Shipping Australia

Shipping Australia welcomes new member Oldendorff Carriers

Photo supplied by Oldendorff Carriers.

Shipping Australia is delighted to welcome major international dry bulk shipping company, Oldendorff Carriers, as our newest full member.

Oldendorff Carriers is a leading dry bulk ship owner headquartered in Germany that operates approximately 700 ships with a total capacity of 60 million deadweight tonnes. Employing over 4,000 people across 60 countries, Oldendorff’s eco fleet includes a variety of sizes such as Handysize, Supramax, Panamax and Capesize,...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/shipping-australia-welcomes-new-member-oldendorff-carriers/

Shipper relief as Australia’s plan for biosecurity levy is scrapped

Australian shippers breathed a sigh of relief today with the scrapping of the controversial plan for a biosecurity import levy.
The department of agriculture said the move followed industry consultation which suggested the levy “could not be implemented without significant regulatory impacts on industry and proposed levy payers.”
It added: “This decision has also been made in consideration of the ongoing impacts of drought, bushfires and Covid-19 on the Australian economy, and …

The post Shipper...

https://theloadstar.com/shipper-relief-as-australias-plan-for-biosecurity-levy-is-scrapped/

Help operators to carry out crew changes, governments are urged

Pictured: seafarers aboard the bridge of a vessel; Photo credit International Maritime Organization

Global transport bodies have called on governments to urgently help the changeover of on-signing and off-signing crews on commercial cargo vessels.

The International Air Transport Association and the International Chamber of Shipping noted that about 100,000 seafarers need to be changed over from cargo vessels each month. They add that official COVID-19 restrictions have made flights unavailable,...

https://shippingaustralia.com.au/help-operators-to-carry-out-crew-changes-governments-are-urged/

Australia braces for container storage crisis as more imports arrive

Australia’s coronavirus lockdown and collapse in consumer demand could trigger a container storage crisis.
As reported by The Loadstar last week, boxes are piling up at ports and container freight stations around the world, most notably in India: import cargo uncollected as economic activity grinds to a halt.
And in Australia, local media reports suggest transport and logistics firms in the state of Victoria expect a storage shortage “within a month” as shops …

The post Australia braces for...

https://theloadstar.com/australia-braces-for-container-storage-crisis-as-more-imports-arrive/

Australian dockers’ union in quarantine dispute over Chinese box ship

Citing coronavirus concerns, dockworkers in Melbourne have refused to unload a containership carrying “critical medical supplies” from China, despite the vessel being cleared for entry by the Australian Border Force.
Cosco’s 5,668 teu Xin Da Lian left Shanghai on 17 March and called Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 19 March, before arriving at DP World’s Melbourne terminal yesterday.
Under current rules in Australia, this was permitted as the call was after the 14-day quarantine period …

The post Australian...

https://theloadstar.com/australian-dockers-union-in-quarantine-dispute-over-chinese-box-ship/

Outlook bleak for Q2 says Sea-Intelligence

US output could fall “a staggering 24%” in the second quarter of this year as the Danish consultancy Sea-Intelligence reports that a combination of the Covid-19 virus and the oil price war indicates that “the worst is ahead of us”.

According to financiers Goldman Sachs the US economy could shrink in the second quarter as the spread of the Coronavirus hits demand and ports are adding restrictions, banning vessels that have visited virus hit countries and shutting down when the staff has tested...

https://container-news.com/outlook-bleak-for-q2-says-sea-intelligence/

Call to ‘designate seafarers as key workers’ to keep supply chains moving

The shipping industry has called for seafarers to be designated as key workers, to keep vital maritime supply chains flowing.
In a joint letter to the the UN, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) say the world’s governments must ensure ports remain open, while facilitating crew changes with as few obstacles as possible.
They wrote: “Every month, around 100,000 seafarers need to be changed over …

The post Call to ‘designate...

https://theloadstar.com/call-to-designate-seafarers-as-key-workers-to-keep-supply-chains-moving/

Lines challenge Aussie port restrictions

Shipping Australia has criticised port authorities imposing a 14-day ban on vessels calling at Aussie ports, to protect against Covid-19, saying the ban puts ordinary Australians at risk. In a notice to the Australian authorities, the lines represented by Shipping Australia have challenged the 14-day rule.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) has late this morning (18 March) banned all commercial ships from entering ports in Queensland if the ship, or any person onboard, has been in any country...

https://container-news.com/lines-challenge-aussie-port-restrictions/

Queensland Covid-19 vessel ban is ‘reckless and indefensible’, says shipping group

Australian shipping lobby group Shipping Australia has slammed today’s decision by the state of Queensland to introduce restrictions on ships calling at its ports, particularly the container hub of Brisbane.
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) today banned all commercial ships from entering ports in the state if the ship, or anyone on board, has been in any country outside Australia within the past 14 days.
Contravention of the MSQ ruling is a criminal …

The post Queensland Covid-19 vessel ban is...

https://theloadstar.com/queensland-covid-19-vessel-ban-is-reckless-and-indefensible-says-shipping-group/

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