Mitigating supply chain risk is said to be the top concern for most Asian shippers and logistics services providers, according to Li & Fung Logistics vice president Tommy Lui. This will be the main focus of Mr Lui’s keynote speech at the upcoming TOC Container Supply Chain Asia 2012 conference to be held on March 13-15 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The event will feature an expert panel…

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and its unit Dragonair carried 116,250 tonnes of cargo and mail in January, down 19.5 per cent year on year, the company announced. January cargo and mail load factor was down 7.9 percentage points to 59.9 per cent. Capacity, measured in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres, fell 6.7 per cent, while cargo and mail tonne kilometres flown saw a decline of 17.6 per cent. “Year-on-year comparisons…

Hong kong’s TS Lines has announced it will launch a China to Southeast Asia service (CSE) with Cosco on February 18 to meet rising market demands. The CSE service deploying four 3,500-TEU vessels will rotate through Shanghai, Qingdao, Ningbo, Guangzhou-Nansha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Shekou, Jakarta, Port Klang, Singapore, Hong Kong and return to Shanghai. TS Lines will also join Cosco in a slot swap on North China to Manila service which…

The G6 Alliance carriers, comprising APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, MOL, NYK and OOCL, have announced their first batch of six joint Asia-Europe services in the first week of March. Services calling at Japanese ports will start later after consulting the Japan Harbour Transportation Association and labour unions. And the alliance said it will launch a seventh service with direct coverage to Chinese Bohai Bay ports in Dalian and Xingang…

Hong Kong’s Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) has announced plans to raise its ocean freight shipping rates for westbound trade on the Asia-Europe route, starting March 1. The rate hike will be US$800 per TEU for shipments transported from the Far East (except for Japan) to north Europe, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Said the OOCL statement: “The ocean freight rate for the Asia-Europe trade continues to be below…

Dragonair has come out in support of the Hong Kong Government’s plan to promote logistics and further tap the mainland market. The comment followed Financial Secretary John Tsang’s budget speech in which he announced that the government would continue to invest heavily in infrastructure to enhance the status of Hong Kong as a logistics centre and regional aviation hub, as well as further promote cooperation in business and professional services…

December is the only bright spot on 2011′s air cargo volumes after declines for the year despite some reduction in freighters in the global fleet. During the year load factor dropped 45.9 per cent against a 4.1 per cent increase in capacity due to the introduction of twin-aisle passenger aircraft flooding the market. Cargo markets during December rebounded slightly with domestic up 3.2 per cent and international down 1.5 per…

A DAY-LONG seminar entitled Business of Risk Management will be held on February 27 during Shipping Hong Kong Week to examine directors’ liability from the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act and risks involved evading trade sanctions against Iran. A panel of experts led by Jon Zinke, of Keesel, Young & Logan as well as Hugh Gozzard, of Deloitte’s, will examine the risks of extra-territoriality writ reach…

HONG KONG’s Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) has won a round before a Mexican court against AP Moller Terminals (APMT) in the battle over whether a new container terminal should be built to rival HPH’s on the west coast port of Lazaro Cardenas. Hutchison, which operates a terminal there on the west coast of Mexico, argues a new terminal would harm its existing business, and that the port authority had arbitrarily…

Hong Kong-listed China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI) is buying Sri Lanka-based Aitken Spence’s 30 per cent share in Colombo International Container Terminals, making the Chinese company the largest shareholder with 85 per cent control. CMHI and Aitken Spence has been joint venture partners in running the Sri Lanka’s container terminal operations. Together with CMHI, Aitken Spence was the only bidder for a terminal project worth US$500 million in 2009 under…

Monday, September 22 ,2003 – Imports Exports NewsAsian imports overtake Europe in swelling NY/NJ coffers CONTINUING growth in Asian trade boosted container volumes in the Port of New York and New Jersey by 14.6 per cent during the first half of 2003, according to port statistics. Imports from Far East Asia grew by 38 per cent, while imports from Southeast Asia grew by 31 per cent. Asian imports, which include…