|
|
 | Update on European air traffic situation - 18.30 CET |
April 21, 2010 - EUROCONTROL expects approximately 22,500 flights to take place today in European airspace. On a normal Wednesday, we would expect 28,000. Thus over 80% of the total number of flights are expected to take place in Europe today.
At the current time, all European airspace is available above 20,000 feet.
Almost all of European airspace below 20,000 feet is available and air traffic services are being provided, although restrictions are still in force in very limited areas, including Finland airports and parts of northern Scotland.
Trans-Atlantic flights operations have gone back to normal, with 338 flights arriving in Europe today.
It is anticipated that almost 100% of the air traffic will take place in Europe tomorrow, Thursday 22 April.
Eurocontrol
|
| Europe flying again, Moving cargo backlog | |
Eurocontrol expects 75 percent of normally scheduled flights Wednesday
April 21, 2010 - Europe's airline industry lurched back to life Wednesday as carriers put planes back into the air after being grounded for nearly a week by a volcanic ash plume from Iceland. Most airports across Europe were open April 21.
But airlines warned it will take weeks to clear up several thousand metric tons of cargo and well over 100,000 passengers stranded at airports around the world.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic agency, said it expects 21,000 flights to take off Wednesday, 75 percent of the 28,000 that would normally be scheduled.
British Airways expected to operate 70 percent of its schedule, and cargo airlines began to reopen air express hubs.
But FedEx Express said it would take days to clear out its backlog and had restrictions on shipments needing special handling.
Manufacturers depending on air shipments were still struggling after a week with deliveries coming in only fits and starts.
Airbus said Tuesday it was facing parts shortages that could slow down its aircraft production line. And some European auto plants warned of layoffs and factory shutdowns because needed car parts had run out.
The majority of continental European airports, including the top three cargo hubs, Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam, opened early on Tuesday April 20 as the ash cloud dispersed with only UK airspace remaining a no-fly zone.
The UK eventually opened its airports, including London Heathrow, Europe's fourth largest cargo airport, late Tuesday night following protests from airlines that it was applying stricter safety rules than European authorities.
"I don't believe it was necessary to impose a blanket ban on all UK airspace," British Airways chief executive and former pilot Willie Walsh said.
With some 20 British Airways long haul aircraft heading toward London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the Civil Aviation Authority lifted the ban on flights in UK airspace.
The International Air Transport Association estimated the flight bans imposed on April 15 had cost airlines more than $1.7 billion by April 20
Journal of Commerce
Back to the top |
| Asian air cargo backlogs still increasing | |
Carriers vie for slots at congested southern Europe airports
April 20, 2010 - The air cargo businesses of Asia's leading airlines remain in disarray, but a report published today by Macquarie Equities Research claims that most will make up for revenue losses once airspace is reopened.
Cathay Pacific told IFWit had so far cancelled 21 freighter services and, with sizeable backlogs building, it would not be taking any new cargo bookings until Friday.
"Like other airlines, we are looking to see if we can operate to points in southern Europe where the skies are clear of ash at present," said a spokeswoman.
"But there are a number of operational constraints that make this a challenge, as airports become more congested and passenger operations are likely to have priority."
In Malaysia, more than 450 tonnes of cargo bound for Europe is stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) this morning.
Shahari Sulaiman, MD of Malaysia Airlines Cargo (MASkargo), said the carrier had two freighters in Dubai awaiting clearance to fly to Frankfurt and Amsterdam, and there were 100 tonnes of cargo in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, awaiting flight approval from Amsterdam.
MASkargo had not taken any bookings since Saturday, and was looking to clear the cargo already in the system by landing in Rome, Lisbon or Istanbul.
A spokesman for forwarders in Malaysia predicted the backlog at KLIA could take "three weeks to a month" to clear.
Once the airline industry gears up to clear the backlog, grounded freighters could be brought back into service by some Asian airlines, but this would not be immediate because of the need for the aircraft to pass stringent safety tests.
Today's Macquarie report suggests the losses by Asian airlines related to cargo revenue could be lower than many expect.
Korean Airlines, the region's largest freight operator, would suffer in the short-term from volcano-related problems, said Macquarie, but it was "more likely to lead to delays in shipments, rather than cancellations".
The report adds: "If the volcano issue eases, cargo volume is likely to increase significantly, due to delays.
"The company may enjoy higher margins later on, resulting from the potential tightening of the air cargo market."
Looking at Asia's air freight industry in general, it concludes: "We expect the impact of the volcano to be cleared by the end of this month, although there is the risk that we have longer-term impact from the ash.
"We think that if the problem continues for more than one month, manufacturers are likely to turn to containers for the delivery of items."
International Freighting Weekly
Back to the top |
| Chemistry Innovation Highlights on Earth Day | |
April 22, 2010 - Forty years ago, the first Earth Day ushered in a new era of environmental awareness for Americans concerned about the future health of our planet. To commemorate Earth Day 2010, American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO, Cal Dooley, issued the following statement:
"The values that encompass Earth Day are the same values that chemistry companies embrace on a daily basis. Since the first Earth Day, our innovative advances have contributed to the solutions that help preserve the environment, and protect the health and safety of employees, communities and consumers. Our Responsible CareÒ initiative commits all of our members to continuous improvement in areas contributing to the sustainability of our planet. This program has enabled companies to reduce releases to the environment by more than 73% since 1988. That's progress.
"We know a lot has changed in forty years. As our nation - and the world -- pursue solutions to climate change, the business of chemistry is making essential contributions. Under Responsible Care, our members have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 28 percent since 1992, a remarkable achievement for one of the most energy-intensive industries. And for every unit of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by the chemical industry, society saves more than two units through use of chemistry products and technologies, like insulation, fuel additives, new materials for windmills, solar panels, and more.
"Earth Day also reminds us of our individual responsibilities -- for example, the responsibility to use and dispose of post-consumer waste wisely. For two decades, our plastics industry has been at the forefront of developing the technologies and infrastructure that allow Americans to recycle more. Many widely used plastics-like bottles, bags, wraps and containers-can be recycled into useful new products such as carpeting, clothing, backyard decks, and new packaging. We continue to work with consumers to help raise awareness about the importance of recycling. And it's working. Plastic bottle recycling by consumers increased 75 million pounds in 2008, reaching a record high of more than 2.4 billion pounds for the year.
"As we celebrate Earth Day 2010, the chemical industry is proud of the contribution of its products make to a better and more sustainable world. We invite you to learn more about the way we are improving our performance, investing in our communities, and educating consumers about product recycling by visiting www.americanchemistry.com/earthday and www.americanchemistry.com/responsiblecare.
American Chemistry Council
|
| Developing nation exports forecast to grow 11 per cent in 2010 | |
April 15, 2010 - Exports from developing countries are forecast to rise by 11 per cent in 2010, while developed nations will see a year-on-year increase of 7.5 per cent, according to latest estimates released by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
In recent weeks we have seen total world trade growth forecasts for the current year range between 5.5 per cent and 7.5 per cent. Economists at the WTO are a little more optimistic, claiming that 2010 will see a 9.5 per cent hike in world trade volumes.
Although this will not quite see us return to 2008 levels, after trade volumes fell 12.2 per cent in 2009, if this growth forecast proves accurate, then 2010 volumes will be down just 2.7 per cent from 2008.
According to WTO economists, should trade continue on the projected growth path, it will see the developing world fully rebound from the crisis within two years, and the developed world recover over the next three years...
Last year was a difficult year for all players in the global supply chain, particularly the shipping lines. One positive to emerge from the crisis, WTO director-general Pascal Lamy says is the "absence of any major increase in trade barriers imposed by WTO members in response to the crisis".
This certainly was a fear, particularly in the early stages of 2009. The Container Shipping Manager looked at the possibilities of trade barriers last year, as well as the negative consequences it would have on an already ailing global economy.
Fortunately this did not come to pass, at least to any significant degree.
However, the WTO does warn that we are not quite yet out of the fire, given that unemployment is likely to remain high in many countries this year, particularly in certain parts of Europe, according to sources we have spoken to.
"During these difficult times, the multilateral trading system has once again proven its value," said Mr Lamy, adding that "WTO rules and principles have assisted governments in keeping markets open and they now provide a platform from which trade can grow as the global economy improves. We see the light at the end of the tunnel and trade promises to be an important part of the recovery. But we must avoid derailing any economic revival through protectionism."
|
|
China faces broader tariff threat from EU | |
EU opens probe into alleged subsidies to Chinese industry
April 19, 2010 -(MADRID) The European Union (EU) broadened the threat of trade protection against China by opening Europe's first probe into alleged subsidies to Chinese industry, highlighting concerns that the yuan is undervalued.
The EU inquiry into whether the Chinese government gives trade-distorting aid to domestic paper makers comes on top of an investigation into whether the manufacturers sell in Europe at below cost, a practice known as dumping. The two cases, which cover coated fine paper used for books and brochures, may result in EU tariffs to help producers in Europe including Sappi Ltd compete against lower-cost imports.
The US imposed duties on Chinese coated paper in 2007 to counter subsidies and dumping, prompting China to file its first solo complaint against the American government at the World Trade Organization (WTO) the same year. The EU has imposed anti-dumping duties on dozens of Chinese goods from textiles and chemicals to ironing boards and bicycles while stopping short of ever threatening to apply levies to counter government aid.
'This is the EU's first-ever anti-subsidy investigation against China,' John Clancy, trade spokesman at the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm in Brussels, said on Saturday by telephone. The Chinese government said it is 'deeply dissatisfied' with the probe and the step 'sends a wrong signal to the world and is protectionist'.
To bolster western exporters and curb their trade deficits, the US and the EU have been pressing China to let its currency strengthen as the global economy recovers from the financial crisis. Speculation that Chinese officials may scrap the yuan's peg to the US dollar intensified this month after US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner delayed a report that could brand the Asian nation a currency manipulator and made an unscheduled visit to Beijing.
China has come to a 'consensus' on adjusting its exchange rate gradually and wants to avoid the impression of bowing to US pressure by allowing appreciation, central bank adviser Li Daokui said in an interview with the state-run Central Television broadcast on April 15.
The EU subsidy inquiry stems from a March 4 complaint by the European Association of Fine Paper Manufacturers on behalf of producers that account for more than 25 per cent of the EU's output of coated fine paper, said the commission, which didn't identify any companies. That industry group filed a dumping complaint covering the same product in January, prompting the commission to open an initial trade probe the following month.
South Africa-based Sappi makes coated fine paper in EU countries including Germany and the Netherlands. Other EU producers include Stora Enso Oyj and UPM-Kymmene Oyj.
The probe will determine whether coated fine paper from China 'is being subsidised and whether this subsidisation has caused injury' to European manufacturers, the commission said in the Official Journal.
China will 'closely monitor' developments in the investigation according to WTO rules and reserves the right to take further action, the country's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday.
Under EU practices, the commission can impose provisional anti-subsidy duties for four months and provisional anti-dumping levies for six months. The EU's national governments - acting on a commission proposal - can turn those measures into 'definitive' five-year duties at the same or different rates.
The commission has nine months from the start of an investigation to decide on provisional measures. EU governments have 13 months from the beginning of a probe to impose five-year anti-subsidy - or 'countervailing' - duties and 15 months to impose definitive anti-dumping measures. Bloomberg
Back to the top |
| House and Senate Democarts Detail TSCA Reform |
April 15, 2010 - Senator Frank Lautenberg (D., NJ) today introduced Senate legislation for reforming the U.S. Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA), and Representative Henry Waxman (D., CA) followed soon after with a slightly different House version of the bill. Both would adopt a safety standard ensuring a "reasonable certainty of no harm," similar to that in the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Chemicals of highest concern would be subject to an expedited safety determination requirement "and/or actions to reduce their use or exposure" and ensure protection of vulnerable populations are not disproportionately affected, says the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF; New York). The proposals also would also consider aggregate exposure to multiple sources of a chemical.
Both bills leave certain issues open to interpretation by EPA or possible revisions during legislative negotiations. Environmental groups say weaknesses include clauses allowing new chemicals to enter the marketplace with inadequate safety data as long as they do not raise certain flags. Those flags-including evidence of certain adverse human health effects, widespread use in consumer products, or high levels of exposure-would redirect certain new substances to EPA for further scrutiny. Substances that do not raise any of those flags would be allowed to go to market directly more or less, and environmental groups say they worry the provision would contravene the intent of TSCA reform by failing to "put a gate right at the beginning" of the regulatory process.
Some of industry's preliminary concerns deal with a "lack of clarity" regarding the risk standard. The draft bills seem to be creating a mandate for industry to analyze and assess a cumulative impact of chemicals in commerce and also ensure protections from "any and all adverse reactions," says ACC president and CEO Cal Dooley. That is a standard that may be impossible to meet, Dooley adds.
The release of the bill will be an important test of the ability of industry and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work together on reforming the 1976 law, an issue that both sides say is a top priority. Environmentalists have welcomed ACC's change of position on TSCA reform, but say there is still no clear evidence that it is truly willing throw its weight behind some of the more key components of a TSCA reform bill. Likewise, industry has raised concerns that the bill advocated by NGOs sets an unreasonably high bar for industry that could hamstring commerce and compliance, while providing few environmental benefits. ACC started advocating a reform of TSCA last year, reversing a long-held position that TSCA reform is unnecessary.
|
| Downstream users can check list of intended 2010 registrations |
April 16, 2010 - Downstream users of chemicals now have the chance to check whether the critical chemical substances that they need are going to be registered in time. ECHA has today published a list of all the chemical substances that companies have told us they plan to register for the 2010 REACH deadline. If a substance should be registered in 2010 and it is not, it will be illegal to manufacture or sell it within the EU after 30 November 2010.
It is therefore important that downstream users consult the list to make sure that their high volume and hazardous substances are included (lower volume and less hazardous substances don't have to be registered this year).
Manufacturers and importers should also consult the list and actively help to make it complete by adding their own planned registrations.
The ECHA website provides information on what to do next if a substance that should be registered in 2010 is not on the list. ECHA will update the list periodically to allow companies to check again.
The substances which need to meet the 2010 registration deadline are those manufactured and imported in the largest quantities (over 1000 tonnes per annum) and those which are potentially the most hazardous
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Press Release Back to the top |
| Hong Kong's containers throughput reaches 5.46m TEUs in Q1 2010 | |
April 20, 2010 - Containers total trade in January-March 2010 at Hong Kong port increased by 18.1% ,compared with the same period in 2009, to 5.46 million TEUs, the Port Authority statement said.
In March, container counts rose by 11.4% from March 2009, to 1.86 million TEUs.
Meanwhile, an earlier report about the performance of the Port of Hong Kong, has expected the handling to increase by 3.1% on average in the mid-term (2011-2013), with the 2008 figure to be exceeded in 2012. According to the report's forecasts, the port's throughput will amount to 268.0mn tonnes in 2013. The recovery, container handling, will start in 2010, and in 2011 the port will surpass its 2008 handling figure of 24.5mn TEUs.
In the mid-term, between 2011 and 2013, the growth will continue by 2.7% per year on average. In 2013, it was expected that the port to handle more than 25.7mn TEUs. Port of Hong Kong is one of the largest ports in the world. Last year Hong Kong port posted a year-over-year 14.6% drop, to 20.9 million TEUs. The Port's capacity allows handling 456.000 ships a year. .
|
| US Exports to China Remain Strong | |
Recession pulled sales down 0.2 percent but recovery brings record growth
April 14, 2010 - Nineteen U.S. states had more than $1 billion in export sales to China last year, according to an annual survey by the U.S.-China Business Council.
"In the midst of a global recession, China continued to prove itself an important export market for U.S. manufacturers and farmers," said John Frisbie, USCBC president.
California remains the nation's export leader to China with $9.7 billion in exports for 2009, followed by Washington ($9.1 billion) and Texas ($8.9 billion). Top exports in value were computers and electronics, agricultural products, chemicals and transportation equipment.
China is the third-largest U.S. export market, after Canada and Mexico. The $69.6 billion in U.S. sales to China during 2009 was down 0.2 percent while U.S. exports to other countries fell nearly 20 percent.
"China outperformed as an export market for U.S. goods, despite the recession. In fact, as the year came to a close, U.S. exports to China set monthly records in November and December and continued strong growth in the first two months of 2010," Frisbie said.
Members of Congress have been pressing for an upward revaluation of China's currency, which U.S. manufacturers contend is manipulated to favor Chinese exporters.
"There is no disagreement that China needs an exchange rate that better responds to China's global trade flows," Frisbie said. "But assertions that China's exchange rate is at the root of U.S. job losses are built on the faulty assumption that every product imported from China would have been made in the U.S. otherwise. That's simply not plausible." Journal of Commerce
Back to the top |
|
European carriers continue to see growth in global air cargo | |
April 14, 2010 -. Lufthansa Cargo is the latest airline to report continuing growth in demand over the past few months. Its quarterly volume numbers published yesterday, reported an increase of 19.3% compared to the same period in 2009, at 391,000 tonnes. Utilisation also climbed strongly with the cargo load factor increasing by 14.2 percentage points to 71.8%.
The cargo trend indicated a general increase in business at the German airline, although passenger volumes grew by only 1.2% year-on-year, reflecting both the lesser nature of the fall in passenger volumes during the recession as well as the steepness of the recovery in air cargo.
BA World Cargo has also been reporting increasing volumes, with freight measured by cargo tonne kilometres rising by 6.4% year-on-year in March alone. British Airways suffered from a series on strikes during the period, although these do not seem to have affected adversely the quantities of cargo carried. Rather, it appears that the lower available carrying capacity simply resulted in higher load factors. British Airways passenger business did suffer falls in volume as a result of its crews' industrial action so it is difficult to compare the behaviour of the two markets.
Performance is not dissimilar at the third of the big European carriers, Air France-KLM. Here cargo volumes climbed by 2.1% in March as compared to the same period in 2009. In the intervening period Air France-KLM has stripped out 11.8% of its capacity and this has increased the load factor to 72.5%. Growth is fairly uniform across the airline's geographical markets. It is a little surprising that Air France-KLM - which has not suffered from industrial action - is expanding its volumes more slowly than its two competitors which have had labour problems.
Although all of the airlines' cargo operations continue to be cautious in their forecasts, it is becoming fairly clear that the air freight market has recovered much of its activity and that the cargo operations of many of the larger carriers are back at economic levels of utilisation.
|
| FMC Warns of Email Scam | |
Bogus lottery solicitation uses FMC name, logo, Web format
April 20, 2010 - The Federal Maritime Commission issued a warning on Monday of an email scam involving a bogus lottery solicitation.
The agency said that people have received email purporting to be from the FMC, announcing that the recipient had won a lottery or sweepstakes. The prize may be redeemed if the recipient pays "taxes and insurance" in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
The email uses the FMC name, logo and Web format. They are signed by "Wayne Berkovitz" and others. The FMC said that the emails have not used the names of any employee.
The FMC strongly urged those who receive the emails not to respond, and protect their personal information.
The FMC also asked people who have received the emails to contact the FMC's inspector general at oig@fmc.gov. More information and links to sample emails may be found at www.fmc.gov.
The Journal of Commerce Online
|
| Argentina joins Megaports Initiative | |
April 14, 2010 - The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration will work with Argentine Customs to install radiation detection equipment and support systems at the Port of Buenos Aires under its Megaports Initiative.
The collaboration on fighting nuclear smuggling via the maritime system is the result of an agreement signed Tuesday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
The NNSA is part of the Department of Energy. The Megaports program, now operational in 30 ports around the world, is designed to strengthen the ability of partner nations to detect and interdict radiological materials or warheads in containers by donating radiation portal monitors and providing training and technical support.
Buenos Aires already participates in the U.S. Container Security Initiative, a Department of Homeland Security program in which overseas customs agencies agree to use non-intrusive imaging systems to inspect high-risk containers identified by U.S. security specialists.
American Shipper
Back to the top |
|
|
|
|
