Ocean Freight Services News

Ships sailing to the U.S. port of Baltimore dropped anchor in waters nearby while vessels were stranded inside the port after traffic was halted following a bridge collapse, shipping data showed on Tuesday.A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the port in darkness early on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.Port traffic was suspended until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said.At least 13 vessels that were expected to load coal were anchored near to Baltimore port…

At least 10 commercial ships that were sailing to the U.S. port of Baltimore have dropped anchor in waters nearby, data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic showed on Tuesday.A container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the port on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.Port traffic was suspended until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said.The vessels that anchored included container and bulk carrier ships that were signaling their destination as Baltimore…

Amazon.com Inc and IKEA are among commercial users of container shipping that will opt for zero-carbon marine fuels by 2040 in a new initiative aimed at speeding up decarbonization in the maritime sector, executives said on Tuesday.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions and the sector is under growing scrutiny to become cleaner.The initiative, which was organized by the non-profit Aspen Institute and has nine signatories so far also including Unilever and Michelin…

Neptune Pacific Line, the provider of ocean freight services between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, said that it has acquired Pacific Direct Line(PDL) from its Singapore based parent holding company, Pacific International Lines (PIL).The acquisition makes Neptune the new owners of all of PDL’s regional and Fiji based companies. The combined business will seamlessly link transport, warehousing, depots and customs clearance services and fully integrate customers’ supply chains across 18 South Pacific markets, it said in a press note."This purchase supports our long-term vision of creating the strongest and best regional network of shipping and logistics services in the Pacific Islands…

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s liner services group announced today that it has launched a new feeder shipping service connecting San Juan, Puerto Rico; Rio Haina, Dominican Republic; and St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).With the new service, vessels depart Rio Haina on Sundays and arrive in San Juan on Tuesdays. After departure on Thursdays, cargo arrives in St. Thomas and St. Croix on Fridays, before the vessel moves to the Dominican Republic again for Sunday operations.

Chainalytics, a global leader in supply chain consulting, and Drewry, the global shipping consultancy, have partnered to launch an innovative ocean freight procurement solution for shippers. The Chainalytics Ocean Buying Group, in partnership with Drewry, will provide participating Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs) with enhanced purchasing power, service monitoring and cost transparency. The new strategic partnership delivers a pioneering ocean freight procurement platform that will enable medium and small scale importers and exporters to collaboratively achieve “big shipper” rates and terms direct with ocean carriers and benefit from shared intelligence for better commercial decisions.

Laugfs Maritime Services, the shipping division of Sri Lanka’s Laugfs Gas,  has purchased its third Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier vessel for USD 2.875 million, reports  Lanka Business Online quoting company sources. The 1998-built 3,500-cbm Lady Martine was bought from Ultragas at a price of $2.875m and will be renamed Gas Courage. It will be reflagged to Sri Lanka. Laugfs Maritime Services private limited operates with Board of Investments of Sri Lanka approval to carry out a business of sea cargo operation services. The new vessel will join the company’s two other LPG carriers, Gas Challenger and Gas Success. Laugfs Maritime Services purchased its second Liquid Petroleum gas carrier vessel "Gas Dorado" with a total investment of US$ 6.0 million in October 2015.

Amazon.com Inc's China arm has registered as an ocean freight forwarder, according to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, a move that will give it more control over shipping products from Chinese factories to U.S. shoppers. The registration is the latest indication that Amazon plans to expand its logistics reach to cut costs for its retail business and potentially provide third-party logistics services to other industries. Its new status as a freight forwarder, or "non-vessel operating common carrier," gives Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, a foothold in the $350 billion a year ocean freight business. It will not operate ships but subcontract that work.

Classification society ClassNK and Rio Tinto Iron Ore (part of the Rio Tinto Group, one of the world’s largest metal and mining companies), announced that they have signed a collaborative agreement focused on the safe carriage of iron ore. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held after a meeting of executives from both companies at the Rio Tinto Japan office on 3 December 2013. ClassNK Executive Vice President Yasushi Nakamura and Warwick Smith, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing for Rio Tinto Iron Ore, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Market strategy focuses on delivering innovative supply chain solutions that complement Kuwait’s growing reputation as a major logistics hub. Globe Express Services announced that it has intensified its regional growth plans by providing a full array of innovative supply chain solutions in Kuwait. The company is consolidating its presence in Kuwait to take advantage of the government’s aggressive investments in large-scale logistics and transport infrastructure projects, including…

INTTRA, the leading provider of B2B ocean freight services, announced that United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has selected INTTRA as its portal for the management of ocean-going container shipping. The national line of the Arabian Gulf states, UASC is the twelfth carrier to join INTTRA's non-exclusive network, extending INTTRA's reach beyond 40 percent of world container capacity. UASC provides direct liner services between the Arabian Gulf and main ports in Europe, U.S. East Coast, Indian sub-continent, and a full range of ports in Asia. The addition of UASC to INTTRA connects two of the portal's traditionally strongest areas - Asia and Europe - and provides customers with the capability to view both regional and global shipments from one portal.

Schenker. Inc., an integrated logistics provider is in the process of restructuring its Hanover, Md., office to better service its ocean customers. Schenker offers a complete range of ocean freight services for all types of cargo - consolidated or full-container shipments, full and partial charters, RoRo, and barge cargo transportation. The Port of Baltimore is strategically located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. east coast, making it the closest Atlantic port to major Mid-western locations. Schenker plans to take advantage of its location and has added additional salespeople to concentrate on bringing in new and additional business from existing customers. "It is important to get our ocean freight services known to the general public.