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AIR FRANCE-KLM REDUCING FLIGHTS ON WINTER TIMETABLE
Air France-KLM is cancelling numerous services in its 2009/2010 winter timetable. Some 1.8% of all long-haul flights will cease. Connections to South America and Asia will be suspended, but those to destinations in the Indian Ocean will not be amended.
Air France-KLM will continue to reduce the number of flights to New York, Dubai and Johannesburg (South Africa). Medium haul services from Paris to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Birmingham, Dublin, Geneva, Madrid, Munich, Moscow, Rome and Verona will be cut. However, connectivity with long haul flights will continue to be guaranteed. According to information from Air France-KLM, all flights between the hubs in Paris and Amsterdam are to continue.
TSA CARRIERS REDUCE "OLD FORMULA" BAF EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1
The carrier members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) serving the East Asia/USA trade lane announced reductions to Bunker Adjustment Factors (BAF) effective November 1, 2009, calculated using the group’s old monthly BAF formula.
November 2009 Bunker Adjustment Factors (BAF), calculated using TSA’s old monthly BAF formula, will be reduced to:
US$ 616 per 20ft ctr,
US$ 770 per 40ft ctr,
US$ 866 per 40ft hi-cube ctr,
US$ 975 per 45ft ctr, and US$ 17 per WM (LCL).
These old formula BAF amounts are filed in the tariffs of most of the TSA Carriers and apply to cargo moving under tariff rates or 2008 service contracts that remain in effect.
CANADA TRANSPACIFIC STABILIZATION AGREEMENT (CTSA) CAF NOTICE
Major Trans-Pacific shipping lines of the Canada Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (CTSA), wish to advise their customers that effective November 1, 2009, Currency Adjustment Factor will be at the following level:
CAF: 4% - Applicable from all origins including Japan and the PRC.
The members will continue to monitor fuel prices and exchange rates and will notify their customers of any further adjustments
CMA CGM RESTRUCTURES AMID INDUSTRY CRISIS
The Financial Times reports that CMA CGM on Tuesday became the largest container line to announce a restructuring in the face of the losses brought on by the biggest crisis to hit the industry. The company, based in Marseilles, France, operates the world’s third-largest container ship fleet, after expanding fast through acquisitions and ship purchases during the industry’s boom years.
CMA CGM which is privately owned, said it had formed a committee of French, European and international banks, including banks from Asia and Korea. The launch of the rescue efforts follows talks on Friday between the company and France’s economics ministry, although it appears that the state is not directly involved in the rescue efforts.
CMA CGM has long been seen as one of the lines most vulnerable to a slump in traffic volumes and earnings currently gripping the industry - due to its huge obligations to pay for ships ordered during the industry’s boom.
According to Paris-based AXS-Alphaliner, it has ships with a capacity of 49.6 per cent of its existing fleet on order. Tuesday’s statement said the company would continue with initiatives started this year to save money, including renegotiation and, in some cases, cancellation of ship deliveries.
The company has issued no financial figures since its numbers for the full year 2008 but said that the company, like other container lines, was currently losing money. CMA CGM said it hoped to reach an all-encompassing agreement by the middle of November
MSC STARTS NEW TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE TO PHILADELPHIA
Geneva based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is about to commence a new container service from the North Continent to the US east coast.
The weekly service will deploy five 2,400 teu vessels. The first sailing will be operated by the "MSC Vienna" on 5 October. The vessel will depart from Bremerhaven (DE).
MAERSK PLANS MAJOR CHANGEON TRANS-ATLANTIC
JOC Online reported that Maersk Line is making some major changes in its trans-Atlantic services. The world’s largest ocean container carrier will begin notifying customers in October of the rates and services it is planning for the trade over the next 12 months.
It has already notified customers that it is changing the interval of adjustments in its bunker surcharges to monthly from quarterly as of Oct. 1, and it is planning to reduce capacity on at least one of its services by using smaller ships.
Maersk will begin notifying customers of the rate increases it plans over the next 12 months by mid-October, or possibly earlier, so that they can factor them into their 2010 budgets and will notify them of its planned service coverage by the end of October.
CFIA NATIONAL IMPORT SERVICE CENTER ANNOUNCEMENT
Fact Sheet: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is modernizing its import control processes by consolidating its three import service centres (ISC) in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver into one National Import Service Centre (NISC), to be located in Toronto.
The NISC will be officially launched on October 5, 2009 and is expected to be fully functional by July 15, 2010. In the interim, you will continue to conduct business with the existing ISC in Montreal Toronto and Vancouver until further notice.
The CFIA will continue to provide front-line screening to ensure that imported products meet Canadian requirements. Regulatory compliance and the safety of food and agricultural commodities imported into Canada are a priority for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The creation of a National Import Service Centre will provide the following enhanced services:
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A single window for issues related to import transactions and documentatio
* Increased bilingual service to 24 hours, seven days a week from the existing 20 hours, seven days a week
* Increased consistency in the review of import documentation and verification of import admissibility
* Improved alignment with the services delivered by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
* The CFIA is committed to maintaining established service standards with minimal disruption to clients during this transition and will be providing updates to stakeholders as work progresses
CANADA LOOKS TO EXPAND TRADE IN THE PACIFIC RIM
The Financial Post reported last week that Canada's increasing list of trade negotiations could soon include talks with Asia-Pacific nations as countries around the Pacific rim, encouraged by interest from the United States, begin to turn their attention to the possibility of a large free-trade area in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade told the paper it was considering joining negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) because of the vast opportunities for Canadian business in the region.
The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) was originally signed by New Zealand, Chile, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam in 2005, entering into force in 2006. The aim of the four founding members was to create a trade agreement that could serve as a model for the region and potentially attract new members. If enough members sign on, the humble beginnings of the TPP could form the basis of a strategically important Asia-Pacific free trade area.
The TPP has attracted the attention of a number of countries along the Pacific Rim, including the United States, Australia, Vietnam and Peru, who have all said they will participate in negotiations, which can be done prior to deciding their membership. A number of other countries, including Japan, Korea and Mexico, have kept a close eye on developments.
The federal government has devoted much effort to expanding Canada's trade ties in the past year after Canadian businesses were hit hard by the U.S. recession. The United States has generally made up 70% to 80% of Canada's export market. While the DFAIT has publicly remained coy about its interest in TPP, Justin Brown, Australia's High Commissioner to Canada, told an audience of business leaders in Toronto that Canada had indicated its intention to join.
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