Container lines

Ocean container carrier Alianca has received the first of four new identical vessels to be deployed in its Brazilian coastal service.

Ocean carrier United Arab Shipping Co. will implement a general rate increase on all U.S. export cargo to the Middle East and Mediterranean, effective March 1. It will apply to all tariff ocean freight rates and service contracts.

Cosco Container Lines today announced an emergency bunker surcharge adjustment for both eastbound and westbound shipments in Far East to Northwest Europe and Mediterranean trade, effective March 1, until further notice.

Taiwan-based ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport today set up Yang Ming (Australia) with Inchcape Shipping Services to expand its market in Australia.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. will hike rates on all export cargo from North Europe, Baltic and Eire to Canada’s west and east coasts, effective March 1.

Hapag-Lloyd will increase rates from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to Mexico, Central America, the west and east coasts of South America, Panama and the Caribbean on March 1 by $300 per 20-foot-equivalent unit.

Shipping company NYK Line today reported profit in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2012, ending Dec. 21, 2012, was $39.8 million and revenue totaled $17.6 billion.

Japanese ocean carrier “K” Line reported profit in the nine months ending Dec. 31, 2012, was 9.4 million yen (about US$102.9 million), up from a net loss of $461.5 million during the same period in 2011.

Greek bulk shipowner Capital Product Partners today reported a net loss of $35 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, dropping from a profit of $1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The U.S. housing recovery bodes well for containerized imports of furniture and other home goods this year.

The European Union closed an antitrust investigation into a German container feeder ship cooperative after its members agreed to abandon a compensation system for laying-up vessels and an information exchange scheme.

South Korea-based container carrier Hanjin Shipping reported a net loss of KRW$638 billion (about US$586 million) for the full year of 2012, improving from 2011’s net loss of $757.9 million.

Hapag-Lloyd will increase rates, beginning March 15, for all cargo from East Asia, excluding Japan, to the Persian Gulf.

Maersk Line will implement a general rate increase for all dry shipments from the U.S. to the Far East, effective March 2.

Ocean carrier MOL, subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, has launched its Guayaquil Paita Xpress service.

Civil unrest in Egypt is not impacting operations at the key Suez Canal ports of Ismailia and Suez and Port Said.

Seaboard Marine has received 340 new 40-foot refrigerated high-cube containers, and is set to receive 334 more 40-foot reefers in February, in preparation for the peak perishables season.

U.S. steel imports in December 2012 totaled 2.3 million tons, declining 13.9 percent from 2.7 million tons in November, according to American Institute for International Steel.

Ocean carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. has announced general rate increases from Europe to the Middle East and Asia for the first quarter of 2013.

With indications that factories in Asia will begin closing in early February and remain shut for as long as three weeks, carriers are telling their customers to expect more blank sailings this year than during past Lunar New Year celebrations.

Container freight shipping company Evergreen Line will launch a feeder service linking Greece, Turkey and Malta at the end of January.

Japanese carrier “K” Line will enhance its intra-Asia service with better transit times between Japan and Thailand.

Typhon announced today it is launching its marine convoy escort service, effective immediately, according to Homeland Security Today.

Hapag-Lloyd has announced a general rate increase from Japan to North Europe and the Mediterranean, effective April 1.

Hapag-Lloyd will increase rates on its Far East westbound trade, effective March 15.

That Wan Hai Lines attributed its third quarter profit turnaround to its decision to shift resources from the destitute Asia-Europe market to growing intra-Asia trades is testament to the strong fundamentals underpinning Asia’s regional trade.

Third-party logistics providers that don’t operate container ships, but buy space on them to resell to shippers, don’t think the outlook for carrier rate increases this year is very strong.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has received approval in concept from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai for the installation of a packaged container ballast water treatment system that can fit in a vessel’s cargo hold.

Hong Kong-based container lessor Seaspan has signed contracts for the construction of four 10,000 20-foot-equivalent unit container ships at Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding and Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding.

A shipping executive in the trans-Pacific trade told importers to expect more canceled sailings than usual during the annual Chinese New Year celebration because many factories in Asia will stay closed for as long as three weeks beginning in February.

Costamare’s net income fell to $22.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 from $26.1 million a year earlier as the Greek container ship owner’s charter revenue dipped to $95.2 million from $102 million.

China’s vehicle exports hurdled the 1 million unit barrier for the first time in 2012 as sales abroad increased 29.7 percent, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

US Fab, a Vigor Industrial company, will begin construction on a deck barge for Harley Marine Services at Vigor’s Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Ore.