Transfer of Vopak agencies imminent 
It is a huge deal in port services. Norway-based Wilhelmsen Port Services is acquiring 100% of Vopak Agencies and 50% of Diize. Vopak Agencies is part of the Vopak Europe & Africa division. Port agency and hub agency are complementary services, operated from Vopak’s network... plus
Ecology-driven loans for newbuilds
On behalf of Grimaldi Euromed, a Grimaldi Group company specialising in the transport of rolling cargo in Europe and the motorways of the sea, the Turin-based bank Intesa Sanpaolo has concluded two loans for EUR 70 million. The loans will finance the purchase of the new ships... plus
Augmenting inter-American connections
CMA CGM is launching two new services in November. An option called Brazex, and a dedicated service named Manaus Shuttle, will connect the US Gulf Coast, Latin America and the Caribbean, complementing the Brazex 1 and Brazex 2 rotations with two dedicated loops for southern and... plus
Beware of piracy - in retreat
90 piracy and armed robbery attacks on merchant ships were recorded worldwide from January to September this year. According to the most recent quarterly report on piracy published by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), this... plus
More ships and charters for Diana
Diana Shipping, an Athens-based shipping company specialising in dry bulk vessels, has taken over the “MV DSI Pyxis” (formerly “STH Montreal”. The 2018-built Ultramax dry bulk vessel has a capacity of more than 60,000 dwt. It is one of nine modern Ultramax dry bulk vessels... plus
For bigger units in Oceania
In the Oceania region, the Marseille-based CMA CGM Group is continuing to deploy its largest vessel in capacity at the Port of Melbourne (PoMC). Recently, the carrier broke its own record previously held by the “CMA CGM Ural” with more than 10,600 teu operated by ANL on the... plus
Connecting Abidjan
Swiss carrier MSC has added a new direct call at Abidjan to its Africa Express service. It will enable to transport freight travel directly and quickly between China, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and Ivory Coast. MSC also added the port of Tema, Ghana, to the port rotation... plus
No end to newbuilds? 
The order book is impressive. The Chinese shipbuilders of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding have inked contracts for 22 newbuilds. Their approximate value is estimated at USD 2.5 billion, taking the group's total orderbook to around USD 10 billion. MSC is the driver with an order of... plus
New SSS connection in Southern Italy
Starting on 17 October, the Grimaldi Group is further extending its operations between Sicily and Naples. A new three-weekly service will be launched for the transport of passengers and freight Naples. The ro-pax vessel “Cruise Ausonia” will be deployed, a modern unit with a... plus
The quartet is full
The Singapore-based company AAL Shipping (AAL) has added further vessels to its multipurpose cargo vessel (MPV) fleet. The units are owned, not chartered. This month saw the delivery of the 2010 “AAL Gunsan” (ex-BBC America) and her sister vessel, the 2009 “AAL Geelong” (ex-BBC... plus