America News

Hapag-Lloyd, the market leader in Canada, is expanding its local network. On April 21, the “YM Masculinity” called at a new destination, the Port of Prince Rupert, for the first time. The ship, which operates on the ‘PS8’ service of THE Alliance, was sailing from Asia to North America offering leading transit times and new options for customers. “With the decision to incorporate Prince Rupert into our network, we strengthen and further expand our position in Canada,” explained Uffe Ostergaard, President of Hapag-Lloyd America.

Dellner Brakes will present a global product range at this year’s Inland Marine Expo (IMX) in St Louis, bringing together power transmission products from its U.S., Swedish and German operations for the very first time.This global product offering follows on from the Swedish company’s acquisition of U.S. brake and clutch specialist Gummi USA in September 2017 and German braking manufacturer Pintsch Bubenzer in January this year.Dellner Brakes CEO, Marcus Aberg, said, “We are delighted to be exhibiting alongside our new sister company Pintsch Bubenzer for the very first time at IMX.

Dubai state-owned port operator DP World Limited said it handled 17.6 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) across its global portfolio of container terminals in the first quarter of 2018, with gross container volumes growing by 7.3 percent year-on-year on a reported basis, and 8.4 percent on a like-for-like basis."Following a strong year for the global container market in 2017 with peak levels since 2011, our portfolio has had an encouraging start to 2018 delivering ahead-of-market growth.

Plans are in motion to develop a new vehicle processing roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) facility at Alabama’s Port of Mobile in the U.S.Today in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Alabama State Port Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AutoMobile International Terminal, a joint venture of Terminal Zárate S.A. and SAAM Puertos S.A., to develop and operate the new $60 million facility, which is expected to be completed in 2019.The agreement marks a giant step forward in supporting automotive logistics in the Americas and abroad…

View from the foremast to the bow of container vessel Cap San Antonio entering the port of Le Havre, France.Herbert Boettcher took this photo for Hamburg Süd when he traveled on the container ship Cap San Antonio from Europe to South America and back to Hamburg. Boettcher started with his worldwide long time project Seamotion in 2004.Boettcher is a German professional photographer working worldwide for shipping companies to create photos of merchant ships with his unique visual language.

New study examines Japanese government strategy for creating infrastructure for environmentally-friendly ship fuel.A new report by the Intrernational Transport Forum at the OECD assesses Japan’s ambition to become an international bunkering hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG).The Japanese government is working to position the nation as a LNG bunkering hub as it expects the fuel's significance in shipping to grow.Japan is already the world’s largest importer of LNG by a large margin.

Vopak Rotterdam Botlek is investing in 63.000 cbm state-of-the-art stainless steel capacity (15 tanks) for the storage of Styrene and other hazardous chemicals. Styrene is a vital product used in manufacturing of a wide variety of consumer goods serving markets such as packaging, construction (for example isolation) and automotive. The new infrastructure will be fully insulated to allow for product temperature control and is designed to prevent any emissions to the environment.

Cap San Antonio anchoring in front of Montevideo, Uruguay. Herbert Boettcher took this photo for Hamburg Süd when he travelled on the container ship Cap San Antonio from Europe to South America and back to Hamburg. Boettcher started with his worldwide long time project Seamotion in 2004. Boettcher is a German professional photographer working worldwide for shipping companies to create photos of merchant ships with his unique visual language. He has been working as a graduate designer for more than 20 years and has already received numerous awards for his applied and free photographic work.

APL, one of the world’s leading ocean carriers,  announced that its China Philippines Express 1 (CP1) service will be making additional calls at the Chinese port of Xiamen and Batangas in the Philippines. This development extends the market coverage of the shortsea service that links South China and the Philippines. Each week, the enhanced CP1 service will directly call the Batangas port, facilitating shipments into and out of the economically-thriving Calabarzon region in the Philippines.

As the luxury yacht/adventure sector of the global cruise market continues to gain strength, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently received insights from Hurtigruten, a clear leader in the sector. William Harber, President of the Americas Region, Hurtigruten, explains the path forward. Please discuss Hurtigruten’s plans to ramp up its North American presence. We are indeed ramping up our presence in the Americas. From a distribution perspective, Hurtigruten is developing stronger, deeper and more strategic partnerships to drive our expedition cruise products.

MOL (America) Inc. announced the expansion of its Americas service profile. In May 2004, MOL will be adding a new service, the Americas Container Express (ACE), which will call the U.S. East Coast, Northern Caribbean, and the East Coast of South America. MOL has operated an extensive, South America service network for nearly 90 years. However, this is the first time the company has offered a direct service link between the East Coasts of North and South America.

The Grande New York, part of the new fleet of the Grimaldi Group, was christened in the Port of NY-NJ at Port Newark Auto Marine Terminal (FAPS). Godmother was Amanda Matilda Cuomo Cole, granddaughter of former late NY Governor, Mario Cuomo and niece of current NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. Father Peter Haldás of St. John Paul II blessed the ship during a short ceremony to a distinguished delegation composed of maritime authorities, customers, port operators and managers of Grimaldi Group and daughter company Atlantic Container Line.

Douglas Tilden has been named to the advisory board of Ports America Group. Tilden most recently served as chairman of Ports America Group, the largest stevedoring and terminal operating company in the Americas providing services at 97 terminals in 50 U.S. ports. Ports America Group (PAG) is an affiliated group of terminal operating companies owned by Highstar Capital, a leading infrastructure fund. Tilden’s career in the shipping industry began in 1969 with United States Lines. His most recent position as chairman of Ports America Group led to his appointment as senior strategic analyst to the advisory board, which oversees the operation of Ports America Group.

The  ocean carrier APL has announced three additional ports of call for the weekly Asia Latin America Service (ALX). Including Callao, Da Chan Bay and Valparaiso, the expanded ALX service will offer a more comprehensive coverage across Asia, Manzanillo in Mexico, and South America west coast. “Export manufacturers from Asia, in particular those from the Pearl River Delta can expect to exploit a larger market coverage in the Americas via the direct service of ALX from Asia to South America west coast.

From its start 134 years ago as a Rotterdam-based shipping firm, Holland America Line opened an office in Rotterdam. The Seattle-based cruise line returns by opening a sales and marketing office. Located in the Kop van Zuid section of Rotterdam on Wilhelmina Pier, the new office will eventually house approximately 30 Holland America Line staff members, responsible for shipboard hiring, purchasing, and sales and marketing. The new office is only 100 meters from the site of Holland America Line’s original office on Wilhelmina Pier in what is now Hotel New York. Manuel van Engelen, Holland America Line director of sales for the Netherlands, manages the new Rotterdam sales and marketing division, supervising the creation and management of Holland America Line’s Dutch market activities.

APL, ocean carriers, providing world-class container shipping and terminal services,  has announced the launch of the Quetzal Express (QEX) service, a new weekly service that directly connects the key markets of China, Mexico and West Coast South America. APL, part of the CMA CGM said that the QEX service promises the industry’s fastest transit time of 22 days from South China to Mexico. It is also the only service that offers a direct connection from Taiwan, Central and South China to Puerto, Quetzal and Guayaquil.

The Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aircraft Carriers along with the In-service Carriers Program Office (PMS 312) and Future Carriers Program Office (PMS 378) have contributed to a tradition that could last decades and span future ships named for America. They have presented a capstan cover from ex-America (CV 66) to the USS John C Stennis (CVN 74). The capstan is a rotating machine used onboard ship and dock walls for heaving in ropes, cables and hawsers. The capstan cover on a ship is an ornate, highly decorated and usually polished circular device that sits on top of the capstan. The capstan cover from the ex-America weighs 138 lbs. In fiscal year 1996, the USS John C. Stennis was commissioned and the USS America, having served in the U.S. Navy since 1965, was decommissioned.

Ron Huibers, currently President of Sales & Marketing North America within Volvo Trucks Americas, will assume his new position on September 1, 2012. Huibers has been with Volvo Group for 20 years. He has held various North America and International executive positions within Volvo Group including Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Financial Services, Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks. In his current position, Huibers is the leader of Volvo Trucks North America commercial sales and marketing operations with more than 25…

Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), of Miramar, Fla., has signed an agreement with Holland America Line to provide complete wireless technology to its existing fleet of eleven vessels and as well as Holland America’s newest vessel, the Oosterdam, which enters service in August. Under the agreement, MTN will provide wireless Internet capabilities in the public rooms surrounding the Internet Cafés of Holland America’s fleet, in addition to the state-of-the-art communications and Internet services for Holland America guests and crew that MTN already provides. The process of equipping Holland America’s fleet with the new WiFi technology would be completed in May.

Lindsay Blee’s new U.S. Independent international bunker broker Lindsay Blee announced that it is expanding its brokering operations into the Americas with a new operation called Lindsay Blee Americas (LBA) based in Florida to support customers across the U.S. and throughout Central and South America. Lindsay Blee Americas will initially be staffed by two broker/traders as well as two support personnel. James Hills, Managing Director of Lindsay Blee, said, “Along with our presence in the U.K. and Singapore, this expansion gives our customers a true global partner capable of fuelling their fleet anywhere in the world. “Many brokers have been consolidated into large bunkering conglomerates,” said Dean Morrison of Lindsay Blee.

MOL (America) Inc.’s Product Management Team has announced changes to its North America Sales Management. Effective immediately, Dennis Sheehan, Vice President Atlantic Services will direct MOL’s sales activities in the US Northeast, Midwest and Southeast regions, while Jim Galligan, Vice President Pacific Services will lead sales activities in the US Western States and Mexico. In their new assignments both gentlemen will report directly to Thomas M. Kelly, Executive Vice president and Chief Operating Officer for North America Area Management. MOL’s Product Management Team also includes Stephen Ryan, Vice President North America Customer Service and Richard Craig, Vice President Area Operations.

In a continued effort to provide our customers with reliable and efficient services from Asia to Latin America, CMA CGM wishes to inform about the improvement of ACSA services linking Asia to Mexico, Central America and West Coast South America. Port coverage will increase and will be improved with: Pusan EB call, Balboa EB and Coronel on ACSA 2. CMA CGM will keep providing the most efficient services to link Asia to West Coast Latin America and Caribbean: 4 unique direct services from Asia to Mexico…

Maersk Line announced changes to its AC network with the launch of its AC1 service, connecting the West Coast of Latin America with Asia, beginning at the end of June. According to Maerks Line, the AC1 service, connecting the West Coast of Latin America to Asia, will provide greater port coverage and reduced transit times on select corridors. By reducing the size of vessels operating on the AC2 service, the shipping line will be able to introduce a third loop to the network. While overall capacity on the AC network will remain the same…