Infrastructure investment company Highstar Capital is speculating of selling of Ports America, its biggest marine terminal operator and stevedore in the USA. Ports of America has more than 80 locations and operating in 42 ports. Headquarter, located in New Jersey, is yet to release more details about this deal and currently cooperating with RBC Capital Markets LLC, ones of the units of Royal Bank of Canada, for searching a buyer. NJ-based Ports America, which is $1 billion-worth terminal, handles all types of cargo, from container to military and cruise shipping.

More Vessels to West Africa

Great news from French CMA CGM container shipping company. Starting from July 18th there will be some changes regarding Europe - West Africa service. The plans are to add more vessels and arrange weekly calls to main ports. Also, the transit time for some routes will be reduced.

The upgrade will influence mostly EURAF 4 and 5 services, the routes are going to be as follows:

EURAF 4: Livorno – Genoa – Marseilles – Barcelona – Valencia – Algeciras – Tangiers – Lome – Bata – Malabo – Onne (fortnightly) – Port Gentil – Libreville – Douala – Lome NB (fortnightly) – San Pedro (fortnightly) – Algeciras – Livorno.

EURAF 5: Le Havre – Antwerp – Lisbon – Tangiers – Algeciras – Pointe Noire – Luanda – Lobito (fortnightly) – Namibe (fortnightly) – Douala (fortnightly) – Abidjan – Tangiers NB – Le Havre.

United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) is thinking of selling their $600 mln chemical tanker arm which will be the part of integration plan with German container shipping line Hapah-Lloyd AG.

Currently company is cooperating with Bank of America Corp. to find buyers among United Arab Chemical Carriers Ltd.

The final decision about sale has not been made yet, several administrative and legal actions need to be completed before agreement is signed. 

The merger deal will make UASC and Hapag-Lloyd the fifth largest container shipping group dominated by shipping agent Maersk. Future alliance will give Hapag-Lloyd instant access to few biggest container vessels which belong to UASC.

First Neopanamax docks at PortMiami

MOL Majesty, a containership built in 2010, became the first Neopanamax vessel to reach the Miami port.

With the completion of the Panama Canal expansion, mega vessels are able to traverse the region and bring increased prosperity to the Canal ports. Neopanamax ships also service ports in Asia and the Caribbean.

MOL Majesty's arrival marked the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Panama Canal and PortMiami. The deal, now in its 14th year, has fostered trade and investment, as well as improved traffic flow at the port.

Netherlands-based company that provides services relating to the construction and maintenance of maritime infrastructure on an international basis - Bokalis - decided to withdraw 24 vessels out of worldwide operations.

This decision will influence mostly old vessels - over 30 years old, which will be dismantled in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention and Boskalis standards.

It has become a result of fallen market volume, however there is no reason to worry - around 650 workers, who lost their jobs will be redeployed accordingly. The whole process will be fulfilled within 2016-2018