#ExportIndustyAwards – The Irish Exporters Association's (IEA) annual Industry Export Industry Awards is to take place in Dublin on Friday 21st November, with a gala dinner event held in the National Convention Centre.

The awards in association with HSBC are organised by the IEA which are to recognise the remarkable achievements of companies working in the export industry, where there are 11 category awards.

Companies are currently been asked to enter submissions for the 11 Categories and so to be in with a chance to be selected as the '2014 Exporter of the Year'. All winners will be announced at the event.

Entrants may range from small start-up companies to large international corporations depending on the category. Companies are welcome to enter more than one category. Application submissions will close on Thursday 30th October.

The overall Exporter of the Year 2014 will be selected from the winners of the individual categories.

For further details of the award ceremony, including a list of all 11 award categories, event brochure and details to book a table at the gala event, visit the IEA website by clicking the link HERE.

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

Irish Maritime News: The inaugural Irish Maritime Forum was deemed a successful event by the IMDO, as previously reported on Afloat.ie. The IMDO was delighted to join an exciting line up of speakers on 26 September 2014 for the first Irish Maritime Forum. The event, entitled 'Developing the Dynamic Future of Ireland's Maritime Sector' was hosted by the Port of Cork in partnership with the Irish Ports Association, bringing together industry leaders from across the Maritime sector.

European Ports: Despite Rise in box traffic for "Northern Range" Ports analysts predict weaker growth for 2015 - The latest Global Port Tracker shows that container ports in Europe's northern range ports of Le Havre, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremen and Bremerhaven and Hamburg have handled 2.9% more cargo so far this year compared to 2013.

Container Market: Diego Aponte succeeds father as head of MSC -Mediterranean Shipping Co today announced the appointment of Diego Aponte as President and CEO of the world's second largest ocean carrier. Since joining MSC in 1997, Diego has worked in various functions across the business including Line Management where he managed all aspects of the trade. In recent years, Diego has taken more responsibility in the wider running of the company, serving as Vice President.

Tanker Market: Surge in Suezmax newbuild orders, admist increase in Spot Rates. Improved confidence in the suezmax tanker market has prompted a mini surge in newbuilding orders in 2014. Figures from UK tanker broker EA Gibson suggest orders placed so far this year are close to surpassing the total number contracted in the past three years.

For more on each of the above stories and other reports featured on the IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 40) click HERE. In addition to Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News coverage.

#PortSaltMarshes -This year's European Sea Ports Association (ESPO) Awards celebrate the role that ports can play in maintaining the natural environment and contributing to a sustainable future for all.

A shortlist of five ports have been selected for this year's Award of Ecological Restoration of Salt Marshes, they are the following ports of Huelva, Koper, Lisbon, Marseille and Rotterdam which have all demonstrated innovation in projects that improve environmental standards.

ESPO is proud to present the shortlisted projects, before the winner is announced at a ceremony at the Albert Hall in Brussels on 4 November. One of the shortlisted port's describes their work and this is from the Spanish port of Huelva, click HERE for more.

#SFPCrecordProfit – Record profits at Shannon Foynes Port Company were announced in their annual report for 2013, which revealed record operating and gross profits.

SFPC is Ireland's second largest bulk port company and operates six ports on the Shannon Estuary, including Limerick Port.

This is the company's fourth successive year in achieving record operating profits, showing a 35 percent increase in Operating Profit at €4.1m, up from €3.1m in 2012.

The Limerick Leader has more on this to report, by clicking HERE.

#PortRegulation – The Transport Council yesterday reached an agreement on the Port Regulation proposal.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) recognises the enormous efforts made by the Italian Presidency to reach a deal on this very difficult proposal and believes the Council has made substantial progress on different important issues. These mainly relate to:

- The deletion of dredging from the list of port services. Dredging, be it capital or maintenance dredging, has to be considered as a part of the development and maintenance of the port infrastructure, not as a port service.

- The provisions related to the users committee and stakeholders consultation, by choosing for a more pragmatic, bottom-up approach.

- The handling of complaints. The original proposal for an independent supervisory body has been replaced by a more realistic provision setting out a procedure for the handling of complaints.

ESPO however believes that more needs to be done to create a ports policy that means a step forward for every single port in Europe. The European port authorities identify 3 main points of concern in that respect:

- The watering down of the principle of autonomy of the port to set its own charges, as foreseen in the Commission proposal of 23 May 2013. European port authorities need a policy that empowers them to successfully match the commercial and public interests and to meet the various challenges that both market forces and society imposes upon them. Notwithstanding their diversity, European port authorities believe that more autonomy will best help them in facing the challenges ahead. Port charges are an important tool of port management. By giving Member States the option to give ports more autonomy or not in that respect, the current Council text risks to further undermine the level playing field between European ports.

- Transparency in public funding and guidance for state aid for port infrastructure remain a priority and an essential condition for levelling the playing field between ports.

- A further clarification of some essential parts of the Council text is needed. The provision regarding infrastructure charging as well as the definitions need to be looked at further.

"The Council has set important steps towards a more realistic and workable regulation. But more work needs to be done. We still need to assess the outcome of the Council in detail. But one thing is clear already. We want the autonomy of ports strengthened in Europe, as it was initially proposed by the Commission and supported by the rapporteur and the main players in the European Parliament. We hope that the new Parliament continues to support us in that direction", says ESPO's Secretary General, Isabelle Ryckbost in reaction to the agreement.

Next steps: The general approach of the Council still needs to be formalised in a common position. But first the Parliament has to express its opinion in a first reading. The work in the Parliament is expected to start at the end of this year, beginning next year. MEP Knut Fleckenstein (Germany, S&D group) has been confirmed as rapporteur.

#WarrenpointHarbour – The Belfast Telegraph writes that the boss of Warrenpoint Harbour, Peter Conway has called for the construction of a relief road between the A1 and the Warrenpoint dual carriageway.

Currently all traffic going to and from the port wishing to get to the A1 has to travel through the already busy city centre of Newry.

The Harbour chief executive was speaking as it hosted the British Port Association's (BPA) annual conference, which attracted delegates from all over the UK and Ireland. Mr Conway has been lobbying for the construction of the road for many years.

He said that it would be of "fantastic benefit to the port" and would tackle their biggest problem of traffic bottle-necking in Newry. The Newry Southern Relief Road would be a one-mile link between the A2 Warrenpoint dual-carriageway and the A1 between Belfast and Dublin.

For more on this story, click HERE.

#GuinnessTanks - The current Guinness TV advert campaign 'Made of More' is apt given additional fermentation tanks bound for St. James Gate Brewery in central Dublin, arrived by cargoship to Dun Laoghaire Harbour late last month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

To recap, Diageo began last year a €153m upgrade to refurbish the historic city-centre brewery, however due to low-bridge heights restrictions, this led to use of alternative roads to transport the cylinder-shaped tanks from Dun Laoghaire Harbour instead of Dublin Port.

This latest batch of stainless steel fermentation tanks on board Wilson Goole (1995/2,446grt) are understood to each weigh up to 30 tonnes. The previous 'project' cargo unloaded in Dun Laoghaire was during late 2013 and was tasked to Thamesteel I (1989/1,984grt) see report HERE, which features a telescopic wheelhouse and she departed directly from Rotterdam.

On this occasion, Wilson Goole also departed the Dutch port but her route included en route call to Follafoss, Norway followed by a short-cut through Scotland involving a transit of the Caledonian Canal. Upon arrival to Dun Laoghaire she docked at the Carlisle Pier.

The Norwegian operated vessel also features a telescopic bridge which overlooked four of the six cylinder tanks mounted as deck-cargo while the remaining two were stowed in the hull. For drawings of the vessel's cargo-hold layout, click  here.

The majority of the project's tanks where handled in 2013 during a spate of deliveries to Dun Laoghaire Harbour in which three shipments docked between mid-February to late March.

In that timeframe, Blue Tune (2010/3,845grt), Keizersborg (1996/6,142grt) and Myrte (2008/6,120grt) also berthed at the Carlisle Pier. Following unloading of the tanks, their final leg of the journey to reach the brewery involved night-time convoy operations to minimise disruption and avoid traffic congestion.

Blue Tune's call in 2013, represented the return of cargoship trading activity after an absence in the harbour of more than two decades.

At the moment the port has no other commercial customers, until Stena Line as previously reported resume sailings over the festive and new year periods.

#IrishMaritimeForum – The inaugural Irish Maritime Forum recently held in Cork was attended by more than 150 delegates representing the shipping industry, various stakeholders and departments and the Irish government agency, the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).

According to the IMDO, they were delighted to join an exciting line up of speakers for the event's main seminar entitled 'Developing the Dynamic Future of Ireland's Maritime Sector' which was hosted by the Port of Cork in partnership with the Irish Ports Association.

Combined they gathered industry leaders from across the Irish maritime sector to the conference that was opened by Minister Sean Sherlock TD, who spoke of the importance of ports as strategic points for trade growth, both nationally and internationally. The minister also drew attention to the recent uplift in port volumes as indicated by the IMDO's iship index.

A cross section of the Maritime world was in evidence with port operators, department representatives, pilots, stevedores, European officials, educators, mariners and many more all contributing to meaningful debate during the conference and well into the break out times.

Speaking at the event, the IMDO's Business Development Manager Rebecca Wardell, emphasised the necessity for ports to look at potential areas of innovation, efficiency in work practices, competition across services and planning the means to meet future capacity demands over a 20 year plus horizon.

She also stressed the IMDO's commitment to be involved in an on-going collaborative process to assist ports in this regard.

The importance of a forum such as this cannot be underestimated, creating a unique opportunity for those in the industry to come together and develop ideas for the future of the sector. This is particularly relevant at present with significant government support for the development of the sector evidenced by the cross departmental strategy, Harvesting Our Ocean's Wealth.

On a related note, another major conference Our Ocean Wealth was held last June in Dublin, for more details about the work of 'harvesting' our national resources, visit: www.ouroceanwealth.ie

Following the conclusion of the Irish Maritime Forum, a Gala Dinner that evening was hosted by the Irish Institute of Master Mariners, for further details about the IMM: www.mastermariners.com

For further information on the role of the IMDO including the iShip Index and much visit: www.imdo.ie

#Ports&ShippingReview: Over the last fortnight, Jehan Ashmore has reported on the shipping scene, where Stena Line close HSS operated Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead summer sailings leaving the Irish port with a revived excursion service to Howth.

For the second year running, Seatruck Ferries voted Irish Sea Shipping Line of 2014 at the Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards.

French container shipping giant CMA CGM signs three major trade agreements.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irish ports of Dublin and Cork.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) enhance cooperation between organisations and cruise and ferry ports.

One of the UK's largest port owners, Peel Ports Group has Irish Exporters Association (IEA) membership.

Cork Dockyard win Irish Lights contract in face off stiff competition from UK and French yards.

A sideways launch of Arklow Beacon, brings to four out of six of Arklow Shipping's newbuild series of 'green' hull designed cargoships.

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

Industry Wide: Shipping Turnaround forecast for 2014 - Global shipping markets are set for Recovery in 2014 according to a bullish report by Morgan Stanley and reported in Fairplay. The bank forecasts that as global GDP rises, shipping fundamentals will improve across most market segments, but in particular dry bulk and LPG.

Container Market:P3 receives EU commission support - The proposed P3 alliance is shortly to be scrutinised at a summit in Washington by the competition authorities of the US, EU and China, but prior to proceedings, the vice president of the EU-Commission Siim Kallas, has given the alliance his full support.

Tanker Market: World's first Methanol fuelled tankers ordered - Japanese and South Korean ship-yards have been contracted to build the world's first dual fuel chemical and product tankers. Lloyds List report that the vessels will be capable of operating on both methanol and conventional bunker fuel and have been ordered by Waterfront Shipping.

For more on each of the above and other stories click the downloadable PDF IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 50). In addition to Afloat.ie dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.