The overall cargo handling turnover in Klaip?da Port and Buting?s Terminal in January of 2012 was 3,68 million tons (-7,3 percent or -293,0 thousand tons) and exceeded the cargo handling turnover of the Joint Port of Tallin by 758,5 thousand tons. The highest increase in cargo turnover throughout January of this year comparing with the corresponding period of 2011 was reached due to increased handling volumes of iron ore (+54,0 thousand tons), raw and processed minerals and construction materials (+46,3 thousand tons), liquid natural and chemical fertilizers (+38,4 thousand tons).

The significant drop of bulk natural and chemical fertilizers (-237,5 thousand tons), raw sugar (-66,6 thousand tons) and Ro – Ro cargoes (-49,3 thousand tons) handling rates resulted into the decrease of cargo handling turnover in January of 2012 comparing to the corresponding period of 2011. In terms of cargo groups the handling volumes of liquid cargo with the handlingturnover totaling to 1 025,2 thousand tons (35.6 percent of overall Port handling turnover) increased at most(by 2,4 percent).General cargo handling rates with 851,9thousand tons of cargo handling turnover (29,6percent of overall Port handling turnover) dropped by 7,0percent and the handling turnover of bulk and dry cargodecreased by 34,8 percent to 1 003,7 thousand tons (34,8 percent of overall Port handling turnover.

555 vessels, including 386international vessels (-14 vessels or -3,5 percent comparing with January of 2011) and 169 local vessels(+14 vessels or +9,0 percent comparing with January of 2011) called Klaipeda Port. The number of vessels registered in January of 2011 and 2012 was the same. 19 772 passengers, i.e. less by 0,1 percent or by 11 passengers comparing with the corresponding period of 2011 visited Klaipeda Port.

The $1.2 million track extensions enable the port to receive an additional three bulk cargo unit trains of export iron ore or coal per week, increasing capacity to six weekly. Due to the expansion, the port plans to employ up to 18 additional daily longshore workers to move cargo between the trains and ships. The typically mile-long strings of hopper cars in the bulk-unit trains deliver iron ore and coal bound for China.

“We’ve gotten heavily into the iron ore and coal export business,” said Mark Tollini, deputy port director. “This extension doubles our capacity, enabling us to accommodate the demand for additional volume.”

The Port of Stockton began handling iron ore shipments in 2011. It became the port’s largest single export, with shipments reaching close to 800,000 metric tons. These ore shipments contributed to export volumes surpassing imports for the first time in recent history.

The track was constructed by Industrial Railways Construction Co. and completed ahead of schedule in just 100 days. The project was managed by Central California Traction, the short-line railroad that serves the port on behalf of BNSF and UP. The extended tracks improve interchanges between all the rail companies and reduce rail equipment dwell time at the port.

The Port of Stockton is one of only two U.S. West Coast ports that handle export iron ore.

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About the Port of Stockton, California

The Port of Stockton is an international port with 35-foot draft and secure 24/7 access. With more than 2000 acres, and plenty of room to grow, the Port provides multiple services and handles import/export cargo such as containers, steel, wind energy components, ro/ro and heavy lift/project cargo. In addition, the Port offers warehousing, refrigeration, cold storage and distribution centers. It has seven million square feet of U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-approved storage. The Port has excellent access to I-5 and I-580 and is jointly served by the BNSF and UP railroads that can carry cargo to and from the Port from locations throughout their respective networks. The Port is located in Foreign Trade Zone #231. For further information on the Port of Stockton, please visit www.portofstockton.com

Gouger joins Metro Ports from Ceres Gulf, Inc, where he worked for more than a decade and served most recently as its general manager of the West Gulf. Gouger began his career with Fairway Terminal Corp after serving in the US Navy. In his six years with Fairway, he was part of the team that orchestrated the privatization of the Port of Altamira, Mexico.

Reporting to Metro Ports President James Dillman, Gouger will oversee Metro Ports gulf operations. “Metro is pleased to welcome Troy to the Metro management team,” Dillman said. “His international and local knowledge will be integral to Metro’s continued growth in the Gulf region.”

Metro Ports is a holding of Nautilus International Holding Corp.

As a result, maritime throughput in the Zeeland ports will increase by around 100,000 tonnes. This confirms the strong position the Zeeland ports now occupy when it comes to handling and storing fruit, after new fruit packages from Chile and South Africa were also recently attracted to Vlissingen.

The bananas come from Colombia and Costa Rica. Every week, one of the Seatrade reefers will make the crossing from the seaports of Puerto Limon, Turbo and Santa Marta to Vlissingen, where the bananas will be unloaded, stored and distributed further by CSC. On the outward voyage, calls will also be made at St.Maarten and Guadeloupe, with cargo of which some will be transported in containers. According to Seatrade, Vlissingen was chosen due to its good location in terms of sailing time and the connection with the motorway network. The port is home to specialised stevedoring companies such as CSC, with terminals ideally suited to handling this type of cargo. The fact that they work in accordance with the 360 Quality principle in Zeeland also played a role. An important precondition for Seatrade.