Hong Kong Port News

OOCL Hong Kong, the third largest cargo container ship in the world, docked in the port of Hong Kong for the first time on Thursday.The Hong Kong-based container shipping and logistics service company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) said in a press note that the vessel was warmly welcomed at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal V by many friends, colleagues, and the community who went to marvel at one of the world’s largest containerships with a carrying capacity of 21,413 TEU.The vessel’s debut to the city of Hong Kong, an entrepôt well known for its long and vibrant history in international trade and commerce, has a very special meaning for OOCL.

The United States has warned Hong Kong to be on alert for a vessel carrying Iranian petroleum that may seek to stop in the Asia financial hub, and said that any entity providing services to the vessel will be violating U.S. sanctions.The news comes two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration stepped up moves to choke off Iran’s oil exports by scrapping waivers it had granted to big buyers of Iranian crude oil, including China.The fully laden Pacific Bravo abruptly changed course on Monday to head towards Sri Lanka, according to shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon. Its destination was originally set for Indonesia, according to ship-tracking data, but industry sources said it was most likely going to China.

China has denied a request for a U.S. warship to visit Hong Kong, the U.S. consulate in the Chinese city said on Tuesday, amid rising tension between Beijing and Washington over trade and a U.S. decision to sanction the Asian nation's military.The amphibious assault ship Wasp had been due to make a port call in the former British colony of Hong Kong in October, diplomatic sources said."The Chinese Government did not approve a request for a U.S. port visit to Hong Kong by the USS Wasp…

Hong Kong's port expects a slight rise in container shipping volumes this year despite continuing global turmoil in the sector. The global container industry, which transports everything from bananas to iPhones, is showing signs of better returns after a near-decade long slump. Nevertheless, worries over global retail demand and too many ships have continued to put the brakes on a bigger recovery. Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan Fan, said container throughput was expected to increase slightly this year from 19.8 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2016 and 20 million TEUs in 2015. "This year it is going up by a single digit percentage…

Cosco Pacific Ltd.'s  first-quarter  ended 31 March 2016 net profit rose 31.4% from a year earlier on the back of a one-off gain. Turnover sank 2.27% yearly to US$129 million. On yearly basis,  its net profit shot up 105 per cent to US$702.7 million last year and the company is considering making more port acquisitions abroad at a time when the mainland's container throughput growth is slowing. The jump in net profit was mainly due to net disposal gains of US$393.4 million from selling its stake in China International Marine Containers in June last year. The first-quarter net profit rose to US$109.06 million from US$82.98 million a year earlier, lifted by a US$59.02 million gain after it completed the disposal of container box leasing operations in March.

Hong Kong port recorded a 16% overall throughput drop in February to 1.2m teu from 1.4m teu in previous corresponding period, accelerating from the 9.6% drop seen in the first month of the year. The container turnover at port since the beginning of 2016 decrease by 12.5% yoy and amounted to 2.86 million TEU. The negative container throughput into the port happened on the background of Chinese economy delay and bad economic environment in the region. Throughput at the main Kwai Tsing terminals was especially hard hit during the holiday-shortened and traditionally slow month, falling 17.6% to just 973,000 teu, the first time volume has dropped below 1m teu in more than two years. Throughput at the non-Kwai Tsing terminals also fell by 8.9% to 240,000 teu.

The Hong Kong Shipping Register has  crossed of 100 million gross tonnage, informed the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung. To Hong Kong, it’s more than a vote of confidence, Anthony said. Hong Kong’s maritime tradition is almost two centuries old. Hong Kong served as a port of registry under the UK Ship Register since the 1840s until the establishment of the autonomous Hong Kong Shipping Register in 1990 under the administration of the Marine Department. For those who are interested, our first shipping register is now on display at the other side of the hall. Upon its inception in 1990, the Hong Kong Shipping Register had a mere 765 ships with a total gross tonnage of six million.

Hong Kong is to establish a new government body - Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board - this year that oversees the local maritime sector, in a bid to enhance the city’s shipping sector. Hong Kong's chief executive Leung Chun-ying in his annual policy address for this year announced that the government will merge the existing Maritime Industry Council (MIC) and the Port Development Council (PDC) to form a new Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. The board, to be chaired by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, will promote manpower development, marketing and research on all fronts to develop a high value-added maritime services sector, he said.

Hutchison Port Holdings' (HPH) Hong Kong assets marked a significant milestone with cumulative throughput of 200 million teu. Excerpts from his speech: "For decades, Hong Kong has been a major hub port in the region. For the past 10 years (2005-2014), the average annual throughput at the Hong Kong Port was some 23 million TEUs. This is indeed a highly impressive performance having regard to the physical size of the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals. The efforts made by different parties operating the Hong Kong Port must be recognised. Hutchison International Terminals is a major operator of Hong Kong's container terminals. Today, HPH Trust is celebrating its milestone achievement of handling the 200 millionth TEU.

BMT Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, is pleased to announce the completion of The Strategic Development Plan for Hong Kong Port 2030 (HKP2030) on behalf of the Hong Kong Government. The Study is a key element in guiding local port development policy and planning investment for the future. Following an in-depth review of the containerised cargo market in Hong Kong, BMT developed a plan to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s port sector via a series of staged improvements to the existing container terminals and facilities, through the allocation of more berths, barging sites and back-up land. “We want to make sure we spend money wisely.

(A) 22 deg. 15.475'N / 114 deg. (B) 22 deg. 15.668'N / 114 deg. (C) 22 deg. 15.540'N / 114 deg. (D) 22 deg. 15.430'N / 114 deg. The works will be carried out by one work boat. Some guard boats will provide assistance. The number of vessels engaged in the works will change from time to time to suit operational requirements. To facilitate the laying of submarine tracking cables, two pairs of concrete blocks will be laid approximately along the 3 metres depth contour lines of the respective north-east coast and south-west coast of Hei Ling Chau and Sunshine Island. Each block is a one metre height cube shape structure. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be attached to the blocks to indicate their positions.

In China's container terminal league table Shenzhen is overhauling HK, Dalian is the fastest growing & Yingkou vaults into top 25. Shanghai is still ahead of Singapore for top spot in the world – by some half a million boxes in the first three quarters – 24.2m teu versus 23.7m. Hong Kong, until 2005 the busiest boxport in the world, is likely to relinquish third spot to Shenzhen this year based on numbers from Alphaliner as reported by SinoShip news. Hong Kong volumes dropped 3.9% in the first nine months…

The HK Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) has released statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2012. In the first quarter of 2012, total port cargo throughput increased by 3% over a year earlier to 64.5 million tonnes. Within this total, inward port cargo recorded virtually no change at 35.9 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 7% to 28.6 million tonnes. Within port cargo, seaborne cargo increased by 4% over a year earlier to 44.9 million tonnes, while river cargo also rose by 1% to 19.7 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2012. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 1% in the first quarter of 2012.

CMA CGM Group launched a new direct service linking Asia to West Africa, effective August 3, 2011. Named WAX II, this new service will be operated in partnership with CSAV and will deploy 10 vessels from 2,500 TEUs up to 3,100 TEUs (5 CMA CGM vessels, 5 CSAV vessels). It will serve China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon. -          Improved transit times: a record transit time of 22 days between Apapa, first port of call on the West Coast of Africa and Port Kelang. “The launch of this WAX II service is another illustration of the CMA CGM Group’s determination to provide direct services between Asia and West Africa to meet the growing demand of its customers on this trade “…

ROTTERDAM, 8 April 2011 – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today reported that the MOL-operated containership MOL PRESENCE arrived in Hong Kong, and received permission to call at the port at 14:00 JST on Friday, April 8 (local time: 13:00), 2011. On March 22, the company received a report alleging higher than normal radiation had been detected on the MOL PRESENCE during quarantine inspection at Xiamen Port in Fujian Province, PRC. However, on-site inspection by a third party was not approved, so the MOL PRESENCE departed Xiamen on March 27, and was again inspected by Nippon Kaiji Kentei Kyokai off Kobe Port on March 30. Subsequent to that inspection, MOL received a report that the detected radiation level was significantly lower than the level detected in Xiamen.

Effective from 5 January 2011, Hamburg Süd will expand its presence in the trade between Asia and India/Pakistan by joining the new service operated in cooperation with Evergreen and Simatech. The new service (ASIP 2) will deploy 6 x 2,700 TEU (nominal) vessels and has the following port rotation: Xingang – – – – Hong Kong – – Tanjung Pelepas – Port Kelang – Nhava Sheva – – – Port Kelang – Tanjung Pelepas – – Xingang. With the calls in Xingang, and , ASIP 2 will complement the already existing service (ASIP 1) which likewise deploys 5 x 2700 TEU (nominal) capacity and has the following port rotation: – – Hong Kong – – Port Kelang – Nhava Sheva – Pipavav – – Port Kelang – – Hong Kong – .

The CMA CGM Group announced the delivery of the CMA CGM LAMARTINE (6,500 TEU) and CMA CGM CALLISTO (11,400 TEU) in . Built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co shipyards, the CMA CGM LAMARTINE (6 500 TEU) is deployed on the Asia-Mediterranean market on the MEX (Mediterranean Express) service. The vessel started its rotation today in Yokohama. Itsrotation will be as follows: , , , Kwanyang, , , , Chiwan, Hong Kong, Port Kelang, , , , , Fos, , , , , Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Chiwan, . The CMA CGM Group also took delivery today in of CMA CGM CALLISTO (11,400 TEU). Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyards, the vessel is the third of a series of 12 vessels of 11,400 TEU ordered by the CMA CGM Group. They will be delivered between 2010 and 2011.

The Hong Kong Marine Department issued a Press Release stating that security plans have been approved for 22 of the 31 Hong Kong port facilities subject to the ISPS Code. Security plans have been approved for 595 Hong Kong vessels and International Ship Security Certificates (ISSCs) have been issued to 287 of these ships. The Marine Department also issued a Notice stating that, effective 1 July, maritime security levels for Hong Kong will be posted on a special Internet site. Source: HK Law

Globe Wireless, a provider of maritime communications solutions, has opened new Sales and Customer Support offices in Hong Kong, SAR and Hamburg, Germany. The new offices significantly enhance Globe Wireless' ability to serve the expanding Asian and European maritime communications markets. "Hong Kong, as an international trading center and a focus for Asian shipping, is a natural location for Globe Wireless to increase business activities. The region's rebounding economy has once again created a huge demand on Hong Kong's port facilities and reinforced its role as a gateway for world trade," remarked Rob Lockett, Vice President of Sales, Asia.

The Hong Kong Marine Department announced that the port is ready to handle the next generation of container vessels. Hong Kong port is capable of receiving the next generation of container vessels and Kwai Chung's alongside water depths are currently adequate to meet navigational requirements of large containerships, a spokesman for the Marine Department said. The assessment was reflected in a study, “Yesterday Evening and Tomorrow Morning of Container Fleet” conducted by the Marine Department earlier. The study confirms that Kwai Chung is able to serve not only large containerships currently in service, but also those expected to be in operation within the next few years.

Hong Kong's total port cargo throughput rose by eight percent year-on-year during the first quarter of 2001 to 43.1 million tons. Of the total, inward port cargo increased by eight percent to 26.8 million tons, while outward port cargo increased by nine percent to 16.3 million tons. Compared with the previous quarter, on a seasonally adjusted basis, total port cargo throughput rose by four percent in the first quarter of 2001. Hong Kong's port handled 4.2 million TEUs during the quarter, an increase of four percent on the year.

Hong Kong will halt operations at its container terminals and check whether ships calling at its port are ready for the Y2K computer bug in the hours straddling the New Year, a top port official said. Hong Kong terminals will stop working on container ships for about four hours starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 (1400 GMT) and for an hour from 8 a.m. on Jan. 1 (0000 GMT), when the year 2000 begins on Greenwich Mean Time. "At that time, they don't want to be working on ships, they want to go around checking on all the equipment and systems that they've got to make sure nothing's gone wrong," Roger Tupper, deputy secretary of the Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board, said.