Marine Terminal Operator News

On May 5, 2023, the White House announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was “taking the next step to invest $3 billion in its Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission port equipment and technology and to help ports develop climate action plans to reduce air pollutants, improve air quality and public health in neighboring communities, and advance environmental justice.” That “next step” was the issuance of a Request for Information to inform EPA of the availability…

Australian financial conglomerate Macquarie Group said on Thursday it would divest its U.S.-based port terminal operator Ceres Terminals, with a source familiar with the matter placing the deal value north of $900 million.Macquarie did not disclose any further details on the deal, and declined to comment on Reuters' request seeking confirmation of the sale value.The Wall Street Journal in May reported that Macquarie was looking for about $1 billion from the sale, citing sources familiar with the matter.The deal value could be at the lower end of what the Wall Street Journal reported…

While those in the Beltway continue to struggle to offer solutions to U.S. supply chain capacity issues, it seems apparent that policymakers have at least found their scapegoat for these issues in the form of the maritime industry. A specific talking point during the State of Union Address, a White House-endorsed agreement between the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and Department of Justice (DOJ), multiple pieces of legislation, and a vigorous hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce…

The Australian Maritime College (AMC), part of the University of Tasmania (UTAS), and the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing to work together on professional development for the maritime and port industry. Under the MOU, AMC and the IAMPE will acknowledge and endorse each other’s programs related to port and terminal education and training. The IAMPE will look to provide a professional certification as Marine Terminal Operator (MTO) to AMC undergraduate students for successfully completing the maritime undergraduate program. In addition, AMC is reviewing IAMPE programs for the granting of academic credit to graduate students in their new Maritime Business Administration in Maritime Management program.

The largest container terminal in America, Long Beach Container Terminal Inc (LBCT) has officially developed “Application Programming Interfaces” (APIs) to improve upon the Terminal’s ease of doing business with the truck drayage community at large.LBCT is the first Marine Terminal Operator (MTO) at either the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach to provide an API solution as a modern interface for trucking companies to integrate with their terminal operator partners, said LBCT President Anthony Otto.According to a press release, this new platform allows for the efficient and even flow of data between trucking companies and the MTOs, which…

U.S. investment firm Blackstone Group LP said on Sunday that funds affiliated with Blackstone Infrastructure Partners invested in Carrix Inc, the largest marine terminal operator in the United States and the Americas.The company did not disclose the terms of the transaction.Carrix is the parent of SSA Marine and its related affiliates with operations at over 250 port and rail locations worldwide, including 16 container terminals in Long Beach and Oakland in California, Seattle and Tacoma in Washington…

On December 22, 2018, a continuing resolution passed by Congress to fund a portion of the U.S. Government into the 2019 fiscal year expired and was not renewed resulting in a partial federal government shutdown. Among the affected Executive Departments are the Department of Homeland Security (which includes the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection), the Department of Transportation (which includes the Maritime Administration), the Department of Interior (which includes the Bureau of Environment and Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM))…

The Federal Maritime Commission is closed effective Wednesday, December 26, 2018 as part of the partial federal government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations. The Commission will resume normal operations when appropriations legislation is enacted and the federal government reopens.With the exceptions of Acting Chairman Michael A. Khouri and Commissioner Rebecca Dye, who are Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed officials, all Commission employees have been placed on furlough and are prohibited by law from performing any duties during the shutdown.

Global port operator DP World says it has completed the acquisition of Danish logistics firm Unifeeder for $748 million.DP World’s full acquisition of Unifeeder Group from Nordic Capital Fund VIII was announced in August, but finalized on Thursday."DP World PLC is pleased to advise that it has closed the transaction to acquire 100% of Unifeeder Group from Nordic Capital Fund VIII and certainminority shareholders," said one sentence statement from the Dubai-based global marine terminal operator."Unifeeder Group is now part of the DP World Group, a leading enabler of global trade and an integral part of the supply chain," said a statement…

Oakland’s largest marine terminal operator plans to clear the air using hybrid cargo-handling technology. SSA Terminals said today it will retrofit 13 diesel-powered cranes with diesel-electric hybrid engines. The upgrade is estimated to eliminate more than 45 tons of exhaust emissions annually at the Port of Oakland. The projected cost to upgrade the cargo-handlers, known as Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes, is more than $6 million. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District this month approved a $5.1 million Community Health Protection Grant Program / Carl Moyer Program allocation for the project. The cranes will continue to operate at SSA’s Oakland International Container Terminal in the Port.

A major global marine terminal operator has OKd a new Port of Oakland lease that runs through 2027. The agreement includes options that could keep SSA Terminals (Oakland) here to 2042. The Port today characterized the deal as validation for the city’s maritime future. “SSA is an influential player on the waterfront worldwide, and a significant presence in Oakland,” said Port Maritime Director John Driscoll. Oakland’s Board of Port Commissioners approved the new lease last night. Key elements of the deal include: a 19-acre expansion at SSA’s Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT); purchase of three new ship-to-shore cranes by the terminal operator for cargo handling; and options that would extend the new lease an additional 15 years if certain conditions were met.

Port of Oakland officials has promised a digital shipping platform by mid-year to speed up global trade flows. The Port said it’s building an online portal for transactions that range from tracking to transporting containerized cargo. The move aligns with an industry migration toward digitalization of international supply chains for the sake of efficiency. The Port previewed its portal - called a digital collaboration platform - at an American Association of Port Authorities meeting in Oakland. Port officials said it would provide a single window for cargo owners or freight haulers who want to: Get personalized cargo status updates; Check ocean vessel schedules; Pay freight-handling fees; or Make appointments to pick up containerized cargo.

Tideworks Technology Inc., a full-service provider of comprehensive terminal management and planning software solutions, today announced that Crowley Maritime has gone live with Tideworks’ terminal operating system (TOS) under CitadelMC, the newly branded SaaS model by Tideworks, at its Port Everglades Terminal in Florida. This marks the first Crowley terminal to go live with Tideworks’ TOS in a series of scheduled deployments. Crowley’s terminals in Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico are expected to go live in the first half of 2017. “As the largest marine terminal operator at Port Everglades, it’s important that we operate as efficiently as possible so we can effectively handle the growing volumes of container traffic…

Directorate General of Shipping will issue guidelines for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention  (SOLAS)  convention on container weight verification next week, said Deepak Shetty, Director General of Shipping, Government of India yesterday in Mumbai. “By July 1, 2016, we have to put the regulation in place and the file has come to our table and the circular will be issued by Monday or Tuesday. We will be one of the first few countries on a task as daunting as this,” Shetty said delivering his key note address at a conference on `Ease of doing business’ organised by Mumbai and Nhava Sheva Ship Agents Association. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has amended SOLAS that seeks verification of container weight and holds the shipper responsible for it effective July 1, 2016.

A $1.5 million subsidy program to stimulate night and weekend business at the Port of Oakland has been extended. The port’s largest marine terminal operator responded saying it will use the program to further expand weeknight operations. The announcement comes as the Port abandons its traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. operating model. “The old way doesn’t work any longer,” said Port Executive Director Chris Lytle. Port Commissioners voted last week to continue through June 30 the fund that partially subsidizes extended gate hours. It had been scheduled to expire this week.

The SOLAS amendment coming into force on 1st July 2016 requires, as a condition for loading a packed container onto a ship for export, that the container has a verified gross mass (‘VGM’). As from 1st July 2016, it would be a violation of SOLAS to load a packed container onto a ship if the ship operator and marine terminal operator do not have the VGM of the container. All 163 Signatory States to SOLAS will need to implement this SOLAS amendment through their national legislation. With the entry into force date just over two months away, some terminals and shippers still seem unprepared or even unaware of this SOLAS amendment. Unless practical steps have been or are being taken to address the requirements brought in by this amendment…

Marine terminal operator DP World, UAE Region, has reached an agreement with an affiliate of The Dow Chemical Company based in Jebel Ali to support the distribution of Dow‘s products. The contract was signed recently by Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of DP World, UAE Region, and Moosa Al-Moosa, President of Dow UAE in Jebel Ali in the presence of senior officials from both organizations. Under the agreement, DP World will provide Dow with value-added services such as Jebel Ali Port’s storage facilities and shipping to its customers globally.

Global marine terminal operator DP World today announced strong financial results from its global portfolio of marine terminals for the six months to 30 June 2015, delivering profit attributable to owners of the Company before separately disclosed items of $405 million, up 21.9% compared to the first half of 2014. Profit for the period attributable to owners of the Company before separately disclosed items of $405 million; (1H2014 attributable income of $332 million)  Acquisitions of EZW helps boosts profit attributable to owners of the Company before separately disclosed items by 21.9%. EPS rises correspondingly as there has been no equity issued in connection to our investment activity.

Press release - DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali Port has retained its leadership position by winning the Best Seaport – Middle East Award for the 21st year in a row at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS) 2015 in Hong Kong. The award was received on behalf of the global marine terminal operator by Rashid Abdulla, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World Asia Pacific Region. Asia Cargo News magazine, the organizers of AFLAS, picked the winners through a nomination and voting process where more than 15…

UK P&I Club, a shipping protection and indemnity mutual insurers, and TT Club, an  international transport, freight and logistics insurance provider, have welcomed the amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the requirement that containers have a verified gross mass before being loaded onto a ship. The requirement becomes mandatory on July 1, 2016, after which date it would be a violation of SOLAS to load a packed container onto a ship if the ship and marine terminal operator do not have a verified container gross mass. Operators who fail to comply will be fined or penalised.

Global marine terminal operator DP World has collected an impressive four awards including the Grand Prix of ‘Leading Corporate for Investor Relations in the Middle East’ at the 2015 Middle East Investor Relations Society (MEIRS) Awards. DP World CEO Mohammed Sharaf was also presented the award for ‘Best Investor Relations by a CEO’ at the event, held at the Address Dubai Mall during the 7th MEIRS Annual Conference. The awards honour outstanding achievements of investor relations professionals and organisations in the region, and highlight the continuous efforts of industry and its leaders in developing IR standards. Nominated for seven categories…

An electronic port community system to make all trading transactions paperless in Algerian ports based on the Dubai Trade portal has been unveiled at a major seminar in Dubai on investment opportunities in the country. The new system will be introduced under a joint venture agreement signed today between DP World, Dubai Trade, the ports of Algiers, Oran and Skikda, offering integrated electronic services from various trade and logistics service providers under a single window. Over 100 investors and business leaders attended the “Investing In Transports and Logistics in Algeria: Opportunities and Challenges” seminar, the first of its…

Global marine terminal operator DP World has agreed to a set of 11 principles designed to help tackle the US$ 19 billion illegal wildlife trade. In a groundbreaking meeting in London last week, members of the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products finalised the document that will shape the efforts of its transport and logistics sector members in the future. The Declaration and Commitments cover a raft of issues from information sharing and detection, practical measures to stop the transportation of illegal wildlife products and a common determination to tackle the illegal trade, wherever it may be.