In this issue: CMA CGM’s Project Cargo Division | Marine Charter Services – Houston | Dogado SRL – Italy >>>
Dear Readers,
Thursday January 17th has arrived and we are here with the second issue of the new year 2019.
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What really caught the eyes of the world in this unfinished week was the very important vote in the British House of Commons as to whether to support or reject the deal that the British Prime Minister has spent two years negotiating. An old saying has it that, if one door closes another one opens and, although I am not a politician, it seems clear to the untrained eye that we are indeed in uncharted waters. The EU is, in my opinion, by no means a democratic institution. They have developed from a group of countries wishing to engage in free trade into a kind of European government, sitting on top of the national governments and thus rendering them unable to decide on anything in time. There is no doubt in my mind that Europe should stick together in order to coexist with other strong nations, but I don’t think it is done by cajoling and forcing independent sovereign states into leaving their brains at home when taking their seat at the EU council of ministers, and that’s without mentioning their rubber stamp parliament. But, Britain voted for ‘Brexit’, and most politicians have ensured their own Pexit, (good terminology of course and) of that we can be sure.
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During a recent trip to India, I saw that Brexit seems to even be supported there too (see photo to the right). That is of course, another, more colonial, type of story. China and the USA are strong and proud nations and so is Great Britain. In spite of these hiccups, the people have voted and the world will be open for Great Britain, whether in or out of the EU.
Last time I looked, there was still some 150 countries or so to which they can talk. In Denmark, we were told repeatedly, for example, of the disastrous consequences if we didn’t join the EURO common currency, and what happened? Denmark is still going strong!
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I remind everyone to read a more varied type of media and listen to others outside the usual noises, as nowadays media coverage is often biased and scary headlines are the order of the day. Anyway, whilst much of the media is busy on another angle or story about Brexit, we have a concrete job to do here and that is to tell you about today’s content.
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We start off by talking to what is now the world’s fourth largest shipowner in the world, based in France. They introduce to us their liner services to/from what is soon to be the world’s most populous country, India. Moving break bulk cargo by container ship into India is a relatively new concept and you would be well advised to read this interview.
We then travel to Houston and give a shipping specialist heavily involved in oil, gas and other projects an opportunity to provide a very detailed description of what he does best.
Finally, we visit the land of fashion, great food and thirty nine governments in forty one years. Yes, you guessed it, it’s Italy. A mid-sized and versatile freight forwarder tells us her story. Italy has some highly efficient companies and many people say that some aspects of Italy are even more efficient than those of Germany nowadays. We, of course, round off with a variety of shipping news, sector news for the use of the active salesman and we end today’s newsletter with the usual wise words.
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Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
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CMA CGM’s Project Cargo Division and the Indian Market
Interview with Mr. Stéphane BERNINET
Head of CMA CGM Project Cargo Division |
Could you provide us with some examples (and perhaps photos) of project cargoes that you have handled to/from India?
Project cargo customers have trusted CMA CGM with regular shipments through India and we are strengthening our position after successfully completing a series of different projects.
Recently, we have shipped a helicopter (seen above) from Nhava Sheva to London Gateway. Look at the interesting lifting apparatus.
The same has been used for loading and discharging at each respective end.
The helicopter rigging is a single shackle attachment for the four lift-wires (polyester round slings) fitted to the container spreader to be employed by each respective terminal. The round lifter, 6.5m SWL, was rigged with five nylon belts tied on the rotor hub which had no locking mechanism and thus remained free to rotate, relative to the helicopter.
Marine Charter Services – Houston Texas, USA
Interview with Mr. Carl Sorensen
Owner |
Houston is known as a shipping hub, in North America in particular, for oil/gas etc. Does that still apply for project and break bulk cargoes to/from North America, or would you say that other ports are developing in this sector too nowadays?
Houston is still very much a hub for break bulk, both in the oil and gas industries. However, as many know already, it is also a hub in the wind power and mining sectors. The West Coast is still basically useless for anything too O.D. or heavy (my apologies for being crass but the WC does no one any favors). The East Coast is better but also limited, so I would say the Gulf of Mexico and Baltimore, Savannah are other great options. The thing is, it all depends on where the equipment is originating. You may be able to get that piece(s) out of the West Coast if you are close to a terminal that has a liner service or your client pays for the part charter to position a ship there and you can get the inland to that loading terminal, but mostly Houston’s roads and infrastructure can handle the high and wide and heavy loads a lot more easily than other ports in the USA and Canada.
Dogado SRL – Italy
Interview with Ms. Stefania Spagnoli
Commercial Manager |
Tell us about your business focus and what do you mainly deal with in your company?
Our business is mainly focussed on exporting sea freight shipments for the engineering industry, principally machinery and project cargo. During our thirty years of activity, Dogado has acquired a wealth of skills and experience in handling special cargoes, both by conventional and containerized vessels.
Shanghai Retains the Crown of the World’s Busiest Container Port
China’s Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) retained its top position as the world’s busiest container port for the ninth consecutive year.
The port recorded 42.01m teu container throughput in the year of 2018, an increase of 4% year-on-year compared to 40.23m teu posted in the previous year, reaching a record high. The port achieved RMB10.28bn net profit in 2018.
