'OCEAN ALLIANCE' & 'THE ALLIANCE' ASIA AND EUROPEAN PORTS JITTERS

Shipping Companies have described the Asia-Europe schedules of the Ocean and THE alliances as ‘organised chaos’ this week, with thousands of containers stranded in Asia and European Ports. The Ocean Alliance brings together the recently formed China Cosco Shipping, with Evergreen Line, CMA CGM, and OOCL in a vessel sharing agreement, while THE alliance consists of NYK Line, MOL, “K” Line, Hapag-Lloyd, and Yang Ming Line.

Commentators say there is very little chance of vessels hitting itineraries before June as the two major shipping alliances transition ships and containers from previous schedules to their new alliance hubs.

The move has proven more complicated than expected, according to one shipping alliance member that spoke to The Loadstar. The shipper added that it had containers stranded at terminals between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He admitted that phasing-in and -out had been “a disaster”, resulting in big gaps appearing in network coverage.

“We are chartering-in or using commercial feeders where we are allowed to,” he said, “but it is tough to get approval, and sometimes the containers will just have to stay on the quay until the next big ship call.”

He added that where an alliance was no longer calling at a terminal, a “best-cost option” to repatriate containers was being applied.

The greatest disruption is in Shanghai, where hundreds of containers have been stranded for as many as eight weeks, port officials say that much of the congestion is being driven by ultra-large containerships running off-schedule and ‘bunching’, clogging the port.

There have been reports of ships waiting at anchor for up to three days to get onto berths, a situation exacerbated by dense fog and congestion is now said to be spreading to other major Chinese ports, such as Ningbo and Qingdao.

Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port did not respond to a request for comment, but according to AIS data there have been no berth shortages at the port, which is going ahead with a major expansion project to increase capacity and throughput.

Source: ASC

SEYCHELLES TO IMPORT LIVESTOCK FROM KENYA

Seychelles will start importing poultry and Livestock meat products from Kenya, instead of Brazil, to help lower his citizens’ cost of living. This was said by visiting President Danny Faure to Kenya during his visit last week. The Seychelles head of state assured that enhanced business cooperation will see his country import meat products (Livestock) and increase cooperation with Kenya in terms of Maritime Security and Tourism.

Seychelles President Visiting Kenya Livestock Sector

President Danny Faure also had a visit at the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) factory during his tour to see the company's products in Athi River, Kenya, to see the standard of Kenyan Livestock set for Export to Seychelles. 

Currently Seychelles imports most of its poultry and beef products from Brazil. According to Kenya Meat Commission’s website the factory is the biggest and most modern licensed export abattoir in East, Central, and the Horn of Africa. 

President Faure was accompanied by the Seychelles Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Michael Benstrong; Ports and Marine Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, chairperson of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce (SCCI) for a tour of the facilities and further explore the possibilities of enhancing cooperation for the trading of agricultural meat products between Seychelles and Kenya. An agreement, derived following successful bilateral talks by President Faure and President Kenyatta on Monday.

African Shipping Line does Livestock shipping from many ports in Africa Including Mombasa, Mogadishu, Berbera and Djibouti.

We can get some livestock for you from Africa especially Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti or Tanzania. Please send an email: africanshippingdubai@gmail.com or call/whatsapp +971 56 953 8569 or +254 726 722 226

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CONTAINER SHIPPING SET TO GROW IN 2017 : MAERSK GROUP

Container shipping may grow 2%-4% in 2017 as economy revives: Maersk
Singapore (Platts)--30 Mar 2017 456 am EDT/856 GMT

Cargo volumes moved in container ships are expected to grow 2%-4% this year, up from around 1.5%-2% in 2016 as the industry capitalizes on a revival in demand in the US, Europe, China and major oil exporting countries, a senior Maersk executive said Thursday.

"The economy in both Europe and US is picking up though it is not back to the heyday, there is a lot of talk of Chinese economy growing. The oil export-dependent economies in West Africa and South America will benefit for the increase in crude prices," Group Representative Asia Pacific, Maersk Group, Rene Piil Pedersen, said at the Seatrade roundtable discussion in Singapore.



He said oil prices were a double-edged sword as they increased shipping lines' costs but expressed optimism they could be reflected in freight rates.

"It is only when oil prices rise and fall very fast that they are difficult to pass on to the customers," Pedersen said. Maersk's fleet of container ships is less than eight years old compared with the global average of 12, he said. "For an energy efficient fleet, higher fuel prices are less of a problem."

While the demand for container ships is rising, there is a large overall global program of new builds and "there is a big question of how that capacity will be managed," he said.

Last year, there was a significant amount of recycling and scrapping of older ships, that kept the supply in check, he added.

The World Container Index assessed by Drewry Maritime Research, a composite of container freight rates on eight major routes to or from the US, Europe and Asia, fell almost 3% week on week to $1,350.61/40 feet container as of March 23. Nevertheless, the index is more than double what it was a year earlier.

"The increase compared with the previous year is from a very low base and we are not out of the woods yet," Pedersen said.

CONSOLIDATION

The supply and demand for container ships is now more balanced but better capacity management will be required, Pedersen said. "Some consolidation in the container shipping sector has been announced but these are early days and it is yet to take effect," he said.



He was referring to New Ocean Alliance that is expected to begin operations from Saturday and includes the Evergreen Line, CMA CGM, Cosco China Shipping and Orient Overseas Container Line.

Another grouping, called The Alliance has brought together members including Hapag-Lloyd, Yang Ming, MOL, NYK Line, and 'K' Line.

Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co. or MSC, the two market leaders by deployed capacity, already have a 2M Alliance in place. The two companies also have a strategic cooperation agreement with Hyundai Merchant Marine or HMM.

One ramification of the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping last year is the wave of consolidation that followed in the container shipping industry. He said at one point of time around $14 billion worth of cargo was stranded at sea or ports due to the bankruptcy.

"If one has to survive, it has offer a global product. You can't be a small fish in a big lake," Pedersen said. "The consolidation is not huge, the top 20 container shipping companies have now become the top 12. There are still a lot of small players," he said.

The next two years would be tricky because demand would increase but a lot of ships will hit the water, he warned.

Maersk alone will take delivery of nine 14,000 TEU and 11, 19,000 TEU new container ships this year, Pedersen said. The company has not placed any new orders so far this year.

REDUCING COSTS

Pedersen stressed that there was an increasing need to transform the containers business through digitalization.

"This is a huge opportunity for Maersk. Until around three years ago making a booking with us required a couple of hours, now it is in minutes and by next year we want to reduce it as low as five seconds," he said.

A better cost structure around the containers, container ships, terminals and cranes could reduce the overall costs of handling cargoes, he added.

Pedersen cited the example of a case study Maersk did sometime ago, when tracking a cargo of flowers and avocados from East Africa to to Northern Europe revealed involvement of close to 200 sets of documentation or paperwork and engagement with 30 different entities.

"The future lies in using a much more transparent and efficient process to dealing with these entities called the block chain technology which will be seamless and save time and costs," he said.

On the new global norms for sulfur emissions that will be implemented less than three years from now in 2020, Pedersen said the Maersk Group would be ready but was concerned over enforcement.

"The rules are clear, what is not clear is how different [geographical] jurisdictions will police it and may disrupt the level playing field," he said, adding that if were to happen, those like Maersk who followed the rules might be at a disadvantage to others who did not.

ILLEGAL FISHING IN SOMALIA COAST : BIG CAUSE OF PIRACY

Somali pirates who seized a Comoros-flagged oil tanker earlier this week after five years without a major Sea Piracy off the Indian Ocean have released the ship and its crew without conditions, officials said late Thursday.

Security official Ahmed Mohamed told The Associated Press the pirates disembarked the ship, which was heading to Bossaso port, the region's commercial hub, with its eight Sri Lankan crew members aboard. Monday's hijacking of an oil tanker off Somalia's northern coast surprised the international shipping community after several years without a pirate attack on a large commercial vessel there. Naval patrols by NATO members and other countries like China had calmed the crucial global trade route that once saw hundreds of attacks.

But people in this sleepy village saw something like this coming. Some are former pirates themselves who quit in recent years as the international pressure grew and armed guards appeared on cargo ships. They turned to fishing but now say they're the ones being targeted at sea.

In recent years, local officials have warned that rampant over fishing by foreign trawlers was destroying the livelihoods of Somali coastal communities, stoking fears of a return of piracy as a way to make money to secure their way of life. They have blamed Yemeni, Chinese, Indian, Iranian and Djibouti-flagged fishing boats and trawlers.

“The illegal fishing is a very serious problem. Fishing has declined, equipment was confiscated and they destroyed our livelihoods and properties,” said Aisha Ahmed, a fish dealer. The chairman of the fishermen's association, Mohamed Saeed, said frustrations are growing. “They have no choice now but to fight,” he said.

Somalis say illegal, unlicensed, and unregulated fishing forced them to turn to piracy 10 years ago in order to recoup their losses. "We got fed up and took guns to the sea," said one Bosaso fisherman, Mohamed Adan Ahmed.

The hijacked oil tanker was anchored Tuesday off the town of Alula, local elder Salad Nur told The Associated Press. He said young fishermen, including former pirates, had gone searching for a foreign ship to seize out of frustration.

“Foreign fishermen destroyed their livelihoods and deprived them of proper fishing,” he said.

The armed men were demanding a ransom for the ship's release and were holding the crew captive, the European Union anti-piracy operation off Somalia said late Tuesday after making contact with the ship's master. Illegal fishing needs addressing, said John Steed, the director of Oceans Beyond Piracy. “It's an aggressive business and in some cases international fleets pressure, even attack, local fisherman, which breeds resentment,” he wrote in an email.

“We have a famine and food is short. Fish is one answer,” he said, referring to the drought that Somalia recently declared a national disaster. “Fishing communities are angry and out-of-work fishermen have become - and are - pirates.”

In December, NATO ended its anti-piracy mission off Somalia's waters because there was no piracy for the past 4 years. Abdirizak Mohamed Ahmed, the director of the Anti-Piracy Agency in northern Somalia's semi autonomous state of Puntland, said he wasn't surprised by Monday's hijacking. The Incident happened in the Northern Puntland state.

Ahmed said fake fishing licenses issued to foreign fishermen and lenient enforcement of regulations by local authorities are major factors in the increase of illegal fishing. Fishermen have reported several cases of attacks by illegal fishermen, including close-ramming of their boats by trawlers. One fisherman died and another was seriously injured after a trawler ran over a small skiff off the coast early this month, Ahmed said.

Local fishermen also have reported incidents of foreign fishermen opening fire at them or robbing them of their catches before being chased away.

“It's matter of life and death. Now we have to fight at any cost,” Bile Hussein, a Somali pirate commander, said Tuesday, after the new hijacking was reported. He said he was in contact with the armed men on the seized oil tanker and that they had not yet decided on how much ransom to demand.

The ship in the Monday’s incident was owned by Flair Shipping Trading FZE in the United Arab Emirates and linked to UAE-based ship management firm Aurora Ship Management FZE. It was flying under the flag of Liberia at the time. It was not immediately clear if the companies were still linked to the ship.

Argyrios Karagiannis, the managing director of Flair Shipping, declined to comment. Calls and emails to Aurora went unanswered.

Concerns about piracy off Africa’s coast have largely shifted to the Gulf of Guinea.

THE FUTURE OF KENYA NATIONAL SHIPPING LINE

The Government of Kenya Ministry of Transport is seeking to to revive The Kenya National Shipping Line which has been dormant for many years.

It says, it has plans to revive the Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL) that has the potential to contribute over 3 billion U.S. dollars into the country’s economy annually, a government official said on Sunday.

Kenya's State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said the shipping line is expected to create an average of 3,000 job opportunities for youth in the first year, and thereafter progressively increase to 6,000 in five years.

"This administration has invested billions of shillings in this region to build or improve security, infrastructure and general service delivery, with the simple goal of uplifting the lives of residents in an inclusive way," he told journalists in Mombasa.

Esipisu said negotiations are at an advanced stage for the exit of foreign shareholders who have expressed desire to cease working with KNSL, due to KNSL having become a parastatal.

The revival of the shipping line is expected to return Kenya to its historical place as a rich seafaring nation with highly respected seafarers. The shipping line has been dormant for decades.

Esipisu said the plan which is being rolled out by the State Department of Maritime and Shipping Affairs, is part of the government’s wider plan to boost the economy of the coast region as well as that of the whole country.

SOMALIA SMALLER PORTS

AFRICAN SHIPPING LINE will be supporting the Current Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa by providing Door - Door Services of Containerized Cargo as well as Barge Services from Mombasa to Somalia and Djibouti through the Following Smaller Ports:

Kismayo Port
Bosaso Port 
Berbera Port
Hobyo Port


Please feel free to inquire about Shipping Services to Kismayo Port, Bosaso Port, Berbera Port and Hobyo Port In Somalia from Mombasa Port, Dubai Jebel Ali, Sharjah Ports, Ajman Port or Salalah (Oman) Port.

Send an Email: africanshippingdubai@gmail.com 

RORO CAR SHIPPING FROM JAPAN AND DUBAI: USED EXPORT CARS DIRECT TO YOUR DOORSTEP

RO-RO  your  Car / Trucks / Vehicle to Africa

Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent , including 54 states and some more territories. While selecting a Shipping company to carry your goods, ensure that it has network in the region where you will receive your consignment. Some company may not have coverage in particular regions.

African Shipping Dubai is the best choice for shipping / exporting to Africa. If you plan to transport cargo to any African nation, it is necessary that you select a company which has ample knowledge about the shipping sector of that location.

Get a free quote for your export by sending an email: asline@africanshippingline.ae or Visiting http://www.africanshippingline.com/

Africa divided into the following  Region :-

North Africa lies north of the Sahara and runs along the Mediterranean coast.



West Africa is the portion roughly west of 10° east longitude, excluding Northern Africa and the Maghreb. West Africa contains large portions of the Sahara Desert and the Adamawa Mountains.



East Africa stretches from the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa to Mozambique, including Madagascar



Central Africa is the large mass at the center of Africa which either does not fall squarely into any other region or only partially does so.

Southern Africa consists of the portion generally south of -10° latitude and the great rainforests of Congo.



Shipping your car to Africa and trying to decide who can offer you the best pricing and international shipping services to ship your vehicle?  AFRICAN SHIPPING DUBAI Transport’s specialties is overseas car transport to East and West Africa.

Our international shipping services are among the best when compared to other international shipping companies. Shipping a car to Africa should be given to a trusted shipping company such as AFRICAN SHIPPING DUBAI. Our shipping to Africa services include: door pick-up of your vehicle, documentation handling and overseas vehicle shipping to the port of destination in Africa.



International car transport to Africa can be simple if you ship with one of the leading overseas shipping companies and freight forwarders such as AFRICAN SHIPPING DUBAI . Let’s take a look at what you should consider when deciding to ship your car to Africa:


You can ship your auto overseas to  Africa using the following methods: roll-on / roll-off (ro/ro) service, container shipping and air shipping. Ro/Ro shipping is the most affordable and popular method of overseas car shipping to  Africa while air shipping is the most expensive way to send your car to Africa.

Get a free quote for your export by sending an email: asline@africanshippingline.ae or Visiting http://www.africanshippingline.com/

Low-cost inexpensive roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) international automobile shipping service  available for the following African countries:

International Car Shipping to North Africa, East and West Africa

Our shipping to North Africa, East and West Africa services include: door pick-up of your vehicle, documentation handling and overseas vehicle shipping to the port of destination in West Africa.

Get a free quote for your export by sending an email: asline@africanshippingline.ae or Visiting http://www.africanshippingline.com/

Vehicles that are shipped internationally to East and West Africa from the Dubai, Japan via ro/ro service must follow the below guidelines:

Vehicle must be free of all personal effects
Vehicle must be clean and have no more than ¼ tank of gas upon pick-up at door or delivery to port.
Vehicle must have the original title or Cerificate of Origin or Japan/Dubai customs

Looking to ship multiple cars to East and West Africa or have other items you will need to ship? International container shipping is also available from the Japan and China to most African ports including: Mombasa, Dar Es salaam, Mogadishu, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tin Can Island, Nigeria; Onne, Nigeria; Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo; Lobito, Angola; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Malabo, Equitorial Guinea and more!

Get a free quote for your export by sending an email: asline@africanshippingline.ae or Visiting http://asldubai.blogspot.com/p/contact-us-online.html



Car shipping overseas to Africa ports also has a number of requirements to keep in mind:

Check to see if there is an overseas auto shipping age restriction for the destination country as some West African countries do not allow international automobile shipments for cars older than 2-8 years.

Some countries in Africa require a cargo loading certificate for all incoming international car shipments.

Check to see if your country also requires a pre-shipping inspection prior to international car transport to the destination country.

provides overseas car transport to several worldwide destinations including East and West Africa. Visit our rates request page to submit your international shipping rates request and to receive car shipping quotes. We will respond to all shipping quotes within 1-2 business days.

ALL CAR, AUTOMOBILE, HEAVY UNITS SHIPPING/EXPORTING TO AFRICA

Get a free quote for your export by sending an email: asline@africanshippingline.ae or Visiting http://www.africanshippingline.com/

MAERSK CHINA PARTNERSHIP WITH YUN QU NA

Maersk announces partnership with Chinese e-logistics platform

Denmark's Maersk Line has signed a strategic agreement with the Chinese online logistics platform Yun Qu Na to jointly develop online booking services.

Yun Qu Na was launched in Febuary 2015 and provides a platform to facilitate deals between small to medium sized shippers and shipping agencies.

Through the collaboration with Maersk, users of Yun Qu Na can directly book containers on Maersk ships. This partnership follows one made earlier this year by Maersk when they made a deal with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba for a similar collaboration and has plans to launch trial more similar services.

TRADE NOTICE: OUR SHIPPING ROUTES FOR 2023-2025

For our weekly service to following destinations in Africa, kindly share your export inquiries/bookings for following destinations.  Looking forward to your valuable support.

DUBAI SHIPPING TO EAST AFRICA

MOMBASA
MOGADISHU
ZANZIBAR
DAR ES SALAAM
NACALA
TANGA (via Dar Es Salaam)
Pointe des Galets (Reunion Island)
Port Louis (Mauritius)
Tamatave (Madagascar)
Port Victoria (Seychelles)
Longoni (direct)
Moroni and Mutsamudu (via Longoni)
Diego Suarez, Nossi Be, Majunga,
Beira, Maputo, Quelimane, Pemba (via Durban)
Berbera

Bosaso Port

Kismayo Port

Garacad Port

Hobyo Port

DUBAI SHIPPING TO WEST AFRICA

WALVIS BAY (Namibia)
POINTE NOIRE (Congo)
LAGOS (APAPA)
TINCAN (Nigeria)
LUANDA (Angola)
DOUALA (Cameroon)
DURBAN (S.Africa)
COTONOU (Benin)
LIBREVILLE (Gabon)
CABINDA (Angola)
LOBITO (Angola)
BOMA (Congo)
BANANA (Congo)
PORT GENTIL (Gabon)
MATADI (Congo)
ONNE (Nigeria)
TEMA (Ghana) LOME (Togo)
NAMIBE (Walvis Bay)

DUBAI SHIPPING TO NORTH WEST AFRICA 

DAKAR (Senegal)
BATA/ MALABO (Guinea)
CONAKRY (Guinea)
NOUAKCHOTT (Mauritania)
BANJUL (Gambia)
ABIDJAN (Ivory Coast)
FREETOWN (Sierra Leone)
MONROVIA (Liberia)

And other inland African Inland destinations:

Nairobi ICD, Kampala, Juba, Kigali, Kigoma, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, etc……