Manufacturing Sectors News

As Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi once said, “Growth in commercial shipbuilding facilitates growth in the battle fleet.” Sen. Wicker shrewdly recognizes that America’s manufacturing capacity and national security are deeply intertwined. A robust commercial shipbuilding and repair industry is a critical cornerstone of this capacity.For the shipyard industrial base to remain strong and competitive, American innovators need a forward-thinking comprehensive American maritime strategy…

“Having narrowly avoided a recession in the fourth quarter of 2022, the Japanese economy appears to be recovering. However, Japan’s demand for steel remains weak and as a result, the country’s bulk imports are estimated to have fallen by 4% y/y in the first quarter of 2023,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The steel industry in Japan relies on iron ore and coking coal imports, which combined account for 41% of the country’s bulk imports. Due to lower steel production in Japan…

An impressive recovery in Chinese dry bulk imports has protected the industry from the effects of falling demand in the rest of the world. High deliveries and low contracting have left the orderbook at multi-year lows, but – with the poor outlook – the current influx of new dry bulk ships orders is not what is needed.Demand drivers and freight ratesThe biggest story in the dry bulk industry in recent months has been the strength of the recovery in major Chinese imports. These are up across the board…

India's container trade growth slowed to 1 percent (9% in the same period last year) in Q2 2019 on account of various factors like growing trade tensions and slump in manufacturing sector, Maersk said."The slow down is due to a cocktail of international factors such as slowing trade growth, and growing trade tensions – coupled with domestic factors like rural consumer distress, tightening liquidity and a slow-down in key manufacturing sectors. Combined, these triggers impacted the country’s economic activity, slowing overall import-export growth," said Maersk India Trade Report Q2 2019.India’s exports to China declined by 20%, led by a reduction in demand for India-made textiles &  apparel, which were large export commodities in the corresponding period last year.

A world class Center of Excellence in Maritime and Ship Building (CEMS) is being set up by Ministry of Shipping in collaboration with  Siemens and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under the Ministry’s flagship Sagarmala Program. CEMS will have  campuses at Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai, and will provide industry-relevant skill development, equip students with employable engineering and technical skills in the port and maritime sector and contribute to the Government of India’s ambitious Sagarmala programme. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation had announced this at an event in Cochin last week.

ClassNK and Green Award announced that they would further broaden their cooperation to ensure safety and minimize negative effects of the shipping industry. ClassNK became a Green Award incentive provider. ClassNK, a ship classification society, known for its highest quality classification services, covers about 20 percent of the world merchant fleet. The society is committed to safety and the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. As such a representative of ClassNK has been a member of the Board of Experts of Green Award Foundation for a number of years.

The Ports of Indiana announced that Indiana Michigan Power has agreed to sell its recently retired Tanners Creek coal plant in Lawrenceburg, Ind., to a brownfield redevelopment company that is working with the Ports of Indiana to evaluate the site for use as the state's fourth port. "Infrastructure critical to our state's economy includes more than just roads," said Governor Mike Pence. "Indiana's ports and waterways have been tremendous catalysts for economic growth in this state for decades, and there is great potential here in southeast Indiana to develop a fourth port that will further energize our economy. St. Louis-based Commercial Development Company, Inc.

Siemens and CD-adapco have entered into a stock purchase agreement for the acquisition of CD-adapco by Siemens. The purchase price is $970 million. CD-adapco is a global engineering simulation company with software solutions covering a wide range of engineering disciplines including Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Solid Mechanics (CSM), heat transfer, particle dynamics, reactant flow, electrochemistry, acoustics and rheology. Last fiscal year, CD-adapco had over 900 employees and revenue of close to $200 million with software-typical double digit margins.

The top federal official presiding over the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway presented Indiana Governor Mike Pence with its flagship award today in recognition of an increase in international shipping at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor. Chief executives from the Great Lakes shipping community visited Indianapolis Wednesday to meet with Gov. Pence, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann as well as public and private leaders from Indiana. During the meetings, U.S. Seaway Administrator Betty Sutton presented the "Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award" to Gov. Pence in recognition of the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor's increase in international shipments through the Seaway during the 2014 navigation season. Sutton is the top executive for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, a U.S.

Québec Minister of International Relations and Francophonie Christine St-Pierre and Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann today announced that the Province of Québec and the State of Indiana will launch a new partnership to intensify their collaboration in Great Lakes/St. Lawrence System shipping and maritime economic development. Recent studies have shown that for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region, maritime transportation accounts for $34 billion in annual economic returns and more than 225,000 jobs.

If the Bangladesh government shows more vision and ambition in helping remove constraints on local shipbuilders, investments will pour in, say industry observers. The EU Ambassador in Dhaka has said that the European Union is looking to invest in the Bangladeshi shipbuilding industry. German shipping companies have also expressed interest in buying more vessels from Bangladeshi shipyards. A report in Dhaka Tribune said that Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have invested in improving facilities and developing skills to enhance the nation’s capacity to build modern ships. The country needs such emerging manufacturing sectors to grow in order to help diversify and expand the economy. The government must make more use of the levers it has available to encourage the nation’s shipbuilding industry.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) and its members and stakeholders applauded the Senate’s passage, by a vote of 76 to16, of a 9-cent increase to the barge diesel fuel user fee. The provision was a part of tax extenders legislation that was combined with the “Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE)” Act that establishes tax-favored savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The ABLE Act that included the provision to increase the user fee by 9 cents passed the House on December 3 by a vote of 404-17.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) and its members and stakeholders tonight applauded the Senate’s passage, by a vote of 76 to16, of a 9-cent increase to the barge diesel fuel user fee. The provision was a part of tax extenders legislation that was combined with the “Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE)” Act that establishes tax-favored savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The ABLE Act that included the provision to increase the user fee by 9 cents passed the House on December 3 by a vote of 404-17. The user fee – currently 20-cents-per-gallon of fuel used while operating on the inland system – will be increased to 29-cents-per-gallon, effective April 1, 2015.

KVH Industries, Inc., announced today that Chris Holm has joined the company to drive strategic leadership in key human resources initiatives supporting KVH’s growth. He assumes the title of vice president of human resources, a newly created role within the company. From its headquarters in Middletown, Rhode Island, KVH has a global presence that includes offices around the world. In the past two years, the company’s annual revenue increased 45 percent, and the number of employees grew from fewer than 400 to more than 500. “We are delighted that Chris has joined KVH, bringing his strong focus on the technology and manufacturing sectors in both public and private companies,” says Peter Rendall, KVH’s chief financial officer. Mr.

Collaboration is a wonderful thing. And in Washington, DC, it seems to be a concept that has become more alien than ever before, with partisan politics that have gripped the nation’s capital. But teamwork is alive and well in the inland waterways industry when it comes to supporting the concept of increasing the amount of investment raised for lock and dam infrastructure on the inland system. Since 1986, commercial inland towing operators have been paying a user fee of 20-cents-per-gallon of fuel used while operating on the inland system that is deposited into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF). Those monies are then matched by General Treasury dollars and spent for the purpose of new construction and major rehabilitation work on the inland waterways.

Even if, as Marcon International’s Bob Beagle says, barges are the workhorses of the towing industry, then the pushboats that propel the 38,000 (documented and undocumented) deck, hopper, tank, crane and miscellaneous purpose barges to their destinations are the heart and soul of the most efficient – and greenest – means to move cargo known to man. This month, we take a close look at what’s developing for both types of hulls; in terms of design, markets, boatbuilding and everything else in between. There’s something happening on all fronts. The second quarter of 2014 finds North American shipyards and the service and manufacturing sectors that support them still roaring along. But, it’s not just production – it’s also about innovation.

Liverpool-based maritime advisory firm and consultancy Focus Maritime (North West) Limited has been appointed to promote Canada's Halifax Port Authority across Europe. The move by the Nova Scotia-based authority is aimed at strengthening its presence across the continent and sees Liverpool-based Graham Fraser take on the role of director, business development and growth - Europe. Strategically located as North America's first inbound and last outbound gateway, the Port of Halifax is a deep, wide, ice-free harbor.

The deal is described by the British Government as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand the region’s marine and advanced manufacturing industries by freeing up land at the South Yard in Devonport Naval Base. It will enable marine companies to grow their operations, the relocation of supply chain companies to the region and the creation of new marine enterprises. The City Deal is intended to reinvigorate the region’s marine and advanced manufacturing sectors, creating over 9,000 jobs.

Outstanding trade in agribulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo at the Port of Brunswick led to an impressive 47 percent increase in total tonnage for fiscal year 2013. “Our deepwater ports provide vital support to our agricultural, forestry and manufacturing sectors,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “Because American-made goods are able to reach the global market efficiently through Georgia’s ports, these products are more competitive in international trade. For the second year in a row…

The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) and The American Waterways Operators (AWO) expressed their support of the bipartisan process to move a long overdue Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). House efforts, led by House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), along with Ranking Member Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), as well as Water Resources and Environment Committee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH) and Ranking Member Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), culminated in this week’s introduction of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA). WCI and AWO are urging the inclusion of provisions in H.R. 1149, the WAVE 4 Act…

The Georgia Ports Authority marked record volumes for fiscal year 2013 in total tonnage, bulk cargo, total auto-machinery units, and freight moved by intermodal rail. “Our deepwater ports provide vital support to our agricultural, forestry and manufacturing sectors,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “Because American-made goods are able to reach the global market efficiently through Georgia’s ports, these products are more competitive in international trade. GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz said record levels achieved across important business sectors in fiscal year 2013 are a testament to the superior service enjoyed by the customers of the GPA.

The Business Survey Committee of the Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) forecast is bullish for the rest of 2013. Economic growth is expected to continue in the United States throughout the remainder of 2013, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in their spring 2013 Semiannual Economic Forecast. Expectations for the remainder of 2013 continue to be positive in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors. These projections are part of the forecast issued by the Business Survey Committee of the Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM). The forecast was presented by Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee; and by Anthony S. Nieves, C.P.M., CFPM, chair of the ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

Classification society BV acquire  LVQ-WP, a German group specializing in non-destructive testing (NDT) and industrial inspection services. Founded in 1994, LVQ-WP is headquartered in Muelheim in the Rhein-Ruhr area, which is a strategic industrial cluster in Germany, and provides services to the power, process and manufacturing sectors in Germany and Eastern Europe. LVQ-WP currently has 120 highly qualified employees and its 2012 revenues totaled around EUR9 million. In Europe, non-destructive testing and industrial inspection services represent an attractive market, estimated at EUR850 million with a growth rate of around 8% per year, in which demand is driven by the need to maintain the integrity of ageing infrastructure.