistics specialist’s management board since March 2013 and responsible for contract and integrated logistics, which he will retain until further notice. Prior to joining Kuehne + Nagel, he was a member of the Schenker executive board in Germany, from 2004 to October 2012.


positive. In a statement, the three organisations said that the proposed container weight verification requirement would be ineffective and that additional legislation will not have any significant effect on container safety. They said that the need for


weighing should be based on a proper risk analysis of the quality of the data transferred between shipping lines, shippers and customs authorities. There were also many


questions leſt unanswered as to how infringements should be dealt with and who is responsible for the effects on port operations.


///NEWS NEWS ROUNDUP FORWARDING & LOGISTICS Transport Security Expo, the leading event for global heads of


aviation, maritime, counter piracy, and supply chain security, takes place on 13-14 November at London Olympia. It includes an extensive conference and workshop programme, supported by one of the largest dedicated technology exhibitions. It brings together the world’s leading experts from government, military, law enforcement and security services face to face with the aviation, maritime and public transport industries, to assess the threat level, examine the countermeasures in place and, where necessary, recommend alternate strategies to deal with these threats www.transec.com


Yusen Logistics is providing international supply chain solutions for UK fair trade organisation, Traidcraſt. The operation, which is based at Yusen Logistics’ Newcastle site, includes inbound and outbound global flows, as well as cross-docking shipments for the range of ingredients going into Fairtrade bars.


Rhenus Group’s high-tech logistics arm, Rhenus Midi Data has acquired British technical installation and distribution specialist, Lupprians. Lupprians UK operates from sites in London, Milton Keynes, Manchester and Glasgow with a modern fleet of vehicles. It has been part of Rhenus’ TecDis technical distribution network since June this year. Lupprians UK specialises in health care, IT/storage media, telecommunications, laboratory equipment, banking/ commerce and infrastructure.


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