The German carrier Senator Lines will drop its Gioia Tauro call on Loop A of its MCS service, commonly operated with Hapag Lloyd. The MCS links Canada with the Mediterranean. The consortium will switch to Cagliari instead.  The last call at the port of Gioia Tauro will be on September 24. The "Genoa Senator" will then call Cagliari for the first time on September 30.  The step was agreed on by the two partners in order to further improve the service quality, schedule integrity and transshipment times.  Cagliari will serve as a new transshipment hub for cargo from Canada into the Eastern Mediterranean region, such as Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia and Malta.  The new port rotation of the MCS "Loop A" will be the following: Montreal, Cagliari, Salerno, Genoa, Fos sur Mer, Montreal.  The port rotation of the MCS "Loop B" remains unchanged, this string links the ports of Montreal, Valencia, Livorno and Montreal.

In January-July 2008 the ports of Finland handled 931 015 TEU. This figure is a 6.1% plus over the last year same period result.  Handling in Kotka totaled 348 603 TEU (+14.3%), Helsinki handled 253 215 TEU (+0.3%), Hamina 106 661 TEU (-3.3%), Rauma 95 997 TEU (-0.6%), Hanko 40 477 TEU (+18.2%), Pori 19 663 TEU (-15.6%), Oulu 20 074 TEU (+10.9%). The port of Kemi handled 16 604 TEU (+50.5%), Turku 13 874 TEU (+7.4%), Tornio 7 242 TEU (+15%), Raaahe 6 338 TEU (+39.1%), Kokkola 1 356 TEU (+3.4%), and Pietarsaari 911 TEU (-12.4%). »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

During the first 8 months 2008 the Vostochny port handled 10 432.2 thousand tons of cargo. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

During the 8 months of 2008 the cargo turnover in Klaipeda port totaled 20.6 mln. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

Today the new cement terminal KaliningradCement of HeidelbergCement was put into operation in the port of Kaliningrad. The terminal is intended for unloading cement from seagoing vessels, storing it in the silo and loading onto road transport. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On August 29 during the session of the board of the Federal customs service the project of the concept of customs clearance and customs control of goods at the places in the proximity to the state border of Russia was approved. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On September, 3 Factorias Vulcano Yard (Spain) delivered a tanker of ice class to Rosneft (Russia). »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

China Merchants Holdings Co Ltd, the nation's largest port operator, said the listing of China Ningbo Port Group will not proceed this year due to weak market situation, Reuters reports. It said the port group needs more time for preparation. China Merchants paid 847.3 mn yuan earlier this year for a 5.4% stake in Ningbo Port, the operator of China's eastern port of Ningbo. Ningbo Port said in March that it was looking to float shares both on the mainland and in Hong Kong this year to raise money for expansion. Due to SeaNews’ data, in 2007 container throughput of Ningbo totaled 9 mn. TEU. Due to the forecast made earlier, in 2008 thi figure will be above 10 mn TEU. But currently traffic growth in many Chinese container ports are seen slowing as the country's exports growth trend continues to soften on weakening global demand.

On September 4, the m/s "Falconia" delivered more than 500 Australian cows intended for the farms of the Sakhalin region to the port of Korsakov (Sakhalin). In the port the cows were loaded into road cattle carriers. As SeaNews reported on September 2, more than 1200 Australian cows were delivered to the Vanino port. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

Exmar announced that it had sold its 25,000 cub. m. fully refrigerated vessel “Carli Bay” (built in 1998) to ABG Sundal Collier. The vessel will be delivered to the new owner during the middle of October following drydock in Europe.  According to the press-service of the company, the net sale price amounts to $ 49.5 mn.

On 20-21 November 2008 Saint-Petersburg is to host the 5th International Conference "FREIGTH-2008: Container and Ro-Ro Transportation in Russia and the Neighbouring States". The conference is to be organized by SeaNews Information&Consulting under the brand name of FREIGHT. This will be the thirteenth conference in the series and 5th one dedicated to the topic.  The 2008 container conference special features:  Winter conditions & deep sea options in Russia Fuel costs as a competition factor in inland transportation: rail vs. road Ro-Ro lines in competition with road transport in car logistics Block trains and back load problems Dry ports from customs operations viewpoint Congestion in and outside ports: searching for ways out The following speakers have confirmed their participation: Alena Ashurkova, President of National Container Company; Poul Kristensen, FSU and Baltic Area Manager, APL; Andrey Boldyrev, Head of the Customs Clearance and Customs Control Division of the RF Federal Customs Service; Boris Borodin, First deputy Head of Baltic Customs; Sergey Kozlov, Managing director of Eurasia Transport group; Klaudia Roller, Chairman of the Board, Port of Hamburg; Jaap Sinke, Senior Business Manager Container Shipping Lines, Port of Rotterdam Authority; Alexander Puchkov, Major-General of the Russian Customs Service, Councilor to CEO, Eurosib ZAO. On the second day of the Conference the participants will be offered to visit the First Container Terminal, the container terminal in Shushary, the State Hermitage Museum. To know the details, please, see EVENTS of SeaNews.  

On 20-21 November 2008 Saint-Petersburg is to host the 5th International Conference "FREIGTH-2008: Container and Ro-Ro Transportation in Russia and the Neighbouring States". The conference is to be organized by SeaNews Information&Consulting under the brand name of FREIGHT. This will be the thirteenth conference in the series and 5th one dedicated to the topic. The 2008 container conference special features:  Winter conditions & deep sea options in Russia Fuel costs as a competition factor in inland transportation: rail vs. road Ro-Ro lines in competition with road transport in car logistics Block trains and back load problems Dry ports from customs operations viewpoint Congestion in and outside ports: searching for ways out The following speakers have confirmed their participation: Alena Ashurkova, President of National Container Company; Poul Kristensen, FSU and Baltic Area Manager, APL; Andrey Boldyrev, Head of the Customs Clearance and Customs Control Division of the RF Federal Customs Service; Boris Borodin, First deputy Head of Baltic Customs; Sergey Kozlov, Managing director of Eurasia Transport group; Klaudia Roller, Chairman of the Board, Port of Hamburg; Jaap Sinke, Senior Business Manager Container Shipping Lines, Port of Rotterdam Authority; Alexander Puchkov, Major-General of the Russian Customs Service, Councilor to CEO, Eurosib ZAO. On the second day of the Conference the participants will be offered to visit the First Container Terminal, the container terminal in Shushary, the State Hermitage Museum. The SeaNews conferences dedicated to transport and logistics have become the traditional meeting point of business with authorities and researchers. While container conferences are the major event for the Russian container business. The FREIGHT conferences audience are the chiefs of transport organizations and associations, terminal operators, carriers, freight forwarders and linear agents; directors and heads of shipper- companies’ logistic subdivisions, as well as representatives of state bodies supervising the transport sector operation. Large number of participants and the club nature of the events allow delegates considerable possibilities for fruitful professional communication. National Container Company acts as the official sponsor of the event; Kapital Insurance Group is the sponsor of FREIGHT-2008 conference.  Organizers Tel.: +7 (812) 380-38-25 | Fax: +7 (812) 380-38-27 | Freight@SeaNews.ru | www.Freight.ru

On Wednesday Denmark and Germany signed a formal agreement to build a 20-km bridge across the Baltic Sea between the two countries, despite opposition from German environmental groups, Associated Press reports. The road-and-rail link across the Fehmarn strait is to be completed in 2018. The bridge will have a four-lane highway and a twin railway track. The project will cost $6.2 bn.Costs for the link will be carried by private investors and EU funding. Construction is to begin in 2012.

COSCO Pacific will take over contracts it won in June after a court rejected union pleas for the handover to be postponed, TradeWinds reports. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On September 2 the government of Moscow approved of the general project of the development of Moscow railroad junction. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

In August 2008 Murmansk Commercial Sea Port handled 1 165.486 th.t. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

Cargo turnover in Ventspils port in January-August 2008 lowered by 10% and totaled 19 237 th.t. The decrease occurred due to the decrease of the petroleum products handling, since this cargo accounts for more than 50% of the entire cargo turnover of the port. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

The Grand Alliance's transshipment hub will be changed from Gioia Tauro to Cagliari International Container Terminal (CICT), in southern Sardinia, Italy, from mid September 2008. Customers using the EU2 and AEX services will benefit from this change, due to a lack of congestion at Cagliari, reports OOCL press-service. As a result, schedule reliability will be enhanced, helping us to better meet customers’ needs. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

The Novorossiysk Grain Terminal, part of the Novorossiysk Commercial Seaport Holding, has reached its design capacity. In August 2008 the terminal handled 483,000 tons of export designated grain out of 1,032,000 tons shipped by NCSP The terminal can handle up to 550,000 tons monthly. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On August 29 Finland’s Itella Logistics closed the deal acquiring the core business of the Russian National Logistics Company (NLC). The agreement was reached in April 2008, but the deal required a go-ahead from the Russian Federal Anti-Trust Service. The estimated cost of the deal is 200 mn euro. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

FESCO Transport Group has published the new share capital structure of Far Eastern Shipping Co. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On November, 1 FESCO is to launch a weekly container service between the ports of Japan and Rusisa's Far East. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

On August 30 Russian Railways company started the construction of the railroad line Sirt - Bengazi in Libya, reports RZD press- service. Let us remind, that the contract on construction of this section was signed between RZD and Libya in April 2008. The double-track Sirt – Bengazi railway having the length of 554 km and the width of 1435 mm will pass along the coast of the Mediterranean and will connect large cities of Libya, and in the future it will become the part of the international transport corridor on the north of Africa. The construction will take 4 years, the cost of project totals 2,2 bln. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

Federal Customs Service of Russia in the sequential notification reminded that the broker activity is not included in the list of economic activities, which can be realized at the state border checkpoints in accordance with the government order 907-R dated June 24, 2008. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827

The Eurasian bank of development signed an agreement on the provision of a credit line to Eurasia Logistics to finance a project of a network of industrial-logistic parks development in the large cities in Russia. »» The requested article is reserved for SeaNews subscribers only. Register for access! We will be glad to answer your questions and give detailed information. e-mail: info@seanews.ru, tel.: +7 (812) 380-3826, fax: +7 (812) 380-3827