Transport communications

Portcare International is the press relations consultancy for the shipping and logistics industry. Formed by transport people for transport people. We can truly claim to understand our clients’ needs and ‘talk the same language’. Portcare provide effective, value for money PR to some of the industry’s best-known names.

Archives for May 2015

Evergreen to Extend its Intra-med Service Network

May 26, 2015 by

Trieste, 26th May 2015

To offer its customers in the Mediterranean region improved network options Evergreen Line is introducing a new service. In partnership with Arkas Line, the WEM (West – East Med) Service will connect the Aegean Sea, the Near East & the Western Med.

With a port rotation of Valencia, Castellon, Barcelona, Fos, Cagliari, Piraeus, Beirut, Mersin, Iskenderun, Latakia, Alexandria (Dekheila), Izmir, Piraeus and Valencia and on a 28 day schedule, the service will be operated with four vessels, one supplied by Evergreen and three by Arkas.

Crucially the WEM includes a pivotal call at Piraeus, which is a key network hub for Evergreen in the Mediterranean. The line has four weekly, line-haul, Asia-Med-Europe calls at Piraeus. These four services (ADR, MD1, NE2 and NE7) in fact all make double calls at the port for import and export purposes. 

In addition, Evergreen Line will  shortly launch two additional feeder services:  the LEV2 (Levant service 2) linking Piraeus to Mersin, courtesy of a slot exchange agreement reached with Arkas/Emes, offering a quicker link to this important Turkish port, and the PSI (Piraeus-South Italy) shuttle service connecting Piraeus to Bari, in Southern Italy with a very fast transit time.

The opening of PSI represents a new opportunity for Evergreen to serve the Southern Italian market where historically Evergreen has been one of the first carriers to establish a presence and carrying significant volumes of cargo to/from Far East and for the Intra-med market.

Filed Under: Evergreen Line

“K” Line signs Contract to transport Hitachi Rail Cars to UK

May 26, 2015 by

May 20, 2015

“K” Line has signed contract with VANTEC HTS FORWARDING, LTD. (Hitachi Transport System Group), to transport Hitachi rail cars for IEP (Intercity Express Programme) that are being manufactured at Hitachi’s Kasado plant.

These IEP rail cars will be loaded onto new “K” Line vessels from the Port of Tokuyama-Kudamatsu, located near Hitachi’s Kasado plant, and will be discharged at the nearest port on the east coast of UK to Newton Aycliffe, where Hitachi is constructing the train plant for these rail cars.

A series of “K” Line’s 7500-unit size RORO vessels are now under construction in Japan. Some of these vessels will be deployed into Japan – Europe trade, and will serve for this transportation project from July onward for several years.

A total of 10 vessels of this series of 7500-unit size have been ordered with state-of-the-art design. The first vessel will be rolled out in July 2015. These new vessels will give us increased car-carrying capacity of 20% as well as much more space for High & Heavy cargo, including Construction Machinery. With these newly-designed vessels, “K” Line will continue to proactively increase the handling of railway infrastructure as exports of these cargo from Japan are expected to increase from now on.

In addition, with these new state-of-the-art vessels, we will be better prepared to minimize the impact on Global Environment by accomplishing safe navigation.

 

Filed Under: "K" Line

Geodis’ Industrial Projects to exhibit at Breakbulk 2015

May 18, 2015 by

ANTWERP, 18 MAY 2015

GEODIS’ Freight Forwarding activity is showcasing its Industrial Projects competence at this year’s Breakbulk Europe at The Antwerp Expo, Belgium from 18 – 21 May 2015.

Industrial Projects is one of fastest growing activities within the GEODIS group with representation in 42 countries. As a seasoned global player in the heavy lift and project cargo arena, GEODIS is performing industrial project work on all five continents, and has increased its portfolio with existing and new clients operating different segments, such as oil & gas, mining, infrastructure, renewables, power, nuclear and railways.

Philippe Somers, Senior Vice President, GEODIS Industrial Projects, and his management team will be attending and located in Hall 1, Booth 422.

As the largest and most important gathering in Europe for companies involved in the transportation of heavy-lift and project cargo, the BreakBulk conference is a key event for GEODIS. BreakBulk Europe is one of a series of international exhibitions and education forums and the foremost in the world addressing the needs of break bulk and project cargo professionals.

For more information on the conference go to – www.breakbulkevents.com

ENDS

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

Supply chain operator and subsidiary of SNCF Logistics, GEODIS is a global European company (4th logistics provider in Europe). Through its ability to overcome logistical constraints and coordinate the different steps of the logistic chain (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding (air and sea), Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, Road Transport), the Group is the growth partner for its clients and offers them tailored solutions. With over 30,000 employees in 67 countries, the Group constantly innovates to improve its performance and its customers’ one. GEODIS reported in 2013 a €6.9 billion in revenue.

For more information about GEODIS Freight Forwarding go to –

www.geodis.com

Filed Under: GEODIS

Evergreen Line Launches China-Surabaya Service

May 14, 2015 by

In view of with the increasing market demand resulting from significant trade growth between China and the ASEAN countries, Evergreen Line is to partner with COSCO and China Shipping in launching a joint China-Surabaya Express (CSX) Service. This is Evergreen’s latest initiative to enhance its service on the Intra-Asian trade.

The CSX service will employ four ships of 2,000–2,700 teu, including one each provided by Evergreen and CSCL and the remaining two by COSCO. The first sailing is planned to depart from Qingdao on the 20th of May, with the following the port rotation: Qingdao–Shanghai–Xiamen–Shekou–Pasir Gudang (Malysia)–Singapore–Surabaya (Indonesia)–Singapore–Qingdao.

This weekly service covers major ports from China in the north to Malaysia and Indonesia in the south, providing regular and convenient links for regional trade and connecting to Evergreen’s global service network via Singapore.

After the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) was established in 2010, bilateral trade volumes have continued to rise. According to the statistics published by the Gerneral Administration of Customs in the PRC, its import and export trade with ASEAN grew by 8.3% to $480.4 billion in 2014. In addition, the ASEAN community has actively negotiated with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand to establish the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). It is believed that this significant development will further encourage free trade and have the effect of driving cargo growth within the Intra-Asia trade.

Filed Under: Evergreen Line

GEODIS Voted Airfreight Forwarder of the Year for the Fourth Time

May 12, 2015 by

The ACW World Air Cargo Awards are among the most prestigious in the industry – and GEODIS has now won the accolade of Airfreight Forwarder of the Year for a fourth time. The award presentation was made to Henk Venema, Global Product Director Air, at a ceremony during the world’s largest transport and logistics event, at TL Munich, in Germany.

Kim Pedersen, Executive Vice President of GEODIS Freight Forwarding, said, “We are honored that our customers around the world have recognized our consistent standard of air freight service by voting for GEODIS in such numbers once more. Under the recently unified banner of GEODIS we are proud to receive the recognition that our airfreight product is differentiating and a key solution in our efforts to help our customers overcome their logistical constraints.”

Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of GEODIS, added: “Being an award based on our customers’ votes, this achievement perfectly underlines what GEODIS stands for. It emphasizes that we, as a key provider of supply chain solutions, indeed are a strategic partner for our clients in their ambition to grow their international business.”

The key criteria on which voters were asked to rate entrants in the Airfreight Forwarder category were global coverage, customer service, focus and performance, as well as commitment to developing technology. GEODIS prevailed as the winner from a short-list of service providers that represent the world’s top selection of global forwarding and logistics companies.

Prior to this year, GEODIS also won the same award in 2010, 2011 and 2014. The awards, which are hosted every year by the industry publication, Air Cargo Week are presented during of the world’s largest transport & logistics conferences, TL Munich and TL Shanghai.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

Supply chain operator and subsidiary of SNCF Logistics, GEODIS is a global European company (4th logistics provider in Europe). Through its ability to overcome logistical constraints and coordinate the different steps of the logistic chain (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, Road Transport), the Group is the growth partner for its clients and offers them tailored solutions. With over 30,000 employees in 67 countries, the Group constantly innovates to improve its performance and add value to its customers supply chain. GEODIS reported €6.8 billion in revenue in 2014.

For more information about GEODIS go to www.geodis.com

Filed Under: GEODIS

“K” Line Enters Long-Term Time Charter to Serve Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

May 12, 2015 by

May 12, 2015

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) is pleased to announce that a joint venture comprising “K” Line, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui, Head Office: Tokyo, President: Tatsuo Yasunaga) and Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Imabari, Head Office: Imabari, President: Yukito Higaki) has concluded the agreement to enter into a long-term Time Charter contract with Mitsui for its Cameron LNG Export Project in the U.S.A..

Mitsui, through its subsidiary company in the U.S.A., is participating in this project and will be off taking the LNG once the production starts.

The vessel to serve the project will be built in Imabari and equipped with an electronically- controlled dual fuel gas injection diesel engine (ME-GI).

By utilizing the knowledge and network established for more than 30 years in LNG transport business, “K” Line is achieving consistent growth and corporate value improvement which is incorporated as part of the “K” Line Group’s new medium-term management plan “  Value for our Next Century.”

Outline of the contract:

Date of Contract May 11, 2015
Charterer Mitsui
Owner Trinity LNG Transport S.A.

(A joint venture of “K” Line, Mitsui and Imabari)
Term of Contract Maximum 25 years after delivery
Vessel Membrane type LNG Carrier (Capacity: 178,000 m3)
Propulsion Electronically-controlled dual fuel gas injection diesel engine (ME-GI)
Builder Imabari
Delivery 2020 (scheduled)
Ship Manager “K” Line LNG Shipping (UK) Limited (planned)
Filed Under: "K" Line

TT Club Highlights the Special Nature of Freight Liability in Russia

May 11, 2015 by

International freight insurer TT Club convened a special seminar at the recent conference on transport and logistics, Trans Russia in Moscow. Lead by TT Club’s General Manager, EMEA, Kevin King and Kirill Berezov from the insurer’s long-established Russian network partner Panditrans, the seminar outlined both the changing nature of the transport operator’s liability in Russia and the idiosyncratic nature of insurance conventions applicable in the region

London & Moscow, 11 May 2015

TT Club believes that there is an urgent need for international freight forwarders, logistics companies and other transport operators doing regular business in Russia to understand fully the extent and nature of the liabilities that they bear when delivering customers’ freight in the country. Increasingly the services which transport operators provide to cargo owners are expanding into areas beyond the straight-forward delivery of inbound containers, to such functions as cross-docking, warehousing, re-packaging, sub-assembly and distribution.

As a consequence, the liabilities for loss and damage to cargo, as well as third party claims, alter from the traditional norms with which they have been more familiar in the past. Education is therefore required so as such transport operators do not, unwittingly open themselves up to the possibility of high value claims against which their previously adequate insurance cover may not protect them.

TT Club, with its experience of twenty plus years as a player in the Russian freight liability arena, a resourceful base in the London market and an extensive global network of correspondents, is well qualified to provide such an education.

Berezov and King took advantage of the forum provided by the annual Trans Russia Conference in Moscow in late April to address some of the issues which often present difficulties to operators in Russia.

“In answering some vexed questions, such as whether there is a limit to transport operator liability, why cargo insurance isn’t an alternative to liability cover and how careful risk management can avoid disastrous claims during a financial crisis and an upswing in criminal activity, we hope to assist operators to service trade to, within and from Russia more effectively”, said King.

Panditrans’ Berezov added, “The rules on liability in Russia can be quite different from those in other jurisdictions and without specialised knowledge and advice, many transport operators may experience a short-lived foray into the Russian freight market”.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

TT Club

TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services.  As a mutual insurer, TT Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.

Customers include some of the world’s largest shipping lines, busiest ports, biggest freight forwarders and cargo handling terminals, to companies operating on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

Disaster Relief for Victims of Earthquake in Nepal

May 11, 2015 by

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) has today announced that it has decided to make a donation of 2 million yen through Japanese Red Cross Society in consideration of damages caused by the earthquake that hit the western Nepal on April 25, 2015.

“K” Line would express its most sincere sympathy to all those affected by the earthquake and pray for the soonest recovery of the damaged area.

Filed Under: "K" Line

Evergreen Launches Vietnam-Singapore-Malaysia service

May 11, 2015 by

May 08, 2015 – In light of the increasing capacity demand, Evergreen Line will launch its new Vietnam-Singapore-Malaysia service (VSM) this month.

The dedicated feeder loop will utilize two A-type containerships of 1,164 TEU.  The first sailing of the weekly service will start from Haiphong on May 10 and call at Ho Chi Minh City, Port Klang, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas and then back to Haiphong.

In addition to providing efficient transportation services within its port coverage, this regional service will also connect to Evergreen’s global service network via its transhipment hubs in Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas.

Economic forecasts indicate strong momentum of trade growth in this region. According to IMF’s World Economic Outlook report published in April 2015, the ASEAN economy looks set to grow by 5.2% and 5.3% respectively in 2015 and 2016, supassing its performance of 4.6% last year.  Besides, the statistics of Vietnam’s General Statistics Office show that its economic growth reached 6.03% in the first quarter of 2015, the highest first quarter performance during the past five years.  The positive indicators support expectation of steady cargo growth within intra-Asia trade.

 

 

Filed Under: Evergreen Line

TT Club maintains strong financial results and maintains AM Best A- (Excellent) rating

May 11, 2015 by

6 May 2015

The TT Club, the leading international transport and logistics insurance provider, today announces its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2014, maintaining its A- (Excellent) rating by agency AM Best for the 9th consecutive year. 

Highlights:

  • $182.2 million gross written premiums (2013: $181.1 million)
  • $14.1 million surplus (2013: $12.0 million)
  • Total assets of $609.1 million (2013: $641.4 million)
  • Total surplus and reserves $175.7 million (2013: $161.6 million)
  • AM Best Financial strength rating maintained as  A- (Excellent)
  • 2014 financial year combined ratio of 85.6% (2013: 87.4%)
Knud Pontoppidan, Chairman of the TT Club

Knud Pontoppidan, Chairman of the TT Club

 

Knud Pontoppidan, Chairman of the TT Club, said: “The TT Club performed well in 2014 and we have been able to further strengthen the Club’s capital position. As a mutual insurer the Club will continue to work closely with Members to adapt its approach to their needs and deliver services to help them manage their operations more effectively. The Club’s strong performance in recent years has been due to the value delivered through the Club’s claims and loss prevention services.  That is why the Board and I were pleased to receive the results of the regular Customer Satisfaction Survey which in 2014 were the highest ever achieved.”

Charles Fenton, Chief Executive of the TT Club, said: “The premium rating environment remains difficult  but nonetheless the Club’s premium levels are at a level we expected at the beginning of the year. The TT Club is financially strong and this is reflected in AM Best maintaining our excellent ‘A-‘rating. We remain committed to working with members and brokers to maintain our loss prevention and service levels that allow us to be the world’s leading provider of international transport and logistics insurance. ”

Filed Under: TT Club