Alex Yong Page 1 of 6 Schednet E-News 4/3/2007 CMA CGM Buys
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SchedNet E -News Page 1 of 6 Alex Yong Tuesday, April 3, 2007 Today's e-news sponsored by : Click on the banner to know more... CMA CGM buys Morocco's dominant shipping company for `US$267m' Ecu -Line to start service to Thailand's Laem Chabang MOL fits Tokyo container terminal with solar power station Air China Cargo to launch new service to Japan and Korea Jade Cargo to launch Shenzhen -US service GAC Hong Kong signs deal with Lufthansa Cargo CKYH Alliance to shake up AWE services in May Deutsche Bahn readies for 2008 listing after profits soar 65pc Chiwan throughput up 48pc in February CMA CGM buys Morocco's dominant shipping company for `US$267m' A CONSORTIUM led by French shipping company CMA CGM has been selected as the winning bidder to take over Comanav, Morocco's dominant shipping company. "We are very pleased and honoured to have been selected by the Kingdom of Morocco to succeed the government in managing the Comanav Company," said a CMA CGM statement. "This company will help strengthen our position in Morocco both in terms of cargo transport and port operations." In January, Morocco's Privatisation and Finance Ministry invited international bids for the privatisation of Comanav, the dominant Moroccan port operator, freight and passenger transportation company. Industry sources said the CMA CGM bid came to 4/3/2007 SchedNet E -News Page 2 of 6 US$267 million. The 50-year-old firm is reported to have developed strong market positions in the maritime transport with scheduled services throughout the Mediterranean. Comanav has also achieved a foothold in port activities in Morocco's largest ports through subsidiaries such as Somaport in Casablanca and a 20 per cent stake in Tanger Med, the country's second largest container terminal, the statement added. Ecu-Line to start service to Thailand's Laem Chabang ECU-LINE Antwerp will launch a new direct consolidation service this month to Laem Chabang port in Thailand. The transit time of this fortnightly service will be 27 days. The first sailing will be kicked off by the APL Spain, to depart on April 6, a company statement said. In addition to this service, Ecu-Line Antwerp offers a weekly departure to Bangkok, with a transit time of 27 days. It also provides a fortnightly consolidation service out of Bangkok to Antwerp. MOL fits Tokyo container terminal with solar power station MOL has put into operation a solar power generation system at the Ohi Container Terminal Berth Number Four in Tokyo earlier this month, the first system of its kind to be installed at a box terminal in Japan, declared a company communique. Called the Tokyo International Container Terminal Solar Power Station, the device is fitted with 1,200 solar panels and is capable of generating 200kw of energy, making it the largest private solar power generation system in Tokyo. Its annual energy output is 185,398 kwh, which is enough to meet the energy needs of 60 households. The solar power station is intended to turn the group's Tokyo International Container Terminal into a model eco-terminal. Its installation also reflects MOL's commitment to preserving and protecting the environment in all its business activities, as the solar power generation system will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and crude oil usage. The opening ceremony for the solar station attracted officials from the Tokyo Port Terminal Corporation and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Ports and Harbours. 4/3/2007 SchedNet E -News Page 3 of 6 Air China Cargo to launch new service to Japan and Korea AIR China Cargo is to start a new service from Xiamen via Shanghai and Beijing to Japan and Korea in June, reports Xinhua. The news agency report said the carrier is to take delivery of three new aircraft during the year and one of them will be deployed on the new service to Japan and Korea. Air China Cargo general manager Yao Jun told the news agency that the additional capacity provided by the new service is expected to have some effect on airfreight charges in Fujian's air cargo market. Jade Cargo to launch Shenzhen-US service JADE Cargo International, a joint venture between Shenzhen Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo, is planning to start a new service from Shenzhen to US during the year, Xinhua reported. Lufthansa Cargo's newly-appointed CEO Carsten Spohr said during a recent visit to Shenzhen that the German carrier has so far invested more than US$1 billion in the border city. He also disclosed that Lufthansa Cargo's annual general meeting this year will be held in Shenzhen in August. Jade Cargo has already started operating services to Holland, Germany and Japan. GAC Hong Kong signs deal with Lufthansa Cargo GAC Hong Kong has signed a one-year capacity purchase agreement with Lufthansa Cargo for the movement of cargo between Hong Kong and Europe, according to a company statement. Under the agreement, GAC Hong Kong will be assured space allocation and competitive rates from Lufthansa Cargo, greatly increasing its weekly capacity and enhancing its ability to offer quality services at attractive rates. In return, GAC will be committed to transporting airfreight on the airline, which is 4/3/2007 SchedNet E -News Page 4 of 6 experiencing high growth, especially traffic to and from Asia. The agreement was secured by GAC Hong Kong and GAC's Global Purchasing Unit in Thailand. "We have been working closely with Lufthansa Cargo at a local and regional level," said Stuart Bowie, managing director of GAC Hong Kong. "This agreement represents significant progress in what is expected to be a productive partnership for both companies." John Faulds, global purchasing manager for GAC airfreight said: "As Hong Kong serves as an important international transshipment centre for the southern China region, which is fast growing as a manufacturing centre, expanding our network in strategic locations with like-minded companies is an important business objective. "Working with Lufthansa Cargo will enable our company to offer the best levels of service to our customers," he said. CKYH Alliance to shake up AWE services in May THE CKYH Alliance - Coscon, "K" Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping - have announced plans to revise their AWE services from May. As a result, the AWE-1 (Hanjin loop), AWE-4 ("K" Line loop) and the AWE-5 (CKYH joint loop), three out of five CKYH AWE loops will be revamped to provide separate regional services, namely the North Loop, Central Loop and South Loop. CKYH will join hands to run three South/Central/North Express services by deploying ten 4,000-TEU vessels from "K" Line and fourteen 4,000-TEU ships from Hanjin, the CKYH Alliance communique said. The port rotation for the new AWE South Loop will be: Chiwan, Yantian, Hong Kong, New York, Norfolk, Savannah and Chiwan. The port rotation for the new AWE Central Loop will be: Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Savannah, Norfolk, Charleston and Xiamen. The new AWE North Loop will call at the following ports in rotation: Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, New York, Wilmington, Savannah, Busan and Qingdao again. The AWE2 Loop will stop at: Qingdao, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Charleston, New York, Boston and return to Qingdao. The AWE3 Loop will visit the following ports of: Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Pusan, Savannah, Wilmington, New York, Kaohsiung and return to Hong Kong. Transit time from Hong Kong to New York will be 22 days, and 23 days from 4/3/2007 SchedNet E -News Page 5 of 6 Shanghai to New York. The launch of a direct link from Qingdao, Ningbo and Shanghai to Wilmington is intended to shorten transit times and offer greater schedule reliability. Deutsche Bahn readies for 2008 listing after profits soar 65pc GERMAN transport giant Deutsche Bahn (DB) is preparing itself for a stock exchange listing in 2008 after posting a 65 per cent jump in 2006 profits to EUR1.7 (US$2.2 billion) on revenues of EUR 30.1 billion, which rose 17 per cent year on year. DB's annual report also revealed that its logistics and transportation business grew 25 per cent, driven by a doubling of its Schenker unit because of its acquisition of BAX Global. Airfreight volumes grew 16 per cent year on year while sea freight rose 18 per cent. A company statement said that in the 2006 financial year, Deutsche Bahn achieved all its business goals on its way to partial privatisation. "From the company's viewpoint, private investors will be able to invest in DB in 2008," said chairman and CEO Hartmut Mehdorn. Looking ahead, Mr Mehdorn said he expected a slight increase in revenues and operating profit, adding: "In 2006, we demonstrated that our strategy is the right one and that DB is a dynamic company that is fit for the future." Chiwan throughput up 48pc in February SHENZHEN Chiwan Wharf Holdings Ltd (SCWH) has reported that in February the volume of cargo handled by its facility in the Pearl River Delta rose by 48.1 per cent over the same month a year ago to 4.78 million tons. The Chiwan and Mawan port area lifted a total of 478,000 TEU, a 57.8 per cent increase. But bulk cargo volume fell 27.3 per cent year on year to 443,000 tons. In the first two months of the year, the terminal operator handled 9.91 million tons of cargo, up 35 per cent over the same period last year. In January and February, 59 shipping lines called at the terminal.