Freight Transport Association News

The British Ports Association (BPA) will be holding a short targeted seminar on Thursday 29 November to discuss coastal shipping in the UK with ports and operators. In comparison with other transport modes, shipping is an efficient and environmentally sustainable option.Utilising the UK’s hundreds of ports in supporting more coastal shipping has the potential to improve connectivity between regions.Commenting on the importance of coastal shipping (moving freight within the UK by sea) and what will be discussed at the seminar, Sara Walsh, the BPA’s Corporate Services Manager said:“We are aware of the importance of existing coastal shipping routes and possible new markets which would help to sustain trade between regions around the UK.

U.K. Transport Minister, Andrew Jones MP visited the Port of Liverpool Monday, May 16 to view the latest developments at Liverpool2 as the terminal approaches its opening. The Minister, who has responsibility for the strategic roads network and ports, received a tour of the site during a visit to the city to discuss prospective improvements to the major A5036 corridor used by hauliers calling at the Port of Liverpool. “The container shipping industry plays a vital role in the U.K.’s economy, whether putting goods on shop shelves or in helping U.K.

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.

15 container liner shipping companies have said they will stop publishing and communicating general rate increases (GRIs) that are expressed solely as an amount or percentage of the change, says the European Commission. Shipper representatives have welcomed an agreement by  the container lines to abandon GRIs in favour of a new pricing announcement mechanism following a two-year inquiry by the EU into possible competition infringements – alleged “price signalling” – by lines. The announcement grows out of an EC decision to open formal antitrust proceedings that investigate the practice of publishing GRI announcements and whether carriers engaged in concerted practices in breach of EU antitrust rules in November 2013.

As the political and humanitarian situation in Calais continues to unfold, the specialist freight transport insurer, TT Club provides a perspective on the implications for the freight and haulage industry and steps which operators can take to avoid heavy penalties from being caught carrying illegal immigrants. While focused on the current situation in Calais, the precautionary measures recommended are generally relevant. The problem of illegal immigrants entering Western Europe has been a geopolitical issue for several years. Thus far in 2015 it is widely reported that there have been in excess of 37,000 attempts by immigrants to cross from France to England, the vast majority via Calais.

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.

UK's Freight Transport Association (FTA) conducts survey on whether Sulphur Directive could cause modal shift from sea to road freight. The FTA is asking short sea users for feedback on how the directive could affect them. A five-minute FTA survey has been set up which will gauge the impact the directive will have across the industry. The survey is confidential and only asks for estimates based on respondents' understanding. Christopher Snelling, FTA - head of supply chain policy said: “The UK Department for Transport have said to us they need evidence about what impact cost increases or reductions in service would have on the use of short-sea shipping.

A UK Short Sea Shipping Bureau is one step closer to becoming a reality, according to the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS). months, the ICS has organised a number of meetings with leading bodies in the UK transport industry including the Chamber of Shipping, Freight Transport Association, BIFA, Road Haulage Association and British ports' groups, all of which have given the bureau their full support. The next step is to secure funding from the UK government. The aim of the bureau is to promote and co-ordinate efforts to encourage greater movement of goods by sea. "Each day, thousands of containers are moved between the north and south of the UK using our already over burdened motorways," says John Foord, chairman of the ICS Federation Council. moved from the road to the sea.