Dear Readers,
It is the 27th of June, Thursday and we are here again with our last publication before the summer holidays.
I am writing this from the condo in Thailand where I am assured of warm weather albeit interrupted by the occasional rain shower. However, I am close to the pool and gym where I try to do a bit daily on the treadmill—as I did on the cargo vessel recently during the 47 days from Portugal to Japan.
Shipping is in a kind of chaos currently worldwide. There is enough trade around, and it is to a major extent being forced to route around Africa with subsequent huge extra costs not only to the environment but also to the ones paying the freight. Some of the largest hub ports of the world are seriously congested, and no opportunity is spared to rip off the customers it seems.
I noticed that Samsung recently put in a claim with FMC for roughly 90,000 in wrongly debited delivery & destination charges by a variety of lines. Even if 1/3 is correct, it is a staggering number of what I would call ‘ethics violations’.
As I pointed out many times, the FMC has teeth, the EU is as ever a toothless tiger, and their circus about who gets what posting on the gravy train to more bureaucracy continues. Thousands are the rules they have implemented on a hapless populace, but few are the improvements in border controls, internal security, and reductions in astronomical support to farmers—mainly due to France’s agriculture being backward and not efficient in many places, merely existing due to the state or the EU continuously bailing them out. Of course, let us not discuss either the EU travel circus between Brussels—Strasbourg, now talking about “green logistics” with hundreds of trucks a month…
There is the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza with countless victims on all sides, but rest assured the leaders are doing fine either tucked away in Moscow or in Qatar—and for sure in nothing less than 5* accommodation. How many civilians must die before the “leaders” man up and show that they are indeed leaders of the people and not only of themselves?
We’ve got interesting interviews in store for you today: 1 video and 4 written to be exact, so we say hello to the holidays with a bang.
Starting off here with an interview with VELOGIC in Madagascar . A huge island in the Indian Ocean, another blank spot on my travel bucket list.
Then we’ve got a video interview with a contact dating back to 1998 or so that I met by chance at Breakbulk Rotterdam — now general manager of MFC (Modern Freight Company, Dubai, U.A.E.); so yes, we never know what is around the corner do we?
We continue our interviews with:
1. Rhenus Logistics, Germany: a privately-owned major player worldwide
2. Direct Intercontinental, Brazil: also privately owned
3. CSI, Beijing, China: a versatile local project forwarder in the Middle Kingdom
We, of course, provide you with shipping news, trade intelligence, wise words and featured video and picture of the week. What you can notice from the video of the week is the “singing skills” of a nice French lady developing software for the logistics industry — quite an interesting product for many at www.adeona-global.com
I remind you also about our MEDIA KIT and our APP, so if they hold tight onto the purse strings, do tell that Comms Department of yours that spending a little with us may reap big rewards in the future…😀
Wishing everyone a peaceful and relaxed summer for those in “summertime”, and I will leave you in peace until the 8th of August when we are returning.
Hope you will enjoy this newsletter and we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Rhenus Logistics – Germany
Interview with
Mr. Moritz Becker and Mr. Colin D’Abreo
Co-VP Directors
For starters, what can you tell us about the history, origin and ownership of Rhenus?
The Rhenus Group is a leading global logistics solutions provider based in Germany with a history of more than 100 years. With roots in the inland shipping logistics sector, today our portfolio comprises a wide range of services: from warehousing and automotive logistics to truck and rail transport, inland waterway and short-sea shipping, port and terminal operation, last-mile and home delivery, office systems and information logistics, air and ocean freight services as well as specialized offerings, such as project and offshore logistics.
Direct Intercontinental – Brazil
Interview with
Mr. Rudiger Glanzel
Managing Director
First of all, Rudiger, which nationality are you, and when did you arrive in Brazil?
I am of German origin but left my mother country at quite an early age, heading southwest to Spain where I worked in different areas of freight forwarding for two decades. Perhaps this is the best way to integrate the innate German analyzing spirit into the rather temperamental Latin logistics world. My trend to settle in new realms (heading again southwest) continued in 2010 when I moved to Brazil.
CSI China Ltd – Beijing
Interview with
Ms. Judy Yu
Vice-president
CSI China: is that short for anything? Who are the owners of the company, Judy? When did you establish your company?
CSI is the abbreviation of the Founder; there isno special meaning. Our Managing Director is Mr.LiFei. Mr.LiFei established the company in 2004. It was formerly working under the “Royal Burger Group Beijing Rep. Office” and bought the CSI title in 2015. Mr. Li Fei used to work as the liner manager of Sinolines China ( European—China liner service till 2003). This liner service was suspended in 2003. Mr. Li Fei left Sinolines and started the forwarding business.
Chaos Now Rules the Container Shipping Market, says Yang Ming CFO
Editor’s Note:
Too bad that we have crisis around us it does help (besides the weapon’s industry) also the shipping industry…no problem about the shipping industry earning money but too much is never good for anyone’s attitude.
Yang Ming chief financial officer Peter Su said today he believes container shipping has become so chaotic that it is hard to explain port omissions and skipped sailings to shippers
Mr Su said: “Ships have had to detour round the Cape of Good Hope because of the Red Sea situation and this has hindered operations, because it has tightened the availability of ships and containers.
The Latest from Arctic Today
Editor’s Note:
Link to an interesting newsletter about the North of Anywhere, The Arctic as it plays a role in shipping, minerals, big politics and so on…you will find many interesting articles to learn something from!
Our top story this week is a profile of the Barents Observer, one of our key media partners and a standard bearer for independent journalism in the. Arctic region. There’s also a piece about a billion-dollar deal that will make Northwestel the largest telecommunications company with full Indigenous ownership.
India to create $9bn mega port Near Mumbai
Editor’s Note:
We gotta give credit to Mr Modi (et all) that infra structure finally is getting the attention it deserves in India not only now but also in recent few years, if they continue and with a democracy at the helm, they will no doubt compete equally with China in a not too distant future.
Located about 150 kms from Mumbai, Vadhavan is part of a strategic initiative to establish sea and rail links connecting India with Europe through the Middle East. The port’s construction, with an estimated cost of approximately $9.14bn, will commence soon; the first phase expected to be completed by 2029.
Mapped: The Population of India’s States Compared with Countries
Editor’s Note:
Without people no need for cargo, equipment and what not… thus interesting always to take a look at population stats… just imagine a slight increase in purchasing power… what it may mean for shipping. Why not invest in India now?
In a world with eight billion people, even the numbers of the largest population centers like China and India can start to lose their impact.
The visualization above looks to give people a different frame of reference to think about the country’s massive population figures.
Ecoener will build 50 MW of photovoltaics in Panama
At the general meeting of shareholders of the Galician company Ecoener, its president, Luis de Valdivia, announced that the company will begin the construction of 50 new photovoltaic MW in Panama next September. The renewable company thus adds a new country to its presence in Latin America, where it already has operations in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia.
MKS Instruments to build ‘super factory’ in Malaysia
US-based MKS Instruments manufactures a range of instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and speciality chemicals for various industrial sectors. For semiconductor customers, it offers four key processes: deposition, removal, patterning, and modification of electrical properties.
Drylock to Construct Third Facility in Brazil
Drylock Technologies will build its 11th plant worldwide and its third in Brazil in Capivari, São Paulo. The first phase of the construction should be complete in 2026.
Elite Material Funnels RM900 mil in Penang Manufacturing Facility
Elite Material Co Ltd (EMC), based in Taiwan, is making a RM900 million investment in the Penang Science Park North facility. According to Albert Dong, chairman and chief executive officer of EMC, construction has begun on 5.6 hectares (13.84 acres) in Penang Science Park North. The first phase is expected to be finished in the first half of 2025, and there will be two phases.
Ms Amandine Celerier Sings a Freight Forwarder Version of Green Day’s Basket Case
Editor’s Note:
Ms Amandine Celerier with a great past in shipping and logistics and now owner of ADEONA (www.adeona-global.com) tried her French/English singing skills about being a freight forwarder on the way home on the bus from our party in Accra, Ghana recently. As editor of PCW I covered the event. Fantastic and she is someone who is an individual not molded by a strait jacket in big corporation, but actually being an individual from whom we will and can expect great things.
Editor’s Note:
Even a globetrotter and editor needs some R&R and so do I. But shipping is never far away, my view from the Bangsaen, Thailand condo and also a shot of the past/present day MPP shipping fleet of Rickmers hanging on the wall when entering this relaxing place. Good combo as they say 🙂.
