Svitzer Eagle and Svitzer Redhead, Fremantle Ports’ mighty tugs, yesterday guided RORO Onyx Arrow into the Inner Harbour for a sleep-over after eight days and ten hours at sea.
Svitzer Eagle in 2018. Credit Deanna Shanahan
Her last port was Melbourne and she is due to sail to Nansha Port in Guangdong Province, China, today. Onyx Arrow is sailing under the flag of Bermuda and is managed by Monson Agencies Australia.
Here’s the Onyx Arrow in Port
The port is filling up. Last week you could swing ten cats, now the container terminal accommodates two general cargo carriers, three container ships and with Onyx Arrow snuggling into H berth, two vehicle carriers.
The Port’s North Quay this morning
General cargo carriers, Borkum is due to sail to Christmas Island on Sunday and AAL Fremantle arrived from Shanghai after 19 days at sea and sails to Kao-hsiung Harbour in Taiwan today.
The Borkum in port 2019. Credit Deanna Shanahan
All the container ships are also leaving today. Swan River Bridge and Cosco Rotterdam are off to Singapore and GSL Ningbo will sail under the flag of Liberia to Colombo.
GSL Ningbo in Fremantle Port
Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Bess, sailing under the flag of Panama, arrived Wednesday from her last port call in Durban and also leaves tomorrow for Melbourne.
The turn-around of all these vessels and their cargo in a matter of days is testament to Fremantle Ports’ efficiency and demonstrates their capacity to realise CEO Michael Parker’s “aspirational challenge” to be an enabler of supply chain.
Maritime Executive in the meantime reports supply chain operations in the United States are being stream-lined with Freight Logistics Optimisation Works (FLOW) optimising data sharing between supply chain stakeholders.
Major shipping lines MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd are participating in the data sharing model designed to identify and manage supply chain problems along the way.
Data sharing is considered a key element in supply chain flow, but Army General Stephen Lyons, the Biden Administration’s Supply Chain Envoy, said, in addition to this, all elements of the supply chain need to operate universally, 24/7.
Los Angeles Port
Covid’s impact on China’s supply chain has industry challenging the country’s long-held position as the manufacturing mecca.
Singapore-based managing director of Australian logistics company, TOLL Group, Thomas Knudsen told Lloyd’s List that single source dependency is never a good idea.
“Sourcing 95% of our products from China is not sustainable,” he said.
China’s April exports to the USA fell 9.4% and to the EU by 7.1% while Vietnam’s exports during the same period rose 30%.
“The need to improve connectivity between warehouses, distribution centres and ports will also give rise to more cross-border trucking and rail services in regions such as Southeast Asia as an alternative to ocean freight.
“I think one big thing that will happen over the next few years is that some volume will move from ocean into the land-based transport. Just 2% of ocean is going to have a massive positive impact on rail and trucks,” Mr Knudsen said.
Improving communication and connectivity amongst all elements of the supply chain has been identified as an industry requirement to secure long-term efficiency.
Fremantle Port’s is working with State agencies, port service providers and the transport industry to develop the Land Transport Linkage Strategy which aims to develop port facilities, corridors and distribution centres to secure a reliable, safe and continuous supply chain flow into the future.
The future is obviously ahead of us!
* By PA Sinclair, our Shipping Correspondent. For more Shipping Movements and articles by our Shipping Correspondent look here.
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