Trade Update Review - February 1, 2022

Asia‍

Deployed vessel capacity remains high around Chinese New Year (CNY)

• Sea Intelligence, a leading provider of research and analysis, data services, and advisory services to the global supply chain industry said the deployed vessels capacity during the four weeks starting from the CNY is high.
• The deployed capacity on the Asia – North America West Coast route for the analysed period is 1.2 million 20-foot containers (TEU), 3 lakh more TEU compared to the average deployed during 2016– 2019.
• On the Asia – North America East Coast route, the deployed capacity is nearly 2.5 lakh TEU higher.
• On the Asia – North Europe route, the deployed vessels capacity is roughly 4 lakh TEU greater while it is not that significant on the Asia – Mediterranean route.
• The Danish firm inferred these data points from its Trade Capacity Outlook Report to see how the current vessels deployment capacity fared when compared to the previous years.
• Sea Intelligence mainly compared the deployments of 2022 to the average of 2016 – 2019 for the analysed period and also the contraction in vessels supply during 2020 CNY, initial months of Coronavirus pandemic, to that of the US West Coast labour dispute of 2015, aimed at observing how the current Covid disruption compared to the last major disruptive event.
• In its findings, the supply chain advisory company found that the capacity drop during the four week period around CNY in 2020 was greater than in 2015 which featured the labour dispute.
• Due to the dispute, even the Asia –Mediterranean trade lane was impacted by vessel delays in 2015, including the deployed capacity of that year falling below the average of the analysed 2016 –2019 period.
• On the Asia – North America West Coast trade lane, the average deployed TEU capacity for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 during the four week period around the CNY, normal pre-pandemic years, stood at 9,96,107 TEU. For 2019 alone, the deployed capacity marginally declined to 9,81,594 TEU while the same metric shot up to 12,93,241 TEU in 2022.
• On the Asia – North America East Coast trade lane for the analyzed period, the average 20-foot container capacity for the years 2016 – 2019 was 4,88,822 units. For 2019 alone, the deployed capacity almost remained flat at 4,93,130 TEU while the same data point for 2022 rose up to 7,78,222 TEU.
• On the Asia – North Europe route, the average 20-foot container capacity for the years 2016 – 2019 during the analysed period was 8,41,211 units. For 2019 alone, the deployed capacity stood at 9,27,633 TEU while the same metric for 2022 shot up to 12,26,345 TEU.
• As pointed out earlier, there was no significant variation in deployed capacities on the Asia - Mediterranean trade lane. The average 20-foot container capacity for the years 2016 – 2019 was 4,44,746 units. For 2019 alone, the deployed capacity declined to 4,09,985 TEU while the same metric for 2022 increased to 4,85,363 TEU.
• Alan Murphy, Sea Intelligence CEO highlighted that more capacity is being deployed in 2022 compared to normal pre-pandemic years like 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
• Sea Intelligence’s Trade Capacity Outlook report is a weekly update that analyses forward-looking capacity deployments, published every Friday. It offers data on week-by-week capacity deployment on the world’s 19 major container trade lanes. TCO tracks all vessels deployed on all container services on the major trade lanes on a weekly basis.
• TCO offers information on what the exact capacity would be deployed in the forthcoming dozen weeks.

Japanese shipping giant MOL installs fleet-wide anti-grounding alert software

• Aimed at enhancing fleet safety with a navigational risk monitoring system that can foresee the danger of ships grounding, Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O. S. K. Lines (MOL) has installed a ground risk monitoring software system.
• The cloud-based software solution will enhance the safety of MOL’s 700-ship strong fleet by intelligently predicting the risk of grounding to alert the shore side teams with excellent situational awareness.
• MOL’s solution will also monitor risk factors such as the formation of heavy water on a vessel’s given trade lane, including when a ship is anchored.
• Without the need of input crew, the system will combine existing data sources like sea depth, navigational charts and ship data to create a simple and easy mechanism to implement the method to reduce grounding risk.

OOCL logs impressive Q4 results

• Propelled by skyrocketing freight rates, Hong Kong-headquartered Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) doubled its Q4, 2021 total revenues to $4.8 billion from $2.4 billion in the year-ago quarter, even though it reported shipping few volumes of containers comparatively.
• Container volumes across its four main trade lanes declined by 16.9 percent to 1.85 million TEU, compared to 2.23 million TEU logged in Q4, 2020.

‍America

IATA welcomes delay in 5G rollout

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the delay in rolling out the C Band 5G networks near airports in the United States of America(USA).
• IATA said this move will not disrupt passenger and cargo operations for now.
• It highlighted that all stakeholders and regulators such as the aviation and telecommunications industries should share the required technical information and join hands for successfully implementing 5G while also allowing the aviation sector to safely co-exists.

Biden retain Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods

• US President Joe Biden has retained Donald Trump era tariffs on $350 billion Chinese goods.

Europe

Ceva Logistics to ship Scuderia Ferrari racing cars

• Ceva Logistics, part of the French shipping giant CMA CGM and fast car manufacturer and Formula 1 racing legend Scuderia Ferrari have signed a multi-year partnership, including the former becoming a team partner of the latter.
• As an official logistics partner, Ceva Logistics will ship Ferrari Formula 1 cars and equipment to racing circuits across the world, both F1 and GT racing events.
• The CMA CGM subsidiary's logo will adorn the new 2022 season Ferrari F1 racing cars and also find a place on team trucks, driver and pit crew equipment and apparel.
• Both the entities, logistics major and automobile powerhouse, have committed towards going to net zero in the future. ‍

Qatar Airways cargo to insources Spanish operations from February

• After several years of outsourcing, Qatar Airways cargo will insource its commercial operations in Spain from February 1, 2022. 
• Qatar Airways cargo will replace all previous contact addresses of ATC Aviation Services, S. L., which helped the Middle Eastern airline for the past 16 years in its Spanish operations.

APM Terminals Aarhus strengthens reefer plugs to meet rising demand

• Aimed at meeting booming Danish export market and also cater to the new services getting attracted to Denmark’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Aarhus recently installed 180 reefer plugs to continue providing services and flexibility to customers.
• Inspite of the supply chain disruptions due to the Coronavirus pandemic, volumes at the terminal rose by nearly 13 percent in 2020. A similar trend continued to accelerate in 2021 as well, resulting in the terminal handling 3,97,121 container moves, which was 20 percent greater than the previous year.
• Considering reefer volumes alone rose by 7 percent in 2021, 2022 reefer volumes are expected to grow further even as the terminal commences to handle the growing share of Royal Arctic reefers.
• Enabled by accurate forecasts, APM Terminals Aarhus went ahead with phases 1 and 2 of its reefer rack expansion completed in 2020 as well as phases 3 and 4 completed in December 2021 and January 2022 respectively.
• On adding the latest capacity of 360 plugs, total capacity at the terminal increased to 1,548 reefer plugs, prompting the terminal’s commercial manager Helle Almind to say that additional reefer capacity will allow them to plan for additional reefer cargo.
• Incidentally, APM Terminals Aarhus is one of the most efficient and productive container terminals in Europe, delivering over 33 gross moves per hour (GMPH), even as the terminal is known for handling more than 60 percent of Denmark’s container volumes.
• Powered by the global rollout of real-time digital tools like track & trace, container status notifications, APIs and terminal alerts, APM Terminals, an A. P. Moller – Maersk company serves 10,000 customers with a network of 76 terminals.
• In 2020, the Danish company moved 35.1 TEU, 36 percent more than pre-pandemic 2016.

CMA CGM, TotalEnergies launch Port of Marseilles Fos’ first ship to containership LNG bunkering operation

• TotalEnergies in collaboration with CMA CGM launched Port of Marseilles Fos’ first ship to containership liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation in Southern France.
• As part of this initiative, CMA CGM Bali, a 15,000 TEU LNG powered container ship has been deployed on the MEX 1 service, linking Asia and South Europe.
• TotalEnergies’ Gas Vitality, the first LNG bunker vessel based in France, has refuelled CMA CMG Bali with 6,000 cubic metres of LNG following ship to ship transfer alongside Eurofos container terminal.
• MOL owns Gas Vitality, TotalEnergies’ second chartered LNG bunker.

Hoeg Autoliners orders 12 aurora class vessels from Chinese Jiangsu

• Norwegian Hoeg Autoliners signed a contract with China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (CMHI) to build four fixed and eight optimal multi-fuel and zero-carbon ready aurora class vessels.
• As per the agreement, the first two vessels will be delivered in the second half of 2024 and the next two vessels during the first half of 2025.

Shipping & renewable energy bodies join forces for green fuel transition

• The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents over 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet forged a partnership agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to bolster decarbonisation in the shipping industry, aimed at furthering the transition towards a renewables global energy sector.

Maersk opens logistics center for South Western Europe at Zal Port

• A. P. Moller Maersk recently started a state-of-the-art logistics centre in the Port of Barcelona (Zal Port), equipped with an 11-metre high storage area for higher capacity density.
• With 39 loading docks, the logistics centre emerged as a flagship 8,168 square metre centre to better serve the Iberian Peninsula and South France.

APM Terminals advances net-zero target by a decade

• APM Terminals has advanced its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target to 2040, one decade earlier than the initial target set for 2050.
• The company aims to slash 70 percent in absolute (total) emissions in the period 2020–2030, which has been marked as an interim milestone.

Middle East & Africa

DP World & Maersk team up for zero-carbon shipping

• Smart logistics provider DP World recently teamed up with Maersk Mc Kinney Moller Center for zero-carbon shipping, aimed at solving the challenges of achieving zero carbon economies.
• DP World will dispatch specialists to the center in Copenhagen to provide expertise and demonstrate new solutions.

Eight Yemeni ports open

• In the light of the long-running conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, including the UAE getting entangled in it recently, a GAC Yemen update on the status of ports as on January 21 revealed that eight ports are open and three closed.
• Open Yemeni ports include Aden, Rudhum Oil Terminal, Mukalla, Ash Shihr Oil Terminal, Nishtun, Mokha, Hodeidah and Saleef.
• Closed ports include Balhaf LNG Terminal, Ras Isa Marine Terminal (FSO Safer) and Ras Isa Petroleum Products Reception Facility.

Maqta Gateway unveils new inspection and clearance module

• AD Ports Group digital arm Maqta Gateway has unveiled a new inspection and clearance module under its advanced trade and logistics platform.
• This move aligns with the company’s continued mission to digitally transform trade and logistics in Abu Dhabi.

CMA CGM suspends carrier haulage bookings to and from Mali with a few exceptions

• Following the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposing restrictions on politically disturbed Mali, French shipping line CMA CGM notified that new bookings under carrier haulage to or from Mali are suspended until further notice.
• Exceptions include bookings for food products, pharmaceuticals, medical material and equipment, including those meant for fighting Coronavirus pandemic and petroleum and electricity products among other conditions

India

Central Receipt Unit at Commissionerate of Mumbai Customs Zone – II

• The Commissionerate of Mumbai Customs Zone-II established a Central Receipt Unit (CRU) as part of e – office implementation in the zone.
• The CRU is also aimed at the convenience of trade, which will benefit importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.

DCI & Abu Dhabi dredging company sign agreement

• Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi based National Maritime Dredging Company(NMDC) on January 24th.
• The agreement will act as a strategic alliance to enable participation bids for projects in the Indian subcontinent, African region, Middle East and the Far East, even as marine infrastructure development activities are rising.
• The partnership will focus on capital dredging works, project development on build operate and transfer (BOT) basis, operate ports as managers, participate in public and private partnerships in dredging work, shipping and waterway projects, port development, reclamation works, and development of multi-modal transportation.

India’s fair trade regulator & anti-trust watchdog penalizes carriers for cartelization

• Competition Commission of India (CCI) penalized three maritime companies, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line)and MOL, and Nissan Motor Car Carrier Company (NMCC) for ganging up to cartelize transport services to automobile manufacturers.
• CCI alleged that there was an understanding between NYK Line, K – Line, MOL and NMCC for enforcing the ‘respect rule’, an agreement to avoid competition between each other and protecting the business of the incumbent shipping line with the respective automobile maker.
• These companies resorted to multilateral and bilateral contacts with each other to share sensitive commercial information, including freight rates.

Indian coal imports slated to rise

• Aimed at avoiding the 2021-like power crisis hitting India again, Indian power producers are building coal stockpiles via seaborne markets in the run-up to face the forthcoming summer electricity demand.
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) issued an international tender for 10 million tonnes of overseas coal.
• Incidentally, power producers are ignoring expensive international coal prices and also assurances from domestic miners who promised to lift output.

Stakeholders campaign for PSA – Sical Terminals

• The Tuticorin ship agents association, Tuticorin Customs Brokers ’Association and the Association for Tuticorin Hub Port Development are campaigning against the termination notice served to PSA – Sical Terminals by the V. O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC Port), following an adverse ruling by the Madras High Court.
• Incidentally, PSA – Sical Terminals owes royalties amounting to more than Rs 1,250 crore to VOC Port Authority since 2011.
• The stakeholders highlighted that a shutdown of the terminal would detrimentally affect Tuticorin’s standing as an export gateway of India, including noting that trade in Tuticorin may be deprived of terminal handling capacity.
• According to the stakeholders, the terminal was functioning from berth number 8 while the berth number 9, a 14.2metres deep drafted one is at least two years away from starting operations.

Bengaluru & Delhi airports log record cargo tonnage

• Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport logged its highest-ever cargo tonnage in 2021, even as Covid-19 keeps raging on.
• In 2021, Bengaluru airport handled 4,06,688 metric tonnes of cargo, an all-time high, rising by 28.6 percent.
• International cargo grew by 32.8percent to 2,56,873 MT, compared to 2,00,209 MT logged in 2020.
• Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) handled a record 9.3 lakh MT of cargo, close to the pre-pandemic levels of 10 MT logged in 2019.
• Out of the 9.3 lakh MT cargo, 6 MT was international cargo, shipped through 25,000 cargo flights, more than the 9,900 witnessed in 2020.
• Major international routes which demonstrated good recovery included the United States of America, Germany, France, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Covid relief materials were some of the largest shipped items during the pandemic.

Time extended for the re-export of oxygen containers

• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has extended the time period allowed for re-exporting the high-quality ISO containers imported to efficiently transport medical oxygen during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Under normal circumstances, containers go import duty-free for six months, after which the levy will hit the boxes.

Indian Register of Shipping drafts rules for enhancing inland vessel safety

• Consulting various ministries and state governments, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has drafted 10 different rules based on the Inland Vessels Act, 2021.
• These rules for the construction and classification of inland waterways ships are specific to the type of ship for ensuring the safety of assets, cargo and environment.
• These rules will start to become applicable once they are presented in the Parliament.

India emerges as the largest exporter of cucumbers & gherkins

• India has emerged as the world’s largest exporter of cucumbers and gherkins.
• It exported cucumbers and gherkins worth 1.23 lakh MT.

FedEx Express begins electric vehicle trials in India

• FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp recently started electric vehicle trials in India in its operations as part of its goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040.

India records highest monthly exports in December

• India recorded its highest ever monthly exports in December, 2021 valued at $37.2 billion. Exports were led by demand for engineering products, petroleum products, and gems and jewellery.

India’s farm exports are expected to touch $50 billion in 2021 – 22

• Indian farm exports are expected to touch a record $50 billion in 2021–22, powered by growth in the shipments of meat and poultry items, rice, marine items and others.

APM Terminals Pipavav records highest berth productivity

• APM Terminals Pipavav has recently achieved the highest berth productivity of 157.6 moves per hour with the ‘MOL Gateway’ vessel on the Thailand – Pakistan – India (TIP) service, which was also a part of the Ocean Network Express (ONE).

VOC Port handles the longest windmill blades

• The V. O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) recently achieved the feat of handling windmill blades measuring up to a length of 81.5 metres, the longest ever handled by the port.
• With each blade weighing up to 25 tonnes, they were carefully loaded by the carrying ship’s hydraulic cranes.