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British Ports Welcome Extended Furloughing Scheme as UK Economy Reawakens
May 13, 2020 - The British Ports Association (BPA) has welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor on May 12 that the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended for an additional four months in the UK, until the end of October. This will help ports recover as the UK economy starts to reawaken.
The UK’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was launched in March. It allows employers to stand down workers but then claim a cash grant of up to 80% of their wages, capped at £2,500 a month. The money is claimed by the company and distributed to staff, so individuals don’t have to do anything themselves. Some employers decide to make up the 20% difference, some do not.
Sara Walsh, Corporate Services Manager at the British Ports Association, who has been leading on much of the COVID-19 response for the sector, including developing the BPA’s industry-wide ‘Ports Coronavirus Information Hub’ said, “The announcement regarding furloughing is good news for UK ports. This has been by far the most useful Coronavirus support mechanism for ports, and unlike other measures such as those for commercial tenants which has left many ports out of pocket, it has not led to knock-on effects elsewhere.
“The ports industry is cooperating closely with the Department for Transport and other government agencies and the availability of PPE is becoming an issue. PPE supplies such as sanitiser and masks are beginning to run low in some ports.
“To date, the Government has advised that masks and gloves are not required outside the clinical environment although some employers have been allocating equipment to staff as a resilience measure. Masks can also be a normal requirement for some roles, for example to protect from breathing in dust particulate.
“As the general public are now encouraged to wear face coverings when on public transport and in some shops this could cause strain on mask supplies, which are already stretched. We recently surveyed our port members and 44% reported issues sourcing PPE. Some ports have also reported substantial price increases which could indicate profiteering in supply chains which alongside supply issues will cause significant problems for the sector. This is wrong and should be stamped out.”
Alongside the guidance for businesses, the Department for Transport has also issued guidance for transport operators in England. It includes some useful information for ports about queuing, crowd management, cleaning, ventilation, communication and training.
Walsh added, “While some of the government’s new suite of guidance documents for businesses and transport operators are broadly speaking relevant to the ports and wider maritime sector, they are quite general in nature and are designed to be applicable for all types of organisations.”
SOURCE: British Ports Association |
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Port Canaveral Receives Shipment of 2,000 Metric Tons of Pulp from Sweden
May 6, 2020 - Space Coast Daily (Brevard County, Florida) reported that the Flora Schulte arrived in Port Canaveral, Florida on May 1 with 2,000 metric tons of wood pulp (used for paper production) along with 5,700 metric tons of lumber.
The Flora Schulte, a relatively new bulk carrier (May 2019) owned by Schulte Group, was originally scheduled to Port Canaveral about a month ago but was delayed loading the product in Sweden because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a video by Space Coast Daily, Trey Finch, Operations Manager with Norton Lilly International said Port Canaveral rarely gets this type of shipment but it is probably due to the need for increased production of paper products.
“There are 1,000 units (pulp bales) onboard and each unit weights two metric tons apiece,” Finch explained.
Finch noted that the Flora Schulte first arrived in Philadelphia to unload a portion of its cargo before heading to Port Canaveral.
The market pulp, produced by Sodra (Sweden), will be delivered to an undisclosed local paper manufacturer, Space Coast Daily said. |
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Port of Oakland Gets New Service to Asia, Includes Saudi Arabia
May 6, 2020 (Press Release) - A sprawling vessel service begins this week with 18 megaships linking the Port of Oakland to Asia, including Saudi Arabia. A highlight of the new service: the first-ever direct link between Oakland and the Middle East.
The Port said today that Japan’s ONE line would operate the new weekly service called the Far East-Pacific 2. The first ship in the service, the ONE Aquila, should arrive at Oakland International Container Terminal May 7.
Each of the ships in the service has capacity to carry 14,000 20-foot containers, the Port said. That places them among the largest container vessels calling at U.S. ports.
“Naturally we’re encouraged by this development,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “The size of the ships means extra cargo capacity coming to Oakland and the Port rotation extends Oakland’s reach in global markets.”
The service reaches nine ports in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, China, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Stops at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah port would be Oakland’s first direct connection to the Middle East. Until now, ships from the Arab world transferred Oakland-bound cargo to other vessels at intermediate ports.
Two services already calling Oakland were consolidated by ONE into the Far East-Pacific 2, the Port said. For that reason, the Port declined to project the impact of the new service on cargo volume. The Port said that larger ships could result in more Oakland freight over time. Adding new port calls such as Jeddah could help as well, the Port added.
The Port said it expected cargo mix on the new service to be evenly divided between imports and exports. California farm goods exported to overseas markets should be a prominent part of the mix, the Port added.
The Far East-Pacific 2 eastbound port rotation: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Laem Chabang, Thailand; Cai Mep, Vietnam; Hong Kong; Yantian, China; Long Beach; Oakland
The Far East-Pacific 2 westbound port rotation: Oakland; Yokohama, Japan; Hong Kong; Laem Chabang, Thailand; Cai Mep, Vietnam; Singapore; before heading to Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp and Southampton on the European portion of its rotation.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. For further information, visit: www.portofoakland.com
SOURCE: Port of Oakland |
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Rotterdam World Gateway Takes Delivery of Two New Deep Sea Quay Cranes
May 5, 2020 - The Port of Rotterdam reported that on 23 April two new deep sea quay cranes arrived at Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG). The cranes will be commissioned in the coming months and are expected to be operational in the second half of 2020.
The new cranes, the largest of their kind, were built by ZPMC in China. They have a lifting height of 56 meters and are capable of handling container vessels up to 26 rows wide.
Together with the two quay cranes, RWG has invested in 25 new Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Offloading the cranes will take around ten days and they will be commissioned on the quay over the next months.
“The arrival of the cranes and AGVs will allow RWG to further optimize our services and capacity,” said Ronald Lugthart, CEO at RWG. “RWG plays a key role in efficient, sustainable, reliable and safe container handling. Together with our customers, stakeholders and partners, such as DP world, we will continue to develop our services.”
About the Port of Rotterdam
The port of Rotterdam is Europe’s largest sea port. The port owes its leading position to its outstanding accessibility for sea-going vessels. For further information, visit: www.portofrotterdam.com
Source: Rotterdam World Gateway |
JAXPORT Director of Cargo Sales Frank Camp to Serve on Board of Directors for Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association
 May 5, 2020 - JAXPORT Director of Cargo Sales Frank Camp has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders (FCBF) Association. The Doral, Florida-based trade association is the most influential and active representative body of industry professionals serving the state’s import and export community.
In addition to freight forwarders and Customs brokers, FCBF members represent industry leaders from throughout the supply chain, including cargo shippers and ocean carriers. FCBF members play an important role in port selection for the cargo community.
“Northeast Florida is a growing player in international trade and we are thrilled to welcome Frank to our team,” said FCBF Board President Gabriel Rodriguez. “His knowledge and experience throughout the supply chain will be a valuable resource for our members as we work to elevate this dynamic industry and grow global trade opportunities throughout the state.”
“Now, more than ever, seamless freight movement is critical to the health of our state and national economy,” said Camp. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the industry in this role, while further elevating JAXPORT’s reputation for outstanding customer service and ease of doing business.”
Camp joined JAXPORT in 2014 and is responsible for attracting new business with containerized cargo shippers in the Southeast U.S., growing relationships nationally with freight forwarders and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs), and developing partnerships with business development organizations throughout the region.
JAXPORT is an international trade seaport offering direct ocean carrier services to 140 ports in 70 countries. The port offers containerized cargo service via the world’s major shipping alliances through both the Panama and Suez canals.
About JAXPORT
JAXPORT is an international trade seaport offering direct ocean carrier services to 140 ports in 70 countries. The port offers fast access to 70 million U.S. consumers via 100 trucking firms, three major interstates, and 40 daily trains. For further information, visit: www.jaxport.com
SOURCE: JAXPORT |
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