#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Freight Forwarders: Growth in global freight- forwarding market in 2012 was entirely down to the strong performance of seafreight as airfreight volumes continue to decline, Lloyd's List revealed last week. A report from consultancy Transport Intelligence shows that in 2012, the overall freight forwarding market increased by 3.1% year on year to $125.8bn. The seafreight segment drove the growth, increasing by an "impressive" 11.5% to $63.2bn.

Tanker Market: Surplus supply - Daily earnings for very large crude carriers [VLCCs] shipping Middle East crude to Asia dropped $10,000 in a week as the July loading programme came to an end, and are forecast to fall even further, Lloyd's List noted last week. VLCCs on the Middle East to Asia trade are now being fixed at around $16,000 per day, down from $26,000 per day a week ago, according to data from the Baltic Exchange.

Bulker Market: Hiring improves - The Drewry Hire Index improved by 6% in June compared to May as an influx of Chinese ore imports boosted the dry bulk market. The largest improvement was seen in the capesize vessel segment, resulting in the Drewry Capesize Demand Index increasing by over 80%.

For more of the above and other stories visit the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 29) and also on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Ecomomy: Exports Decline -There was a 4% drop in exports last month according to preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office. Seasonally adjusted exports were just above €7.05 billion in May, according to the figures, €314 million lower than the previous month.

Bunker Market: High price risk - Civil unrest in Egypt will push up the price of bunker fuel, easily the biggest expense for ship-owners, Lloyd's List warned last week. A senior executive from a ship-owning company who asked to remain anonymous told the shipping journal that bunkers could rise on the back of the climbing oil price.

Piracy: Developments-In 2012, pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea surpassed those in the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean for the first time in recent times, according to a joint study released by the International Maritime Bureau, Oceans Beyond Piracy and Maritime Piracy-Humanitarian Response.

For more of the above and other stories visit the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 28) and also on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy: Manufacturing rises - Manufacturing activity grew slightly for the first time in four months in June, according to the Investec Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index. However, the survey showed that new export orders fell faster in June. The sub-index measuring orders from abroad fell to 48 in June from 49.3 in May, the second-lowest reading since 2009.

Short Sea Market: The short sea European bulk market was steady last week, according to H.C Shipping & Chartering's latest report. After the preceding flurry of activity, it was inevitable that momentum would not be sustained, leading this week to be noticeably more subdued. This was evident both from spot demand and to lesser extent spot supply.

Container Market: Rate turnaround - Container shipping costs are unlikely to drop any further, having sunk to the level they were at the last freight rate trough, and may be about to rise as carriers seek to restore profitability with a rates hike in July, according to Drewry. Average global freight rates fell to a 17-month low last month, according to the shipping consultant's new online Container Freight Rate Insight.

For more of the above visit the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 26) and also on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy: Competitiveness -The latest IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2013 saw Ireland rise three places to number 17 in overall competitiveness rankings, with significant improvements government finances, growth and inflation.

Container Market: Scrapping - Although analysts have become more pessimistic about the supply-demand balance in the coming two years, Macquarie Capital is advising investors to take a new look at the container sector, arguing that ship-owners will have an incentive to scrap vessels at a faster rate than anticipated.

Dry Bulk Market: Outlook - Golden Ocean chief executive Herman Billung says that although the dry bulk sector has got through the worst of the downturn, the weak market fundamentals should flush additional volumes of old tonnage out of the fleet and prevent additional newbuilding orders. However beyond 2013, Mr Billung is optimistic about dry bulk seaborne transportation growth and believes the industry could have a bullish outlook by 2015 on the back of reduced fleet growth and a steady increase in cargo demand.

For more of the above visit the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 22) and also on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping section

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Container Market: SCFI rates diverge - According to figures from the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI), spot box rates for long-haul cargoes from China are diverging. Fairplay have reported that due to sluggish demand and high capacity, Asia-Europe rates continued to decline last week. Rates to Northern Europe fell 9% to $668 per TEU, with a very notable drop of 35% to $779 per TEU for shipments to the Mediterranean.

Tanker Market: Product recovery - The opening of Saudi Arabia's new refinery on the coast of the Middle East Gulf points towards a recovery for the product tanker market, as noted by Lloyd's List. According to the International Energy Association, the 400,000 barrel per day Jubail refinery is part of an influx of new Saudi refineries, which will hugely influence global trade in refined oil products.

Dry Bulk Market: Fleet growth slows - It is forecast that the global fleet of ships that carry minerals and grains will expand at its slowest pace in a decade, according to DNB Markets. The fleet will most likely expand by 5% in 2014, slower than the 7% expansion experienced for 2013. This provides some optimism for the dry bulk fleet, as tonne-mile demand will rise by 10% in 2013 and outpace fleet growth for the first time in six years.

For more of the above visit the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 21) and also on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping section

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy: Modest export growth - According to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), seasonally-adjusted exports for March rose by 4 per cent from February. This signals the second consecutive month of modest increases, although foreign sales of goods made in Ireland remained subdued.

Fleet: Sub-3000teu challenges - The sub-3000 teu fleet faces looming headwinds due to the collapse of the German KG ship financing system, according to Drewy Maritime Research. These vessels, which are the workhorses of intra-regional services, tend to be environmentally damaging and fuel inefficient.

Dry Bulk Market: Chinese steel boost - Chinese steel production keeps growing, which could provide a boon to the dry bulk market, reported Lloyd's List last week. Despite warnings about a slowing China, April was the fourth consecutive month of draw-downs of iron ore stocks. "We believe capesize rates will stage a recovery in the second half of the year, on the back of seasonal higher exports from Brazil and restocking by Chinese steel mills," according to an analyst from RS Platou.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Weekly Markets Review for Week 20, click HERE to view or download as a PDF

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy: Asian export drive - The Asia Trade Forum, an initiative of the Irish Exporters' Association set up to boost two-way trade, is planning a major business mission to two of China's leading business cities, Suzhou and Hangzhou next month. The mission will be similar to last year's visit to India, in which 40 Irish firms took part, said Hugh Kelly, chairman of the Asia Trade Forum. China is forecast to be Ireland's fourth largest export destination by 2030, overtaking countries such as France and Japan.

Panama Canal: Cargo forecast reduction - It is forecast that there will be a fall in cargo volumes of 8 million tonnes in the Panama Canal for 2013, according to Jorge Qiujano, the administrator for the Panama Canal Authority Administrator. This is a decline from the 330 million tonnes forecast to pass through the waterway, as reported by Seatrade Global. The anticipated 2.4% decrease is mainly due the impact of the drought that has affected the US.

Tanker Market: Petrol tanker rates surge -The amount of cargoes booked for tankers to ship European petrol to the US jumped, with rates for these tankers also surging, according to Bloomberg. There was a 14% gain in industry standard Worldscale points for voyages to New York from Rotterdam, the Baltic Exchange reported. Vessels earnings increased by 33%, rising to $19,410 per day.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Weekly Markets Review for Week 19, click HERE to be viewed or downloaded as a PDF

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy: Service sector accelerates -Ireland's services sector expanded at its fastest rate since the new year in April, aided by exports beyond the euro zone, a survey showed last week, in a boost for Irish growth prospects after weak manufacturing survey data. The NCB Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of services sector activity rose to 55.2 from 52.3 in March, comfortably above the 50 line that separates growth from contraction.

Container Market: Deliveries hamper recovery- Withdrawals and void sailings on the Asia-Europe trade lane are not enough to offset new tonnage deliveries and improve vessel utilisation rates, according to Alphaliner. Its latest research shows that 20 new ships of between 8,500 teu and 16,000 teu will be introduced during the second quarter of 2013, adding to seven new vessels delivered in March.

Demolition: Container scrappage to beat record - Containership scrappage rates are expected to exceed previous records this year, but cellular capacity removed due to demolition will still be surpassed by a ratio of one to three by newbuilding deliveries, reported Lloyd's List citing Alphaliner.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Shipping Markets Review for Week 18, click HERE to be viewed or downloaded as a PDF

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Irish Economy - Irish firm's exports up: Irish companies supported by Enterprise Ireland have reached record export levels in 2012, breaking the €16 billion mark for the first time. According to figures from Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, there was a 6.6 per cent increase from the previous year, with exports totaling €16.2 billion.

Container Market -Service changes: Shippers should prepare for service changes and the blanking of sailings in the next few weeks as rates continue to decline sharply and carriers are forced to take action, according to SeaIntel chief Lars Jensen. Speaking at Containerisation International's Global Liner Conference, Mr Jensen said that oversupply of capacity had resulted in spot rates on services from Asia to Europe declining by around $60 per teu each week this year.

Dry Bulk Market -China to push rates up: Chinese demand for dry bulk imports, including iron ore and coal, is expected to lift freight rates from July onwards, according to Pareto Securities AS. Nicolai Hansteen, chief economist at Pareto Shipping, who spoke at the Scandinavian Shipping and Ship Finance Conference.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Shipping Markets Review for Week 16, click HERE to be viewed or downloaded as a PDF

#Ports&Shipping -The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review reports that the production of Irish Manufacturing Industries for February 2013 was 0.2% higher than the month before and increased marginally (0.1%) compared to same month last year, latest figures from CSO showed last week.

Container Market: Asia-Northern Europe traffic trade-lane for period December 2012 to January 2013 continued to disappoint, with any improvement being seasonal, as noted by Drewrys. This is unsurprising, given the faltering economic conditions throughout Europe. Westbound cargo from December 2012 to February 2013 increased by 8.7%, compare to the previous three months, September to November 2012.

Shipping Regulations: Environment - Although pollution prevention was one of the original aims of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), when established in 1948, the level of regulation has intensified in recent years. With even more environmental regulations soon to be implemented, it is coming at a bad time for the shipping world, which is currently facing a major slump, primarily due to oversupply of capacity.

To read more of each of the above stories and other news from the IMDO Shipping Markets Review for Week 14, click HERE to be viewed or downloaded as a PDF