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DP World Launches New Technology Innovation Center in India

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Ports

DP World Launches New Technology Innovation Center in India

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DP World has opened a new technology centre in Gurgaon, India – its third this year following two in Hyderabad and Bangalore earlier this year.

The facility, located about 30 kilometers southwest of India’s capital New Delhi, will host over 240 people.

DP World will tap into India’s digital economy growth – set to reach $1 trillion by 2025 – nurturing resources to develop the latest available technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate trade flows.

DP World’s presence in the Indian technology market has grown rapidly to more than 450 employees and the opening of three offices in 2022.

The company aims to reach an employee headcount of 700 by the middle of next year.

READ: DP World divests stake to Indian Infrastructure Fund in $300 million investment

“At DP World, we are focused on developing cutting-edge applications and solutions to solve real-world trade problems,” said Pradeep Desai, DP World’s Chief Technology Officer.

“Across the industries in which we operate in, trade is moving from analogue to embrace new digital solutions. Our teams will be able to build and trial new solutions – from conception to execution – helping to automate the flow of trade.

“We are investing heavily in end-to-end logistics, trade finance, e-commerce and market access, all for benefitting cargo owners. In addition, efficiencies can be achieved in supply chains by using IoT to run operations, digital twins to monitor activities and movement of cargo via alternate modes of transport using optimization techniques.”

During COP27 in Egypt, DP World announced it will invest up to $500 million to cut CO2 emissions from its operations by nearly 700,000 tons over the next five years.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

South Africa releases plans for South African Shipping Company

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The Department of Transport of South Africa has released the first draft of the South African Shipping Company Bill 2022 slated to establish the country’s first national carrier.

South African Shipping Company (SASCO) follows the government’s target to bolster its maritime sector amid supply chain disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plans to establish a state-owned national carrier have been on the cards since 2017.

READ: South Africa looks for investors to greenify ports

According to the bill, all ships would be flagged in South Africa and will operate alongside logistics services and infrastructure.

SASCO will also engage in tanker services, bunkering services, container services, bulk cargo services, and coastal shipping services – on top of traditional carriage of export and imports.

Funds will be provided under an Industrial Development Fund (IDC) and through the government itself.

Specific details on the financing are yet to be defined.

The Department of Transport said meetings with stakeholders will commence this month to explore interest and commitment to the shipping company.

Works at container terminals around South Africa ground to a halt last month as liners omit calls around the nation’s ports.

The congestion is a result of strike action from the United National Transport Union (UNTU) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) in a walkout over a pay dispute that rolled on for months.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News, Ocean Ports

Lekki Port Completes Work to become Nigeria’s First Deep Seaport

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China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) has handed over Lekki port, Nigeria’s first deep seaport, to the government following completion.

The port will meet the needs of Nigeria’s economic development, said Cui Jianchun, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria in an interview with Chinese state media Xinhua.

As a commercial project of tripartite cooperation between China, France, and Nigeria, Lekki port is of great significance for promoting the Belt and Road cooperation in Africa, said the ambassador.

READ: Lekki Port receives second ship with handling equipment

The container terminal is equipped with a 1,200-metre-long quay as well as 13 quay cranes and has a capacity of 2.5 million TEU.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port was constructed by CHEC and is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

The $1.6 billion project was announced as part of the Nigerian federal government’s wider plan to develop six new deep sea ports in the south-west and south-south areas of Africa, to be carried out via public-private-partnerships.

“This new port will position Lagos as a new maritime logistics hub not only in West Africa, but in the whole Central and West African region,” said the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the ceremony.

The newly completed project will create nearly 200,000 direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria in the coming years, unlock the country’s economic potential, and boost the country’s revenue, Governor Sanwo-Olu added.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Ports

Port of Oakland Shuts as Workers Stage Walkout

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The Port of Oakland has shut its terminals as clerks represented by International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) staged a walkout.

Longshoremen initiated labor action on 2 November, as one public advisory from Port of Oakland noted: “Our terminals are reporting terminal interruptions this morning that may lead to delays.”

Local media reported that a spokesperson for ILWU denied the walkouts were an official action of the union despite stalled negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

SFGate reported that the clerk walkout happened because workers have not been paid on time, with 200 outstanding wage claims dating back to June.

Sources at the terminals described closed gates with piles of containers and trucks waiting to be loaded.

“Our customers are expecting deliveries and we can’t make those deliveries,” AB Trucking President Bill Aboudi said.

“It just snowballs. Every day that we’re shut down is like five days of catch-up.”

Back in July, Some 450 Port of Oakland dockworkers were unable to report to work as truckers protesting the Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) law blocked access to one of the port’s main terminals.

READ: Trucker protests wham Port of Oakland’s volumes

The Port of Oakland has since released: “Protesters have cleared the seaport area and our international marine terminals will try to reopen for tonight’s work shift.

“Yesterday’s labour action closed three of our international marine terminals. Our domestic terminal remained open. Operations resumed by yesterday evening and today we expect continued normal shipping operations.”

Port’s spokespeople said they are “hopeful the ILWU and the PMA can resolve their issues so that the flow of international commerce is not further impacted”.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have not reported terminal shutdowns.

Workers at the Port of Oakland and other 28 ports across the US have been operating without a contract since July.

Most recently, Port of Los Angeles Chief Executive, Gene Seroka, said a deal might not be reached for months.

The Port of Oakland witnessed a year-on-year 7.9 per cent loss in total loaded container volume in September.

132,599 loaded TEU passed through the port, compared to 143,991 TEU in September 2021.

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Air cargo, Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News

CargoAi Announces Strategic Technology Partnership with Chain.io to Facilitate Instant Bookings and more from TMS Systems  

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CargoAi, airfreight’s fastest growing digital enabler, and Chain.io, the leading cloud-based integration platform that connects partners across the global supply chain, announced a strategic technology partnership that will supercharge the freight forwarder experience. The partnership will allow most large and medium-sized freight forwarders on Chain.io’s network to easily connect to CargoAi’s platform to make instant bookings to the GSAs and airlines, while remaining on their own TMS.

The CargoAi platform provides a simple end-to-end interface for freight forwarders to make quotes, schedules, bookings, shipments, tracking, purchase orders, as well as reporting capabilities. With the addition of Chain.io, users can now complete the same experience within their TMS system, without navigating between multiple airline websites or making different phone calls.

The partnership will commence with Rates, Capacity, eBooking and Tracking information as well as CO2 calculation, bringing modern capabilities to the TMS, and enabling airlines and GSAs who are live on CargoAi to be directly accessible and visible.

About CargoAi

Launched in 2019, CargoAi is on a mission to bring the best available technologies to airfreight. Cloud native and with an API-first architecture, the company is closing the technology gap and driving the enablement of an efficient and connected airfreight ecosystem.

CargoAi offers a complete range of digital air cargo solutions to freight forwarders, airlines and GSAs, including a SaaS booking application available either as a marketplace and under White Label, an API Suite that integrates directly into TMS and ERP systems, an AI-powered Cargo Business Intelligence as well as an integrated Sustainability solution that spans the entire portfolio.

Using the CargoAi solutions, forwarders are empowered to drive every stage of the air freight procurement process with greater efficiency and visibility- from planning, booking, and executing shipments right through to monitoring cargo deliveries. The gains in efficiency, customer reach and business opportunities directly translate to top and bottom-line impact for carrier partners.

Highly acclaimed at Air Cargo India 2022 in the “Innovative Logistics Solutions in Air Cargo” category, the airfreight’s fastest growing digital enabler also won the “Digital Innovation Award” granted by Air Cargo News in the same year. CargoAi is headquartered in Singapore with teams in all continents.

About Chain.io

Chain.io is a cloud-based integration platform that connects partners across the global supply chain. Chain.io helps anyone involved in buying or moving products around the world work with supply chain vendors, customers, and software platforms more efficiently. With logistics expertise built into the heart of its software, Chain.io plugs into any ecosystem seamlessly and makes sure the right data is going to the right people at the right time.  Customers leverage Chain.io’s network to optimize critical business processes. Chain.io shines when solving complex supply chain challenges and problems that require integrating multiple types of technologies. The Chain.io network includes shippers, logistics service providers, and the software packages that support them.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News, Ocean Ports

The Virginia Port Authority Has Selected GovDeals to Sell Three More ZPMC Ship-to-Shore Cranes

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The Buyer Will Be Responsible for Transporting the Fully Operational Cranes After Purchase

After the successful sale earlier this year of three ship-to-shore cranes through GovDeals, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) has placed three additional ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes for sale on GovDeals, the leading online marketplace for government agencies and educational institutions to sell surplus assets. The fully functioning cranes will need to be disassembled and removed by the new buyer upon the completion of the auction. Interested buyers have until October 25th to place their bids.

According to ZPMC, these cranes are post-Panamax gantry cranes, a type of large dockside crane found at container terminals for loading and unloading intermodal containers from container ships. They consist of a supporting framework that can traverse the length of a quay. They are equipped with a specialized handling tool called a spreader. The spreader can be lowered on top of a container and locks onto the container’s four locking points (“corner castings”) using a twist lock mechanism. 

The cranes have been in operation since 1999 and are reported to have a lift height of 120’ above the rail, with an outreach of 201’, and can handle two 20’ boxes in twin mode. These gantry cranes are in the Norfolk International Terminals, where container traffic has been on the rise, causing the VPA to need larger, more equipped cranes to handle the influx of shipments. These are the second set of ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes that the VPA has chosen to sell on the GovDeals platform.

About GovDeals

GovDeals is the world’s leading marketplace for surplus government and educational assets, ranging from heavy equipment and transportation assets to industrial machinery and real estate. The platform specializes in surplus disposition technology, partnering with government agencies and related entities to sell “as is, where is” surplus equipment and materials in a transparent fashion. Sellers can directly launch and manage their listings in just days with more control and lower fees than traditional auction solutions. Buyers have direct access to all the surplus assets across Liquidity Services’ network of marketplaces in one centralized location. GovDeals is powered by Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT), one of the most experienced and trusted companies supporting millions of customers in the circular economy across the globe.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News

Digital Container Summit (DCS’22) brings the Container Logistics Industry Together this October

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Container xChange, an online container logistics platform for container logistics companies, is going to hold the 4th edition of its Ultimate Container Networking Event, the Digital Container Summit 2022 on 04-05 October 2022. This event is aimed at bringing as many players from the container industry as possible under one roof and providing a platform for container logistic players across the globe to network, learn, and engage.

Power packed with panel discussions, keynotes, 1-on-1 and open lounge meetings, the event is an annual meeting point for various companies – hundreds of freight forwarders, agents, container traders, shipping lines, leasing companies, container manufacturers, shippers, and many other logistics businesses.

The conference will bring together interactive panel discussions on container trading market outlook, container leasing market overview, expert-led product demos, and the power of digitalization in the container logistics industry to optimize container operations.

The speakership panel includes container market’s prominent professionals like Michael King, Loadstar; Martin Dixon, Drewry, Eric Johnson, JOC.com; Peter Sand, Xeneta; Andrea Monti, Sogese; Danny den Boer, Seacube, Brian Glick, CEO of Chain.io, Mark De Pasquale, NPSA; Tomas Ananjevas, Supply Chain Services Bureau; Ivan Rasic, Manuport Logitics; Rudy de Groot, BIA Global Logistics, among others.

“With the recent global supply chain disruptions, the logistics industry must realize the need of digital adoption for tackling future uncertainties and bring in efficiency to the container trading market. With DCS 2022, we aim to bring the container trading industry together to exchange knowledge, experience, and innovations and be prepared for the future supply chains and container market disruptions”, said, Christian Roeloffs, cofounder and CEO at xChange.  

Working demonstrations of the latest innovations, sustainable solutions, a chance to grow your network, form new deals through 1-on-1 meetings, and get into informal conversations with new potential partners is certain to be just some of the main attractions of DCS 2022. In addition to this, there are new innovative products lined up for their initial launch at the event.

After last year’s successful participation from over 300+ companies, the DCS has introduced open lounges, an opportunity to get in on 1-on-1 meetings.

Grab on your spot and register here for a two-days all-things-containers- summit. 

About Container xChange   

Container xChange is a technology company that offers a container trading and leasing platform, payment infrastructure and efficient operating systems to container logistic companies worldwide. Covering the entire transaction process of shipping containers starting with finding new partners to tracking containers and managing payments, xChange makes using 3rd party equipment as easy as booking a hotel. We are on a mission to simplify the logistics of global trade.

Being one of the top ten logistics tech companies globally, xChange is fundamentally transforming thousands of processes involved in moving containers globally. xChange is trusted by more than 1000 container logistics companies including Kuehne+Nagel, Seaco or Sarjak that use our neutral online platform to remove friction and create economic opportunity.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Ports, Uncategorized

DP World Wins Latest Judgement in Hong Kong Court Over Djibouti Concession

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DP World has won the latest in a string of court rulings in an ongoing dispute over Djibouti’s Doraleh Container Terminal.

The Court of Appeal of Hong Kong has dismissed the latest request by China Merchants Port Holdings seeking permission to file a second appeal before the Court of Final Appeal, against its previous decision that DP World’s suit against the company should be heard before Hong Kong Courts – and not the courts of Djibouti.

DP World and joint venture company Doraleh Container Terminal are bringing multi-billion dollar claims against China Merchants Port Holdings, alleging that it induced the government of Djibouti to expel DP World from the country and hand over the Doraleh terminal to China Merchants.

China Merchants Port Holdings investments in other ports and free zone projects in Djibouti, in breach of DP World’s exclusivity rights, will also be examined.

China Merchants Port Holdings argued that the case should be heard by the Djibouti courts, despite Hong Kong being its home jurisdiction.

The High Court of Hong Kong found that the case should proceed in Hong Kong and ordered China Merchants Port Holdings to pay DP World’s legal costs.

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against that decision and has now refused to grant China Merchants Port Holdings permission to file a second appeal before the Court of Final Appeal.

The Hong Kong court ruling follows a decision in January 2022 by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) against the Republic of Djibouti, awarding interim compensation of $200 million for damages caused between 23 February 2018 to 31 December 2020.

Damages due to DP World now amount to $686.5 million, plus accruing interest, while the concession itself remains legally in force.

The Doraleh Container Terminal is the largest employer and biggest source of revenue in Djibouti and has operated at a profit every year since it opened.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News, Uncategorized

Metro Supply Chain Appoints Mark Kelly to Lead its Operations in the United States

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Metro Supply Chain has appointed Mark Kelly to the new role of Vice President, Metro Supply Chain USA, effective September 6, 2022. As the company furthers its significant growth plans in North America and Europe, Kelly will lead the development of Metro Supply Chain’s business in the United States.

Mark Kelly is an experienced supply chain leader with more than 25 years working with global logistics providers in the technology, e-commerce and consumer packaged goods verticals across many U.S. states. Kelly will be responsible for every aspect of Metro Supply Chain’s operations in the United States, including leading the development of technology-driven supply chain solutions that meet the complex needs organizations are facing today, ensuring a high level of quality assurance, and reinforcing the strong people-focused culture embedded in the entire organization.
Kelly holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a BLS in Mathematics from Boston University. He will be based in the United States and will travel regularly to meet the needs of the business and team. Kelly reports directly into COO Brabender.

Kelly stated that he looks forward to helping their US customers continue to adapt to all the disruptions and challenges they are facing in this volatile economic and political environment and come out stronger with a well-designed and managed supply chain operation.

About Metro Supply Chain 

 Metro Supply Chain is a strategic supply chain solutions partner for some of the world’s fastest growing and most recognizable organizations. Managing more than 12 million square feet in over 96 sites across North America and Europe with a team of 6,000, it is the largest privately-owned supply chain solutions company based in Canada. For almost 50 years, Metro Supply Chain’s scale, wide capabilities and entrepreneurial structure has enabled it to meet its customers’ most challenging supply chain needs, including the creation of complex e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile delivery networks.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News

Circle Logistics Improves Relationship Management by Enhancing Load Matching Capabilities for Carriers 

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Circle’s Transport Pro carrier insights provides customers with faster, more efficient carrier-load matching

One of the fastest-growing, privately held logistics providers, Circle Logistics, is enhancing carrier, shipper and staff relationships with transportation management company Transport Pro’s Carrier Sourcing and Lane Synergy Tools for matching carriers with loads according to lane, freight type and equipment profile.

This carrier sourcing integration is essential for booking active shipments that need to be moved from challenging areas. Circle team members can now best assist shippers and carriers by utilizing the Carrier Sourcing Tool dashboard to enter a load destination and equipment type to be matched with carriers who have completed that specific lane in the past. Additionally, inputting origin and destination details into the Lane Synergy Tool enables the Circle team to receive insights on all customer lanes available, quickly matching capacity in their network when drafting a new customer request for proposal (RFP).

The system also provides the Circle team with insights like the number of times the carrier has completed the load in that lane, while also providing average rates, carrier rating and other resourceful data – ultimately using a scorecard system to match carriers that will be successful in completing specific loads. Circle is able to match shippers’ loads with carriers’ capabilities and capacity with 100% confidence.