ICTSI
boosts export cargo safety with box weighing
INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services,
Inc. now weighs all full container load (FCL) export
containers at its flagship, Manila International Container
Terminal (MICT), in an effort to further enhance the
safety of cargo in the terminal and while in transit
at sea, Since 1 April, FCL export containers pass through
the newly constructed MICT Central Gate, where four
lanes of 100-ton capacity weighing bridges are installed.
"The weighing of containers is a value-added service
to MICT port users as the activity assures the safety
of cargo inside the container, " said Francis Andrews,
ICTSI senior vice president and MICT general manager.
With containers being weighed, terminal planners are
able to accurately plan the stacking of containers in
the yard and stowage in the vessel. "We will know
where to properly and safely stack containers with the
proper weights. Shippers and consignees are assured
that the vessel where the cargo is will be stable, safe
and sound at sea. With proper planning brought about
by accurate weights, containers are moved faster and
more efficiently, " added Andrews. Andrews noted
that container vessels calling at the MICT are getting
larger: "The entry of third and fourth generation
of container ships gave way to a more sophisticated
system in handling containers. With faster movement
of cargo comes the challenge of quality, efficiency
and safe handling of containers. We have to weigh containers
as we cannot risk the safety of cargo with bigger and
fast moving vessels. "Aside from safety, cargo
pilferage inside containers is detected. The actual
weight can be compared with the declared weight, and
discrepancies will be documented. Cargo pilferage is
detected when there is a reduction in actual weight
versus the declared weight. The shipper will have time
to double check the cargo, ICTSI said.Documentation,
especially the bill of lading (BL), will be accurate,
legal and hassle-free with accurate weights. Shippers
and consignees are assured that port authorities and
customs offices of ports in other countries will not
question the cargo as the actual weight is declared
in the BL. Container weight is also verifiable because
of the recorded weights. ICTSI has issued guidelines
to shipping lines through the Association of International
Shipping Lines to ensure compliance to legal container
weight restrictions and vessel safety requirements.
Cargo weight should not exceed "container maximum
payload capacity". Overweight containers will not
be loaded onto the vessel, and will remain at the MICT
until full compliance with safety standards. A discounted
weighing charge of P100 will be for the account of cargo,
and is part of arrastre. MICT Operations will send a
list of overweight and spurious containers to the shipping
line concerned. The line is responsible for informing
their customers. Corrective safety measures undertaken
such as stripping and special services will be for the
account of cargo. All required government permits should
be accomplished, approved and presented before loading
on the vessel. Overweight containers will incur shut-out
charge or storage charge, whichever is applicable. Table
above shows the varied container types and sizes, and
cargo payload capacity. Capacity varies according to
manufacturer. Refer to the Container Safety Convention
(CSC) plate attached to the container.
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Magsaysay cool
to merger with Lorenzo Shipping
MAGSAYSAY Shipping Corp. (MSC) is not
keen on merging its operations with Lorenzo Shipping
Corp (LSC) despite planning to increase its stake in
LSC to more than 50% by next year. Roberto Umali, chief
operating officer of National Marine Corp. (NMC), a
subsidiary of MSC, said the company would only effect
changes in backroom operations of LSC to make it more
efficient and to improve its financial status.Umali
said NMC still holds about 80 million preferred redeemable
shares, which it can opt to redeem by May. Holders of
redeemable preferred shares have the option to either
redeem them, for which the company will pay for the
number of shares - or convert them into common stock.
If shares are redeemed, the NMC stake will grow to 57%,
enough to effect an operational merger since both firms
operate a cargo business. NMC presently holds 44% in
LSC, the biggest shareholder in the 34-year old shipping
firm. LSC provides inter-island containerized cargo
services in the Philippines. It has a fleet of eight
vessels, most of which are controlled by NMC. Its focus
has evolved from being a break-bulk cargo carrier to
a fully containerized cargo shipping company.
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DHL
offers Fast Forward
DHL recently introduced Fast Forward,
a service for the import and export of freight shipments
weighing 20 kg and above. The service provides savings
with flexible door-to-door solutions to manage the factory-to-customer
logistics chain."There are a lot of local business
opportunities here for DHL's Fast Forward service. We
are confident of the continued growth of the local electronics
industry. We also foresee other industries such as automobiles,
heavy engineering, publishing and textiles increasing
their express and logistics needs in the coming months,
and DHL needs to be prepared to meet their demands,
"DHL Express Philippines country manager Larry
Llamzon said. The current situation of handling heavyweight
packages is fraught with issues associated with multi-party
and multi-currency arrangements, and sorting of customs
procedures. Llamzon said DHL sales personnel are equipped
with the right tools to assist customers in quickly
comparing costs of their current shipping methods with
Fast Forward, as well as to assess the potential savings
and other benefits of the service. Other Fast Forward
features include flexible delivery times and locations
for inbound shipments, free warehousing service of up
to three days for inbound shipments, one invoice consolidating
all transportation charges in one currency, credit arrangement
or usage of duty deferment accounts for import duties
and taxes, as well as track-and-trace technology which
allows customers to monitor the movement of their shipments.
Coordination
key to shipping dev't plan
JICATHE Maritime Industry Authority
(Marina) must aggressively coordinate with various
maritime government agencies and the private sector
to properly develop and sustain the country's shipping
development plan which runs through 2015. This assessment
was made by the Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) in a study on the country's domestic
shipping development plan. "To enable sustainable
ship modernization it is strongly felt that Marina
(should) take a more active role to show a new direction
rather than conventional undertakings such as procurement
of second-hand vessel (from abroad) and its conversion,"
said JICA. Under Republic Act 9295 or the Domestic
Shipping Development Plan (DSDP), Marina is both regulator
of the maritime industry
and implementing agency for the Arroyo administration's
plan to modernize and rejuvenate the country's shipping,
seafaring, shipbuilding and repair and sectors. The
study said Marina should start making a five-year
development plan, to achieve its 2015 goals. JICA,
one of the country's top source of funds for infrastructure
projects, said many of Marina's plans would be implemented
much faster if it dealt with the private sector.Among
the priorities the agency should undertake during
the five-year period are capacity building on shipping
and shipping management, a new liner system, revised
public finance scheme that would extend services to
small and medium-sized firms, alternative ship finance,
and integrated logistics corridors. The JICA study
was started in 2004 - when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
unveiled a plan to develop the nationwide roll-on,
roll-off highway network and when RA 9295 was made
into law - and concluded late last year. For more
than three decades, the country's shipping industry
has been moving at a snail's pace as a result of the
government's inability to provide proper investments
in the sector and the absence of affordable financing
schemes for shipping firms. Port development was not
actively pursued by the the Philippine Ports Authority
(PPA) until RA 9295 took effect in 2004. Since the
time of the late President Marcos, PPA was only able
to privatize the Manila International Container Terminal.
April
5 | April 10
| April 12 | April
17 | April
19 | April 24
| April 26
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