Editorial

Thursday October 18th is here and so is your weekly issue of PCW. I'm always looking forward to the weekend, but in particular this one because I am paying a visit to my parents in Denmark. They are getting older (as are we all) and I have a tradition when I visit my parents to have a couple of whiskeys and relax with them, talking about old memories as well as what's happening overall and what's in store for the future. It is the kind of quality time that we all know will disappear some day, therefore we must treasure it always.

We've also agreed that the most important bank in the world is... ...no it is not HSBC, Citibank or similar, but the 'memory bank', because there you can deposit and withdraw any time when needed. We create memories every day and this is rarely truer than when you make new memories of seeing your parents or being with your kids. These are memories that you need when you're down on your luck. You can't meet these people when they are no longer here, so why are many of us so overly busy with our own lives, careers and importance that we - more often than not - forget to treasure such valuable times?

Why do we, at least to a large degree here in the western world, park our old people in homes where they often feel lonely and forgotten? Our connected society of mobile phones, Skype, email and internet makes us able to communicate easily, but do we really communicate about what matters? Do we take the time to play with our kids with normal toys or do we often leave them with modern day 'babysitters' i.e. communication tools in order to be more 'efficient' in our careers? Perhaps one day we will look more at gross national happiness on a personal level than gross national product in our society.

Anyway, the real world beckons and business today includes a trip to Ecuador, famous for the Galapagos islands, food and jungles. Also, we interview a project freight forwarder located in Guayaquil and thereafter hop on the plane for the Baltic state of Lithuania, a country that has seen tremendous development in recent years and here we interview a local logistics provider. We end our weekly interviews in the country formerly known as South West Africa but now called Namibia, where we talk with a most interesting contact from a company located at Walvis Bay. Namibia is a beautiful country in Africa and may well be worth a visit.

We wrap up our newsletter as usual with sector and shipping news, including some interesting videos. But, before I wish you a great weekend, do watch this interview with the C.E.O of APL - https://youtu.be/huzmcIOZPDg - which is very informative and, if the gentleman is right, world trade is by no means in the doldrums, but rather growing according to the forecast, which is good news for us all! We wish you a great weekend.

Yours sincerely

Until next week, I remain,
Yours sincerely, Bo H. Drewsen

bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
www.projectcargo-weekly.com

Tradinter S.A. – Guyaquil, Ecuador

Interview with Mr. Luis Ivan Torres – Operations Manager

The economy of a country is always linked to its politics, and politics, not only in Ecuador but in the whole region, is a little complicated right now. We all know about those governments which were run by far-left parties, but now some of them are gone, leaving those countries with severe problems to be fixed by new governments, most of whom are center-right. Fortunately, everyone is ready to make all necessary efforts to put the economy back in order and gain a fair position in the commercial balance trade, which has an impact on the government economics.

If you bear in mind that oil represents about fifty percent of the state income, the oil prices dropping during recent years has created a big deficit in the fiscal budget. The public debt left by the previous government is huge, so getting world investors is a matter of the utmost importance. Read more...

Fore Logistics – Lithuania

Interview with Mr. Martynas Šmitas – Member of the Board

Our company, Fore Logistics was established in February 2011 by my partner Armis Valiulis. Having been started as a pure freight forwarding company, today Fore Logistics performs as a transporter (tri-axle trucks and container chassis owner), customs broker (license) and logistics company (customs bonded warehouse). Read more...

Basenji Transport Services Pty Ltd – Namibia

Interview with Mr. Neill Thompson – Owner

I am Namibian by birth, but had the opportunity to live and work abroad for more than twenty years. I worked for major and niche liner shipping companies in the UK, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Europe, Canada, North America, Mexico, the Mediterranean and Dubai. Several clients were in the logistics business so, in 2010, I started working at Walvis Bay in the logistics industry and remain in the logistics, warehousing and SCM industry, with Basenji offering a unique and personal level of business. Read more...

Shipping News

Forwarders hit back at 'shipping monopoly' and 'no limit' box detention fees

Editors note: I hear that some shipping lines are now using demurrage and detention to the fullest towards forwarders and, more often than not, forwarders are caught in the middle between the shippers and consignees. Here is an article from Loadstar about this subject. Read more...

Shipping News

APL Eagle GO Guaranteed service extended to all ports in Asia and the Middle East

APL has announced the extension of Eagle GO Guaranteed for US-bound containers originating from all ports in Asia and the Middle East, the company said in a statement. Read more...

Shipping News

DP World breaks ground on Berbera port development in Somaliland

The first phase of DP World Berbera will consist of building a 400-metre quay and 250,000 square metre yard extension as well as the development of a free zone. According to The National investment in the first phase will be $101m, with a total investment of $442m in two phases. Read more...

Agriculture

• Self-assembly greenhouse to be launched in USA

  The TAPKIT, a self-assembly hydroponic greenhouse, is to be launched in the USA for the first time later this month. This farming solution was developed by the Israeli company, Teshuva Agricultural Projects (TAP). This company builds commercial greenhouse installations throughout the world.  Read more...

Renewables

• Orsted boosts Changhua pile

  Orsted has contracted Formosa Heavy Industries to supply jacket foundation pin piles for the first 900MW of the Changhua offshore wind farm complex off Taiwan. Read more...

Oil & Gas

• Woodside Selects Bechtel As Preferred Execution Contractor For Proposed Pluto Train 2

  Woodside has selected Bechtel as the preferred execution contractor for the proposed expansion of its Pluto LNG facility in Western Australia. f an existing olefins cracker at MOC’s petrochemical plant in Rayong Province, Thailand. Read more...

Public Utilities

• Wison Engineering Services wins $150m Sabic project deal

  Chinese group Wison Engineering Services Company said one of its subsidiaries has secured a $150-million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from Sabic for a utilities park and pilot plants project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Read more...

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- John Wooden -

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