Chris Welsh News

The Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) says that the use of mega ships and alliances remain the main problems within the shipping sector. The popular belief is that larger ships and alliances are good for competition because of the benefits they give, but the reality is that there are added costs due to the negative externalities they impose on others, says Chris Welsh, general secretary of GSF. The restriction of competition can make other approaches necessary for regulatory policy or competition to address the competition concerns raised by the mega ships and alliances, he  said. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) has warned that the insurance industry is facing an increasing risk of billion-dollar losses from mega-ships as demand for larger container vessels continues unabated.

Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited in its latest ship2shore Magazine takes a look at methods of weighing containers. Half a century after containerization first emerged to transform the world of shipping, a landmark new regulation is on the horizon. From 1 July 2016, an amendment to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention will require every packed export container to have its weight verified before it is loaded on to a ship. The new regulation puts this responsibility firmly on the shipper – but how many shippers are actually ready for container weighing? The Freight Transport Association recently warned that shippers could fall foul of the new legislation after 1 July 2016 if they don’t put measures in place to verify the gross mass of their containers.

Tomorrow 23rd June international law firm Hill Dickinson LLP will be holding  its UK Ports Conference focusing on ‘The Future of UK Ports: changing regulation, shipping trend updates and new opportunities in the supply chain’. The 7th Annual UK Ports Conference will allow senior representatives from across the ports, shipping and maritime sector to network and discuss policy updates, shipping trends and the latest logistics and supply chain guidance. The day will also look at how to approach port development and funding and hear from UK ports on how ports can support the economic development of the local area and the wider UK. Another discussion point will be on EU state aid and the key risk factors are for UK ports.

The Global Shippers Forum (GSF) has joined forces with the Baltic International Maritime Council Organisation (BIMCO) to launch the BIMCO/GSF SERVICECON container shipping contract. GSF is a NGO inaugurated in the UK four years ago but which represents international shipping organisations around the globe, and BIMCO is also an NGO which includes thousands of shipowners and operators worldwide in its membership. The contract details were announced at the 2015 Containerisation International Conference in Hamburg on April 22 and provide the world’s first standardised contract terms and conditions for use in container shipping markets worldwide.

The EGS management has gathered in Singapore to conduct the christening and blessing ceremony of the RV Geo Resolution, the latest addition to EGS’ fleet of deep water capable hydrographic and geophysical survey vessels, said a press release from the company. The ceremony has taken place at the Sembawang Shipyard, where the vessel was equipped and readied for her forthcoming survey duties. EGS purchased the 68m long RV Geo Resolution (formerly HMNZS Resolution) from the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in October 2014. During her service in New Zealand, the vessel was the RNZN's principal hydrographic survey ship conducting surveying and charting on behalf of the New Zealand Navy.

The Global Shippers' Forum has welcomed confirmation that the European Competition Commission will closely monitor the P3 for compliance with EU competition rules. GSF Secretary General, Chris Welsh, said,"The GSF has asked the Commission to closely scrutinise the P3 to ensure the Agreement is in line with the general provisions of the EU competition guidelines. GSF believes the P3 should assist the Commission in monitoring compliance by providing reports on service performance on specific port pairs, vessel withdrawals including short-term withdrawals that might cause disruption to shippers' supply chains, and information about future investment plans including future joint investment strategies that would impact on future capacity availability in the markets in which the P3 will operate.

The P3 agreement between Maersk, MSC, and CGM CMA continues to roil the waters. While the agreement’s pros-and cons are about to be scrutinized in an upcoming meeting between America’s Federal Maritime Commission, the European Competition Commission, and China’s Ministry of Transport, carriers outside the P3 are aggressively taking steps to stay competitive regardless of the regulators final decision. Hapag-Lloyd and CSAV announced 5 December they have been holding discussions on the possibility of merger or some other form of co-operation.

THE Asian Shippers' Council (ASC) renewed its attack on the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) over compulsory container weight verification partly because it is hard on shippers in emerging markets. "There are millions of shippers across Asia, with different levels of maturity and different operational constraints. Cargoes have multiple modes of transport - trucks, ships and/or rail. Can you imagine trying to implement what is agreed at the IMO in such a challenging environment?" said ASC chairman John Lu.

OceanGate Inc. discovers Grumman F6F Hellcat off the coast of Miami using manned submersible, 2D and 3D sonar technologies. OceanGate discovered a World War II-era Grumman F6F Hellcat plane off the coast of Miami Beach. The plane was found during one of an ongoing series of dives in which OceanGate has been using its Teledyne BlueView high-frequency sonar and high-definition photo and video equipment to gather data pertaining to the artificial reefs in Miami-Dade County waters.

OceanGate Inc. OceanGate announced it has discovered a World War II-era Grumman F6F Hellcat plane off the coast of Miami Beach. The plane was found during one of an ongoing series of dives in which OceanGate has been using its Teledyne BlueView high-frequency sonar and high-definition photo and video equipment to gather data pertaining to the artificial reefs in Miami-Dade County waters. Recognizing the potential historical and military significance of the find, OceanGate contacted officials at both the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S.

BlueView Technologies has been commissioned to develop the first full ocean depth (11,000 meters), multibeam imaging sonar systems for historic exploration projects by Virgin Oceanic and film director & National Geographic Explorer in Residence James Cameron (Avatar). The new imaging sonar systems will be integrated onto manned and unmanned submersibles destined for the deepest locations on earth, including the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. At more than 6 miles deep the BlueView imaging sonar will withstand immense pressure, more than 8 tons per square inch. Using hundreds of razor-thin acoustic beams the 2D imaging sonar system will aid real-time navigation…