Maritime News Update Week 40/2019

Vietnam’s Q3 GDP growth accelerates to 7.31% as output, export rise

HANOI (Reuters) -- Vietnam's economic growth quickened to 7.31 percent in the third quarter year-on-year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said on Saturday.

The processing and manufacturing industry grew 10.05% in July-September from a year earlier, while the services sector rose 7.11% and the agricultural sector was up 1.53%, the GSO said in a statement.

It also revised up second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 6.73% from 6.71%.

The Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday it maintained its forecast for Vietnam's growth for this year at 6.8%, and for next year at 6.7%.

The head of the GSO said last month Vietnam would revise up the size of its GDP by 25.4% for the 2011-2017 period. 

Indian container market expected to grow further: Hapag-Lloyd launches two new services

In response to growing demand, Hapag-Lloyd will offer more services from and to India. Two new services, the South East India - Europe Express (IEX) and the Middle East-India-Africa Express (MIAX), will enter into operation in October.

Both the IEX and the MIAX will further strengthen and optimize Hapag-Lloyd’s market-leading position in India and connect the country even more closely to North Europe and Africa. “We believe in serving the needs of all Indian customers. To do that, a comprehensive service coverage is essential and the IEX and MIAX will be an optimal addition to our existing service portfolio” says Dheeraj Bhatia, Senior Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd’s Region Middle East

“Hapag-Lloyd has a strong network of services connecting key markets through Indian ports. The launch of two new services – IEX and MIAX – will create stronger opportunities for EXIM cargo and for Indian manufacturers to cater to global markets. At DP World, it is our constant endeavour to deliver the best services to our partners in the supply chain with highest levels of efficiency. We are extremely pleased to be chosen by Hapag-Lloyd yet again as it reinforces their confidence in our capabilities to add value to trade. We will work closely with Hapag-Lloyd to ensure that customers benefit from our multi modal logistics capabilities in the country to effectively manage their supply chains” adds Rizwan Soomar, CEO and Managing Director, DP-World Indian sub-continent, one of the leading terminal providers in the country.

The IEX will provide the only direct connection between South and East India and Europe in the market. The weekly service, jointly operated with ONE, YML and COSCO, will be made up of nine 6,500 TEU vessels, with Hapag-Lloyd contributing four ships. The first departures are scheduled for 26 October.

The MIAX, launching on 12 October, will on the other hand support the growing demand of transport capacity between India and Africa. Hapag-Lloyd will operate MIAX jointly with ONE. A total of nine vessels with a capacity of 2,800 TEU each, will serve on this new route, five of which will be provided by Hapag-Lloyd.

Hapag-Lloyd entered the Indian market 12 years ago and has established a strong presense in the country with 12 services and 14 offices. The company has experienced significant growth in transported volumes every year since then. “In recent years we have seen strong growth in our transport volumes and market share, and today have roughly a market share of around 9%. There is great potential for further growth in India and the new IEX and MIAX services are a step into that direction” confirms Dheeraj Bhatia.

Today, Hapag-Lloyd employs over 2,000 experts in India and Indians are the largest group of nationalities in the global Hapag-Lloyd organization.  

Digital Container Shipping Association courts Cosco as 10th member

Henning Schleyerbach, who was appointed coo of DCSA in July, tells Seatrade Maritime that nine of the top 10 container shipping lines were already members of DCSA and discussions with Cosco were continuing. “We are in contact with them (Cosco) and we hope that they will join quickly,” he adds.

Speaking earlier at the UAE Maritime Week event the Dubai Maritime Agenda, hosted at the plush Jumeirah Mina A’Salam hotel, Schleyerbach told delegates that DCSA is a neutral, non-profit, organisation that will not endorse any platform, but that the group will publish all research through with a view to “boost innovation” in the digital space.

A process model 

Since its founding DCSA has launched two streams of work in an effort to meet its brief. The first work stream is called Industry Blueprint which was published earlier this summer. This is aimed at developing, what Schleyerbach calls, a “process model” for the industry. This is about the alignment of the systems across all the carriers.

Essentially the project is looking to set the standards for booking cargo through to the return of the empty container with any milestones, events and messages generated during these processes with a view to standardising these processes and enabling digitalisation. To achieve this DCSA has established an interactive library of the process standards for members and industry partners for reference.

Data and interface standards

The second work stream is set to be published in a few weeks and it’s about data and interface standards, explained Schleyerbach. In this work stream DCSA began by talking to the process managers, rather than the IT departments of shipping lines. “It’s important from our perspective that this is not only an IT initiative because it’s shared, increased customer experience for the lines’ customers as well,” he added.

According to Schleyerbach by starting with the process managers, you can find the “touch points”. And where two or more parties are involved, there are often then two or more systems so there is a need to exchange data and that creates a potential interface, which in turn means the DCSA can introduce its data model with a mandatory option for API’s, that is the web pages that computers use to read and exchange information.

“So, you would get your MSC shipments in exactly the same way as you would from Maersk or Hapag Lloyd,” explains Schleyerbach. He adds this would limit the overall work needed to be carried out by shippers and freight forwarders to interface their systems with the carriers’ systems.

IoT

Next year we want to look into IoT (the Internet of Things), so that’s about GPS tracking devices, but no so much about the device itself or what you can do with it, it’s rather what is the networking standard how can you be sure of connectivity to any place in the world on any terminal on any vessel and how do you secure the data which is exchanged. 

A.P. Moller - Maersk upgrades its digital Warehousing and Distribution with JDA
Copenhagen, Denmark --- A.P. Moller - Maersk will extend its end-to-end container logistics services with JDA Software Inc.’s Warehouse Management solutions, further building its warehousing and distribution services. The move is part of Maersk’s ongoing focus on digital technologies that simplify its customers’ increasingly complex supply chains. 
Today Maersk Warehousing and Distribution provides its customers the advantages of an end-to-end delivery network and greater flexibility through a wide range of logistics solutions, in strategically located in warehouses, as well as the latest processes and systems for cost effective distribution networks.

The addition of JDA’s cloud-based solutions will expand the range and flexibility of Maersk’s delivery services even further. JDA’s state-of-the-art Warehouse Management System will help Maersk customers improve warehousing processes and efficiency while lowering inventory costs. It will also help Maersk customers balance the imperative of on-time delivery with the need for cost-effective distribution. 

“‘Digital’ is no longer just a buzzword, today it is unlocking tremendous value for our logistics and warehouse customers in terms of simplification and better performance,” said Henning Goldman, Global Head of Warehousing and Distribution, Maersk. “JDA’s deep expertise and leading innovation are already creating competitive advantages for its customers. The addition of these exciting solutions to our portfolio is going to help Maersk continue offering our customers truly unique, end-to-end solutions.” 

Getting inventory to the right location and at the right time today often depends on networks with multiple suppliers and carriers. Digital solutions can provide visibility throughout the supply chain to improve on-time performance, for example coordinating the schedules of several carriers to adapt to real-world disruptions such as adverse weather. They can also simplify complex transactions between different players and sites with very different operating conditions. 
“Maersk is continuing to lead the industry’s digital transformation,” said Johan Reventberg, president, EMEA, JDA. “Deploying JDA Warehouse Management, a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) based model in the cloud will unlock complete, end-to-end visibility so Maersk can easily manage complex warehouse operations across myriad customer environments.” 
Maersk will initially deploy JDA Warehouse Management in Europe (Gothenburg) and the U.S. (Newark and Santa Fe) in Q4 this year and will use these sites to build the template for the global rollout across Maersk warehouse facilities. 

Indian container market expected to grow further: Hapag-Lloyd launches two new services

In response to growing demand, Hapag-Lloyd will offer more services from and to India. Two new services, the South East India - Europe Express (IEX) and the Middle East-India-Africa Express (MIAX), will enter into operation in October.

Both the IEX and the MIAX will further strengthen and optimize Hapag-Lloyd’s market-leading position in India and connect the country even more closely to North Europe and Africa. “We believe in serving the needs of all Indian customers. To do that, a comprehensive service coverage is essential and the IEX and MIAX will be an optimal addition to our existing service portfolio” says Dheeraj Bhatia, Senior Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd’s Region Middle East
“Hapag-Lloyd has a strong network of services connecting key markets through Indian ports. The launch of two new services – IEX and MIAX – will create stronger opportunities for EXIM cargo and for Indian manufacturers to cater to global markets. At DP World, it is our constant endeavour to deliver the best services to our partners in the supply chain with highest levels of efficiency. We are extremely pleased to be chosen by Hapag-Lloyd yet again as it reinforces their confidence in our capabilities to add value to trade. We will work closely with Hapag-Lloyd to ensure that customers benefit from our multi modal logistics capabilities in the country to effectively manage their supply chains” adds Rizwan Soomar, CEO and Managing Director, DP-World Indian sub-continent, one of the leading terminal providers in the country.

The IEX will provide the only direct connection between South and East India and Europe in the market. The weekly service, jointly operated with ONE, YML and COSCO, will be made up of nine 6,500 TEU vessels, with Hapag-Lloyd contributing four ships. The first departures are scheduled for 26 October.

The MIAX, launching on 12 October, will on the other hand support the growing demand of transport capacity between India and Africa. Hapag-Lloyd will operate MIAX jointly with ONE. A total of nine vessels with a capacity of 2,800 TEU each, will serve on this new route, five of which will be provided by Hapag-Lloyd.

Hapag-Lloyd entered the Indian market 12 years ago and has established a strong presense in the country with 12 services and 14 offices. The company has experienced significant growth in transported volumes every year since then. “In recent years we have seen strong growth in our transport volumes and market share, and today have roughly a market share of around 9%. There is great potential for further growth in India and the new IEX and MIAX services are a step into that direction” confirms Dheeraj Bhatia.

Today, Hapag-Lloyd employs over 2,000 experts in India and Indians are the largest group of nationalities in the global Hapag-Lloyd organization.  

Panalpina newsroom has been integrated in DSV

From moving cargo to moving content – with DSV and Panalpina joining forces, all media releases, news stories and blog posts of the two companies have been merged into one newsroom.
Panalpina and DSV have combined their content and editorial power into one newsroom. All media releases, news stories and blog posts in the Panalpina newsroom dating back to 2015 have been merged into the DSV newsroom.

If you have been a follower of the Panalpina newsroom, you are now automatically following the DSV newsroom. If you have been following the DSV newsroom, nothing changes for you. Either way, Panalpina and DSV will continue to provide follower with timely and business-relevant updates and thought leadership pieces in global transport and logistics. 

MSC - The company looks to future growth with recent award and expanded office in Laem Chabang

MSC Thailand has recently been voted as the ‘2019 Best Container Line from Thailand to Europe’ by local shippers, in an annual award organised by the Thailand National Shippers’ Council. This is a special and meaningful win as the result was determined through votes by over 500 Thai shippers, and MSC emerged with the top score on a set of criteria including reliability, service quality, pricing, availability and document accuracy.

Peter Blohm, Managing Director at MSC Thailand, is extremely proud of this win. He said, “It’s fantastic to see our hard work being recognised by the industry, and to emerge as the best line of choice to Europe. It also comes at an exciting time for the company as we will soon open a bigger office in Laem Chabang.”

About MSC in Thailand

MSC Thailand opened its first branch in Bangkok in February 2001, but prior to that, MSC had been doing business in the country for several years with the help of a third-party agent. Over the years, MSC has expanded its staff strength and office size.

To capitalise on growing market potential, MSC also subsequently set up offices in Songkla (Southern Thailand) and a vessel operations office in Laem Chabang port (Eastern Thailand), and as from 1 November 2019, the company will establish a bigger Laem Chabang branch office to provide a broader range of commercial services.

“Thailand is a very interesting market because it has it all: deep sea terminals, inland depots, barge terminals, and at MSC we pride ourselves on offering shipping and door-to-door logistics services to our customers, enabling them to move cargo anywhere in the world. Laem Chabang, with its deep-sea ports, is an important area for us and our new, expanded office will allow us to provide more efficient and direct service to our customers here,” adds Peter.

MSC is also continuously looking at global developments and launching new services to meet evolving market demands. As an addition to our already extensive portfolio of services, MSC launched a new Intra- Asia Seagull service in March to provide direct access to Vietnam and China for Thai shippers.


(Source: World maritime news; Seatrade maritime; American Shipper; VN Customs News)