Bi-Lingual Newspaper which focuses on Logistic News and Information for Panama and Around the Globe
By Denis Smith
Concern that increasing Canal tolls could cripple efforts to maintain a stable energy supply in Japan was raised at a meeting with President Ricardo Martinelli and Foreign Minister, Fernando Nunez Fabrega, in Panama recently by Japan’s Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida.
The basis for the concern is shipping shale gas from the US and Canada to the island nation via the Panama Canal. Kishida said that shipping companies which transport the natural gas [...]
A 40-day strike by port workers at Hong Kong’s container terminal that ended this week forced shipping lines to divert vessels to nearby ports, including Shenzhen.
The workers accepted a settlement that included a 9.8 per cent wage increase, non-retaliation against strikers and a written agreement, all of which had been fiercely resisted by the four port operators targeted in the strike.
The Hong Kong Shippers’ Council has voiced concern that the pay deal with [...]
The alliance between the port of Savannah, Georgia, was consolidated with the signing of an agreement that involves the expansion of the port to improve services and generate new economic opportunities for the port area and the United States generally.
In a statement, the Savannah Port Authority reported that the agreement, which was renewed in 2011 and was first signed in 2003, includes mainly the port expansion and development of areas of joint cooperation, data [...]
The cost of transiting the Suez Canal has gone up. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced increases of 5% for tankers and petroleum product carriers and 2% for container ships, Ro-Ro’s and similar vessels. This follows a 3% increase last year for all classes of vessels.
Complaints from shipping bodies around the world are being aired, and some analysts are arguing the increase could actually result in foreign currency earnings from canal fees being reduced.
[...]
For the first time in the history of Latin America two urban man made islands took form in Panama thanks to the ingenuity of man and the amazing advances in technology.
The project Punta Pacifica Islands (Ocean Reef Islands) located in Panama Bay is an ambitious project for Grupo Los Pueblos that is becoming reality due to the cooperation with, and knowhow of the Dutch companies Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V and Delft Hydraulics.
The total [...]
The first place in Central American maritime cargo movement in 2012 was taken by Panama with 74,700 million tonnes (57.30% of the total). In second place was Guatemala with 18,466 million metric tonnes (14.16%), followed by Costa Rica, 14,691 million MT (11.27%) of the total maritime freight.
El Salvador was fifth with 5,806 million MT (4.45%) and Nicaragua with 3,651 MT (2.80%) was last.
The information was provided by the Statistical Information System of the [...]
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) plans to change the policy on tolls to get more income from 2015, when the new extended canal comes into operation, it was reported by the administrator, Jorge Quijano, according to the AFP.
“What we are seeking is to charge not only for the value the route promises today, but for the value to be much higher from having an expanded canal” from 2015, Quijano said in a recent meeting [...]
The political crisis in Venezuela has affected two cargo transshipment centers in the first quarter of 2013 – Panama and Cartagena, Colombia, which have seen declines in their movements in relation to the same period last year.
The port complex of Colon (Manzanillo, Cristobal and CCT) closed the first quarter with a drop compared to the same period last year. However, they remain in first place in container movement in Latin America for the same [...]
Sources in the shipping and logistics industry have said that if the government decides to program blackouts the image of the Panamanian ports would be tarnished and a significant amount of money could be lost as cargo waits to be processed.
Most affected would be reefer (refrigerated) containers, but all movements would be affected.
The industry is preparing itself after the government announced possible electricity rationing in the public and private sector.
The extended dry [...]
The year 2012 was difficult for the shipping industry due to the international crisis, which caused the world economy to grow by only 3.2% overall, 3.8% less than it had recorded in 2011.
Emerging economies such as Russia, India and Brazil saw their growth decrease significantly, and that brought consequences in demand for shipping. While there was an increase of 7% last year, this indicator was slightly lower than in the preceding year (7.7%).
With [...]
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