Transport News 19th November 2015

 

FTA says new strategy for motoring agencies must improve service.

 

The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on the strategic direction to be taken over the course of the current Parliament by the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).

full details on request.


The Freight Transport Association has made a submission to the Public inquiry in to the planned £180m development of York Street interchange in Belfast.  This will make significant improvements to traffic flow, journey time reliability and emissions.  York Street Interchange is a vital part of Northern Ireland’s strategic road network as it connects all major traffic flows in the area. 

Haulage operators call for safety compliance standard 

It is reported than more than 85 percent of haulage companies believe there should be a compliance standard to improve safety based on a new survey by Freight in the City. 

EU Trade News Updates 19th November 2015

Tightening the rules of illegal firearms.

The European Union said Wednesday it will push through plans to tackle the trade in illegal firearms, ahead of a crisis meeting of interior ministers in Brussels following the Paris attacks.

Brexit is not going to happen says Junker

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Wednesday that Britain would not leave the EU, as leaders prepare to discuss David Cameron's reform demands at a summit next month.

This is a critical time for the relationship between Britain and Europe, as politicians debate the balance of competencies between governance at EU and national levels. Charting how recent political developments have changed the debate surrounding Britain's membership of the European Union

How will EU partners respond to threats of departure from Britain?

 

Cameron defeated over votes for teens in EU referendum

Britain's government came under pressure Wednesday to let 16 and 17 year-olds have the vote in a referendum on European Union membership after suffering a defeat in parliament.

New EU Trade and Investment Strategy

What's in the new strategy?

The communication announces a range of initiatives under the headings of effectiveness, transparency, values, and the EU's programme of negotiations. The top 12 are as follows:
A more effective policy that tackles new economic realities and lives up to its promises by:

• Updating trade policy to take account of the new economic realities such as global value chains, the digital economy and the importance of services.
• Supporting mobility of experts, senior managers, and service providers.
• Setting up an enhanced partnership with the Member States, the European Parliament and stakeholders to implement trade and investment agreements better.
• Including effective SME provisions in future trade agreements.

A more transparent trade and investment policy by:

• Extending the TTIP transparency initiative to all the EU’s trade negotiations. Some new negotiating texts are already available on the Commission's website.

A trade and investment policy based on values by:

• Responding to the public’s expectations on regulations and investment: a clear pledge on safeguarding EU regulatory protection and a strategy to lead the reform investment policy globally.
• Expanding measures to support sustainable development, fair and ethical trade and human rights, including by ensuring effective implementation of related FTA provisions and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences.
• Including anti-corruption rules in future trade agreements.

A programme of negotiations to shape globalisation by:

• Reenergising multilateral negotiations and designing an open approach to bilateral and regional agreements, including TTIP.
• Strengthening our presence in Asia and the Pacific:

• setting ambitious objectives with China
• requesting a mandate for FTA negotiations with Australia and New Zealand
• starting new ASEAN FTA negotiations with the Philippines and Indonesia, when appropriate.

• Ensuring EPAs are implemented effectively and deepening relationships with African partners that are willing to go further and with the African Union.
• Modernising existing agreements with Turkey, Mexico and Chile and the Customs Union with Turkey.

 

EU statistics for United Kingdom

                Full data available on request

Forecasts for United Kingdom	2012	2013	2014	2015
GDP growth (%, yoy)	0,3	1,9	2,5	2,4
Inflation (%, yoy)	2,8	2,6	2,0	2,0
Unemployment (%)	7,9	7,6	6,8	6,5
Public budget balance (% of GDP)	-6,1	-6,3	-5,2	-4,2
Gross public debt (% of GDP)	88,6	91,4	93,4	94,5
Current-account balance (% of GDP)	-3,7	-3,8	-3,3	-3,2

Shipping Trade and Transport News 19th November 2015

 

Vessel News

 

 M.V. Wihan Sejahtera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All 175 passengers survived the sinking of the vessel with only 16 injuries. The Indonesian authorities are investigating the circumstances around the incident. 

 

M.V. Norwegian Pearl

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Kaylin Rose Summer who went overboard during a party on the cruise ship has been detained by the FBI to establish what happened and if any crime was involved.

 

 

M .V. ~Stena Germanica 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vessel will convert to methanol propulsion after a successful trial on one engine allowing the other three to be converted very soon.

 

 

 Port News

 

The Port of Hamburg which is Germany's largest multi operational port has felt the effects of the downtown in trade with China.  The date indicates a 4.8% decrease against last year's figures.

 

 

Cosco Pacific and China Merchanges complete takver of Turkish container terminal.  The cost is estimated at around £636m

EU News Updates 17th November 2015

A balanced EU-US Free Trade Agreement

The EU is negotiating an ambitious and balanced trade and investment deal with the US. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will create new trade and investment opportunities for companies, big and small, and new jobs. For consumers, it will cut prices and widen choice, while keeping the EU's high standards for consumer protection, social rights and environmental rules.

It will also boost Europe's influence in the world – by shaping global trade, projecting our values and attracting more investment.

Policy areas

Negotiations cover three main areas.

• Better access to the US market

  The EU aims to lower or remove customs duties to the US, meaning big savings for consumers and companies in Europe. TTIP will also help Europe's firms, especially those smaller companies who face complicated rules when wanting to export.
  

• Working together to cut red tape and costs

  The EU and US often share safety and quality levels – in car safety, engineering, medical devices, etc. – while differing technical procedures can be costly, especially for smaller firms. Closer work between regulators would ease trade – while keeping the EU’s strict levels of protection for people and the environment. And encouraging regulators to share their expertise would help with new regulatory challenges in areas like electric cars or nanotechnology.
  
  
  

  G20 

  Among all G20 members, Turkey is the EU’s 4th largest trading partner, after the US,
  China and Russia. In 2014, the EU exported goods worth €75 billion to Turkey. The
  same year, EU imports from Turkey were worth €54 billion
  
  
  

  Did you know?

    
  
  The EU with its 506 million inhabitants accounts for 7.1% of the global population.
  The EU is the third largest member of the G20 in terms of population, after China
  and India.
  
  

  

  
   
  
  

Vocational Education and Training 16th November 2015

Commercial Overseas and Awareness of Shipping and Trade - COAST

Delivery options:

1. On line learning via our WebEx system which requires students to attend one hour weekly lectures/discussions via both Internet and freephone conference.

2. Felixstowe Trade College E-Learning campus. The campus facilities include, audio visual lectures, self test, support material and assignment upload and tutor on line assistance.

3. Delivered in the workplace over a twelve week period with campus support for self test, assignment upload.

This qualification is for anyone involved in the supply train for  export, import, shipping, forwarding and transport.

Shipping Trade and Transport News 16th November 2015

 

Ships in distress during the last 24 hours

 

M.V. Makra - engine trouble in Bosphorus
M.V. Ji  Xin 9 - collission in Taiwan Strair
M.V. Guang Yun - collission in Taiwan Strait
M.V. Viking emerald  - grounding near Woodland  (Washington)
M.V. Mapleglen - beached
M.V. Falkland Cement - beached
M.V. Costa Favolosa and MSC Fantasia 6000, passengers affected by terrorist attacks in Paris
M.V. Kvaloy - technical trouble (Norway)
M.V. Norwegian Pearl - seach for young monthers suspended who went overboard during a cruise 22 nautical miles  off the coast of Cuba

Shipping Trade and Transport News 14th November 2015

 

Incidents at Sea

 

Vessel Collision M.V Svyatoy Petr

The vessel was in a collision with a tanker M.V. Svatoy Pavel in the Laptev Sea at 4pm on Friday with damage to of 20 metres long at the portside,  The vessel was taken under tow to Tem Bay

M.V. Oksøy Ferry suffered bow thrust damage 12th November 2015

M.V. Finnkraft a fire broke out on the RoRo ferry  at the port of Vuosaari (Helskinki)  The bow area and stairwell were on fire.

M.V. Kamparzand damaged by power lines

The incident occurred yesterday on route to a power station carrying a cargo of coal. The power line was over the Rhine-Herne Canal.

M.V Solarte - Lithuanian seafers taken hostage in Nigeria.

Lithuanian Government Rimantas Vaitkus has announced that Lithuanian seafarers taken hostage from the ship Solarte off the coast of Nigeria have been freed.

M.V. Insignia - Maldives state of emergency causes ship to skip port

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The country's president has declared a 30 day state of emergency which stated on the 4th November 2015

 

Vessel News

 

M.V MSC Lirica

 

The newly refurbished NSC Lirica is expected to become their second vessel for their Cuba service from the winter of 2016.

The human cost of cheap bananas

New report shows how increasing market power and Unfair Trading Practices of European supermarkets affect banana small farmers and plantation workers

Banana workers and small farmers in developing countries are exposed to toxic agro-chemicals, earn poverty level wages and work in a climate of fear, reveals the report "Banana value chains in Europe and the consequences of Unfair Trading Practices" published today by Banana Link and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office FTAO. The report also shows how European supermarkets contribute to this situation by engaging in Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs).

United Kingdom Balance of Trade the gap has narrowed to £1.353 billion according to figures recently published.

This has been partly achieved by an increase in the export of goods  and a decline of imports.

• GDP Growth  August  = 2.3% 
• GDP from Agriculture = 2923 GBP Million 
• GPD from Construction  =24280 GBP Million
• GDP from Transport = 17462 GBP Million

 
The Gross Domestic Product per capita in the United Kingdom  is equivalent to 324 percent of the world's average

• Unemployment has fallen from October 2014at 6% to August 2015 at a rate of  5.3% 

•  Consumer confidence recorded from  7 recorded in July 2015 to 2 in October.
•  Inflation rate is currently at -0.1%  (September) from 0.1 in July 2015 (food inflation is currently at -2.3%)
• Export prices have increased to 88.10 Index Points in September from 86.9 Index Points in August 2015
• Import prices increased to 89.90 Index Points in September from 89.7 Index Points in August 2015 
• UK Personal Income Tax Rage us currently 45% 
• Bank Lending  Rate October 2015 1.5%
• Government debt is currently -8628 GBP million  in September 2015  which dropped slightly from -10793 GDP million in October 
• Government spending has risen to 90111 GBP million in the second quarter of 2015 from 89753 GBP in the first quarter 
• UK's Credit Rating is AA+ (94 Negative) against USA showing AAA (97 Stable) based on Moody's statistics