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According to Alphaliner, the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced a new, streamlined procedure for shippers who wish to file complaints against shipping lines for unfair charges.

This announcement is received as a result of the numerous complaints that shippers or exporters had presented in the United States due to the collections in detention and delays of the containers of the maritime lines that in past news involved Hapag-Lloyd. The ruling, favorable to the shipper, resulted in a large fine to the shipping line for excessive charges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a notice published last week enacting the provisions of the new Shipping Reform Act, the new guidance will allow shippers to open a dispute by sending a single email to the FMC detailing the alleged violations along with supporting documents.

If enough information is received, the FMC will launch an investigation. Shipper representatives claimed that the guidance would give the FMC enforcement strength, similar to that of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). An FMC investigation could result in possible civil penalties for carriers and an order for reimbursement of the charges.

The FMC notice follows the enactment of the Shipping Reform Act on June 16, the first update to US shipping law since 1998. Shippers must show that the alleged violation took place after of June 16 and that contravenes the new Law.

Taking this announcement into account, exporters and NVOCCs will now have a little more negotiating capacity against shipping lines in the United States. However, the possible sanctions that this would entail are not yet known, but it is stipulated that they be compensation or monetary fines.

Source: Alphaliner

The US yard of Keppel Offshore & Marine delivered the 2,525 teu, LNG-powered, George III, built to a propriety design by the Singapore-headquartered group.

A second vessel the Janet Marie is currently under construction at the yard and the two containerships will be the first LNG-powered vessels to serve the US West Coast. They will be deployed by Pasha Hawaii on the Hawaii – US mainland Jones Act trade.

George III is also the first IGF compliant vessel certified by the United States Coast Guard.

David Wedgeworth, President of Keppel AmFELS, said, “We are pleased to deliver Pasha Hawaii’s first LNG-powered containership, which extends Keppel O&M’s track record in providing solutions for the gas value chain. By working closely with Pasha Hawaii, we were able to resolve operational challenges posed by Covid-19 and deliver the vessel to their satisfaction.

George Pasha, IV, President and CEO of The Pasha Group, said, “We look forward to beginning service to Hawaii in August and taking delivery of the Janet Marie later this year.”

Keppel AmFELS’ Wedgeworth added: “We are supporting the Jones Act market and are currently building Pasha Hawaii’s second LNG-fuelled containership, as well as other vessels for the offshore wind and dredging sectors.”

The Texas yard is building a wind turbine installation vessel in the US for Dominion Energy, as well as a high-specification Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger for Manson Construction.

Keppel Offshore & Marine is in the process of finalising a merger with its Singapore compatriot and rival yard group Sembcorp Marine, and returned to the black in the first half of 2022.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/shipyards/keppel-delivers-first-lng-fuelled-containership-pasha-hawaii

Using data from 2019, the study developed a methodology to identify where bunkering occurs and track resulting pollution. Focussing on Singapore—the world’s largest bunkering hub accounting for around a fifth of global marine fuel sales in 2019—the study found “residual marine fuel sales in Singapore leave a global air, water, and climate pollution footprint.”

Highlighting the difficulty of tracking and assigning emissions from international shipping, the report said that if emissions from bunkers sold in Singapore were added to its national GHG emissions, the country’s per-capita emissions would quadruple to be six times the world average.

“While Singapore’s marine fuel sales exert a global environmental footprint, much of the pollution is concentrated in seas and coastal areas neighbouring the country,” said the report.

ICCT

Emissions are at their highest around Singapore and Southeast Asia, with further hotspots in the South China Sea, Indian Ocean and across Oceania.

For Singapore and its neighbours, emissions from shipping have a tangible impact on premature deaths in coastal regions. As well as improving the health of their populations, nations could find commercial benefits from a move to less polluting fuels for shipping.

“Countries like China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia could win twice by producing and selling renewable marine fuels at their ports: first by reducing local air and water pollution and second by capturing the economic benefits of new renewable marine fuel markets,” said the report.

The incentive to develop bunkering infrastructure is further improved by the nature of future fuels for the maritime industry; the power density of residual fuels means some container ships can sail for three months before bunkering, but the lower power density of future fuel contenders like LNG, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen may mean ships need to bunker more frequently and in more locations.

“As the preeminent seller of bunker fuel globally, Singapore will need to transition to low-carbon bunkering if it wants to remain an important bunkering port… Several steps should be considered. Singapore could halt further investment in fossil fuel bunkering infrastructure, for example by no longer registering new fossil fuel bunker barges.” said the study.

The report also suggested that Singapore advance green shipping corridors. “Relevant corridors may be along northward along coastal China and then extending to East Asia; westward to India, the Middle East, and then Europe; and throughout the ASEAN region to Australia (IAP, 2021). International agreements like the 2021 Clydebank Declaration could help structure that involvement.”

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/bunkering/singapore-bunkering-leaves-global-air-water-and-climate-pollution-footprint

The Philippines-based firm is buying a majority stake in PT East Java Development from Indo Port Holding Pte Ltd. and Eastlog Holding Pte Ltd. PT East Java Development has the concession rights, with 47 years remaining, to operate a multi-purpose terminal located in Lamongan Regency, East Java, Indonesia.

ICTSI is buying a 66.7% stake in the multipurpose port for $46.5m, the company announced in a filing to Securities and Exchange Commission.

The deal was inked was on 27 July.

“The purchase will increase ICTSI’s footprint in the growing Asia Pacific region and provide further service offerings to its global and local customer,” said ICTSI.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports/ictsi-buys-indonesian-port-47m-deal

According to China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI_, Chinese yards’ shipbuilding volume was 18.5m dwt for the first half of this year, declining 11.6% year-on-year; newly-received shipbuilding orders were 22.46m dwt, dropping 41.3%; orders on hand were 102.74m dwt, an increase of 18.6%.

Shipbuilding export volume was 15.81m dwt, dropping 11.6%; newly-received export shipbuilding orders were 20.44m dwt, falling 40.2%; export orders on hand were 91.13m dwt, growing 18.2%, accounting for 85.5%, 91% and 88.7% of national volume respectively.

The total shipbuilding exports value was $10.43bn, dropping 5.7%. Bulk carriers, tankers, gas carriers and containerships were the major export ship types, accounting for 68.2% of the total export value.

In the first six months, China’s shipbuilding output, newly-received shipbuilding orders and orders on hand in deadweight tonnage accounted for 45.2%, 50.8% and 47.8% of global market share, and the amount in gross tonnage accounted for 42%, 47.7% and 41.5% the world volume, ranking the country’s yards in first place globally according to CANSI.

The association forecasts that further external uncertainties will the affect shipbuilding industry’s development, with the global shipping market activity expected to remain strong the newbuilding market should deliver a high volume in the second half of this year.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/shipyards/chinese-shipyard-newbuilding-orders-drop-41-h1

Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) is expanding daily gate-in quotas for export containers for a two-month period during the peak season.

From 1 August to 30 September the South China terminal run by Hutchison Ports is increasing daily in-gate quotas to 13,000 boxes for export containers.

In the first seven months of this year YICT said lines had added 14 new weekly calls at the port including America, Europe, Intra-Asia, and Australia services.

On 18 July the terminal handled six 400-metre-long vessels simultaneously, something it expects to become a norm.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports/yantian-port-gears-peak-season

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) reported the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi open as of July 27. “We can expect the first vessel sailing by the end of the week, as it’s critical to release the vessels which are still blocked in ports,” said ISS.

Once blocked vessels are cleared, activity will continue via convoy, accompanied by a lead vessel.

Under the terms of a deal struck between Russia and Ukraine, grain and foodstuffs are cleared for export, with no cargoes cleared for import. Fertiliser exports have been declared as cleared but are yet to be confirmed, said ISS.

“In this context, ISS Ukraine is ready to provide full range of services, including husbandry, OPA, Owner’s matters, CLS, supply etc. covering Ukrainian ports: Odessa, Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi, Izmail, Reni,” the company added.

With the ports open and an agreement in place, questions remain over the insurance and security matters around sending vessels to the major Black Sea ports.

“We underline that we have staff located in the vicinity, and have a number of vendors and sub-agents acting in our name. Our staff safety remains the priority. We’ll keep monitoring the situation and revert with developments,” said ISS.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/dry-cargo/first-vessels-sail-odessa-chornomorsk-and-pivdennyi-end-week

The company attributed the rise in profitability to the freight rate growth this year

Zhonggu is expanding its fleet and has already secured eighteen 4,600t eu containership contracts with Chinese domestic shipyards. The first new vessel will start operation in October this year.

Established in 2003, Zhonggu Logistics is one of the major domestic container shipping companies in China and has a fleet over 100 containerships.

Zhonggu is also developing a multi-model container logistics park at Qinzhou, Guangxi province, a hub port at China’s west land-sea international trade corridor. Equipped with ZPMC developed terminal management system TOS, the logistics park will have the most advanced inland container yard in China, which is scheduled for operation in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/zhonggu-logistics-books-230m-profit-container-market-h1

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is strengthening its enforcement with a new Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance (BEIC).

The new Bureau consolidates investigation and prosecution processes as the FMC looks to strengthen enforcement around the Ocean Shipping Reform Act 2022 (OSRA 2022). The Bureau will be headed by an attorney in the Senior Executive Service with regulatory, prosecutorial, and investigatory experience.

“Robust enforcement of the Shipping Act is absolutely key to the effectiveness of the Federal Maritime Commission. This reorganization has the support of all five Commissioners and creates a structure better suited to meeting the mandate the President and Congress have given this agency to prioritise enforcement,” said FMC Chairman Daniel B. Maffei.

“Specifically, it enhances FMC’s capacity to closely scrutinize the conduct of the ocean carrier companies and marine terminal operators to ensure compliance with the law and fairness for American importers and exporters.”

The recent passage of OSRA 2022 has seen both President and Biden and Congress take a sharp interest in perceived excess profiteering by shipping lines, and a failure to serve US exporters and consumers.

The Bureau is divided into the Office of Enforcement, the Office of Investigations, and the Office of Compliance. The Commission’s Managing Director, Lucille M. Marvin, will also serve as Acting Director until a permanent Director is hired.

Following the signing into law of OSRA 2022 by President Biden on 16 June new demurrage and detention legislation has come into force from the FMC. You can read the key points of this legislation here: New US Demurrage and Detention rules – what you need to know

In early June, the FMC had agreed with Hapag-Lloyd on $2 million fine, following an April decision in a case involving difficulty in returns of containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/regulation/us-federal-maritime-commission-beefs-enforcement

FMC Introduces New Complaint Procedure For Shipping Lines

DNV receives AiPs for LH2 tank and carrier designs

Keppel delivers first LNG-fuelled containership to Pasha Hawaii

Singapore bunkering leaves ‘global air, water, and climate pollution footprint’

ICTSI buys into Indonesian port in $47m deal

Chinese shipyard newbuilding orders drop 41% in H1

Yantian port gears up for the peak season

First vessels to sail from Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi by end of week

Zhonggu Logistics books $230m profit from container market in H1

US Federal Maritime Commission beefs up enforcement

IMO Maritime Safety Committee Opens 110th Session – Safety, Technology & Seafarer Protection in Focus

IMO’s ECDIS Cybersecurity Mandate: June 2025 Compliance Status & Enforcement

IMO Mandates Monthly Emergency Drills for Passenger Ships: Full Breakdown of New Safety Rules

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