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Boeing captures US$6.6b order from FedEx
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/06/23 10:18:24
WITH declining freight rates and with the world's carriers going through a rough patch financially, attention is being turned to the huge volume of box ship deliveries between now and the end of the year due to swell the ranks of the Cosco fleet. According to Alphaliner, the Chinese state-backed carrier is due to receive a total of eleven 19,000 TEU to 21,000 TEU megamax ships, and seven ships ranging in capacity from 13,800 TEU to 14,500 TEU by the end of this year. All of these will be built in China, albeit by different shipyards. Alphaliner's latest weekly report carries a recent photo from Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard which shows three types of Cosco newbuildings at the outfitting pier. They include 13,800 TEU 'flower' class ships, 14,568 TEU 'mountain' class vessels and one 21,237 TEU megamax of the 'universe' class. "That picture should be on board room walls in Copenhagen and Sorrento," one seasoned liner executive said on condition on anonymity, referring to the headquarters of Maersk and MSC respectively. "Cosco's 'megamax' programme is made up of different vessel classes, since it is not only split across various shipyards (CSSC, CISC and COSCO, KHI), but it also originates from before the carrier's merger with CSCL and each of the two hitherto separate shipping lines ordered slightly different vessel classes," Alphaliner explained in its latest weekly report. With its takeover of Hong Kong's OOCL due to be completed very soon, Cosco is likely to leapfrog fellow Ocean Alliance member CMA CGM into third spot behind MSC and Maersk in the global liner rankings. The heads of both Maersk and MSC have hit out in recent months at Asian lines and their ability to tap state funds to expand their fleets. In a poll carried out earlier this year two thirds of Singapore's Splash 247 readers believed Cosco will overhaul Maersk to become the world's largest containerline within the next 10 years. Cosco's huge expansion this year comes at a time where loss making Maersk Line is actually reducing its operating capacity for the first time this decade. Both Evergreen and Hyundai Merchant Marine have larger orderbooks than Cosco, but no carrier has such a heavy delivery schedule this year as the Chinese carrier. |
CLIPPERMARITIME's cascade model update indicates that some 30 ships with an average capacity of 11,700 TEU will be replaced by larger newbuild tonnage on the Asia-Europe and transpacific tradelanes this year. Ocean carrier vessel planners will be tasked with finding new employment for these larger containerships, which could prove difficult due to port restrictions and frequency requirements on many smaller trades, reports London's Loadstar. Carriers also are well aware that freight rate levels can be destroyed overnight by an influx of extra slots on a hitherto well-balanced tradelane. ClipperMaritime's latest edition of Container Horizons says: "Operators are progressively faced with the issue to either upgrade existing services out of necessity, because it is a 'best-fit' scenario, or to deploy in trades that are showing genuine demand growth." The London-based consultant notes that, of the 30 ships earmarked for replacement, 20 are operated by Ocean Alliance partners and five each by members of 2M and THE Alliance. According to the data, the average size of vessels plying the Asia-North Europe tradelane now stands at 14,824 TEU, the largest being 21,413 TEU. Some thirteen 18,000 TEU and three 14,000 TEU newbuilds are stemmed to enter the trade in the second half of this year, cascading-out ships in the 14,000-16,000 TEU size range. Meanwhile, between Asia and the Mediterranean, although the average size of ship deployed is 10,791 TEU, the consultant notes that the trade is set to receive a further seven newbuilds of an average 14,000 TEU, before the end of the year. Five of these are for the Ocean Alliance and the other two will be operated by members of THE Alliance. On the transpacific, the average size of the vessels deployed between Asia and the US west coast is still relatively small, at 7,762 TEU, but the largest vessels now being deployed are around 14,000 TEU. The average size of ships on Asia to US east coast services is similar, at 7,648 TEU, with the largest ships currently 14,414 TEU. And it was announced recently that the Japanese carrier ONE's much-heralded first newbuild, the 14,000 TEU ONE Stork, would be deployed on the EC4 loop of THE Alliance's Asia to US east coast network, via the Suez Canal. It was originally to be deployed between Asia and North Europe, evidencing the development in ship sizes since the vessel was ordered by NYK in 2015. Notwithstanding the cascading impact in the bigger sizes, at the other end of the scale, small containerships are in big demand as a consequence of several years of rampant scrapping and a dearth of new orders. Fast-growing feeder containership specialist MPC Containerships has built up a portfolio of 68 smaller ships, from 1,000 to 2,800 TEU, which are all employed, mostly fixed with ocean carriers at daily hire rates significantly in excess of operating costs. |
LATEST figures from the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which includes the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, show that the volume of containerised cargo dipped 4.4 per cent in May to a total of 309,243 TEU compared to the same month a year ago. Total international container volumes slipped 5.2 per cent year over year to 245,294 TEU, as a 0.7 per cent uptick in international imports to 131,067 TEU was more than offset by an 11.2 per cent drop in exports to 114,227 TEU, according to American Shipper. Throughput of domestic cargo slipped 1.3 per cent to 63,950 TEU compared with the same 2017 period, with volumes to/from Alaska falling 0.6 per cent to 54,591 TEU due to continued soft market conditions and shipments to/from Hawaii sliding 4.9 per cent to 9,359 TEU. Total cargo volumes have now fallen in each of the last three months on a year-over-year basis and four of the first five months of 2018 following a decreases of 9.6 per cent in March and 1.1 per cent in April. So far this year, overall container throughput at NWSA terminals is down 5.1 per cent to just over 1.4 million TEU compared with the same five,month period in 2017. NWSA attributed the May decline primarily to a tough comparison in the corresponding 2017 period, when 'volumes were inflated due to an overlap in old and new vessel services during the launch of the new carrier alliances." NWSA noted, however, that the ports added two new weekly services this spring that are expected to increase capacity and direct call options for shippers. SM Line's new standalone PNS service called Terminal 18 in Seattle for the first time last month, while THE Alliance's PS8 service made its inaugural call to Washington United Terminals in Tacoma. According to ocean carrier schedule database BlueWater Reporting, the PNS loop, which commenced May 10 with the sailing of the SM Qingdao from Yantian, is operated with six vessels with an average capacity of 4,355 TEU. The service has a full port rotation of Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Vancouver BC, Seattle, Tokyo, Busan, Gwangyang and Yantian. The PS8 is operated with six vessels, all from alliance member Yang Ming, with an average capacity of 5,795 TEU and a full port rotation of Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Busan, Prince Rupert, Los Angeles, Tacoma, Busan, Gwangyang and Xingang. In non-containerised cargo, breakbulk volumes surged 34.8 per cent to 97,057 metric tonnes through the first five months of 2018, but year to date auto volumes have now fallen 15 per cent to 50,881 units, "mirroring the overall decline in the North American auto import market," NWSA said. |
A SURVEY by Deloitte has found that shipping companies prefer to switch to liquefied natural gas (LNG) to comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) stringent new international emissions standards for marine bunker fuels. However, a shortage of refuelling and bunkering infrastructure has been identified as the key barrier to the large-scale adoption of LNG as a transport fuel. The survey of 80 senior energy industry leaders based in Asia Pacific was conducted at the second annual Deloitte Energy Trading Summit in Singapore. Survey respondents cited the retrofitting and/or redesign of the existing shipping fleet to accommodate the LNG bunker fuel option as the second biggest barrier to adoption, followed by the price competitiveness of LNG versus liquid fuels. In spite of the challenges, 68 per cent of those surveyed said if the marine fuel market switches to LNG, it will have a positive effect on their overall business. Deloitte Global LNG leader Bernadette Cullinane said: "LNG is particularly well placed to benefit from the IMO's emissions legislation. Our survey results are clear recognition the stricter standards will open the door for cleaner marine fuels like LNG and low sulphur marine gas oil to displace heavy fuels. "Almost every maritime authority in the world that offers bunkering is now taking a serious look at LNG as an alternative to fuel oil. Whilst infrastructure is an issue, it is being built, and new vessels have been designed, built and are on order." Ms Cullinane added that with the globalisation of the LNG market, companies are actively looking at new applications and new markets for gas. "One of the biggest opportunities for LNG over the next decade will be in transportation, particularly as a marine fuel," she said. |
ABOUT 40 per cent of US imports shipped in containers moves through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout Southern California. Shipments in and out have been rising this year, especially those from China. Experts have predicted that President Trump's recent imposition of tariffs on US$200 billion in Chinese goods that an escalating trade war could soon hit Southern California warehouse workers and truck drivers, while raising prices for consumers. "If there is one location that is going to be affected more in the United States, it is going to be the greater Los Angeles region," said Stephen Cheung, president of the nonprofit World Trade Center Los Angeles. Last year, $173 billion in Chinese imports flowed through the ports, said Jock O'Connell, an economist with Beacon Economics. The largest categories of goods include electronics, furniture, toys and clothing. Exports to China are smaller, totalling $18 billion worth of auto parts, cotton, scrap material and more. All told, China accounts for about 50 per cent of all the goods moving through the complex, Mr O'Connell said. Tariffs are a tax on goods; when most of the Trump administration's $50-billion first round of punitive tariffs kicks in July 6, for instance, it will add 25 per cent to the price of those Chinese goods at the border. The resulting price increase probably will force companies to purchase fewer Chinese products, said Paul Bingham, a trade expert with Economic Development Research Group. He predicted that will lead to a slowdown in trade and fewer hours for port-related workers. Longshore workers, with strong union protections, will fare better than most workers. But many truck drivers and warehouse workers are independent contractors or employed by third-party temporary help agencies and are especially vulnerable to a drop-off in trade. "You could see layoffs taking place very quickly," Mr O'Connell, with Beacon Economics, said. Mr Cheung said he fears the tariffs will lift consumer prices just as companies already face pressure to pass along higher transportation costs forced by a national shortage of truckers, the Los Angeles Times reported. "It becomes a cycle that depresses the entire economy," he said. Jonathan Gold, a vice president at the National Retail Federation, said retailers are already spending time and money to examine their supply chain to see if they should source items from other countries. But those decisions are further complicated by tariffs Trump has announced on other countries, as well as the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. Mr Gold worries that the tariffs will kill any benefits from the personal and corporate tax cuts Trump signed into law last year. That concern was echoed last week by Gary Cohn, Trump's former director of the National Economic Council. Counter-tariffs from China, also scheduled to start July 6, will hit American farm products, cars and other merchandise. US tariffs on $450 billion of goods would hit about 90 per cent of all Chinese imports to the country. Mr Gold said it's not possible to select tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods without raising the prices on everyday consumer items. He urged the two countries to sit down and hash things out. "Tariffs are a tax that is ultimately paid by the US consumer," he said. |
A REFRESHED Safety@Sea Singapore Campaign was unveiled by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)chief executive Andrew Tan at the launch of the 5th International Safety@Sea Week at Marina south pier. The Safety@Sea Singapore Campaign is an industry-wide effort to increase awareness of safe practices and foster a safety-first culture at sea. This year's campaign will take a more targeted approach in reaching out to various stakeholders with relevant and hard-hitting safety messages. MPA will circulate a new set of eye-catching posters with updated safety messages tailored for target groups such as bridge teams, crew, ferry passengers and the pleasure craft community. MPA will also develop a new Safety@Sea website, a one-stop digital platform for the maritime community to get up-to-date information on events and collaterals relating to maritime safety. |
NETHERLANDS-BASED 3PL CEVA Logistics has appointed Niels Weithe to the newly created position of global head of eCommerce and willl be based in Germany. Mr Weithe joins CEVA from Arvato where he was president of its consumer products division and led the team which built up Europe's leading eCommerce service company. He brings more than 25 years' experience of this fast-growing market segment to his new role and will assist CEVA in expanding its B2C solution based on its strong and established global network. He will report directly to CEVA's chief operating officer of contract logistics, Brett Bissell. "Niels' knowledge and expertise in this field will enable us to extend that all important B2C solution on top of our existing B2B capabilities and then enable us to fully support an omni-channel ecosystem for our clients wherever they are based. We warmly welcome him to our team," said Mr Bissell. |
THE Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Paris airports operator Groupe ADP have inked two MOUs covering airport management, aviation development and cargo development aimed at strengthening cooperation between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The MOUs were signed at the Paris Air Forum, and under the agreement, the two parties agreed to cooperate to improve efficiency, safety, security, quality and environmental protection, and enhance network connectivity to strengthen their respective hub positions. HKIA is one of the busiest airports in Asia, handling around 73 million passengers in 2017 with a global network covering over 220 destinations worldwide. CDG is the second busiest airport in Europe, handling 69.5 million passengers in 2017 to serve 325 cities. Since the beginning of 2018, an average of 40 flights fly between the two airports every week. In 2017, these flights carried 481,819 passengers and 39,700 tonnes of cargo, Groupe ADP said. The cargo agreement aims to strengthen the cooperation between HKIA and CDG, as well as between Asia and Europe by promoting and facilitating the transport of fast-growing cargo segments such as e-commerce, temperature-controlled goods-both airports have IATA CEIV Pharma certification - as well as luxury products. HKIA has been ranked as the world's busiest airport for international air cargo since 1996. In 2017, HKIA handled over 5 million tonnes of freight and airmail. CDG is Europe's busiest airport for cargo, handling 2.2 million tonnes of freight and airmail in 2017, reports Washington DC's Air Transport World. |
FEDEX Express has ordered a dozen Boeing 777 freighters for delivery between fiscal 2021 and 2025. In addition, the air package delivery specialist has ordered a dozen B767 freighters for delivery between fiscal 2020 and 2022, justifying Boeing's decision to raise production of that jet by 20 per cent from 2.5 to three jets per month beginning in 2020, reported Seattle Times. The combined Boeing 767 and 777 order for 24 widebody aircraft is valued at US$6.6 billion using Boeing's list prices. However, market pricing data from aircraft valuation firm Avitas indicates that the real value, after standard discounts, is no more than $2.8 billion. The FedEx order means Boeing has so far this year sold 50 widebody freighters, up from 11 in 2017. Although the FedEx order is too late to help fill out empty delivery airplane slots on the assembly line in Everett, Washington between now and the launch of the new B777X model in 2020, it will help boost production in the early, slow production years of the B777X. The aircraft manufacturer's move in April to hike the B767 production rate was prompted by a strong recovery in the air cargo market over the past two years. The boost from FedEx follows one from rival package carrier UPS, which in February ordered 18 jumbo jet B747-8 freighters and four B767 freighters. Amazon, which has acquired 40 used B767 freighters for its Prime Air service, is regarded as a potential future customer for new B767s. |