Longsail

Maritime transport Global seaborne trade rose by 4% in volume terms in 2017 according to UNCTAD, the fastest growth rate in five years. Expansion was largely driven by increased industrial production in emerging markets, which account for 60% of shipped exports. Rising trade was accompanied by 3.3% increase in maritime-fleet capacity. UNCTED thinks the prospects are bright, too. Autonomous ships could boost efficiency in the industry, though job losses and cyber-security concerns may slow adoption of the technology. Despite tensions between American and China, seaborne trade is forecast to rise by another 4% in 2018, and then by 3.8% annually until 2023.   World GDP The world economy grew by 3.56% in the second quarter of 2018 compared with a year earlier, according to our estimates. That is almost exactly the same as the 3.57% expansion rate observed in the first quarter. Trends vary between regions: growth rates continue to rise in America and India, but are leveli...

JEDDAH — Higher authorities recently approved the setting up of an integrated logistics zone at King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, Okaz has learned. According to the regulation for integrated logistics zones, no Value Added Tax (VAT) will be levied on the goods in these zones as long as they are in customs pending status or if they are shifted temporarily between the main yard and the area allocated for the purposes of repair, maintenance and post-sale services. In addition to this, the Kingdom is also set to establish similar zones in the rest of the Kingdom’s airports under supervision of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The objective is to attract quality investments; carry out sorting, maintenance, repair, treatment, modification, development, assembling, storing, packing, repacking, wrapping, trading, distribution, using and importing of these goods, exporting or re-exporting them, and garbage and electronic waste recycling.   The Zakat Authority is in the proc...

Maritime observers follow cargo volumes closely in the August-through-October period. That’s considered the traditional peak shipping season.  It’s the time of year when U.S. retailers accelerate import orders for holiday merchandising. The Port reported that import volume increased 5 percent last month over September 2017 totals. August 2018 imports were up 9.2 percent compared to the same month last year, the Port added.  Continued strength in the U.S. economy, spurred by consumer spending, is driving the import surge, the Port said. “We’re encouraged by this outcome and guardedly optimistic that the trend will continue throughout peak season,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “Economic indicators lead us to believe that import volumes should remain healthy.” The Port said it has handled the equivalent of 168,289 20-foot loaded import containers in the past two months.  That breaks the previous August-September record of 158,320 20-foot loa...

Ryanair, the Irish airline, will charge 8 euros from November for hand luggage and will only allow travel with a small package for free, as published by El País in its Friday edition. In addition, that hand luggage for which they have paid 8 euros passengers will have to check it at Ryanair counters, before passing the airport security control, and travel in the warehouse, which will have to collect it in the tapes of luggage on arrival. To be able to carry a suitcase and also in the cabin, Ryanair only leaves another option also for payment: the priority passenger rate. Thus, passengers who do not pay the priority rate will have to pay 8 euros for each suitcase of up to 10 kilos if they pay in advance with their reservation. But if you add later the right to carry a suitcase, the cost will amount to 10 euros. If the user has not checked in that suitcase and arrives at the boarding gate, he must pay 25 euros and his suitcase will be lowered to the warehouse. As for the bag type bulk t...

More demand from India for imports will help global mining companies, especially as some forecasters including the Australian government expect that China’s demand is poised to shrink as steel production tops out.   Inbound cargoes from April through July, the first four months of the current fiscal year, were 5.5 million tons, more than three times shipments in the year ago period, according to Commerce Ministry data. By contrast, exports dropped 40 percent on year to 5.1 million tons. Australia’s government expects annual imports to rise to 19 million tons by 2020, with exports at 8 million tons.   Seshagiri Rao , joint managing director of the country’s top mill JSW Steel Ltd., said, “If iron ore is available at competitive prices domestically, it won’t happen.That’s why we are requesting the domestic mining companies to adjust the prices in line with the quality of the iron ore. But the problem today is that even though the iron ore is getting mined, transportation is the ...

As DLA looks to IoT to enhance logistics, the military is takings its cues from the private sector.Analysts at Market Research Engine expect the market for logistics-related IoT to be worth $10 billion by 2022. Ahead of retail, automotive and healthcare, the analysts identify aerospace and defense as the top emerging end-user of these capabilities. From a logistics perspective, IoT offers the possibility of giving planners deeper, more consistent insight into the location of needed equipment and supplies. It starts with an effort to deploy electronic tags to make materials on the move more readily visible to automated tracking. Global investment in the Internet of Things, or IoT, will top $15 trillion by 2025, according to analysts at Business Insider. The Defense Logistics Agency estimates more than 20 billion IoT devices will be in use by 2020 in homes, businesses and government, and the agency sees a military opportunity in this coming wave of connected devices. “IoT is not just ...

With the increase in demand for consumer goods and number of ships, size and capacity, it is likely that the number of containers lost at sea will rise year upon year.Estimates predict that each year around 10,000 Shipping Containers are lost at sea; however, it is difficult to obtain an exact figure, as not all losses are reported.   There are many ways that shipping containers get at lost at sea, most commonly due to ships running aground due to severe weather or large waves. Other reasons include; catastrophic events and improper stacking – some simply fall overboard!   It is estimated that there are around 20 million containers in service and a further 10million out of service that are being used for other purposes including; satellite offices, pop up shops, homes, schools and a myriad of other purposes.   However, what happens to the containers afterwards?Most containers will sink. In some cases this may take weeks, and some may continue to float depending on th...