The IMF forecasts GDP for Iraq and Jordan combined at 8% annual growth for the 2014-2018 period. 

ALV is currently 13 hectares in size and experiencing strong customer demand due its optimal location. The new facility will add 11 hectares and be operational by February 2015.  

Sandeep Mehta, Regional Director of APM Terminals Inland Services, commented “our logistics business in Jordan is designed to offer our customers better cargo visibility, lower transport costs and ideal market access while they are ramping up volumes to hinterland markets, especially the Anbar province and Greater Baghdad areas of Iraq. Our Iraq market access will now be the industry’s safest, most economical and most reliable with this upgraded supply chain capacity”. 

Jeppe Jensen, CEO of Aqaba Container Terminal agrees that ALV’s further development will help serve Iraq’s high growth market: “ALV’s plans will add essential infrastructure to the regional supply chain and generate more efficient cargo support options for the customers of Aqaba Container Terminal”.

As well as hinterland market access, the project will widen Aqaba’s geographical reach as a Regional distribution hub.  Key commodities targeted for this upgraded service are: cars, project cargoes, manufacturing materials, industrial supplies, domestic appliances and timber.

The upgraded logistics village will ensure the highest standards of safety, efficiency and operational performance are installed for the world’s leading importers and exporters. Services include:

Less than containerload:  (LCL) stripping, sorting and storage of containers.

Cross-docking: rehandling of cargo due to changed routings or quantities.

Warehousing:  storage, handling and value-added services.

Open space: Outdoor storage yard with covered section; office rental space to help new importers/exporters be onsite to manage supply chains and grow the business through high service levels.

APM Terminals Inland Services has a JV partnership with the Kawar Group (60:40).  The Kawar Group is a family-owned, Jordanian-based company, established in 1925 that has extensive commercial relations with all major shipping agencies. 

The agreement for the C-Scope Mobile Applications, which will provide live VTS information on mobile devices, was signed on May 5th 2014.

The C-Scope Mobile Applications were ordered under the VTS Framework contract established in February 2013 between the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) and KNC. Within this framework, KNC is developing and establishing a new national network of VTS systems based on its 7th generation C-Scope VTS technology. The Norwegian VTS systems benefit from the experience gained in establishing a best-of-breed C-Scope based VTS in Singapore for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. By 2018, all the regional VTS Centres of Horten, Kvitsøy, Brevik, Fedje, and Vardø will be completed. “We will implement the C-Scope Mobile Application as each VTS Centre is commissioned,” stated Fred Fredriksen, KNC’s Senior Project Manager

Available for iOS and Android mobile devices, the C-Scope Mobile Application delivers secure, easy to view real-time VTS data for NCA staff. The V.TS Traffic Image from the NCA’s five VTS centres along the Norwegian coastline will be available to NCA staff wherever they may be. The C-Scope Mobile Application provides the VTS Traffic Image with Electronic Navigation Charts, bathymetric ENCs, with live fused radar and AIS tracks, shore based radar video, weather and hydro data, and Information source data.

“The C-Scope Mobile Applications are a significant addition to our VTS systems. They ensure that our VTS operators and managers can access vital, real-time VTS data on their tablets and smartphones on a 24/7 basis, which is particularly relevant to enhancing incident management, should key personnel be off-site,” comments Jon Leon Ervik, Head of the Pilotage and VTS Department, NCA.

Per-Erik Kristoffersen, President of Kongsberg Norcontrol IT adds: “We’re pleased that the NCA has chosen one of our newest technologies to join the extensive C-Scope VTS we are delivering to them. Already in use with National VTS Competent Authorities in Spain and South Africa, the C-Scope Mobile Application is a sophisticated but easy to use addition to any C-Scope maritime domain awareness system. Though primarily designed to support shore-based VTS management, because it offers a live VTS Traffic Image, it also has real potential for other uses, such as a Pilot Portable Unit and as an aid for shipping agents. These are all possibilities we are looking into.”

The new C-Scope VTS system in Norway will provide satellite-based earth observation data fully integrated with terrestrial RADAR, AIS, and electro-optic sensors in addition to high-quality, autonomous Radar Data Processing and automatic clutter suppression that doesn’t require manual fine-tuning. C-Scope ensures that the operator won’t be overwhelmed with information that is not necessary by using intelligent information portrayal features. Enhanced, adaptive decision support and communication tools are fully integrated. A wealth of new features will make the Norwegian VTS the most collaborative C-Scope deployment yet, including a Web and Mobile access module for viewing the real-time VTS Traffic Image and an integrated Chat client.

Another key component of the VTS delivery project is an integrated VTS simulation system, to be located at the NCA regional office in Haugesund, which is the national centre for VTS competence. Kongsberg Maritime has supplied the simulator system, which is able to display both a simulated and live VTS Traffic Image. In addition to the simulator in Haugesund, smaller VTS simulators are being set up at the other VTS centres to conduct local refresher training.

 
GSF Secretary General, Chris Welsh, said:
 
“The GSF has asked the Commission to closely scrutinise the P3 to ensure the Agreement is in line with the general provisions of the EU competition guidelines.  We have also requested regular monitoring of the Agreement and the provision of specific information by the P3 lines to assist the Commission in monitoring compliance with the competition rules.”
 
GSF believes the P3 should assist the Commission in monitoring compliance by providing reports on service performance on specific port pairs, vessel withdrawals including short-term withdrawals that might cause disruption to shippers’ supply chains, and information about future investment plans including future joint investment strategies that would impact on future capacity availability in the markets in which the P3 will operate.
 
Chris Welsh said:
 
“The P3 lines must now to step up to the plate and deliver on their promises of improved services and lower costs.  Shippers will expect to see a wider range of services, enhanced service performance including improved service reliability and on time delivery.  Above all, shippers expect to share in the benefit of more competitive freight rates through reduced costs.”
 
Chris Welsh added:
 
“Effective monitoring of P3 compliance with EU competition rules is absolutely essential in view of the unprecedented market power of the world’s three largest lines that collectively represent over 40% market share in the world’s main liner trades, including over 46% market share in the Asia-Europe market.  If there are any signs of a reduction in service quality or elimination in effective competition between the P3 lines and in the liner market generally, we would expect immediate action by the European Commission against the P3 lines, including the imposition of appropriate sanctions for competition abuses.”

 
The dockers, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, started the 11-day stoppage at 06.00 today and it will run until 05.59  Monday 16 June. The strikers number about 24.
 
The dispute centres on fears that the permanent workforce will be replaced by lower paid agency/casual workers on zero hours contracts. The workers staged a 48-hour strike on this issue at the end of last month.
 
Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said: “The hardline management of the Swedish-owned SCA Logistics has not moved since the 48-hour strike last month and our members have no choice, but to take this 11-day action to bring the management to the negotiating table. 
 
“Unite will strongly resist the very real threat of the workforce at this company becoming 100 per cent employed on zero hours contracts. Already the use of agency workers on zero hours contracts is on the increase.
 
“If management is allowed to have its way, we will be turning the clock back 50 years to the bad old days when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to see if you had work for the day in the docks.
 
“Wages could drop substantially, while the cost of living continues to rise.”
 
Jane Jeffery said that the management appeared firmly committed to prolonging the dispute in a bid to break the collective agreement that it had freely entered into with Unite.
 
The strike will only hit vessels being serviced by SCA Logistics at Tilbury.