X-Press Pearl off the coast of Sri Lanka – Update

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News, Vessel Operation Tags , , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 3 minutes
X-Press Pearl environmental disaster - shipping and freight resource

As everyone is aware by now, the the X-Press Pearl, a Singapore flagged feeder vessel operated by X-Press Feeders started burning on the 21st of May off the coast of Sri Lanka.

On the 2nd of June, the vessel started sinking despite valiant efforts to fight the fire and as of 12th June is still hanging in there with the fore (bow) of the ship clinging to its last vestiges above the sea level while the aft of the vessel is submerged and resting on the sea bed at a depth of 21 meters.

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The journey of X-Press Pearl comes to a fiery end in Sri Lanka

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News Tags , , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 3 minutes
News - Shipping and Freight Resource

Despite valiant efforts by the ship salvors, Sri Lankan Navy, Indian Navy and many other entities involved in the firefighting and salvage operations, as expected, it has been announced that the journey of the X-Press Pearl has come to an end.

X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship X-Press Pearl issued a notice that despite salvors successfully boarding the vessel and attaching a tow wire, efforts to move the ship to deeper waters failed, and the ship’s aft (rear) portion is now at the bottom of the sea bed at a depth of 21 meters and the bow (front) slowly sinking as well.

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Drama on X-Press Pearl intensifies as Captain and 2 officers banned from leaving Sri Lanka

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News Tags , , 1 Comment Estimated reading time = 3 minutes
X-Press Pearl fire - burnt container - shipping and freight resource

The news about X-Press Pearl is fast becoming a sensation (next probably only to the Ever Given – which is still stuck in Egypt by the way) as the interest in its happenings is growing day by day.

As of the 31st May 2021, the news was that the flames on board the ship has been contained although the ship was still emitting smoke.

In the meantime, local news media in Sri Lanka is reporting that based on an order the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court, the Captain, Chief Engineer, and the Second Chief Engineer of the ship have been banned from leaving Sri Lanka as investigations are continuing.

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What is a Delivery Order and who issues it..??

by Categories Bill of Lading, Documentation, Education Tags , , , , 51 Comments Estimated reading time = 4 minutes
Image for Delivery Order post

If you are in the shipping and freight industry, you would have no doubt heard about a Delivery Order..

This article explains in detail all about a Delivery Order – what is it, who issues it, who should it be issued to and its importance..

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How a pain point in Egypt spurred the timber industry towards efficiency and cooperation

by Categories Opinion, Product Review, Supply Chain, Technology Tags , , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 4 minutes
Opinion Piece

A dramatic increase in the prevalence of supply chain pain points has presented an opportunity for innovation and collaboration, whilst underscoring the importance of digital solutions in the timber logistics sector.

Timber companies used the term “pain point” to refer to an inefficient port or a particularly cumbersome customs authority.

These pain points stood out because they were isolated pockets of inefficiency, delaying an otherwise well-functioning network that carried everything from raw materials to finished goods from one corner of the world to the other.

Over the last year, that has all changed. Pain points became endemic.

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X-Press Pearl – fiery saga continues amid concerns of serious impact on the environment

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News, Vessel Operation Tags , , , , , 3 Comments Estimated reading time = 4 minutes

It is rarely that a 2-3 month old ship faces a possible fiery end of its life.

The world hopes that will not be the case with the X-Press Pearl – a Singapore flagged 36150 DWT container ship which is still burning in Sri Lankan waters, off the port of Colombo since the 21st of May.

This is amid serious concerns of severe environmental impact due to the incident in which several containers have already fallen off the ship and have washed up ashore, especially near Negombo a popular tourist destination in Sri Lanka.

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Seafarers make the world work………They deserve our support

by Categories Shared Articles, Shipping, Vessel Operation Tags , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 2 minutes
seafarers are keyworkers who make the world work and seafarers deserve our support

BIMCO has launched an initiative to raise awareness about the crucial role of shipping and its seafarers. Seafarers are keyworkers who make the world work and seafarers deserve our support.

Help raise awareness outside the shipping industry by sharing these videos which reflect the struggle faced by seafarers on a daily basis.

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project44 consolidates position as market leader in supply chain visibility with acquisition of ClearMetal

by Categories Digitalisation, News, Press Release, Technology Tags , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 5 minutes
Press Release on Shipping and Freight Resource

project44 has announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based ClearMetal, a market leader in international supply chain visibility and predictive analytics for enterprises.

This acquisition places project44 on the cutting edge of logistics AI, enabling customers to improve agility, and resiliency across their global and multi-modal supply chains.

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Update 27.05.2021 – X-Press Pearl fire off Colombo

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News, Shipping Tags , , , 1 Comment Estimated reading time = 2 minutes
News - Shipping and Freight Resource

As you may have read, the X-Press Pearl, a 1400+ TEU capacity, 2 month old feeder vessel operated by X-Press feeders on their Singapore/Middle East service is currently burning in the Indian Ocean close to the port of Colombo.

The fire which started on the 19th of May 2021 while waiting at anchorage, was subsequently brought under control with the help of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lankan Airforce which dropped fire suppressing powder on the vessel, but the fire started again followed by an explosion which is still burning.

Here is the latest update on the situation.

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Alone, and on fire : X-Press Pearl continues to burn outside Colombo

by Categories Maritime Disasters, News Tags , , , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 3 minutes
fire on board x-press pearl - shipping and freight resource

Alone, and on fire – this seems to be the status of X-Press Pearl, a feeder vessel operated by X-Press feeders on their Singapore/Middle East service currently burning in the Indian Ocean close to the port of Colombo, is one of the premier transhipment hubs in the Indian Ocean.

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Suez Canal Authority softens stand on Ever Given while blame game continues

by Categories Maritime, News, Shipping, Vessel Operation Tags , , , , Leave a comment Estimated reading time = 4 minutes
news - shipping and freight resource

It’s been a while since we wrote about the Ever Given, the main character in one of the most complicated stories in shipping history which ironically didn’t involve any damage to the ship or containers on board..

No one knows though about the status of the cargoes on board – especially perishable cargo in reefer containers or cargoes with a shelf life still inside the containers on board or any hazardous cargoes that maybe stewing in the hot African sun..

Just in case you have forgotten what happened, here is a recap and also the current status..

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Is bigger always better – Economies of scale and gigantism in shipping

by Categories Guest Article, Maritime, Opinion, Shipping, Vessel Operation Tags , , 2 Comments Estimated reading time = 7 minutes
Opinion Piece

The winds of change within the context of containerized shipping have been sweeping to say the least. In the pursuit of environmental sustainability, digitalization, operational and commercial efficiency, and collaborative practices the containerized fleet and the industries commercial practices have been radically modified over a significantly short period of time.

With gigantism being the most popular trend currently pursued by the world’s major carriers a new global context has concurrently begun to rear its head.

The emergence of colossal vessels along primary routes has led to the resultant cascade of maritime traffic along secondary and tertiary routes.

Thus, whilst the argument for economies of scale relative to container vessel sizes makes for a seemingly sensible commercial case, such developments have the potential to seriously impact ports and the entirety of logistics chain, including production.

This begs the question is bigger always better and what alternatives exist?

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Is your country ready for Advance Cargo Information..?? Egypt is..

by Categories Customs, Digitalisation, Documentation, Trade Tags , , , , , 3 Comments Estimated reading time = 4 minutes
Customs Release

Global trade volume in 2019 was 11.08 billion tons amounting to around $19 trillion in value.. Seaborne trade accounts for around 90% of global trade..

Currently, various cargoes are transported in 24 million+ containers around the world on over 6,218 container vessels..

As you can imagine this leads to a lot of documentation especially with Customs authorities around the world.. When we speak of Customs authorities around the world, you can also imagine the different rules and regulations each country has for the import and export of cargo to/from their country..

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Blank sailing schedules portend delays well into the summer – project44

by Categories Maritime, News, Shipping, Vessel Operation Tags , 1 Comment Estimated reading time = 3 minutes
News - Shipping and Freight Resource

A project44 analysis of the schedules of various shipping lines indicates that cargo delays could last well into the summer with several blank sailings seen in the schedules.

With maxed-out vessels skipping more ports, project44 is warning shippers to adopt proactive supply chain strategies that anticipate delays.

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Comprehensive liability cover – from Russia with love or not………..

by Categories Marine Insurance, News, Press Release Tags , , , 1 Comment Estimated reading time = 5 minutes
press release - shipping and freight resource

Recent changes to regulations in Russian law now make it possible for forwarders and road hauliers to access full liability cover, similar to that enjoyed by those in the global supply chain.

However, most insurance products on the market don’t offer comprehensive protection.

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