noticias

NOTICIAS MES DE ABRIL DE 2001 (NEWS)

30/04/01 Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. - MOL Introduces its own Environmental Management System, "MOL EMS 21"

The program was designed to reinforce and continually improve MOL's environmental protection activities. MOL EMS 21 is based upon the "Plan-Do-Check-Action" (PDCA) cycle outlined in ISO14001:

Plan:

MOL will evaluate the impact that its marine transportation services and its Head Office's activities may have on the environment. As set forth in its environmental policy statement, MOL will establish mid-term and yearly targets. Each division and/or office will then set its own targets and its operation schedule.

Do:

Each division and/or office will implement the plans to achieve mid-term and yearly targets.

Check:

Each division and/or office will undergo a yearly internal audit to monitor their progress. Action: Activity results will be reviewed by MOL's Environment Committee, and then reported to the company's Executive Committee. The environmental policy and the system may be revised as necessary.

Some MOL's Environmental Targets for 2001:

PROTECTING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT:

TBT (tributyle tin) anti-fouling paints: In advance of regulations, 10 MOL-operated vessels have been scheduled for dry-docking during fiscal 2001 to be sandblasted and repainted with TF (tin-free) paint. Ballast water: MOL will conduct research and development aimed at finding the most effective way to manage ballast water, and will keep concerned companies and divisions informed of international developments in this area.

PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION:

Ozone layer protection: Reduce the number or refrigerated containers using CFCs (R-12) by 30%. CO2: Reduce CO2 emissions per unit load by 1% from the previous year.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND WASTE REDUCTION:

Solid waste reduction at the Head Office: Sort trash into separate combustibles, bottles, cans, plastics, batteries etc. to promote recycling.

CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES:

Reduce the volume of paper used at the Head Office by 3% from the previous year.

ENERGY CONSERVATION:

Reduce electric power use at the Head Office by 1% from the previous year.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:

Continue to cooperate in marine research including measurement of sea surface temperatures and monitoring of aerosol concentrations and CO2 in the atmosphere.

IN-HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING:

In-house environmental training and public relations: Carry out employee training on environmental issues, and participate in external training courses.

26/04/01 Lloyd's Loading List from LLP's and Freightliner has featured MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY as the SHIPPING LINE OF THE YEAR 2.000

The publication emphasize the company's confident climb to the upper rungs of the liner ladder as fascinating to watch, although frustrating for rivals who cannot penetrate the secrecy which surrounds its plans. " What is plain for all to see is the steady growth in it's operational network, as new regions are opened up and new links added between markets. A major step towards the goal of global coverage was the introduction two years ago of a transpacific service, and there are few parts of the globe that are not now visited by MSC vessels."

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, S.A. of Geneva, Switzerland, is a privately owned shipping line, founded in 1970 by it´s present leadership Captain Gianluigi Aponte, defined by Lloyd´s Loading List as not just a figurehead, but a hands-on leader whose hard work, dedication and mastery of all areas of containerline operation are legendary.

MSC has grown rapidly to become one of the leading global shipping lines of the world. During recent years MSC's fleet has grown significantly operating as of late 2.000 the number of 140 vessels of which 85 owned, being positioned as the 4th largest carrier in respect of the container slot capacity and the rank of the 2nd largest carrier in respect of the number of vessels operated.

In order to improve and control the quality of its various operations, MSC has established its own agencies all over the world run by an extremely dedicated and professional staff. MSC has also invested in crew training, shipyards, container workshops, ship planning centers and dangerous cargo management centers, which control the proper stowage of hazardous cargo worldwide through a very sophisticated MSC computer system. 350 dedicated local offices supported by an MSC staff worldwide of over 19,000 professionals.

10 new post-panamax vessels have been commissioned for delivery to begin in July 2001, each with a DW of 70,350 tons, Length : 304 meters, Speed : 24.8 knots, Container Capacity : 6,730 TEUs. Same will be deployed in the Europe / Far East route.

MSC operates a container fleet of over 420,000 TEU containers which include 20 foot and 40 foot drybox units, reefers, open tops, flat racks, collapsible and high cube containers.

This type of awards are not new for the Swiss based company who previous year was also nominated as the Shipping Line of the Year by the specialized maritime publication Containerisation International.

25/04/01 Lloyd's Register launches New on-line Classfinder tool which explains class notations making ship details transparent.

Lloyd's Register has launched Classfinder - a free user-friendly web-based directory that enables all interested parties to understand its class notations for ships, units and other installations. Classfinder is useful at all stages of a ship's life.

Classfinder gives owners maximum flexibility to easily specify the most appropriate combination of notations for their intended design, and helps to ensure correct completion of the initial Lloyd's Register Request for services form.

A clear understanding of Lloyd's Register's notations by all parties involved with the build stage reduces the risk of any confusion or omission of key elements in the build programme.

Classfinder enables accurate identification of a ship's design arrangements and features by all interested parties.

Classfinder is designed to assist Clients and Surveyors in the process of identifying appropriate class notations and descriptive note(s), that may be assigned for ships, units and other installations to be classed with LR.

Access to Classfinder is available to all parties through ClassDirect Live WEB page: www.cdlive.lr.org

Applications has a "free of charge" entry level, while access to certain information has an annual subscription cost.

ClassDirect LIVE is a maritime information service for operators of Lloyd's Register classed ships, providing managed access to the latest information about ships in their fleet, giving direct, live access to information held on Lloyd's Register's databases and presents it through a simple web interface.

Through this portal, information is available anytime of the day, anywhere in the world.

ClassDirect LIVE ensures information is secure and confidential by the use of password access control and data encryption during transmission.

24/04/01 A powerful new tool is now available to counteract dew condensation in containers

The product for this epoch-making event was developed by NYK Logistics Technology Institute and Sanyo Co., LTD and it is on sale under the name "CT SHEET". Developers are presently in the process of taking out a patent on the product.

The letters CT are an abbreviation for the words Condensation Terminator and CT SHEET has been tested and proven effective and viable in transport experiments since last year.

The feature of the water absorbent sheet is that it does not transmit water though the air and by installing it on lashing rings in the container it is possible to prevent dew condensation rising to the ceiling and falling on cargo.

The sheet will not sag greatly even if the weight increases due to water absorption. And in comparison with other methods,it contributes to labour saving and is quite easy to set up or take down.

It is effective in the transportation of a large number of goods including coffees and cacaos which contain mainly water, for foodstuffs such as cereal and grain, canned food (preventing rust), wooden wares and carton boxes which need protection against water .

The CT Sheet will be sold at 7,500 yen per sheet for a 20 foot container and 12,000 yen per sheet for a 40 foot container.

For further information call :

NYK Logistics Technology Institute at Tel: 03-5222-7650 - Address: 3-2 Marunouchi 2-Chome Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan or Sanyo Co.,LTD on Tel: 03-3663-6188 - Address: 13-14 Nihonbashi Bakurocyo 1-Chome Cyuou-ku Tokyo, Japan

20/04/01 QANTAS Freight has enhanced its internet On-Line tracking facility to enable customers to track multiple air waybills using a simple data entry screen.

This new and improved facility now allows users to enter air waybills into the tracking data entry screen manually or from other documents, such as a spreadsheet or word processing document, using the "cut and paste" function.

Further, the results of your tracking response may now be forwarded to a third party(s) via e-mail, directly from the tracking status response screen.

Single air waybills can still also now be tracked direct from the company's web site home page: http://www.qantasfreight.com/

Qantas Freight also offer a number of other freight tracking facilities via e-mail, WAP enabled mobile phones and IVR (Interactive Voice Response System), this last a feature of Australian telephone reservations system.

For further information on Qantas enhanced on-line tracking facility, contact local Qantas Freight sales office or, alternatively, e-mail at: freight@qantas.com.au.

For a demonstration of this facility, the WEB site is: http://www.qantas.com.au/freight/dyn/MultipleTrackServlet

19/04/01 SlotCharter.com - A new Slot Charter Auction / Exchange site for containers repositioning requirements of Leasing companies and liner operators worldwide.

Shipbrokering.com, a WEB Site Co. based in Montreal, Quebec - Canada which provides a suite of tools, dedicated to offer shipbroking applications to today's evolving marine community, offering to handle day to day workload more efficiently through their database of orders browsing cargoes, vessels, time charter and sale & purchase requirements has recently entered into container business by establishing www.SlotCharter.com

As announced in their WEB Site, Shipbrokering.com has launched its new Auction and Exchange site for repositioning requirements of leasing companies and liner operators worldwide.

The site with domain www.SlotCharter.com will provide a market place for leasing companies & liner operators (buyers of TEU space) to post their repositioning requirements to be reversed auctioned to service providers (these include liner operators who are welcome to register and shipbrokering.com's vast database of registered tramp vessels with TEU capacity) .

Two methods of posting allows the Buyers to either post to the "reverse auction method" or post to the "exchange method" which unlike the reverse auction displays the "Taking Price" the buyer is willing to pay for each slot.

The service providers can accept this "Taking Price" and contract immediately online or they can offer a higher price which then becomes at the discretion of the buyer to accept it or not.

Being linked to shipbrokering.com's database of ships that are open, allows the system to send out automatic invitations to tramp vessels that are in the intended loading area during the requested time period for loading of the auctions posted.

This opens up a new source of capacity for leasing companies and liner operators. Tramp vessels can take advantage of the unused container space if they are so fitted to reposition empties or even full containers adding extra revenue to a tramp operator's voyage.

According press release from Shipbrokering.com, main Leasing companies have expressed interest in Slotcharter.com , the new online marketplace for repositioning containers.

Slotcharter.com is a trademark of AltoSoft Shipbrokering Inc, who also own and operate Shipbrokering.com

18/04/01 AMERICAN AIRLINES COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TRANS WORLD AIRLINES

After receiving authorization from the United States Department of Transportation, American Airlines successfully completed its acquisition of most of the assets of Trans World Airlines, Inc. The combined company will offer travel to more than 300 cities worldwide on more than 900 aircraft, with an expanded and more convenient flight schedule.

Effective today, TWA will be operated by TWA Airlines LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines. In the near term, the two airlines will operate independently, including separate reservations systems, payroll systems, aircraft, procedures and policies. TWA employees and clients will enjoy business as usual during the transition period.

Following the transition period, TWA LLC will be fully integrated into American's operations. Robert W. Baker, vice chairman of American Airlines, will assume the role of CEO of TWA LLC, and former TWA President and Chief Executive Officer Captain William F. Compton will serve as president.

American Airlines announced earlier this year that it had agreed to purchase substantially all the assets of Trans World Airlines, Inc. through a U.S. Bankruptcy Court proceeding for approximately $625 million in cash and the assumption of aircraft operating leases.

16/04/01 New Merge in the reefer transport - SEATRADE Reefer Chartering and NISSUI Shipping Corporation has established a joint venture

Seatrade Reefer Chartering, operating the world's largest reefer owners pool with 120 vessels, and Nissui Shipping Corp. of Tokyo, controlling 30 reefer vessels, have established a joint venture based in Tokyo as from April 1, 2001

The new company, named Tokyo Reefer Chartering ( TRC ), will take responsibility for a substantial part of the present business of Nissui Shipping. The joint venture will provide the transportation of frozen fish on behalf of Nissui Shipping's parent company Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., a major quoted Japanese marine products and food company.

Tokyo Reefer Chartering will combine the flexibility of both fleets for fish, meat and fruit transport. The joint venture delivers a further step in the much needed consolidation in the specialized reefer industry with both companies working closely together to optimize the schedules for their respective fleets as well as to achieve operational synergies and savings by enabling fleets to be deployed more effectively.

Mr. Adachi, President of TRC comments that: "Both joint venture partners are confident that their combined efforts will provide customers with an even better service, at the same time providing improved load factors and schedules."

Located at the dockside in Antwerp; Seatrade Reefer Chartering is one of the world's major operators of fully refrigerated vessels ( over 120 ships with 38 million cubic feet of cargo capacity ) managing the fleet commercially and operationally through a world-wide network of agents. The joint venture between Seatrade Reefer Chartering and Nissui Shipping Corp marks a further consolidation of the over tonnaged refrigerated cargo trades. The initiative, comes at a time of deepening crisis for reefer operators while a high percentage of the fleet is lay-up. The reefer shipping industry is going through a difficult period. The reefer trades are suffering from surplus capacity, with current freight rates well below comparative levels of recent years.

Consolidation is essential for the refrigerated shipping industry, Seatrade has now made its contribution to the rationalization process. This new joint venture follows last year larger merger between Cool Carriers - Lauritzen Reefers which resulted in the formation of LauritzenCool. The Seatrade pool's fleet has more ships, but of smaller size in general, than LauritzenCool.

Container lines are taking away much of the traditional break bulk refrigerated cargo traffic. The reefer capacity of present big post-panamax containerships is almost double of the size of the largest reefer ships. Cargo is looking for "door to door refrigerated container transport". Impact of refrigerated containers is expected to grow on regular basis from now on. In response, latest generation of new building reefer ships have a considerable container capacity on deck.

12/04/01 Strike at Santos Port finished " in theory " - Confusion still reigns

After agreement signed last March 9 resolving "in principle" the stevedoring dispute at Santos Port ( the longest strike since port privatization began in 1997 ) and despite announcement of strike completion and effective labor granted as of April 10 at 07.00 Hrs. to some terminals in Santos according to the law; unfortunately at 1300hs same day when main Container Terminals were arranging to work; stevedores were not engaged accordingly; keeping vessels alongside idle as discussions continued on the conflict between government entity OGMO and stevedoring unions.

Police refused certain stevedores to enter into the port.

11/04/01 FedEx InSight Empowers Customers with Enhanced Shipment Visibility and Control

FedEx Corp. plans to offer qualifying customers an enhanced level of shipment visibility through FedEx InSight, a new Web-based application that dramatically broadens the amount of real-time status information on inbound, outbound or third-party shipments -- without having to enter a package-tracking number.

FedEx InSight is a technological milestone that raises the bar for package-tracking services to a highly sophisticated level. Today, businesses are seeking technology-based solutions that speed fast-cycle orders and production, reduce inventory costs and add value in improving customer satisfaction.

Using FedEx InSight, customers will be able to create a customized view of shipment information or request to be notified via e-mail or fax of critical shipping events as they occur during transit. These features will enable customers to plan their operations more efficiently, saving time and money.

FedEx InSight has been under development since 1999, and customer tests have been in progress for about a year.

Robert B. Carter, executive vice president and CIO of FedEx Corp. "FedEx InSight revolutionizes the concept of package tracking by providing shipment visibility and sending notifications and alerts about critical shipment events as they occur".

Once logged into the InSight Web site, customers can view the "Shipment Detail Screen" that provides:

-- Current status of FedEx Express shipments;

-- Complete shipper and recipient information;

-- All shipments included in a multi-piece shipment;

-- Tracking number;

-- Estimated delivery date;

-- Special handling;

-- Description of contents, country of manufacture and harmonized code for international shipments.

FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services.

The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, a leading provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, the world's largest provider of expedited, time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs brokerage, consulting, information technology and trade facilitation solutions network.

10/04/01 AMERICAN AIRLINES CARGO ANNOUNCES ITS NEW REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER IN MIAMI

American Airlines Cargo customers in Miami and within the airline’s Florida, Caribbean, Latin American (FCLA) division can now access a new Miami-based Regional Customer Service Center located at American’s Miami Cargo terminal. Beginning April 1, customers in Miami and FCLA can now speak directly with local representatives for bookings, rates, personalized tracking for urgent shipments, and for answers to any other shipping requirements.

This new regional resource is the third to be implemented by American Airlines Cargo, in response to customers for localized customer support. It is one of several key customer service initiatives to be implemented this year by American Airlines Cargo.

Mark Najarian, vice president of AA Cargo sales and marketing says "In response to customer feedback and in view of the success of our Regional Customer Service Centers in Chicago and Los Angeles, we decided to invest in this center to further improve our service here in the Miami region."

"Our goal is to provide the best customer service in the region," said Chris Powers, managing director cargo sales, FCLA. "Unlike a centralized reservations office, these local offices have the advantage of understanding the unique needs of the local customers"

The new service center can be accessed during the hours 0600 to 2400 (EDT) Monday through Friday; from 0600 to 1700 on Saturday; and from 0600 to 1400 on Sunday. Miami customers can reach the Miami Customer Service Center at (305) 870-1818, and other Florida region/Puerto Rico customers can reach the center at (888) 633-3963.

The move to localized customer support is representative of a larger commitment to better meet customer needs across the board. AA Cargo will announce further enhancements in the coming months.

American Airlines Cargo, a division of American Airlines, is one of the largest scheduled air freight carriers in the world today, offering over 4200 daily departures and more than 14 million pounds of daily lift capacity to major cities in Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia and throughout the United States.

09/04/01 Maersk established own office in Uruguay - Maersk Uruguay S.A. started on 1 April 2001

With the establishment of Maersk Uruguay S.A. on 1 April 2001, Maersk Sealand is solidifying its position in the Uruguayan market.

Maersk Uruguay S.A. is an online office connected directly to the global Maersk Sealand networks. With a staff of 14 services offer:

· Weekly calls with Maersk Sealand's Europe/ South America East Coast service, which also connects to US services, and the global Maersk Sealand service network .

· Barge service out of Buenos Aires for imports connecting from Maersk Sealand's US/ South America East Coast service .

· Fortnightly SAMBA service connections to and from Southern Africa and the iddle East .

· Transhipment centre for the Patagonia service, ensuring secure handling of goods Uruguay, located between Argentina and Brazil on the eastern shores of South America, plays an important role in the region's finance and trade.

A large part of imports is destined for the Brazilian market - either via one of the four free-zones, or simply using the port of Montevideo as a cost-effective and fast gateway to Brazil.

Maersk Sealand have been active in Uruguay since 1994 and have over the years grown to become one of the most prominent lines in Uruguay.

Maersk Sealand, via it's global network, offer fixed-day weekly sailings to/from North, South and Central America, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, Uruguay serves as hub-port for our Patagonia service, started in december 2000.

In January 2001, a new fortnightly direct service to South Africa and Middle East started.

For more information about Uruguay and Maersk Sealand's activities, you can contact: Phone +598 2 916 1004 - Fax +598 2 916 1005 - Maersk Uruguay S.A. 487 Rincon, Floor 3 - 11000 Montevideo URUGUAY

06/04/01 Delta Inaugurates Daily Service Between Atlanta and Buenos Aires

Delta Air Lines began first nonstop service between Atlanta and Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 1.

With the introduction of this new service, Delta customers will benefit from much needed nonstop service between Atlanta and Buenos Aires, as well as single- connection service to Argentina from 148 cities in North America, Europe and Asia," said Mark A. P. Drusch, Delta's senior vice president - Network Management. "This daily service provides greater travel options and added convenience to our passengers and shippers between Argentina and the United States."

Delta's flight schedule will be as follows:

Atlanta-Buenos Aires 10:35 p.m - 9:30 a.m.

Buenos Aires-Atlanta 9:30 p.m. - 6:35 a.m.

Flights will be operated with MD-11 airplanes

With the addition of new flights between Atlanta and Buenos Aires, Delta operates 27 daily, nonstop flights between the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Delta provides service to 18 cities in Latin America, including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Bogota, Colombia; San Jose, Costa Rica; San Salvador, El Salvador; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Cancun, Guadalajara, Leon, Mexico City, Monterrey, Los Cabos and Puebla, Mexico; Panama City, Panama; Lima, Peru; and Caracas, Venezuela.

05/04/01 Tradiant, the leading provider of Internet technology for the global transportation industry becomes GT Nexus and Launches Integrated Products

Tradiant, the leading provider of Internet technology for the global transportation industry, is now GT Nexus.

GT Nexus brings together a technology leader and some of the world's largest ocean carriers in a unique partnership. Formerly code-named GTN, the partnership is dedicated to simplifying and standardizing the complex processes of global transportation. Today, GT Nexus launches its solutions connecting customers with all partner carriers.

"The new name was chosen to emphasize the global nature of our business and the connections we build to link partners across the industry, securely and confidentially," said Aaron Sasson, Chairman and CEO of GT Nexus.

In other news, three additional carriers - Crowley Liner Services, CSAV and Wan Hai - have joined the nine announced in December 2000: APL, CP Ships, Hanjin, Hyundai, K Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Senator Lines, Yang Ming and Zim Israel Navigation Company in World's Largest Ocean Transportation Technology Partnership.The carriers collectively own a minority equity stake in GT Nexus.

GT Nexus also announced today two broad product lines addressing transportation planning and execution, the Global Planning SeriesT and the Global Execution SeriesT.

The Global Planning Series addresses the lifecycle of transportation planning for large importers and exporters worldwide.

Modules in the series include:

News and Information - Provides real-time decision support through industry news, sailing schedules, regulatory guides, maps, currency tables and more Rates - Streamlines the rate request and response process.

Contracts - Enables collaboration between shippers and their service providers to manage their contracts online and track amendments and mutual commitments.

Forecasts - Optimizes planning efforts by streamlining the creation and distribution of cargo forecasts across commodities, shipping lanes and carriers.

Allocations - Ensures optimal freight distribution across providers, in full compliance with active contracts .

The Global Execution Series simplifies and standardizes, across multiple service providers, the transactional processes involved in the movement of containerized freight from origin to destination.

Execution modules include:

Booking - Provides a single interface to support the submission, modification, confirmation and cancellation of bookings.

Documentation - Streamlines the creation and management of bills of lading (BLs) and other trade-related documents.

Visibility - Provides real-time shipment tracking and status information Reports - Enables performance reporting and analysis across all execution processes.........................

04/04/01 INTTRA, a multi-carrier internet portal, launched its pilot program of Track and Trace and Booking Confirmation for a controlled group of customers.

INTTRA allows its customers to view container events and booking confirmations under a security scheme specifically tailored to the shipping industry.

Primary functions of Track and Trace include instant tracking of containers and bookings, multi-criteria search options, shipping details provided by the participating carriers, graphic online help and customer controlled information flow between business parties.

INTTRA will have a pilot program for each new set of services it delivers. A typical pilot program will last from 1 - 2 months depending on the complexity of the functionality. INTTRA is on track to deliver a number of services to the market. The number of clients for this program will expand progressively as more transactions are completed.

Future customer-driven functionalities include sailing schedules, container booking requests, Bill of Lading information, event notifications and reports same as statistics summaries.

INTTRA participating carriers:

P&O Nedlloyd

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company

CMA CGM

Maersk Sealand

Hamburg Süd

Hapag-Lloyd

Columbus Line

Safmarine

Alianca

Crowley American Transport

Please refer to Transportando.net NEWS Dec. 2.000 / 19-03-01