Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 16th of April, and we are closing in on May 1st which is the traditional day when we celebrate workers’ rights that people have fought decades for.
In this time of the COVID-19 crisis, we will see exactly which employers are worth working for and also worth supporting after the crisis is over. That goes for the way that our seafarers are treated, too. I hope that you will all remember to vote with either your feet or with the spending power left in your wallet when you decide where to book your flight, hotel, dinner table, and so on. Remember NOT to support the ones that gave you unnecessary trouble when you wanted to cancel your reservation because this situation is most certainly beyond anyone’s control.
I had actually promised myself to write less about the COVID-19 crisis, but it is next to impossible to avoid it.
The COVID-19 crisis will also show us who radiates true leadership, who tells us the truth. It will show whether it actually is beneficial to belong to unions such as the European one when the going gets tough or whether we should consider practicing free trade but without the political strings that come strongly attached to such unions—of course, provided that is possible.
I see that OLAF, the EU’s anti-corruption unit, has finally managed to achieve some results in the fight against greed from some of the parliamentarians that we pay for day in and day out in Brussels. You can see more here.
The saying normally goes like this: ”There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Similarly, don’t expect that China’s Silk Road Corridor is a free lunch either, and this COVID-19 crisis will expose that, too—but hey, it is the world we live in, and we have to stick with it. The South China Morning Post had a great article about the Silk Road which you may find interesting. Read it here.
In our business section today, we have an interesting interview with a freight forwarder located on some islands that we certainly seldom hear about in the news. The Solomon Islands in the Pacific are a string of islands where Express Freight Management (EFM) are active in providing logistical solutions. We then re-visit 2 Norwegian shipowners turned into one, i.e., the G2 Ocean which has become strong in transporting renewable equipment worldwide. Finally, we speak to an Austrian lady living in France, running a project freight forwarding outfit headquartered in Lyon called CERL. Hope you will enjoy our interviews.
We remain as always with the best wishes for your health and happiness!
Until next week,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Express Freight Management – Honiara, Solomon Islands
Interview with
Mr. Ronnie Isip
General/Country Manager
When and where was the company Express Freight Management (EFM) established?
Operating since 1989, Express Freight Management (EFM) has grown and expanded its business portfolio to be one of the South Pacific’s leading freight service providers.
EFM’s mission is to maintain excellence in service by providing superior logistics offerings professionally and competitively the first time for arrival on time.
Family owned and operated with management who has extensive knowledge and experience gained from over 30 years in the PNG freight industry, the company employs over 400 staff, dealing in international import and export trade.
G2 Ocean
Interview with
Mr. Arild Samland
Director Project Cargo
Explain to our readers about the name G2 Ocean how did it come about and what is the background of it, ie owners history?
The name is easy to explain. As we are a joint venture between Gearbulk and Grieg Star, the “G” of course stands for the “G” in both owners’ name, and the “2” stands for the two companies together. We are an ocean carrier company, so the “Ocean” part is also obvious to us.
C.E.R.L. – France
Interview with
Mrs. Maria Nouveau
Deputy Managing Director
Firstly, Maria, I see that you come from Austria. How did you end up in logistics in France? It must mean that, amongst other qualities, you speak French
Indeed, I was born in Austria and fell in love with France while I was working as an au-pair girl in Paris thirty-five years ago. Later when an Austrian haulier offered me a temporary job in Lyon, France, I immediately accepted. So, I was working for their agent in France (Danzas), where I met Georges, my husband. Well, you know how love is, I never left France again. So indeed, I speak French (it’s much better than my German now).
With Sailors Stranded, Shippers Faces a Hard Choice
Editor’s Note:
PCW’s heart goes out to the sailors who, perhaps after months and months of sailing, are missing their families at home and still cannot be relieved of duty to return home. There should be a system set up for the seafarers of the world who really perform vital services too.
Before the pandemic, 100,000 seafarers traveled in and out of the world’s ports every month. Some had spent weeks or months aboard the cargo ships, tankers and other merchant vessels that are essential to moving products and commodities across the globe. In a ritual little noticed outside the industry, new crews would regularly arrive to relieve them, ensuring that the world’s vast merchant fleet wasn’t endangered by fatigued sailors.
Djibouti: The rise of a major logistics hub
Editor’s Note:
Djibouti is strategically located at the Horn of Africa. An interesting article here about Djibouti/Ethiopia and what is happening in the region.
The ports complex of Djibouti is not only a critical throughfare for international shipping, but part and parcel of the country’s economic strategy. Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman, Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority, talked to us about Djibouti’s rise as a logistics hub
The Shipping Podcast
Editor’s Note:
I have started to listen to podcasts quite a lot especially when out walking etc. Here in Sweden, where I am located we are still allowed outside, but we must practice social distancing. Here is a link to a shipping podcast which is quite informative and nice to listen to.
China-Europe Trains See Record Figures Despite Corona Crisis
Editor’s Note:
Railway traffic seems to be having “golden days” at the moment during the COVID-19 crisis. For the latest on that read this article.
China witnessed an increase in the number of trains and cargo volumes moved by train to and from Europe in the first quarter of 2020. Especially the month of March saw impressive figures; it was noted as a record month in the history of Eurasian rail freight traffic. This was announced by the China National Railway Group Limited.
Ductor to Build Three Poultry Manure Biogas and Biofertilizer Plants in Poland
Poland is moving towards a circular economy as three new biogas-biofertilizer facilities will be built in the Zachodniopomorskie region about 100 km off the coast of the Baltic Sea. The plants are being built by Ductor, a Finnish-Swiss biotechnology company that creates solutions for global food and agricultural challenges and funded by Esperotia Investments Ltd.
Ingredion to Build an Integrated Modified Starch Facility in China
Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions, today announced it will significantly expand its production capacity and capabilities in Shandong, China. With this investment, the Company will build a new, integrated native and modified starch facility adjacent to its existing Shandong facility.
Trina Solar Sign Deal with Yemeni Photovoltaic Firm Ai Raebi
Trina Solar has signed a sales agreement with the Yemeni photovoltaic firm Ai Raebi to supply six megawatt of Vertex series modules to high-efficiency distributed PV projects in the Middle East
Milano Bridge Containership Cleans up the Gantry Crane and Seaspan Containership at Busan Port.
Editor’s Note:
Terrible mishap here last week in the port of Busan. A giant containership accidentally hits one of the STS shore cranes which then crashes.
Editor’s Note:
Running in nature with your dog is great, in particular if you have a view of the ocean that includes a semisubmersible vessel at anchor waiting for orders. MV Zhen Hua 33 is pictured here anchored at Skagen Roads, Denmark. Photo credit: the CEO of Martin Bencher Group. www.martin-bencher.com
