Your daily news service from ports around the world.
In this HOT PORT NEWS, read about:
* Norway, all ports – Possible ship engineers’ strike
* Australia, all ports – Protection of Sea Levy reduction
* Australia, all ports – Changes to Bunker excise
* Egypt, Suez Canal – Modification of limit time for northbound convoy
DATE: May 14, 2014
COUNTRY: Norway
PORT: all ports
Possible ship engineers’ strike
600 Norwegian engineers in service on ships, members of the Maritime NHO,
could go on strike with effect from 0000 hours tomorrow (15 May).
If the strike goes ahead, it will affect most maritime traffic at Norwegian
ports, bringing ferries, fast ferries, tugs, training ships, rescue boats
and coastal steamers to a halt.
For information about operations in Norway contact GAC Norway at
norway@gac.com
DATE: May 14, 2014
COUNTRY: Australia
PORT: all ports
Protection of Sea Levy reduction
The Australian Government has announced as part of the latest Budget that
it will return the Protection of the Sea Levy to its original level of
11.25 cents per net registered ton.
This is reduced from the present level of 14.25 cents per NRT – a reduction
of approximately 21%.
The revised rate is expected to come into effect from 1 July 2014.
For further details and information about operations in Australia contact
GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com
DATE: May 14, 2014
COUNTRY: Australia
PORT: all ports
Changes to Bunker excise
A change to the fuel excise in Australia will come into effect from 1
August, as a result of the Federal Government’s latest Budget which was
handed down yesterday (13 May).
Indexation against the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for the fuel excise will
be re-introduced. This applies to all fuels and will have an impact on the
shipping industry when a Australian coastal voyage is undertaken.
Fuel excise was linked to CPI up until 2000 when it was frozen at the
current rate of $0.38143 per litre.
BUNKER EXCISE
Currently when a coastal voyage is undertaken duty is payable on bunkers
consumed at a rate of $0.38143 per litre. This rate will increase twice
yearly inline with CPI from 1 August 2014. The last published (March 2014)
CPI figures are 2.9% over the previous 12 months.
FUEL TAX CREDITS
Under the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme duty paid on bunkers is able to be
reclaimed at a rate of, currently $0.31622 per litre, however this will
decrease to $0.31285 from July 1, 2014 (this decrease was already known as
part of the carbon tax legislation and is not as a result of the latest
budget). At this point in time there is no mention as a result of the
latest budget of any changes to the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme.
On this basis, the net effect is that from August 1 where bunker excise is
payable as the result of a coastal voyage it will be levied at a rate
higher than the current $0.38143 per litre and the available reclaim will
remain unchanged (allowing for the expected reduction on 1 July)
effectively operators paying bunker excise will be reclaiming less and
therefore paying more.
For information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at
shipping.australia@gac.com
DATE: May 14, 2014
COUNTRY: Egypt
PORT: Suez Canal
Modification of limit time for northbound convoy
From tomorrow (15 May) the limit time of arrival for the Suez Canal
northbound convoy for ALL ships will be 0200 hours local time.
This is in favour for tankers, LNG, LPG and ships with draught exceeding 38
FT whose limit time of arrival is 0100 hours local time until the end of
today (14 May).
There is only one northbound convoy commences daily at 0600 hours local
time, and it has a free run from Suez to Port Said (transit time
approximately 10 hours).
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Circular No.5/2014 states:
QUOTE….
In order to minimize the time of transit and reduce waiting at Bitter
Lakes, SCA has decided the following:
ARTICLE ONE:
Para B of Article 50 of SC Rules of Navigation edition Dec. 2007 shall be
modified to read as follows:
典he limit time for all vessels joining the northbound convoy is hr 0200
north of lat: 29 deg. 42′.8N and is limited by long. 32 deg. 23′.1E & long.
32 deg. 41′.5E.
a) Ships arriving after hr 0200 until hr 0300 can also join the northbound
convoy against payment of a surcharge equal to 3% of the normal transit
dues with maximum of 7000 SDR.
b) Ships arriving after hr 0300 until hr 0400 can also join northbound
convoy against payment of a surcharge equal to 5% of the normal transit
dues with maximum of 10500 SDR.
c) Ships arriving after hr 0400 may join northbound convoy, if traffic
conditions permit, against the payment of a surcharge equal to 10% of the
normal transit dues with maximum of 20000 SDR.
ARTICLE TWO:
Paragraph C of Article 50 of SC Rules of Navigation edition Dec. 2007 shall
be cancelled.”
….UNQUOTE.
For information about operations in the Suez Canal contact GAC Egypt at
suezcanal@gac.com
GAC is the world’s leading provider of services and solutions for the
global Shipping, Logistics and Marine industries.
“Jo”
