2 >> 1


Issue 6 2018 - Freight Business Journal


GSF since its incorporation in 2011.


On the policy front, the major


issues remained the same, he continued. Among these is continued lobbying of the European Commission not to continue the Block Exemption for liner shipping consortia, which is due to expire at the end of 2018. “We must draw a line under the Block Exemption,” Van Dort stated. “It is now the only one of its kind for any industry in the EU, and we would seriously like it to be eradicated.” It’s not so much the fact that


the block exemption allows the shipping lines in a consortium to collude but, in some countries, the lines are all represented by the same agent, which goes against all principles of free and fair competition, Van Dort believes. Allowing the same agent access to all the shippers’ data handled by the member lines of a consortium makes it far easier to keep tabs on who is shipping what and how much customers are being charged, in his opinion. Governments should be prepared to intervene more in


or lack thereof – in the digitisation of airfreight. The electronic air waybill currently being promoted by IATA is, in his view “just the tip of the iceberg” as the cost of all the other documentation involved in international trade is huge. Perhaps one reason electronic


cases where shipping monopolies are being abused, he says. The European Union was, aſter all, quite prepared to step in and prevent UPS buying up rival courier TNT when it felt that a merged company would have too dominant a position in the European air express market, and the same should be true for shipping. However, the competition


situation in most forms of transport other than shipping is today reasonably open in most countries, Van Dort believes. Perhaps a more significant issue is the progress –


freight has not been pursued as diligently as it might is that labour costs in many of the countries where goods originate are still low, so there isn’t the incentive to cut costs there. However, in high-cost consuming countries it is a very different matter, and shippers are bearing the burden. Another problem for shippers


is the stance taken by the airline industry on banning all Lithium batteries on safety grounds. Air carriers have taken a “carpet bombing” approach says Van Dort but, considering that such batteries are contained in so many electronic devices these days a more targeted method,


ensuring safety while still allowing electronic products to fly, would be much more helpful. The arguments over trade


that have broken between US President Donald Trump and other nations including Europe and China are also concerning, as is Brexit, though Van Dort does not believe that they will mean that all global business will come to an end. As far as the UK is concerned, he hopes that the country will in time find more of a true trading identity as it emerges from Brussels’ shadow. What is important, he says,


is that the UK maintains its commitment to well-proven just- in-time business methods. Rather than invest in warehousing to store product ‘just in case’ or massively increasing the number of customs personnel, the country would be better served by investing in smarter, electronic ways of doing business aſter it leaves the EU.


Eddie Stobart takes to the rails


Eddie Stobart has launched a train service from the Port of Tilbury to Tesco’s site in Daventry, and on from Daventry to Mossend, Scotland. It is the logistics firm’s first ever


train service from Tilbury, and has a capacity of between 30 and 36 containers. It will run three days a week between Tilbury and Daventry, and twice weekly from Daventry to Mossend. It will initially be a four-month trial, with a view to being rolled out fully in 2019.


Sector director at Eddie Stobart,


John Clark, said: “The ability to link London ports by rail


to


central Scotland is something we have been looking to launch for some time and the interest in this new service has been extremely encouraging. It’s an exciting step that sees Eddie Stobart Logistics continuing to broaden its complete end-to-end logistics offering, while remaining focused on how we can offer environmentally conscious transportation solutions.”


Asset manager at Tilbury’s


London Container Terminal, Ross McKissock, added: “This new service underpins our commitment to provide sustainable and logistics


cost effective solutions for our


customers, aiding growth and competitiveness in the supply chain. The service is made possible thanks to Eddie Stobart’s collaboration with Port of Tilbury, Direct Rail Services, JF Hillebrand and Samskip.”


News Roundup


Former Tilbury managing director Perry Glading has been appointed a non- executive director of Dover Harbour Board, taking over from Erik Østergaard’s. He also chairs the Thurrock Business Board, which includes non-executive board positions with Opportunity South East and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.


///NEWS Sea


Antwerp Port Authority has appointed a new representative for the UK and Ireland, as part of its preparations for Brexit. Justin Atkin has more than 20 years of experience in transport, shipping and logistics and for the past two years has been owner of Ragged Edge Consulting, which operates in the ports, transport and logistics sector.


Shipping line CMA CGM unveiled new active controlled atmosphere technology for the transportation of highly sensitive fruits and vegetables at the Asia Fruit Logistica fair in early September. Climactive reduces the level of oxygen inside the container much faster than existing systems and reaches the optimal level of oxygen and CO2 more rapidly thanks to a nitrogen pump that creates a barrier against oxygen infiltration. Temperature, humidity and balance between gases are also very precisely regulated.


Seaborne Freight plans to start services between Ramsgate and Ostend by the end of the year, and Ostend mayor Johan Vande Lanotte says financing of the project is complete, according to press reports. The service would cater for accompanied freight and offer up to six departures per day, he said. While an earlier 1 March start- up date has been missed, this was due to “minor complications” according to Seaborne Freight shareholder Glenn Dudley. He added that the service would be operated by three vessels, one of which has been identified as the former Stena, SeaFrance and MyFerryLink vessel Nord Pas de Calais, which has been on charter in the Mediterranean. Gefco resumed regular car imports through Ramsgate until September. It last used the otherwise moribund ferry port between January 2016 and January 2017.


K Line says it has reached “an amicable settlement” in a lawsuit against APL Logistics (APLL) and its parent company, Kintetsu World Express. The Japanese-owned carrier says that in September 2016, APLL employees sent erroneous e-mails to its customers regarding its financial situation which led to it filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court in December 2016.


China’s COSCO Shipping Lines confirmed on 25 July that it had been hit by a cyber attack affecting its internet connection in the US. The incident appeared to be a ransomware attack. The company added that its vessels were not impacted and that its main business operation systems were performing stably although its terminal at Long Beach was affected. It said that the impact was not as severe as the one experienced by Maersk Group in June 2017.


Hapag Lloyd has launched an online quotation tool, Quick Quotes. Users log on to the line’s website, choose the start location and end location as well as a commodity and container type. Customers will receive a binding quotation within seconds, and can then make their bookings right away via the Hapag-Lloyd online business platform. As of September, Quick Quotes and Mobile Booking will also be accessible via the Hapag-Lloyd app for iOS and Android.


The British Ports Association will be holding a short targeted seminar on Thursday 29 November to discuss coastal shipping in the UK. It will provide a platform for ports, shipping companies and freight operators to discuss their business needs and will also look at the policy and grants framework. It takes place at 10:00 to 16:00 on Thursday 29 November 2018 at 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. The seminar is free for BPA members to attend, for non BPA members there will be a cost of £75 +VAT. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32