Nepal News

Indonesia has informed Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) that lumpy skin disease (LSD) has been detected in Australian cattle exported to Indonesia by sea.Indonesia has now suspended cattle imports from four Australian pre-export quarantine facilities.Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, issued a statement saying that the finding came after those cattle had arrived and spent some time in Indonesia.“As Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer…

The crew change crisis that has been plaguing the maritime industry for more than a year and a half is raging on and only getting worse, data from 10 of the world's top ship managers suggests.The number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has continued rising from 7.2% to 8.8% in the last month, and the number of seafarers onboard vessels for over 11 months has risen from 0.4% to 1%, according to the latest monthly Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator.The…

Erden Eruc is a man on a ‘human-powered’ mission, a mission which Elliott Bay Design Group recently assisted with donated design services as he plans for the next leg of his “Six Summits Project.” Next up: a solo row across the Pacific Ocean, a bike ride to Tibet and climbing Mt. Everest.A Seattle resident, Erden Eruc’s solo circumnavigation by human power quest, which started as a quiet obsession in the late 1990s, became a life mission following the death of Göran Kropp, who died while rock climbing with Eruc in September of 2002.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), Thailand’s Ministry of Transport and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (UNESCAP) have recently organized the second regional Knowledge Partnership Workshop in Asia in Bangkok,The workshop was designed to support maritime technical cooperation activities in the region.The workshop brought together officials from transport ministries, responsible for maritime affairs, and finance ministries, responsible for official development assistance. Participants shared knowledge, skills, and experience and meet maritime and development cooperation counterparts from around the…

The Government of India opened its second multi-modal terminal (MMT) yesterday, September 12, 2019. Located on the River Ganges at Sahibganj in Jharkhand State, the new terminal is now ready for business following the completion of a two-year construction project managed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the $40.32 million project in April 2017.Phase one of the terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi via a two-way digital communication system during an event held in Ranchi…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) maritime security and counter-terrorism treaties are key international instruments supporting countries to counter terrorism.The UN body said that to boost implementation of these treaties in South and South-East Asia, IMO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted a cross-regional workshop in Bali, Indonesia (5-8-February).The workshop was addressing the need to ratify the relevant international counter-terrorism instruments and to incorporate their provisions into national laws as well as promoting multi-agency and regional collaboration.The event builds on recent national workshops held in Bangladesh…

Maersk Line announced it has restarted shipping operations to the Republic of Maldives on the heels of rapidly growing market and meeting customer needs.The world’s largest container shipping company introduced a weekly service between Colombo and Male in an initiative aiming to provide a strategic trade opportunity to countries in South Asia.“Maldives has a flourishing tourism market and offers an excellent opportunity for global trade. Interestingly, around 90 percent of Maldives trade is import driven and spearheaded by China, India and Sri Lanka.

Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the Maersk Group, announced the commencement of its new commercial office in Kathmandu, Nepal from 1st of June this year.Maersk Line since its entry into the Nepal market over 20 years back has been providing shipping and logistical solutions through its strong network in India. However, with the rapid growth of trade in the region, Maersk Line sees an opportunity to serve its customers better by being closer to them.Maersk Line’s customer centric approach is reflected through its dual service offerings to Nepal through Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. Its offering between Kolkata port and Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Birgunj on merchant haulage underlines its focus to provide end-to-end shipping solutions.In June 2017…

India´s containerized trade with the BRICS´ nations trademarks a rise of 14 percent. Export trade from India to Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa in Q1 2018 increased 7,5 percent YOY from same period last year. South Africa turned to be Indian´s top trade partner.BRICS EXIM trade registers steady growth of 1.5 percent in Q1 2018 compared to Q1 2017. “Last year, the BRICS´ joint contribution to the world economy was 23.6 percent, and according to the International Monetary Fund’s predictions this is set to rise to 26.8 percent by 2022.

The USD 25 mln Multi Modal Terminal (MMT) being built at Varanasi by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under Jal Marg Vikas project is set to be completed by November this year. This would be a major landmark for the project.The construction of the USD 41 mln MMT at Sahibganj is to be completed by May, 2019, and the one at Haldia, being constructed at a cost of USD 75 mln, is scheduled to  be completed by December 2019. In addition to this the work on the USD 52 mln state-of-the-art navigational lock at Farakka is to  be completed By June, 2019. Contract for maintenance dredging in the Farakka-Kahalgaon stretch of the river  was awarded in April, 2018,  and work on this has started.

In the past one year, Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the Maersk Group has enabled movement of multiple consignments of complex cargo out of India successfully, said a press release. Due to its global presence and network, the exporter network of India has been able to successfully reach out to newer geographies. Commenting on the achievement, recently appointed Managing Director for Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan), Steve Felder said, ”In the past 18 months or so, we have expanded our horizon in various new commodity categories. India is at an exciting growth path and with our focus on adding value to the customer’s end to end cold chain, the commitment to support the growth of the trade is very strong and visible.

Maersk Line India announced the introduction of Export and Import service offerings at Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh. This End to End service (Store Door) will enable customers in the region to reach global touch points. With this first time offering in Kakinada, Maersk Line will be able to containerize cargo at its origin, cut out wastage and complexities of dealing with multiple vendors and help move it to port in a cost-effective manner. This will have a direct bearing on rice farmers and growers in the region that would benefit from the ease that it brings and makes customers compete successfully in key rice export markets like Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East and the United States.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will construct Intermodal Terminal at Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur and will be linked to both National Waterways-I (NW-1) or river Ganga and National Highway-19 - connecting Ghazipur to Patna - and help in movement of cargo, with options for both land and water transportation. Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari, will lay the foundation stone for an Intermodal Terminal at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh today (25 January). The intermodal terminal at Ghazipur will have linkage to both NW-I or River Ganga and NH-19 which is just 650 metres away. NH19 links Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh with Patna in Bihar.

Member States of BIMSTEC ( Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation ) met in New Delhi this week to discuss modalities for promoting coastal shipping in the region. BIMSTEC member countries include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. In this first meeting of the Working Group on 27th and 28th of November, member countries discussed the draft text of BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement drafted by the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. The objective of the above agreement is to facilitate coastal shipping in the region, thereby giving a boost to trade between the member countries. The agreement would apply to coastal shipping, that is shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline.

Genting Hong Kong is a rapidly growing global travel brand, spreading its wings – literally and figuratively – into ocean cruise, yacht, river cruise, air and shipbuilding. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News speaks with key executives at Genting Hong Kong: Mona Lai, SVP Corporate Communication; Gustaf Gronberg, SVP Shipbuilding & Marine Operations; and Jarmo Lakso, Managing Director, MV Werften, for insights on the future growth strategy. Genting Hong Kong has been an active newsmaker in the cruise sector during the past year.

Development of Inland Water Transport is one of the major endeavours of the Ministry of Shipping. The Phase-1 of Jal Marg Vikas project will cover the Haldia- Varanasi stretch. The project includes development of fairway, Multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Haldia and Sahibganj, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking, construction of new state of the art navigational lock at Farakka etc. This Project is expected to facilitate navigation of commercial vessels with the capacity of 1500-2000 Tons. It has been taken up with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.

Willard Marine, Inc. has been awarded a contract to supply the Nepal Army with two newly designed aluminum riverine boats. Under the contract, issued by the U.S. Navy Foreign Military Sales (FMS) office, Willard Marine is producing two 31.5-foot aluminum riverine boats, each powered by Yanmar engines and Hamilton water jets. Willard Marine will also provide comprehensive onsite crew training regarding the design, operation, maintenance and repair of the boats. The vessels will be used by Nepal to perform search, rescue and recovery operations in riverine and flood environments.

Leading industrial and marine coatings supplier Hempel is building a strong presence in the Indian subcontinent Hempel, one of the world’s leading industrial and marine paint suppliers, is expanding its operations in the Indian subcontinent. With the opening of a new manufacturing unit in Nashik, Maharashtra, Hempel is strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and presence in the Indian subcontinent. The company also plans to invest approximately EUR 15-20 million in a greenfield project over a period of three years. Expansion in the Indian market is an important element within Hempel’s business strategy, One Hempel – One Ambition.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered Nepal $1 billion in concessional loans to help build power plants and roads during a visit on Sunday aimed at shoring up support in a region where China is making inroads. Both India and China are vying for political influence in South Asia, home to more than 1.5 billion people, by offering closer integration with their giant economies. India has long been the dominant force in the region. But in recent years as its economy slowed and it struggled with policy paralysis, China has stolen a march, building ports from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh and power plants in Nepal. Modi is on a two-day visit to Kathmandu to help speed up negotiations on a power trade pact that is at the centre of his new diplomatic drive.

One of India’s leading maritime businesses has unveiled plans for a new $10 million maritime training college in the Patna district of Bihar State in India. Capt. Nalin Pandey, chairman and managing director of Mumbai-based Pentagon Marine Services, made the announcement as he collected an award for services to the Indian and international maritime community at the Link India U.K. Business Awards in London. The award was presented by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner to the U.K. Dr. Virander Paul. Capt.