Pacific Service News

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA ), a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, has welcome the ZIM Ningbo to its North Harbor.Zim Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) is expanding its presence at the NWSA by joining the 2M trans-Pacific service calling at Terminal 46 in Seattle, it said in a press release.ZIM will have four of its own vessels in the weekly ZP9 service with increased capacity to serve the NWSA gateway. This will be the first regular call of ZIM vessels at the NWSA since the spring of 2017.“We are proud to welcome ZIM back to our family of steamship lines calling at The Northwest Seaport Alliance,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire.

Stolt-Nielsen Limited announced Jens F. Grüner-Hegge has been appointed as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective from April 2, 2018. Grüner-Hegge, who has served as Vice President, Corporate Finance since 2007, succeeds longtime CFO Jan Chr. Engelhardtsen, who will retire from his executive role and has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the company’s board of directors. With the addition of Engelhardtsen as a director, the SNL Board now has seven members, four of which are independent.

APM Terminals Mobile welcomes Arkansas-based global retail giant Walmart’s plans for a new International Distribution Center to be opened 15 miles from the port. The sixth of Walmart’s US international distribution centers, the Irvington, Alabama facility will handle Walmart’s import cargoes destined for Walmart’s Regional Distribution Centers in the American South. The recently completed Panama Canal lock widening project will permit vessels of up to 13,000 TEU capacity to transit the canal, bringing larger vessels and new opportunities to the deep-water terminal strategically located on the US Gulf Coast. The APM Terminals Mobile terminal opened in September of 2008. With a depth of 45 feet, the facility is currently equipped with two STS cranes capable of a 19-row reach.

​ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd (ZIM)  has announced a significant upgrading of its Atlantic network, offering improved connections between US, Canada and the Mediterranean, starting April 2017, subject to FMC approval. ZIM Container Service Italy (ZCI) - A new premium string, offering improved service to the Italian and French markets, connecting with Canada and the US East Coast, with faster transit time, additional ports of call in Italy and a direct call in Fos, France. ZIM’s flagship service, ZIM Container Service Atlantic (ZCA), operating 7 vessels, will focus on the East Med and Spain, with a new call in Algeciras, serving the South Spain market and adding new direct calls in two major Turkish ports- Izmir and Mersin.

U.S. carrier in the Pacific Matson, Inc. has introduced a new containership service between the U.S. West Coast and ports in Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. Starting August 10, 2016, the shipper’s South Pacific Express (SPX) will for the first time link the its West Coast - Hawaii service with its South Pacific network. Using a dedicated ship to carry West Coast cargo transshipped at Honolulu, SPX will provide reliable, same-day-of-week South Pacific arrivals every 28 days, calling on Apia, Samoa; Pago Pago, American Samoa; Nuku'alofa, Tonga; Suva, Fiji and Lautoka, Fiji before returning to Honolulu. “We have sought for some time the right opportunity to link our networks in the northern and South Pacific in a way that enhances both operations…

Multipurpose heavy lift operator AAL has completed a series of shipments to Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) of a mobile grain shiploader to be installed at the Port’s Pacific Terminal run by grain handler Viterra. The largest component was over 66m long and weighed 250mt and, once assembled and operational, will increase the Terminal’s shipping capacity and allow for the loading of post-Panamax sized vessels. The shiploader was transported from China along AAL’s Pacific Service between Asia and North America and aboard its 31,000 dwt A-Class vessel, the AAL Singapore. Responsible for logistics and planning was Ontario-based Convoy Logistics Providers Ltd. (CLP), appointed by bulk material systems expert EMS-TECH who designed and commissioned the shiploader.

Hapag-Lloyd informs about the current delay of its Mediterranean Pacific Service (MPS) – “Duesseldorf Express” due to technical Problems.   "We regret to inform you that the “Duesseldorf Express” experienced technical problems on her current westbound voyage. Due to the necessary repairs as well as the missed Panama Canal transit the vessel will be delayed by about 7 days," a statement from the company says.   Appropriate schedule recovery measures will be taken in order to bring the vessel back into the longterm schedule position on her next westbound sailing in order to ensure our reliable weekly service.   "We regret the inconvenience this incident may cause for your cargo," it said.

Increased demand for marine lubricants in the Asia-Pacific region has underpinned the growth of Total Lubmarine’s Hong Kong office which this year celebrates 25 years of service to ship operators across the region. Today, Asia represents more than 50% of Total’s lubricants sales across all segments. Total Lubmarine’s Hong Kong office is a key part of the company’s Asian infrastructure. The company’s Hong Kong story began in 1990 when Elf Lubricant Hong Kong Ltd was established as Lubmarine’s head office for the Asia-Pacific region with four staff providing marine lubricants and services to customers in Hong Kong and China. 25 years later the company…

Container shipping lines are poised to take delivery of a new generation of "megaships" over the next two years, just as the growth of world trade is slowing down, contributing to massive overcapacity in the market. Megaships, which can be up to 400 metres long, seem to be here to stay, not least because so many more are already on order, the product of high fuel costs and low interest rates. But the trend towards larger vessels is not without problems especially for other businesses in the transport system and the trend could be nearing its limit as the economies of scale associated with megaships decline. Container shipping capacity…

Press release - AAL has announced the opening of a new office in Vancouver, Canada. This continues the company’s global expansion strategy, which has, in the same month, seen the opening of AAL Korea. The move strengthens the company’s on-the-ground presence and customer support function in a region experiencing growth and development. AAL is also one of the first global shipping operators established in Vancouver to have benefited from the support of the newly launched Vancouver International Maritime Center (VIMC).

AAL, one of the world’s leading global breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift shipping operators, has strengthened its foothold in the oil rich mining region of Northern Alberta, by expanding its popular ‘Pacific Service’ liner route to include the British Columbia Port of Prince Rupert. Its inaugural sailing into the Canadian port on May 10 2015 was with a cargo of process units for a major new oil sands project in Alberta. The Port of Prince Rupert, with its newly established road and rail links, has emerged as an important new gateway for project cargo imports to the oil-rich mining area of Alberta, Canada, and the wider Pacific North West.

Hapag-Lloyd has notified its Pacific Northwest customers that it has ended its service to Portland because of “schedule integrity” problems. The last vessel to call at Portland as part of Hapag-Lloyd’s MPS was the 4,250-teu Seaspan Dalian (built 2002) which sailed on 28 March. With the Hapag-Lloyd exiting its operations on its Mediterranean Pacific Service (MPS), Portland has lost its second container shipping company. Earlier this year, South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping announced it would stop servicing Oregon's only deep water port terminal, too. The two carriers made up almost all of the terminal’s business. The only remaining line now calling at Portland is Westwood, with only one call per month.

Charlotte, N.C. - Horizon Lines Inc. today announced that it has completed transactions with more than 99 percent of its note holders, and with Ship Finance International Limited ("SFL") and certain of its subsidiaries, to substantially deleverage the Company's balance sheet and terminate vessel charter obligations related to its discontinued trans-Pacific service. These simultaneous transactions eliminate virtually all of the remaining $228.4 million of the Company's 6.00 percent Series A and Series B Convertible Secured Notes, partially offset by the issuance of $40.0 million of debt to SFL as part of the full and final settlement of the vessel charter obligations, resulting in a net debt reduction of $188.4 million.

Horizon Lines, Inc. have reported financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter ended December 25, 2011.Financial results are being presented on a continuing operations basis, excluding the discontinued FSX and logistics operations. "Our fourth-quarter operating performance from continuing operations was relatively stable when compared with a year ago, as both container volumes and rates reflected marginal improvement on a comparable 52-week basis," said Stephen H. Fraser, interim President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our financial performance was pressured by high fuel prices, the ongoing recession in Puerto Rico, severe winter weather in Alaska, and increased expenses from incremental lift and equipment costs resulting from the expiration of certain of our Maersk agreements.

Horizon Lines, Inc. (NYSE: HRZ), aleading U.S. domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, announced it will launch express intermodal container service to key inland U.S. cities when it begins the new Five Star Express (FSX) trans-Pacific liner service in December. The maiden FSX voyage is scheduled to depart Ningbo, China, on December 14, 2010, Shanghai on December 15, and arrive in Los Angeles on December 26. Approximately 60% of the initial voyage is already subscribed, as the company continues to make steady progress toward its goal of 75% bookings for the first sailing. "As other carriers reduce service locations and slow service speeds, U.S.

Stolt-Nielsen S.A. appointed Otto H. Fritzner as CEO of Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG). Fritzner most recently served as Managing Director, Ship Owning at SNTG. He succeeds James B. Hurlock, who was named Interim CEO of SNTG in July 2003. • SNTG's global operations will be organized into three regions - the Americas, administered from Greenwich, Conn.; Asia-Pacific, administered from Singapore; and Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), administered from Rotterdam, SNTG's corporate headquarters. • SNTG's Indian Ocean Service and the Europe-to-Asia Pacific Service will be operated out of Rotterdam. I.M. Skaugen ASA announced that Skaugen PetroTrans (SPT), its 50 percent owned joint venture company, has appointed Per Voie as its President.

Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen S.A. (Nasdaq: SNSA; Oslo Stock Exchange: SNI), today announced organizational changes aimed at increasing both the Company's service capabilities to customers and its competitive advantage in the global marketplace for parcel tanker and related services. Otto H. Fritzner, SNTG's newly appointed chief executive officer, said: "The enhancements we are announcing today will increase the efficiency of our operations and enable SNTG to provide better service to its customers worldwide. headquarters. customers in the fast-growing EMEIA region. second-largest office after Rotterdam. headquarters in Rotterdam.

Horizon Lines, Inc. (NYSE: HRZ), the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping company, today announced that Alherd Kazura has been appointed to the new position of Vice President of International Services. Mr. Kazura will report to Brian Taylor, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of Horizon Lines, Inc. Mr. Kazura was previously Vice President International Planning and Development at Horizon, where among other responsibilities he led the transition team that established the carrier's Five Star Express (FSX) trans-Pacific service in December 2010.

Quarter Negatively Impacted by Goodwill Impairment Charge, FSX Losses, Volume and Rate Pressures. Horizon Lines, Inc. (OTCQB: HRZL) has reported financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended September 25, 2011. Financial results are being presented on a continuing operations basis, excluding discontinued logistics operations. On a GAAP basis, the third-quarter net loss from continuing operations totaled $126.5 million, or $4.09 per diluted share, on revenue from continuing operations of $321.9 million. On an adjusted basis, the company recorded a third-quarter net loss from continuing operations of $5.6 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, after excluding charges totaling $120.9 million, after tax, or $3.91 per share.

Maritime innovations with environmental sensitivity will be showcased at a research conference November 9 and 10 aboard the Queen Mary. A Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) freight corridor to run from the Ports of LA/Long Beach to remote cargo processing sites inland, thus reducing traffic congestion by running on its own dedicated track. The Maglev system eliminates the pollution associated with typical internal combustion engines because it runs on electricity. CCDoTT’s freight corridor concept has already been hailed by California State Senator Alan Lowenthal whose 27th District encompasses the Port area. Short Sea Shipping along the West Coast, a system of cargo transit that would use the Pacific Ocean instead of local highways, also reducing congestion.

Charlotte, N.C. --- Horizon Lines Inc. announced that it has signed a restructuring support agreement with more than 96 percent of its  note holders to further deleverage the Company's balance sheet in connection with, and contingent upon, a restructuring of the vessel charter obligations related to the Company's discontinued trans-Pacific service. "We greatly appreciate the support of our note holders to help facilitate this potential restructuring to reduce the company's indebtedness, and also thank our employees for their continued dedication and hard work," said Stephen H. Fraser, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Over the past year, Horizon Lines has taken a number of actions to restructure our business, reduce debt and improve liquidity.

With fuel related costs reaching historical highs, Matson Navigation Company announced today that it is raising its fuel surcharge for its Hawaii service by 4.5 percentage points, from 33.75 to 38.25 percent, and its Guam/CNMI and Micronesia services by 6 percentage points, from 33.75 to 39.75 percent, both effective July 13, 2008. This is the first adjustment Matson has made to its fuel surcharge since April 6, 2008. While Matson has traditionally applied the same percentage fuel surcharge to all of its Pacific service, it is implementing a new program that recognizes that there are greater fuel requirements in serving the more geographically remote regions of Guam and .

The Pacific Business has reported that Horizon Lines, in a bid to increase its market share here, will add one more port call and increase its cargo-carrying capacity in and out of Honolulu starting next year. The changes to the Hawaii service are part of a companywide drive to add new vessels and increase company earnings by a projected $30 million by 2010. Horizon has a market share of 35 percent in Hawaii, with Matson Navigation Co. controlling the rest of the cargo between Hawaii and the Mainland. Horizon said it plans to bring two ships, now in its trans-Pacific service, to the Hawaii route. In addition, the Charlotte, N.C.-based shipping company will charter five new U.S.-flagged vessels being built in Korea for its Asia-West Coast routes at a cost of $280 million.