Possible merger between NOL & Hapag Llyod?

Speculations erupted about the rumoured NOL merger activity with Hapag Llyod.

CEO of NOL, Thomas Held, told the company's 2007 annual report webcast that NOL is prepared to play the role of an industry “consolidator”, which may well refer to the reported merger plans of NOL's container arm, APL and Hapag Llyod, owned by the German travel and shipping giant, TUI AG.

Some veteran observers say such a merger deal would enable APL to have a substantial Asia/Europe offering while giving Hapag Llyod access to the transpacific and the rapidly growing intra-Asia trade.

While others say such a deal would make it hard for Hapag Llyod to stay in the Grand Alliance with partner MISC, NYK and OOCL, or for APL to continue to work with its New World Alliance partners, Hyundai and MOL.

Latest rumor has it that the deal has been called off.

BDP International has established new Global Network Services unit in Singapore

BDP Global Network Service has chosen Singapore as its base to benefit from Asia 's manufacturing and consumption boom. BDP is banding together small and medium size logistics & transport companies in a new global alliance to challenge the dominance of large MNC. The aim is to have a strategic partner wherever BDP does not have a presence in regions like Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa .

Global Alliance of these small to mid-sized logistics firms will capitalized on shared resources to compete with larger companies. In return for an annual fee, BDP members will have access to BDP's technology, sales and marketing support in priority trade routes, competitive transportation products, established operations, expertise in trade and security compliance, financial and legal issues, client relationships, global integration and shared administrative services.

BDP has been coloading with CWT Globelink since May 2007, and to date, we are handling 30cbm of their monthly export from Singapore .

China and India seen as vital to UPS revenue growth

UNITED Parcel Service (UPS) reported a 6.1 per cent growth in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2007 and it ascribed the growth to a double-digit increase in international export volume in Asia Pacific region, especially the strong growth in China and India , Logistics Week reported.

Driven by more than 30 per cent growth in China and nearly 25 per cent increase in India , the export volume of Asian Pacific region of UPS rose 15 per cent in the last quarter of last year, the report said.

In December 2007, UPS announced an alliance with AFL in India to build its international export service there. Prior to this strategic alliance, UPS also established two new co-branded stores with Staples in Beijing , called Staples UPS Express.

Globelink Group has been invited to tender for UPS cargo. Through the tender, we have submitted our rates ex Spain , Dubai , Egypt and Asia . Results of the tender will be announced come mid March. Globelink Group currently handles 1250 cbm / mth from UPS.

CMA CGA to operate 2 strings ex Asia to India / Middle East

Effective end March, French shipping group CMA CGM will be operating two strings of service for its Asia to India and the Middle East coverage. This is to keep abreast of the healthy export growth from Asia to India and Middle East .

As a result, string 1 will be dedicated to serving the markets of the Gulf States , Iran and Iraq , whereas string 2 will be dedicated to Colombo and the west coast of India supplemented with a call in the Gulf.

The port rotation for this twice-weekly service will be as follows:

String 1: Ningbo , Shanghai , Fuqing/Fuzhou, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Jebel Ali, Khorfakkan, Bandar Abbas, Port Kelang.

String 2: Xiamen , Shantou , Chiwan, Laem Chebang, Port Kelang, Colombo , Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang.

The service will open up the market of Shantou by introducing a direct call and linking it to the CMA CGM group liner network.

Each string will be serviced by five vessels with an average capacity of 2,500 TEU and in cooperation with CMA CGM affiliates, ANL and CNC, a company statement said.