Wss Japan News

Speaking ahead of Sea Japan today, WSS General Manager for Japan Yoshihiro Iizuka says that although the Japanese market is moving towards growth for 2014, the recovery will be stronger in the second half, with an increase in newbuilds expected towards the end of the year. Iizuka says:  “Overall, the Japanese market is in recovery, with annual pay raises by the major corporates estimated at around 2-3% for 2014. However, the weakened Japanese Yen relative to the past couple of years has contributed to the widening of the trade deficit with particular reductions in export value.

Despite tight budgets and uncertain economic forecasts, demand for WSS services in Japan remains solid, the company said. Speaking after last week’s Bariship Japan event in Imabari, General Manager WSS Japan Yoshihiro Iizuka said that for ship-owners and vessel operators, a combination of increased regulation and continued pressure on budgets means that the cost of products and services is more crucial than ever. However, according to Iizuka, the company has seen steady demand for its services such as Life Raft Exchange program and Ships Agency Re-Defined.

Iino Marine Service, a ship management company in Japan, has been a customer of the Liferaft Rental and Exchange program (LRE) since 2010. Mr. Araki, Director of Iino Marine Service said, “Operating a high number of vessels on global trading patterns means that we are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve the efficiency of our operations. As WSS exhibits at this week’s Bariship 2013 event, Gen Takamatsu, Sales Manager for WSS Japan said, “For shipowners, managing the maintenance, repair and inspection of liferafts can be an expensive, unpredictable and complicated challenge. Across north-east Asia, the number of rafts being exchanged and serviced by WSS is growing quickly, with the number of exchanges increasing month on month.

Harmony Cruise, Korea’s newest cruise operator, has chosen Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) to provide ships agency services at ports on its Japan itinerary. Harmony Cruise was launched in February 2012 by Seoul-based Polaris Shipping, offering a variety of three and four-day cruises in the South Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Russian markets. Its Japanese itinerary will include calls at Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Hakata, Nagasaki and Kagoshima, representing ship’s agency services for WSS.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has signed its first fleet Safety Service Agreement with a Japanese principal. The two-year agreement, valued at $300,000 includes 25 panamax and cape-size bulk carriers and 18 product carriers on behalf of Tokyo-based Victoria Ship Management. The WSS Safety Service Agreement provides a standardized service covering a client’s fleet, offering fixed prices for inspection at agreed ports covering fixed systems and portable equipment. The agreement also provides a single point of contact for clients, with customer support in local languages in the same time zone as the client. Under such agreements, WSS customers receive predictable pricing and professional service due date monitoring…

As it prepares for Sea Japan, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has reported strong growth in the number of owners in Japan and North East Asia signing up for its’ Ships Agency Re-Defined (SARD) offer. “Since launching SARD globally at the end of 2010,” we have seen high levels of uptake from the North East Asian shipping community, with growth levels of around 15 percent throughout 2011,” said Neal De Roche, Area Director WSS North East Asia. “Japanese vessel operators and owners are extremely positive about the fact that SARD provides a ‘one point of contact’ system. In fact, SARD can save up to three hours per port call for our Japanese customers.