<div class="phx-topic">A year ago, seafood exporters on Canada&amp;rsquo;s east coast were shipping nearly half their output by truck into the United States. Soaring air freight prices undermined their ability to ship overseas by air, and scarce capacity led exporters to truck their fish and lobster to airports in Montreal, Toronto or New York. Today, air freight prices are down sharply and capacity along Canada&amp;rsquo;s east coast has picked up, bucking the larger trends across the industry to rein back space. In March, Asiana Airlines added a stop in Halifax to a weekly 747-400 freighter flight that carries about 40 tons of seafood from New York to Seoul each week. The Halifax International Airport Authority is building a US$10.9 million cargo terminal in anticipation of further growth. As air cargo carriers fight for any cargo they can get in the global economic and trade downturn, perishables are an oasis in a vast desert. After all, even in the darkest of times, people still must eat and take their medicine. What&amp;rsquo;s changing, at least in some cases, however, is where freighter operators are focusing their efforts. The formerly lucrative Asian market has slumped, while South America has, at worst, been relatively stable.Lufthansa Cargo now runs three MD-11 freighters a week into Quito, Ecuador, and most of the outbound loads consist of flowers, produce and fish. Tilapia exports from Ecuador, in particular, have shown strong growth, said Alvaro Carril, vice president of sales and marketing of Chile&amp;rsquo;s LAN Cargo, the largest air freight carrier between Latin America and Miami. Seafood importers turned more to tilapia when Chilean salmon stocks were devastated by an outbreak of ISA, a communicable pathogen that resembles some flu viruses. Salmon exports out of Chile are down about 60 percent, Carril said, and it will take at least three years to convert the industry to a new, more sustainable business model. In response to high fuel costs, Chilean salmon farms had experimented with special containers to send fish by ocean vessel to North America, but none of these trials has succeeded, Carril said. Meanwhile, airborne exports of asparagus and other produce from South America to the U.S. have held up well during the economic downturn, in part because of the decline in air freight rates, which Carril said has induced some asparagus shippers to shift their cargo from ocean to air. But South American flower shippers are suffering from declines in demand in the U.S. and Europe. Export volumes out of Ecuador are down 9 percent, despite price reductions of 25 percent or more and a 30 percent drop in air freight rates, said Juan Abel Echeverria, director of development and logistics of Expoflores, the national association of flower growers and exporters. Expoflores has noted a shift of traffic from floral shops to supermarkets, which is affecting logistics. For one thing, exporters must go through middlemen, because no farm is large enough to cover the demand of a supermarket chain. The intermediaries determine the logistics and feed the flowers into the supply chains of the supermarkets, Echeverria said. The second change affects the size of boxes. Supermarkets purchase a high proportion of &amp;ldquo;assortments,&amp;rdquo; bouquets with a relatively small number of roses and more &amp;ldquo;fillers.&amp;rdquo; Individual bouquets increasingly are packed in boxes, which are about 1/30th the size of a full box. Shipping such small boxes on pallets is labor-intensive and time-consuming, Echeverria said. Although overcapacity has strained airline yields, service levels have not been affected, shippers and forwarders said. &amp;ldquo;We see more post-sales service, like information on shipments and temperatures,&amp;rdquo; Echeverria said.Lufthansa Cargo had been looking to introduce GPS technology to improve cargo visibility. This can be used for any commodity, but the airline was looking chiefly at high-value shipments and goods of a highly time-sensitive or perishable nature. Management grew reluctant to invest during the downturn, however. &amp;ldquo;We are optimistic that we&amp;rsquo;re going to make headway with this in 2010,&amp;rdquo; said Nils Haupt, head of corporate communications. But investment in container technology is strong. Since signing a partnership agreement with CSafe, a maker of active cooling units that recently obtained approval from the FAA, Continental Airlines has begun tests with new containers. CSafe&amp;rsquo;s compressor-based units have cooling and heating capabilities and can sustain consistent interior temperatures in ambient extremes from minus-30 up to 50 degrees Celsius. The containers are well suited for shipments ranging from four to 25 degrees Celsius, which covers a lot of pharmaceutical traffic. It also allows Continental to focus more on shipments with an ambient temperature requirement between 15 and 25 degrees, for which the carrier has seen a growing number of requests. Mark Mohr, manager of product development and specialty sales, said this technology enables the airline to elevate its Climate Secure service to a higher level. The main targets are the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, but Mohr also sees possibilities in other segments, such as composites for aircraft production or oil field drilling samples. United Airlines recently unveiled its Temp Control service, temperature-specific products designed for health-care and pharmaceutical shipments that require strict temperature control and monitoring during transport. &amp;ldquo;The pharma industry spends approximately $80 billion on transportation each year, and with the quality of our service and the breadth of our network, we believe we can increase our footprint and gain a significant share of this market,&amp;rdquo; said Kyle Betterton, vice president of cargo. Stable demand and the need for sophisticated, high-speed service make the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors the chief targets of airlines when it comes to perishables transportation, but they are also showing more interest in lower-yield perishables. &amp;ldquo;Perishable traffic represents approximately 10 percent of United Cargo&amp;rsquo;s business,&amp;rdquo; Betterton said. &amp;ldquo;Like all other categories of freight, perishable volume and revenue is down year-over-year, though perishable traffic has held up better than most sectors.&amp;rdquo; Continental Cargo recently created a task force to develop solutions for perishables other than the premium business. &amp;ldquo;We recognize a need for services for lower-end perishables. Some of the current technologies are too expensive to maintain yields for our customers,&amp;rdquo; Mohr said. Two forwarders in Los Angeles that specialize in produce traffic have been experimenting with newly developed refrigerated dollies to keep their cargo cool between the warehouse and the aircraft. &amp;ldquo;People are just beginning to realize the benefit. We are now using them on a regular basis,&amp;rdquo; said Orlando Wong, president of Able Freight. The company is using the dollies for its most sensitive shipments, especially salads. So far, only three units are in operation at Los Angeles International Airport &amp;mdash; which is far from enough, he said. Ideally, they should be deployed at major airports worldwide. The dollies would be used at origin as well as at transit stations and at destination for seamless cooling between aircraft and warehouses, he said. Contact Ian Putzger at <a href="mailto:alkaputz@rogers.com">alkaputz@rogers.com</a>.</div>

Air Cargo

Forwarding

International ports

Airlines Hungry for Perishables

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">When Hurricane Katrina forced the closing of New Orleans International Airport in 2005, FedEx quickly set up ramp facilities in nearby Lafayette and Biloxi and used them to truck shipments into parts </div>

When Hurricane Katrina forced the closing of New Orleans International Airport in 2005, FedEx quickly set up ramp facilities in nearby Lafayette and Biloxi and used them to truck shipments into parts

<div class="phx-topic">When Hurricane Katrina forced the closing of New Orleans International Airport in 2005, FedEx quickly set up ramp facilities in nearby Lafayette and Biloxi and used them to truck shipments into parts of New Orleans. And when all U.S. flights were canceled on Sept. 11, 2001, FedEx contracted with trucking companies for pickups around the U.S. and suffered only minimal delays. These are examples of successful disaster-recovery plans that FedEx, UPS and other major transportation providers in all modes have implemented to minimize disruptions caused by hurricanes, typhoons, fires and floods by planning ahead for any eventuality, so they can quickly reroute critical shipments. As the fall flu season approaches, and talk of a possible H1N1 pandemic picks up, the same companies are determined to apply the business processes they honed during other health emergencies, including SARS, avian flu and last spring╒s outbreak of swine flu. They face a broad range of challenges: Not just how to protect their most essential employees and valuable customers, but how to use the flexibility and visibility they have built into their supply chains to maintain a high level of customer service. A nagging, unanswerable question: Building on their past success, would they be able to handle the aftermath of a pandemic of H1N1 flu? "Business continuity planning is not new," said Boyd Stephenson, manager of security and cross-border operations at the American Trucking Associations. "What is new is that a pandemic is a very different sort of scenario." Events such as wildfires and hurricanes lead to loss of life and infrastructure, but a pandemic "is like a neutron bomb, because lots of people are ailing, but the infrastructure is safe," he said. The progress of a pandemic, therefore, is even more difficult to anticipate. "There are a lot of variables we don╒t know: the number of people sick, how long they will be sick, and the nature of the virus. It could mutate at any time," Stephenson said. "We also don't know if it will strike in one section of the U.S., and if so, which. Nor do we know what policies state, local and public health agencies will take." Whatever the answers, companies and trade associations have been working hard to find ways to build greater redundancy into their personnel and business processes "in case their key people get sick." The trucking sector is especially vulnerable to disruption, Stephenson, said, because it is "incredibly labor intensive." Drivers are "absolutely essential" not only to trucking operations themselves but also to the overall U.S. economy, considering 80 percent of U.S. counties are served only by truck. "Even when goods go by air and rail, they get delivered by truck," he said. If an H1N1 pandemic breaks out before the recession ends, many truck drivers will be forced to stay at home, but the supply chain will suffer minimal disruption because there is an excess supply of drivers looking for work. However, if a pandemic doesn't arrive until after the economy starts growing again — when there is no longer an excess supply of drivers — "it could exacerbate the spare capacity" that results from the pandemic, Stephenson said. "The timing of the pandemic is key." To address such complexities, leading companies and trade associations have been trying to prepare for any possible scenario, said Rhett Asher, vice president of loss prevention at the National Retail Federation. Retailers face the challenge of "ensuring that consumers realize it is safe to shop," no matter how widespread or virulent H1N1 turns out. The NRF is advising retailers to prepare for multiple scenarios, not just the usual plans A and B. For example, "To make sure your business continues, you need to pull people from other stores if people don't show up for work," Asher said. "You need to be ready to have back-up drivers, and so forth." Increasingly, shippers seem to care about such scenarios. In their contract negotiations, Stephenson said more shippers have been telling trucking companies, "We want to be assured that you have a pandemic plan or we will go to someone else who does." Everyone agrees employees need to be updated constantly about the progress of H1N1, and what their company is doing to contain it. When the World Health Organization raised the H1N1 warning to the pandemic level in June, UPS was quick to explain to its employees exactly what that meant. "We told them that this meant the virus had spread in a broader geography," said Susan Rosenberg, a UPS spokeswoman, "but that there was no increase in the severity of the virus." To further allay fears, "we reiterated that our operations were all continuing." UPS, FedEx and other companies rely on intranets and other password-protected pages where em-ployees can learn the latest about H1N1, and share their concerns, questions and suggestions. FedEx allows employees to ask confidential questions anonymously, such as: "My supervisor is sneezing, but he won╒t go home. What should I do?" Like other major companies, C.H. Robinson, the third-party logistics provider, has created a pandemic-response team that monitors the H1N1 situation by staying in contact with federal, state and local governments, peer companies and industry associations. Scott Satterlee, the company's senior vice president, said this team also has established regular communications with the company's managers and employees, and created an internal Web site to track key pandemic information and C.H. Robinson activities. "For pandemic or other emergency and disaster situations that could cause business disruptions, one of the important steps we have taken is establishing a plan for potential office closures, with predetermined allocation of resources to other C.H. Robinson offices in our network so that we can quickly adapt and respond," Satterlee said. "In the event that a C.H. Robinson office is forced to close, other offices will seamlessly take over that office╒s responsibilities and relationships." Despite the growing importance of contingency planning, transportation companies seem to be keeping the details of those plans close to their vest. "We don't give out our contingency plans," said Sandra Munoz, a communications manager at FedEx, "because the information in these plans could be a competitive advantage" for the company's competitors. Contact Alan M. Field at <a href="mailto:afield@joc.com">afield@joc.com</a>. </div>

Planning for a Pandemic

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Shares in Chinese port operator Tianjin Port Development rose 26 percent during the company's initia</div>

Shares in Chinese port operator Tianjin Port Development rose 26 percent during the company's initia

<div class="phx-topic">Shares in Chinese port operator Tianjin Port Development rose 26 percent during the company's initial public offering Wednesday in Hong Kong.The company's stock price increased as much as 45 percent to HK$2.725, before closing at $2.375.Volume was 428 million shares worth about $1.08 billion.Tianjin Port is a unit of Hong Kong- listed Tianjin Development Holdings.The company raised HK$1.08 billion by selling 578 million new shares with an offer price of HK$1.88 each, the top-end of the indicative price range.Tianjin Port owns six container berths with annual capacity of 1.92 million TEUs, and seven non-containerized cargo berths, with a total market share of about 40-43 percent in the Chinese port.Throughput is expected to increase to 10 million TEUs by 2010, from 4.8 million TEUs last year. The company plans to build two new container berths.</div>

Maritime

Tianjin port IPO raises HK$1.08B

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINETianjin, one of Northern China's a major ports, plans to inves</div>

The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINETianjin, one of Northern China's a major ports, plans to inves

<div class="phx-topic">The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINETianjin, one of Northern China's a major ports, plans to invest 7 billion yuan ($875 million) to improve its port infrastructure in 2006. The port city invested $613 million in 2005 in infrastructure construction in 2005, according to the Xinhua news service.During the 2006-2010 period, a total of $4.6 billion will be invested on Tianjin port construction. The new investments will be concentrated on the construction of deep-water channels and expansion of the port space to turn the port into an international shipping center for northern China.</div>

Port of Tianjin plans $875 million upgrade

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">One of northern China's largest ports is implementing new technology to improve efficiency, aid in t</div>

One of northern China's largest ports is implementing new technology to improve efficiency, aid in t

<div class="phx-topic">One of northern China's largest ports is implementing new technology to improve efficiency, aid in tracking and boost logistics.PSA Corp., operator of Singapore's container terminals, is installing its Portnet electronic commerce system at the Port of Dalian.A new joint venture, Dalian Portnet Co., will deploy the proprietary e-commerce system at Dalian Container Terminal, Dalian Domestic Container Terminal and eight conventional terminals, said Yeo Cheow Tong, Singapore's minister for communications and information technology.''Portnet will simplify and improve business processes and enable users to closely track their cargo shipped through Dalian. It will make Dalian an attractive logistics node and strengthen its position as a major hub in the northeast China region,'' he said.The Port of Dalian Authority and PSA forged their original joint venture in 1996. The venture, PSA's first foray out of Singapore, covered operation of the Dalian Container Terminal. The facility handled nearly 630,000 TEUs last year, a gain of 32 percent on 1998, and compared with about 400,000 when it began.Portnet is one of the foundations of Singapore's success in an increasingly competitive market. PSA last year processed more than 16 million TEUs.Portnet, which opened in 1984, has 6,400 users and handles 5 million transactions a month. PSA bills it as the only nationwide e-commerce community for ports and shipping in the world.Meanwhile, the company also announced today that it had entered an agreement with eGuide Singapore Pte. Ltd. to create an online shipping directory for Singapore's shipping industry.Under the agreement, eGuide will develop a website that will feature real-time updates from eGuide's main information directory server. The page will be located on Portnet.com's website, <a href="http://www.portnet.com">www.portnet.com</a>.</div>

PSA INSTALLS HIGH-TECH SYSTEM AT CHINA'S PORT OF DALIAN

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At SSA Marine Mexico, we firmly believe that business development must go hand in hand with social and environmental well-being. Our vision is not solely focused on operating efficiently, but also on creating a meaningful and positive impact in the communities where we are present. Since 1995, we have reaffirmed this commitment through tangible actions that reflect our core values of responsibility, solidarity, and sustainability. <span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-3_2 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="3:2"><img src="/content-assets/1752584535914_Photo%201.jpg" alt="" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"> A Year of Major Achievements Over the past year, we allocated more than $107,000 USD to the implementation of 60 social and environmental projects, positively impacting over 7,800 people across various regions of Mexico. Each initiative was designed with a holistic approach, addressing key areas that contribute to long-term community development. Education: Laying the Foundation for the Future Education is one of the most powerful tools to promote social mobility and equitable development. At SSA Marine Mexico, we support academic initiatives that inspire and empower the next generation of leaders. One of our most impactful partnerships was with the University of Colima, where we sponsored the “Reto Camp” program. This initiative encourages university students to develop innovative solutions in the fields of sustainability, logistics, and port operations, offering them mentorship, tools, and real-world challenges to solve. In addition, we donated microscopes, school supplies, and educational materials to institutions in underserved communities, helping to improve the learning environment and provide students with the resources they need to succeed. Health and Sports: Promoting Wellness We believe that healthy communities are strong communities. We have supported several local sporting events and provided direct assistance to talented athletes, enabling them to pursue their passions and represent their regions with pride. Beyond sports, we also strengthened our collaboration with critical emergency response organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross and Civil Protection. Our contributions helped enhance their readiness and capabilities in times of crisis, ensuring better outcomes for those affected by emergencies. Supporting Vulnerable Groups: Reaching Those Who Need It Most A core part of our social responsibility efforts is directed toward supporting vulnerable populations. We have contributed to a range of initiatives focused on children, migrants, and at-risk families. These efforts included donations to orphanages and shelters, as well as support for the National Institute of Migration and grassroots organizations dedicated to protecting and empowering people facing adversity. By standing with those in need, we reinforce our commitment to inclusion and social justice, values that are central to our identity as a responsible company. <span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-3_2 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="3:2"><img src="/content-assets/1752584944645_Photo%202.png" alt="" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit">Culture: Strengthening Community Identity Cultural identity is a key element in building resilient and united communities. At SSA Marine Mexico, we actively participate in the organization and sponsorship of cultural events that celebrate local traditions and foster civic pride. Working alongside port authorities and municipal governments, we helped bring music, art, and heritage to the forefront, creating spaces for community engagement and intercultural dialogue. Environment: Investing in the Planet Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond operations—it’s a philosophy that drives every decision we make. We have partnered with environmental institutions to carry out reforestation campaigns, beach cleanups, and conservation efforts. In collaboration with the Institute for the Environment, we supported initiatives aimed at decarbonization, biodiversity protection, and environmental education. By involving our employees and local volunteers in these actions, we also foster a culture of environmental stewardship throughout our organization and our surrounding communities. Innovation for a Sustainable Future Sustainability is not just about doing good—it’s also about doing things better. In 2024, we invested $22 million USD in the acquisition of 11 state-of-the-art E-RTG cranes. These electric rubber-tired gantry cranes represent a significant technological advancement in port equipment. Seven of them are already operating on clean electric energy, resulting in a reduction of nearly 4,000 tons of CO₂ emissions and improving operational efficiency by 7%. The remaining four cranes are fully compatible with future electrification, underscoring our long-term strategy to modernize our operations in an environmentally responsible way. This investment is part of a broader innovation roadmap that includes digitalization, automation, and cleaner energy sources—all designed to ensure that our ports continue to grow without compromising the health of our planet. Building a Better Tomorrow, Together At SSA Marine Mexico, we understand that sustainability is a shared and ongoing responsibility. True impact requires collaboration across sectors, long-term vision, and unwavering commitment. That is why we continue to work hand-in-hand with local authorities, non-profit organizations, universities, and our own employees to create solutions that are both scalable and sustainable. Our journey is far from over. In the years ahead, we will continue to deepen our community engagement, explore cleaner technologies, and strengthen the social fabric of the regions where we operate. Each initiative, no matter the size, is a step toward building a future where business success goes hand-in-hand with human and environmental prosperity. We are proud of what we have achieved in 2024, but we are even more excited about what lies ahead. SSA Marine Mexico — Moving the World, Caring for People and Planet. LINK: https://www.ssamarine.mx/

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<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With strikes against the world's largest automakers again proving disruptive to their global supply </div>

With strikes against the world's largest automakers again proving disruptive to their global supply

<div class="phx-topic">With strikes against the world's largest automakers again proving disruptive to their global supply chains, it may be time to change just-in-time to just-in-case.Automotive supply chains are vulnerable to work stoppages because the industry is dependent on just-in-time production. The evidence is seen in ongoing walkouts against General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp.Just-in-time systems are designed so that parts and components arrive at factories just as they're needed for assembly. This cuts down and, sometimes, eliminates the need for warehousing expensive parts.Automakers have saved billions on inventory through just-in-time systems, because instead of pulling parts and components from storage, they rely on daily shipments of globally sourced parts for production the next day or week.''With our commitment to run our manufacturing as lean as possible, (just-in-time) fits in as an important part of that process,'' said Daniel Flores, a spokesman for GM's Truck Group. ''It is one of the ways we improve our competitiveness.''But when a plant making a critical part like engines shuts down, there is little buffer stock to draw on, said Joe Martha, vice president and leader of supply chain management at Mercer Management Consulting.When an engine plant goes on strike, the assembly plants it supplies cannot produce vehicles, so they shut down. Other plants, such as those that supply windshields, seats, chassis or electrical parts, follow. ''A strike does shut (automakers) down fairly fast,'' said John P. Dittman, vice president of global logistics at Whirlpool.This is what is happening to Chrysler. Some 1,850 workers belonging to United Auto Workers Local 51 have been on strike against Chrysler's Mound Road engine plant in Detroit since April 10 in a dispute over gender discrimination, outsourcing and health and safety issues.With the engine plant down, five other Chrysler plants have shut, said Dan Moore, a Chrysler spokesman.These include Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly plant in Detroit, makers of Jeep Grand Cherokees; the Warren Truck Plant in Warren, Mich., producers of Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakotas; Warren, Mich., the St. Louis North plant that assembles Dodge Ram trucks; the Pillett Road assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, that builds Dodge Rams; and Detroit's Conner Avenue windshield wiper plant.''The strike has had a ripple effect,'' said Ron Prairie of Local 51 in Warren. ''They're (Chrysler) laying off 50 to 60 people each week.''But this is minor compared with GM's disaster last March when a strike at an Ohio brake plant shut 27 of the giant automaker's 29 assembly plants, costing it $15 million.This month's strike has 5,850 United Auto Workers off the job at GM's Pontiac East truck assembly plant, its engineering facilities and a Lear Seating factory in Rochester Hills, Mich.3,500 have been on strike at GM's Chevy Malibu and Cutlass assembly plant in Oklahoma City since April 4, said Bill Betts, a spokesman for GM's Small Car Group.Factories of GM parts suppliers are still running because they are shipping parts to a Malibu plant in Wilmington, Del., but they are operating at reduced manpower.The walkout at Pontiac began March 24 over GM's failure to hire 60 people to ease workloads and outsourcing, work that should be done by union employees, said Jim Abare, sourcing coordinator in UAW Local 594 in Pontiac, Mich.''GM's been trying to get rid of people for a long time. As people retire, they're not replacing them,'' he said. ''And now people are working excessive overtime. Some are coming in four hours early and others are staying four hours late.''With the strikes having widespread effects, some believe that just-in-time manufacturers should consider alternative sourcing so their supply chains does not fall victim to interruptions like strikes.''GM may not be building enough safety stock to contend with a strike either through secondary sourcing relationships or through outsourcing so that they can have some flexibility,'' said Sandor Boyson, director of the Graduate School of Management and Technology at the University of Maryland.But automakers said this is nearly impossible.''If we run into the misfortune of a strike or some other issue, you just have try to work around them,'' said a Chrysler logistics manager who requested anonymity. ''Having too much safety stock and too long a lead time becomes a hardship in itself.''''My bias is that (just-in-time) is the way to go,'' Whirlpool's Mr. Dittman said. ''The benefits far outweigh the periodic costs, even though those costs are pretty spectacular in that they are so visible.''The strike will not lead to anyone moving away from just-in-time systems, added George Gecowets, executive director of the Council of Logistics Management. This is because all sectors of business, not just logistics, are moving toward scheduled events.Just-in-time ''is simply one example of this,'' he said.</div>

JUST-IN-TIME MAKES BIG 3 VULNERABLE TO STRIKES

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The northern Chinese Port of Dalian, already undergoing rapid expansion to cope with growing busines</div>

The northern Chinese Port of Dalian, already undergoing rapid expansion to cope with growing busines

<div class="phx-topic">The northern Chinese Port of Dalian, already undergoing rapid expansion to cope with growing business, will get a boost from one of the world's most accomplished port operators and a big U.S. investor.The Port of Singapore Authority said it will join Jurong Town Corp., AIG Asian Infrastructure Fund LP and Sembawang Maritime Ltd. in a joint venture with the Port of Dalian Authority to build a container terminal.The AIG fund is part of American International Group Inc., a New York-based insurance firm. Sembawang is a Singapore shipbuilder and engineering concern, and Jurong Town Corp. a government-backed Singapore developer of industrial estates there and in China.COST PUT AT $480 MILLIONThe newly formed consortium - Singapore-Dalian Port Investment Pte. Ltd. - said the project will cost around 4 billion yuan ($480 million). Singapore-Dalian will hold 49 percent, with the rest owned by Dalian Container Comprehensive Development.The Singapore port agency controls 70.6 percent of Singapore-Dalian, Jurong Town Corp., AIG and Sembawang 9.8 percent each. The venture is the PSA's first overseas investment in a port and thus launches its drive to become more international.Dalian Container Terminal Co. Ltd., the operating arm of the group, will develop, manage, own and operate berths. Two container berths are functioning and a third is near completion. The new company will develop two more that will be operational next year and in 1999.HEAVY INDUSTRY CENTERThe city is at the bottom of the Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning province, a heavy industry center. ''Dalian is a deep water port with unrestricted draft and extensive export facilities,'' said Tony Clark, secretary of the Hong Kong Port Development Board, which has made a study of China's ports.Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. of Hong Kong operates a feeder service between Hong Kong and Dalian in conjunction with China Merchants Holdings Co., an arm of the Chinese Ministry of Communications. OOCL is the only foreign carrier with dedicated feeder service between the two.Container volume through Dalian was the equivalent of 305,000 20-foot boxes, or TEUs, in 1994 and was expected to hit 350,000 last year. Final figures haven't been released.Zhang De Xin, vice director of the Dalian port agency, forecasts throughput will rise more than 20 percent a year. ''By the year 2000, the figure will reach between 800,000 and 1 million TEUs.''ANNUAL GROWTH TOPS 10 PERCENTIn recent years, Dalian has registered annual growth of more than 10 percent in box volume. This spurred the effort to expand the Dayaogang harbor district where the new project is sited.Dayaogang, about 30 miles from the city proper, handles half of all freight shipped between China and South Korea, one of the largest sources of investment in the city.The Liaodong peninsula is a prime investment area, with 11 development regions designated by the central government. More than 50 multinationals announced projects in the region last year, seven of them worth more than $100 million.The Dalian Economic and Technology Development Zone alone said it approved 270 overseas-funded enterprises involving $1.26 billion last year. The zone has 1,366 such firms with combined investment of $6.23 billion, ranking first in China.</div>

SINGAPORE-US VENTURE TO GIVE CHINA'S PORT OF DALIAN A BOOST

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Port of Singapore Authority said it aims to boost container capacity to the equivalent of 16 mil</div>

The Port of Singapore Authority said it aims to boost container capacity to the equivalent of 16 mil

<div class="phx-topic">The Port of Singapore Authority said it aims to boost container capacity to the equivalent of 16 million 20-foot boxes (TEUs) by 1996 from 13 million now.Singapore processed 9 million TEUs last year, up 20 percent on the 1992 level. That kept it in second place worldwide after Hong Kong's 9.2 million TEUs, an increase of 15.5 percent.Goh Chee Wee, Singapore's minister of Trade, Industry and Communications, said the extra capacity will come from conversion of the last two general cargo berths at Keppel Wharf into box facilities. He forecast this would cost S$189 million (US$126 million).Speaking at the opening of a S$400 million container freight station, Mr. Goh praised the government-run port agency's foresight for developing the small island into a transshipment hub for the region.The authority "has planned and built port infrastructure like berths and warehouses ahead of demand. Long-term planning has kept PSA responsive to changes in trade patterns and customer requirements," he said.Extracts from his remarks were made available here.The new Keppel Distripark, as the freight station is known, adds 1.2 million square feet of covered space, bringing the port authority's total to just over 6 million square feet.It features automated 46-foot-tall racking systems, a port authority statement said. The freight station, like all of Singapore's port, relies heavily on computers for yard planning and documentation.Singapore also has taken a regional lead in use of electronic data interchange, which uses computerized forms to replace paperwork in trade, Its PortNet system links ships, shippers, customs, finance houses and other interested parties.Work is under way on a mammoth addition to container facilities known as the Pasir Panjang megaport on a man-made island opposite the existing Brani and Tanjong Pagar terminals.Phase one, with capacity for 22 million TEUs, is expected to be ready by 1997 at a cost of S$2 billion. The second stage, priced at nearly S$5 billion, will phase in 18 berths through the year 2009 for total capacity of 36 million TEUs.Just over a year ago, the PSA spent S$328 million for 93 quay, rubber-tired gantry and rail-mounted gantry cranes for the Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani terminals.</div>

Singapore to convert cargo berths in bid to boost container capacity

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With construction complete and most equipment in place, trial runs have begun at the new container t</div>

With construction complete and most equipment in place, trial runs have begun at the new container t

<div class="phx-topic">With construction complete and most equipment in place, trial runs have begun at the new container terminal of the Port of Cochin in southwestern India.The port operated one of its two gantry cranes last weekend to unload 14 40- foot boxes from a feeder vessel, industry executives in Cochin said.The terminal was delayed for two years by cost escalation and other problems. It is now scheduled for formal commissioning in October.The 700 million-rupee ($22.5 million) project is being funded in part by the Asian Development Bank, which has provided a loan of 370 million rupees.In addition to the two quayside gantry cranes, the port has two rubber-tired gantry cranes, 19 tractor heads, 16 semi-trailers and 15 forklift trucks. A container freight station of 100,000 square feet will be attached to the terminal, with an additional parking yard.When fully operational, the terminal will have capacity equivalent to 75,000 20-foot boxes (TEUs) a year.Cochin handled 7.6 million metric tons of cargo in fiscal 1993-94 through last March 31 compared with 7.9 million tons the previous year. Box volume rose to 71,000 TEUs from 56,000.</div>

INDIA'S PORT OF COCHIN LAUNCHES TEST RUNS AT NEW BOX FACILITY

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">China's principal northern port of Tianjin has opened another joint-venture wharf and its first free</div>

China's principal northern port of Tianjin has opened another joint-venture wharf and its first free

<div class="phx-topic">China's principal northern port of Tianjin has opened another joint-venture wharf and its first free-trade zone, both intended to consolidate its strong position.Tianjin serves the inland capital, Beijing, and a huge swath of northern China. It already accounts for about one-quarter of Chinese container traffic and three-quarters of non-box cargoes, official figures show.An additional general cargo wharf with a quayside of more than 600 feet was opened last week, suitable for ships up to 42,000 tons. Initial cargo capacity is 500,000 tons a year, but that's projected to rise to 1.2 million tons over stages of expansion.The wharf is operated by Tianjin Xingang Sinor Terminal Co. The company is a US$10 million joint venture between Tianjin Port Co. and Gearbulk Ltd. of Norway, the first such foreign-backed project in the port.Tianjin pioneered joint ventures in the sea transport field in 1989 when it created the country's first commercial bonded warehouse. It was built and is operated by Dutch-based Royal Nedlloyd Group NV and the Tianjin Port Authority.The port is also the site of China's first purpose-built container complex, which now has four wharves. Tianjin Harbor Container Co. is claiming a record in handling the equivalent of 220,000 20-foot boxes, or TEUs, in the first eight months of this year.The central government has designated Tianjin the country's main international boxport. The container company has set up box-transfer points in a number of other cities, and plans to handle 600,000 TEUS a year by 1995.Nie Bichu, Tianjin's mayor, last week opened the city's first free-trade zone, a half-mile-square site about a mile from the port. Goods entering it do so free of customs and taxes, while products manufactured or assembled there are excused from tax if they are shipped out of the country.Tianjin port accounts for about US$10 billion, or one-tenth, of China's total foreign trade annually. The free-trade zone should raise that figure significantly, Mr. Nie said.Some 60 foreign and domestic businesses have visited the zone to explore its opportunities, said Zhu Qingyuan, its administrative head. Foreign banks and insurance companies are being actively wooed to set up in the zone.The zone has direct rail and road links to Beijing. Beyond that, three railroads offer access to Russia and Europe via Inner Mongolia, the northern frontier or across Xinjiang.</div>

CHINA'S PORT OF TIANJIN ADDS WHARF AND FREE-TRADE ZONE

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">China has agreed to allow Mongolia, its long-estranged neighbor, to use the Port of Tianjin as a tra</div>

China has agreed to allow Mongolia, its long-estranged neighbor, to use the Port of Tianjin as a tra

<div class="phx-topic">China has agreed to allow Mongolia, its long-estranged neighbor, to use the Port of Tianjin as a trade link to the rest of the world.The two sides signed an agreement Monday that also will permit the transport of goods through China to the port, the official People's Daily said Thursday.Tianjin is 869 miles southeast of landlocked Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator.Mongolia, the size of Western Europe with a population of 3 million, lies between China and the Soviet Union.Diplomats said the agreement was crucial to Mongolia's economy, which is in tatters after its longtime communist patron Moscow withdrew supplies of gasoline late last year.Until now nearly all of Mongolia's trade has been with the Soviet Union.Last year Mongolia began opening to the outside world, viewing trade with China and the West as its best hope for developing its economy.</div>

CHINA WILL ALLOW MONGOLIA TO USE TIANJIN PORT FOR TRADE

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Officials in northeastern Tianjin are planning to import lighting and other equipment to develop the</div>

Officials in northeastern Tianjin are planning to import lighting and other equipment to develop the

<div class="phx-topic">Officials in northeastern Tianjin are planning to import lighting and other equipment to develop the inland port.International Tendering Co. will invite bids for lighting and power distribution equipment for the so-called pier project. No time frame is given.The company is under the supervision of government-owned China National Technical Import &amp; Export Corp. An important gateway to China's western hinterland, Tianjin is 28 miles from the Bohai Sea and 80 miles from Beijing. China's first and largest modern container terminal is located there, with capacity for 18 million tons of cargo a year.Three months ago Tianjin began to build bonded warehouses. Construction is under way on four with total floor space of 215,000 square feet, as well as a 21,000-square-foot stacking yard for transshipment, storage, customs handling, distribution and packaging. That project is a US$9 million joint venture with a Hong Kong unit of Royal Nedlloyd Group NV of Holland. Shanghai is the only other harbor in China to have bonded warehouses.Tianjin, China's fourth-largest port, is also using a World Bank loan to erect 11 berths for vessels up to 10,000 deadweight tons. The port now has 39 berths, 24 of which can accommodate 10,000-dwt. ships.</div>

CHINA PLANS TO UPGRADE THE PORT OF TIANJIN

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