Japanese Port News

The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Singapore (MOT) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) have signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish the Singapore – Japan Green and Digital Shipping Corridor.Japan is one of Singapore’s top 10 trading partners, and the trade volume between the two countries totaled S$65 billion in 2022.Under the collaboration, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work together with six Japanese ports – the Port of Tokyo…

The CMA CGM Group said this week it had received the arrival of the CMA CGM Argentina containership as its largest vessel to call at the Honmoku D4 terminal in Yokohama, Japan.The containership is one of two 15,000-TEU series that the group has deployed on the weekly Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) service. Arriving from central and south America, the CMA CGM Argentina is now the largest containership to call a Japanese port on a regular service and has brought import shipments of fresh fruits from Ecuador and Guatemala…

Russian oil and gas company Novatek has said it has shipped the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) from its Yamal LNG project to Japan transported eastbound via the Northern Sea Route.The LNG cargo was delivered by the 299 meters long ice-breaking LNG tanker “Vladimir Rusanov” under a spot contract and unloaded at the Ohgishima LNG Terminal in Japan.Novatek, the largest independent natural gas producer in Russia, said that this LNG cargo was its first successful experience of entering and unloading an Arc 7 ice-class LNG tanker in a Japanese port, which allows the company to increase the volume of LNG supplies to Japan.“We focus a significant amount of attention to develop and enhance the logistical scheme for our LNG projects,” noted Lev Feodosyev, NOVATEK’s First Deputy Chairma

As many as 91 crew of an Italian cruise ship docked in the Japanese port of Nagasaki are infected with coronavirus, officials said on Friday, as questions persist over how they might return to their home countries.Authorities have tested about half the vessel’s crew of 623 and are racing to screen the rest. Those who test negative will be repatriated, the government said.The vessel, the Costa Atlantica, was taken into a shipyard in Nagasaki in February for repairs and maintenance after the pandemic prevented its scheduled repairs in China.Earlier this year, more than 700 of its passengers and crew tested positive for the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise liner as it was docked in Yokohama.Nagasaki authorities quarantined the Costa Atlantica on arrival in Japan…

Philippine citizens infected with coronavirus on cruise ship rises to 80, others fly homeThe Philippines said on Tuesday that the number of its citizens who had tested positive for the coronavirus on a cruise ship docked in a Japanese port had risen to 80, as 400 others arrived back home.The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that 80 Filipinos who had been on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess had been admitted to hospitals in Japan after testing positive for the virus. That was up from 59 reported on Monday.More than 400 other Philippine citizens arrived at Clark airbase late on Tuesday night on two Philippine Airlines’ aircraft chartered by the government…

Australia will evacuate more than 200 of its citizens onboard a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.Morrison said the passengers will depart on Wednesday and will be taken to Australia's tropical north, where they will be required to be quarantined for another 14 days.The Diamond Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp , has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on Feb.

Japanese utility Toho Gas and shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) carried out a demonstration test to supply liquified natural gas (LNG)  to the to the tugboat Ishin at the Japanese port of  Nagoya.This marked the first LNG bunkering in the Port of Nagoya, and the test confirmed that LNG can be safely supplied to vessels at the port.LNG was transported via truck from the Toho Gas Chita-Midorihama LNG Terminal (Chita-shi, Aichi Prefecture), and supplied with a truck-to-ship system to Ishin, berthed at the Port of Nagoya's Garden Pier.Also cooperating in the demonstration test were, Niyac Corporation, which provides LNG land transport for Toho Gas…

Container carrier APL, together with the Yokohama Port and Harbor Bureau and Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corporation, celebrated the maiden arrival of containership President Kennedy at the Port of Yokohama, on July 21.Deployed for APL’s Eagle Express 1 (EX1) service, President Kennedy is the first of six vessels that were newly-named after former U.S. Presidents to call the Japanese port. Following this, the Yokohama port will be expecting President FD Roosevelt; President Wilson…

Shares of small Japanese shippers jumped this week after the historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sparked hopes of news business ties with the reclusive country.Japanese retail investors are snatching up shares of the firms that may benefit from a potential thaw between Tokyo and Pyongyang, even though the Japanese government has been a staunch supporter of "maximum pressure" on North Korea.Shares of Rinko Corp, a marine transportation company…

The U.S. Navy destroyer that sailed near Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea last week was under orders from the Third Fleet headquarters in San Diego, a first aimed at bolstering U.S. maritime power in the region, two sources said. The USS Decatur on Friday challenged China's "excessive maritime claims" near the Paracel Islands, part of a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which Beijing has territorial disputes with its neighbours. It was the first time such a freedom of navigation operation has been conducted without the Japan-based Seventh Fleet in command and was a test of changes aimed to allow the U.S. Navy to conduct maritime operations on two fronts in Asia at the same time, two sources told Reuters. The sources spoke on condition that they were not identified.

Wallem’s Agency team in Japan recently welcomed the MSC Lirica on her maiden voyage. The cruise ship recently arrived in Fukuoka (Hakata) with 1,764 passengers and 743 crew onboard before heading back to Shanghai. This call marks both the first Japanese port for the ship in its inaugural season in Asia and the first cruise call for Wallem’s agency team in Japan. Thanks to Wallem’s experience in the cruise business, particularly in Asia (handling more than 450 calls across Asia this cruise season)…

Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705)  has docked at Yokosuka port in Japan as part of its Asia-Pacific region itinerary, the US Navy announced in a news release. City of Corpus Christi has conducted a multitude of missions and maintains proficiency in the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet. "Every Westpac (Western Pacific) submariner expects to come here at some point during their time in the theater, and it is always a much anticipated visit," said Cmdr. Travis Petzoldt, commanding officer. Commissioned in 1983, the City of Corpus Christi is more than 300 feet long and weighs more than 6,000 tons, the release noted. "City of Corpus Christi is one of the stealthiest submarines in the world.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp, Japan's biggest steelmaker, may start talks on a contract to transport iron ore from Brazilian miner Vale on Valemax ships, the world's biggest bulk carriers, to cut costs, a senior official said. Such a contract would be a boost for Vale, which is trying to increase use of the ships after China in 2012 prevented the world's biggest iron ore miner from docking the giant vessels in its ports to protect its own shipping companies. The 400,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) vessels could cut Nippon Steel's shipping costs by at least $400,000 on each cargo.

Charterer incurs US$138-million liability by breach of 'safe port' warranty in the 'Ocean Victory' case. Alistair Feeney, partner of London law firm Holman, Fenwick & Willan LLP gives valuable insights via London P&I Club news. The recent decision of the Commercial Court in Gard Marine & Energy Ltd v China National Chartering Co Ltd (The Ocean Victory) [2013] EWHC 2199 (Comm) serves as a useful reminder of how far charterers' warranties of port safety extend, and the size of the liabilities that may result when such warranties are breached.

Pacific Fleet (PF) task unit consisting of destroyer 'Admiral Panteleyev', oiler 'Boris Butoma', and rescue tug 'Fotiy Krylov' continue exercises. The Russian ships had been taking part in RIMPAC-2012 off the Hawaii islands. The ships exercised various shipborne drills and near the 11- hour time zone replenished fuel and fresh water from the supporting oiler Boris Butoma. Afterwards the crew of Admiral Panteleyev and her attached marine unit held a small-arms firing drill. The Russian Navy's task unit will call at Japanese port Maizuru on Aug 28.

At least eight crew members of a Panama-registered cargo ship drowned after the vessel sank off Japan on Sunday, the Japanese coastguard said on Monday. The 3,561-ton White Koowa, with a crew of two Japanese and 12 Filipinos, was carrying 3,000 tons of nickel ore when it sank off Kochi, about 335 miles southwest of Tokyo. Five crew were rescued on Monday and one Filipino crew member remained unaccounted for after the coastguard dispatched patrol boats and aircraft to the scene on Monday. The dead included the ship's captain and chief engineer, both Japanese. It was not known immediately why the ship went down. The White Koowa, which left Indonesia on December 26, had been due to arrive at a southwestern Japanese port on Monday. - (Reuters)

A Japanese tanker spilled about 4,365 tons of crude oil in the eastern Indian Ocean near the Nicobar islands following a collision with a cargo ship, the tanker's operator announced Tuesday. The spill is believed to be the largest involving Japanese-operated tankers, according a ship owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. The Bright Artemis tanker spilled the oil following a collision with the Amar, a smaller cargo ship, Mitsui O.S.K. said in a statement. It said the tanker had maneuvered near the Amar, which was in distress about 500 kilometres west of the Nicobars. Both ships are registered in Singapore. The exact amount of the spill was not clear, the announcement said. The tanker was carrying about 227,000 tons of crude.

Tensions are escalating between Korea and Japan after the Japanese Coast Guard launched two maritime survey ships toward the East Sea on the afternoon of April 19. The hydrographical survey ships had been anchored at Sakaiminato Port in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The Korean government held a meeting presided by President Roh Moo-hyun with the presence of related ministers and announced that it will take a firm stand against the Japanese move in violation of Korea’s national sovereignty. According to Donga, the Korean government decided to be fully prepared to respond to any situation if Japan goes ahead with the exploration in the Korean side of the Exclusive Economic Zone. The two Japanese ships left Tokyo Port on night of April 18.