NEWS\\\


Growth in life science, express, valuable and automotive shipments all contributed to a 3% year-on-year growth in tonnage for Virgin Atlantic Cargo in the first half of 2018. Overall, the airline carried


116.3m kg to the end of June 2018, building on its strong performance in 2017 when volumes reached a five-year high. Virgin Atlantic’s cargo business also continued to benefit from closer alignment with its trans- Atlantic joint venture partner, Delta Cargo. The opening of the airline’s


Pharma Zone at Heathrow in Q4 2017, and confirmation of


Maersk ready to reap peak US harvest with


guaranteed Transpacific Westbound service


A large U.S. harvest should be welcomed news.


However,


this year, there’s a level of uncertainty that has settled over US agri exporters brought on by geopolitical events in the form of tariffs and duties. “Our customers are


concerned and are seeing an impact on market pricing due to the impending tariffs,” said Alan MacPherson, Sr. Director of Sales, Central Region, Maersk Line.


“Indonesia,


Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan are major import markets for US agri exports, while China has actually not been a huge market in the last 3-4 years. But this doesn’t reduce the apprehension that currently exists in the market.” To help alleviate concerns,


Maersk representatives stay close to its customers to understand their trading needs and determine their pain points.


Perishable agri exports


must sail as scheduled or shippers risk being penalized by their consignees for late delivery.


The good news is


that 99.8% of all contracts made on NYSHEX are fulfilled exactly as committed, which enables agri shippers to avoid penalties and sleep well at night. For the important harvest


months of October–December (OND), Maersk has posted an array of service offerings on NYSHEX to meet the needs of agri exporters, including Asia Pacific destinations from the U.S. East Coast, as well as the U.S. West Coast with Chicago as the load hub. Quinonez remarked, “As


“In a dynamic


market like this, we keep our hand on the pulse of the market so we’re ready to address our customers’ needs,” adds Fernando Quinonez, Director of Sales, Midwest region, Maersk. “We closely monitor equipment flows, coordinate closely with our intermodal rail partners and provide innovative solutions, such as NYSHEX, to deliver the best solutions for agri exporters.”


Maersk agri customers use NYSHEX more and more, they’re finding it very rewarding. They’re excited to have found a solution that not only matches their business model but also offers certainty in terms of guaranteed space and equipment, and rate validity.


This is a very


smart group that sees the value in NYSHEX as a robust tool that contributes to their business success.


NYSHEX


is an innovation with staying power.” That staying power is


cultivated by the collaborative nature of the exchange. MacPherson has seen this in


NYSHEX’s Binding Request feature where shipper members can take the driver’s seat, “Binding Request is a great feature that allows for price discovery,” he says. “Shippers submit a specific request for a contract of carriage and we can simply accept it and form a binding contract or counter. This opens the lines of communication for us to build strong, working relationships with customers.” As OND approaches,


Maersk representative will better understand how this changing trade environment will unfold; what the major markets will be for US grain and soy exports and at what market price.


“What we do


know is that Maersk will be guaranteeing


Transpacific


Westbound sailings on NYSHEX for U.S. agri exporters who will be happy to get a dose of certainty for their supply chains


and restful sleep,” MacPherson says.


its Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliance in April, helped to grow Virgin Atlantic’s pharma business by more than 50% compared to the first six months of last year as tightening


regulatory requirements increased customers’ preference for airlines offering GDP- compliant services. The airline saw double-digit growth in bookings from its leading pharma


freight forwarding customers. The booming e-commerce


market continued to boost express shipments, while Virgin Atlantic’s expertise in moving high value prestige cars as well as car parts for manufacture and sale also increased its share of the automotive cargo market. Growth in Virgin Atlantic’s load


factor for the first six months of 2018 was helped by high demand from the UK to the US as well as to Delhi, Johannesburg, Dubai, Shanghai and the Caribbean. Business generated by Virgin


Issue 9 2018 - FBJNA


9 Virgin Atlantic Cargo sees 3% volume growth in 1st half 2018 Atlantic in support of its long-


haul international cargo sales and management agreement with Virgin Australia contributed to the airline’s strong half-year performance. Volumes ex Australia were 22% above target, with routes to Los Angeles from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all


recording growth, coupled


with strong demand for cargo capacity on Virgin Australia’s Melbourne-Hong Kong services. Half-year volumes from across


the Virgin Atlantic network to the UK rose 2.9% overall. Higher


demand for US-UK capacity saw tonnage climb 7.7% thanks largely to double-digit growth from the West Coast and South East of the US. Cargo revenues from Nigeria, India, Hong Kong and Dubai all rose, although business ex Shanghai saw currency movements impacting demand. Traffic on Virgin Australia’s long-haul international routes to Australia was up by more than 35% over the same period last year, helped by thriving e-commerce volumes ex Hong Kong to Melbourne.


CMA CGM now offers service via Port Freeport


CMA CGM recently commenced cargo operations with their weekly Brazex service, which now calls on Port Freeport. “We are proud to partner with


the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in ocean transportation. Their extensive network of services allows Port Freeport access to major trade lanes worldwide,


creating additional


economic opportunities for the entire region,” stated Phyllis Saathoff, Executive Director/CEO of Port Freeport. CMA CGM’s Brazex service


provides U.S. Gulf ports a direct link to and from Brazil. This service uses Kingston and Cartagena as hubs for full coverage to the East Coast of


South America and for


transshipment to other global services. “We are very proud of our


long-standing partnership with Port Freeport,” said Mariano


Gutierrez, Dow’s North America Integrated Supply Chain Director. “This is the result of a great


collaboration between


CMA CGM, Port Authorities and Dow. We are key stakeholders for the Gulf Coast Port Region and developing a reliable and cost-efficient shipping operation close to our facilities is key to supporting Dow’s U.S. Gulf Coast growth plans. I am pleased to see Dow’s Texas Operations take our relationship with Port Freeport to the next level. This represents a true triple win: a win for Dow, a win for Port Freeport and, most importantly, a win for the Brazosport community,” said Rich Wells, Vice President, U.S. Gulf Coast Operations and Site Director, Dow Texas Operations. The CMA CGM service will


provide global connections for shippers and make weekly calls to Port Freeport. With a young and diversified fleet of over 500


vessels, the CMA CGM Group serves over 420 of the world’s 521 commercial ports. Port Freeport is pleased to now be among those ports served by CMA CGM. “Adding the CMA CGM service


to Port Freeport aligns with our strategic initiatives for growth and expands our opportunity for global commerce,” said Paul Kresta, Chairman of the Port Commission. Nationally, Port Freeport is


ranked 10th in chemicals, 26th in containers and 23rd in total tonnage. The Freeport Harbor Channel serves The Dow Chemical Company, Phillips 66, BASF, Tenaris, Vulcan Materials Company, Mammoet, Horizon Terminal Services, Freeport LNG, Riviana Foods, Inc., Dole Fresh Fruit, Chiquita Fresh N.A., Seaway Pipeline Company and Seaway Marine Terminal, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), and Hoegh Autoliners.


FIT opening new cargo facility at Port Everglades


Florida International Terminal, LLC. (FIT) is opening a new 32-acre containerized cargo terminal at Broward County’s Port Everglades with double the number of entry gates, and adding new scales, heavy equipment, technology and increased stacking capacity. FIT is already one of the largest cargo terminal operators at Port Everglades and is relocating to make way for the largest capital improvement project in the Port’s history. In fiscal year Oct. 1, 2017 – Sept.


30, 2018, FIT experienced 17% growth with approximately


226,000 TEUs. Perishables cargo accounts for approximately 15% of FIT’s total containers volumes. “FIT is a terrific example of


how a company can be born at Port Everglades and grow into a regional


leader that brings


international business and jobs to Broward County,” said Port Everglades Deputy Port Director Glenn Wiltshire during an inaugural ceremony on October 22, 2018. Improvements at FIT’s new


terminal include: six lanes entering the terminal with scales and two outbound lanes;


an appointment system will be implemented with a VIP lane for refrigerated cargo; new yard tractor fleet and upgraded container handling equipment; resilient information technology systems with quick disaster recovery abilities; and addition of up to 350 new power plugs for refrigerated containers. “We have installed a lot of new


technology to better monitor gate traffic and what is happening throughout the terminal,” said FIT Vice President & General Manager Klaus Stadthagen. “By improving efficiency we


are helping our customers, the shipping lines, develop their business. Our success is dependent upon our customers’ success.” In the next five years, Port


Everglades is investing nearly $1 billion in infrastructure improvements to increase cargo


volumes. Expansion


projects include adding new cargo berths, installing new Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes, increasing the liſt capacity on existing cranes, and deepening and widening the port’s navigation channels.


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