Express service from Asia to Persian Gulf 
On 16 May, the NVOCC Cargogulf is launching a container service linking North Asia to the Persian Gulf with fixed weekly sailings. The North Asia Gulf Express (Nage) will connect the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen and Da Chan Bay (Pearl River Delta) with markets in the... more
Port of Lübeck expands intermodal capacities
Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft (LHG), which operates the German Baltic Sea port of Lübeck, is enhancing its intermodal position by developing a master plan for the area. Lübeck is already something of an intermodal bridgehead on the Baltic Sea. The port offers 50 weekly departures... more
Marexport swallowed by Jenkins
British Jenkins Group is acquiring Marexport UK based in the ports of Felixstowe and Ipswich. Jenkins, founded over 40 years ago, offers stevedoring, container operations, warehousing and road haulage services. The now purchased Felixstowe and Ipswich warehouses will... more
More than USD 1 trillion 
The latest development in the maritime shipping industry must be like a balm for many a melancholy shipowner, after years and years of operational losses. The margins earned for goods transported as well as the value of ships have both risen distinctly. more
Wan Hai Lines back to South America
On 3 May, Wan Hai Lines (WHL) resumed a service linking Asia to the west coast of South America. The standalone WHL service was suspended in the winter timetable. It has now been resumed, in partnership with PIL, EMC and Coscon, to provide customers with dedicated coverage.... more
An inland shipping first for Sweden
The first container barge shuttle service on Sweden’s inland waterways is in the pipeline. The barges will sail between Stockholm’s newly-opened Norvik Port and the port of Västerås. The service will be operated by German shipping line Deymann, deploying the 208 teu barge... more
Jaxport retains stable credit rating
The port of Jacksonville, Florida’s largest container gateway, was pleased that Fitch Ratings recently confirmed the A rating of the port's approximately USD 130 million in outstanding revenue bonds. The credit rating agency issued the port with a ‘stable’ rating outlook.... more
Rhine ports steady the ship
The first quarter of this year went rather well for the Port of Switzerland, the operator of the Swiss inland ports on the River Rhine. The port authority’s three hubs handled 1.26 million t of goods in Q1/2021, 2.9% less than the 1.29 million t in the same period last year.... more
A ship management takeover
Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) and Seatrans have set up a joint venture, called Stödig Ship Management. CSM said that the strategic partnership with the Norwegian shipowner and operator, which specialises in services for chemical tankers, ro-ro, offshore/energy as well as bulkers... more
Port of Douala gearing up for growth
Cameroon’s Régie du Terminal à Conteneurs (RTC) has ordered two Konecranes Gottwald harbour cranes. RTC expects the volume of cargo passing through the port of Douala to continue to rise, which is why it needs extra capacity in the terminal that handles most of Cameroon’s... more