Merchant ships to the rescue
LAST Friday [16 February] the Maersk-chartered container ship Northern Diamond, en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne via the Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef, was tasked by...
Lines, shippers hold breath on rates
CONTAINER lines and their customers are closely watching the demand and supply position after Chinese New Year holidays come to an end. Traditionally, import cargo volumes fall...
KiwiRail begins ferry cancellation talks
NEW Zealand’s KiwiRail has started discussions with South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard over a termination agreement for the contract for the build of two new Interislander...
NZ union wants Cook Strait action
THE MARITIME Union of New Zealand has renewed attacks on the Luxon government over its decision to de-fund KiwiRail’s Cook Strait ferry replacement program. MUNZ’s call for...
Schedules begin to normalise after DPW/MUA peace
CONTAINERSHIP schedules are returning to normal faster than expected following the settlement of the prolonged DP World/Maritime Union of Australia dispute. Carriers contacted by...
BIMCO blows hard on offshore wind
IN A move well-timed for the imminent explosion in offshore wind farm developments in Australian waters international shipping association BIMCO has begun work on a global...
Kwinana fire hits fertiliser supplies
A FIERCE fire that damaged bulk transport and storage infrastructure at Kwinana, WA on Friday [9 February] has the potential to disrupt fertiliser distribution to the state’s...
Returning cruise ships avoiding Red Sea
CRUISE lines repositioning ships to the northern hemisphere at the end of the Australasian summer season are rapidly revising itineraries to avoid Red Sea transits. Virgin and...
Bahijah cargo to be landed but future unclear
THE remaining sheep and cattle on the Israeli livestock carrier Bahijah are due to be unloaded this week but the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says the...
CMA CGM avoids potential Polynesia ban
CMA CGM appears to have overcome problems with competition authorities that could have seen the carrier’s liner services excluded from French Polynesia. Regulators worldwide have...
Maersk swings from massive profit to Q4 loss
LIKE most of its container line compatriots Maersk Line has reported a substantial turnaround in fortunes towards the end of 2023, although meeting guidance for the full year. The...
Maersk, Svitzer consciously uncouple
A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S announced today [8 February, European time] it will spin off its global towage division, Svitzer A/S, from end-April subject to shareholder approval. “In...
Dropped prop strands LPG tanker
A GAS tanker which lost its propeller off the Victorian coast late last week faces a likely long wait for a tow to a repair yard. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority today...
NYK Stolt renewing fleet
JOINT venture partners NYK and Stolt-Nielsen are expanding their fleet renewal program, doubling an earlier Stolt order for 38,000 DWT stainless steel chemical tankers. The latest...
Emerald engines to be replaced
SYDNEY'S troubled second-generation Emerald-class Manly ferries are to be re-engined, the NSW Government announced on Wednesday (7 February). Since their introduction in late 2021...
