Insight and Opinion – Page 2
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NewsForecasting economic growth: an uncertain activity
Using economic forecasts to help investors make decisions is an uncertain activity.
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NewsGeo-politics and the Anaklia, Georgia, port project
A couple of months ago, the Georgian government announced that a consortium of firms from China would construct the new deep-sea port of Anaklia, located in western Georgia, following a bidding process in which only this consortium placed a bid.
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NewsDrug tsunami: counter measures
The drug problem in international trade is growing. Increased cooperation between all stakeholders has proven it can deliver results but arguably the wider application of new technology holds the greatest promise to reduce the scale of the problem over time
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NewsDry bulk trades: what prospects?
The consensus of opinion is that 2024 will not follow in the footsteps of 2023 and see a widespread continuation of growth in global dry bulk trades. The China factor is a big influence in this respect.
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NewsSTS cranes – navigating a way out of the political rip currents
While the ports, and business entities within them, are buttressed by the ideas underlying “free trade,” they are not immune from being caught up in political rip currents.
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NewsWill Gemini’s shuttle network survive FMC scrutiny?
The USA’s Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has requested additional information regarding the global operational alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd.
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NewsVolatility and uncertainty – the ruling scenario
The Houthi entrance into the Gaza conflict changed the fundamentals of global trade and in turn economics. How easy it is to create chaos.
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NewsManaging terminal competition to maximum effect
More traffic demands more cargo handling capacity and in turn this demands new terminals. Introducing a new terminal is not a straightforward matter it requires careful planning to ensure a good competitive balance is maintained – where market forces act as the main regulator.
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NewsArctic shipping: fact or fiction?
Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear agency with responsibility for Artic shipping development, has floated a figure of up to 50 million tonnes of cargo per annum over the longer term. Is this achievable or will the significant challenges system development faces combine to restrain development?
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NewsThinking beyond dali
There are two clichés that go along with any discussion of ports- something to the effect of “You’ve seen one- you’ve seen one,” and then another along the lines of “Ports are invisible (along with the rest of shipping) until something bad happens.”
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NewsThe case for energy management services by the PDC
In April 2024, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) launched the results of a study on the investment pipeline and investment challenges of European ports.
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NewsThe fog of war and politics
The maritime industry has been hit by geo-political uncertainty and is in danger of being swept up in tit for tat tariff wars rising out of political consternation with China and Russia.
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NewsStreamlining berthing/safe mooring is a must
If you are a port or a terminal and had to pick one area where you could achieve the goals of optimising safety and maximising efficiency then without doubt the area of managing vessel berthing has to be on your short list.
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NewsNicaragua sidelines canal project
Ten years on from granting a 50-year renewable concession to the Chinese group Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Limited (HKND Group), owned by Chinese businessman Wang Jing, to build a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific, the Nicaraguan Government has cancelled the concession and reformed the rules governing the highly ambitious project.
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NewsLet’s talk sense
One of the most startling aspects of worsening relations between the US and China (for the port sector) has been moves by the Biden Administration to ‘ban’ Chinese container cranes from US ports.
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NewsA mixed picture so far…
Three months into 2024 and story of geo-political instability continues.
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NewsPolitics progressively a factor in the suppy chain
These days, politics is being infused into the transportation business more than ever before, now complemented by a fear-factor. It’s not clear to me whether protectionism, or maritime/ port security, is piloting this boat.
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NewsThe global economy remains under stress
2023 was not a good year and 2024 looks uncertain for the maritime industry.
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NewsSustainable port industrial islands?
The energy and raw materials transition, critical for achieving a sustainable and (more) circular economy, creates a huge demand for new private investments in ports, in activities like production, assembly, storage and maintenance of offshore windmills, hydrogen plants to convert sustainable energy in hydrogen and ammonia, plants for biofuels and circular recycling and production activities.
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NewsNew study highlights the decarbonising power of digitalisation
All hail the potential of digitalisation to positively impact shipping’s decarbonisation!
