Ports

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   The Port of Los Angeles set a container volume record for April, according to statistics released by the port Tuesday.    The port, the biggest in the Western Hemisphere, had volume of 707,182 TEUs in the month, a 14.5 percent year-on-year increase. Import volume rose 16.7 percent to 364,555 TEUs, while exports rose 11.6 percent to 186,838 TEUs. Year-to-date total volume at Los Angeles is up 6.1 percent to nearly 2.6 million TEUs.    The neighboring Port of Lon...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   NYK Line (North America) Inc. said it has begun the process of no longer providing chassis in certain markets, and said on July 1 the policy will be extended to the Tacoma, Seattle, and Portland markets.    The liner company said "the change is designed to build efficiencies while minimizing the environmental impact of having a large number of chassis that are used intermittently and have to be stored and moved."    NYK said it believes "this policy change will not only ...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   Overseers of the St. Lawrence Seaway’s operations said steel and construction industries, with their increased demand for North American commodities such as iron ore, stone and cement, has ensured a “solid start” for the 2012 shipping season.    The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to April 30 were 4.4 million metric tons, up 2.24 percent over the same period in 2011.    “Coal shipments, the seaway’s second larg...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

   The Port of Virginia said Tuesday its container volume rose 5.2 percent year-on-year in April to 169,644 TEUs.    It’s the third consecutive month of year-on-year growth for the port. Year-to-date volume has grown 2.1 percent in 2012 to 647,713 TEUs.    The port said its rail volume rose 19.8 percent in April to 29,823 TEUs. Year-to-date intermodal volume has risen 10.7 percent to 115,573 TEUs.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

   A new MOL/Evergreen Asia-U.S. East Coast service announced last week includes an unusual rotational characteristic – a first-in call at the Port of Virginia.    The 10-ship service, dubbed SVS by MOL, has a rotation of Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Algeciras, Norfolk, Savannah, Jacksonville, Charleston, Algeciras, Singapore, Cai Mep, and Hong Kong.    According to American Shipper liner affiliate ComPair Data , of the 13 container services that currently connect the Far...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

   Maritime industry and civic leaders attended a ceremony Monday at the Port of Long Beach to mark the official start of the $1.2 billion Middle Harbor redevelopment project.    The event was highlighted by driving a commemorative "golden pile" into the base for a new wharf being built, according to a port news release.    Last month, Hong Kong-based OOCL and its local terminal arm finalized a 40-year, $4.6 billion lease of the redeveloped terminal originally...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Rep. Hahn wants more policy focus on ports.    Members of the congressional PORTS Caucus are scheduled to meet with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood next month to press the connection between port investment and economic growth, Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., told a pro-freight audience last week at the annual conference of the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors on Capitol Hill.   The PORTS Caucus, founded by Hahn last fall, has about 65 members.    "We re...

Monday, May 14, 2012

   SC Line has begun a new service catering to shippers of new and used vehicles, boats and heavy equipment from Port Everglades, Fla., to Colombia, Panama and the Dominican Republic.    “We are a very clean, boutique service, addressing the shipping needs of corporate truck and car manufacturers such as Navistar/International, Mack, Sofasa/Renault, VW, among others,” said Farid Escobar, SC Line’s South Florida manager, in a statement. “In line with our management's lo...

Monday, May 14, 2012

   The Ports of Indiana has appointed Anthony Kuk as director of its Burns Harbor operation located in Portage.    Prior to this appointment, Kuk (pronounced “Cook”) was general manager for Nexeo Solutions' Midwest operations, based in Chicago. Nexeo was formed in April 2011 from the distribution division of Ashland Inc. Kuk replaces Peter Laman at Burns Harbor.    Kuk also held management positions at Unisource Worldwide, Consolidated Freightways and Preston Trucking Co., ...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   Global Container Terminals has announced plans for a multimillion-dollar expansion to its Global Terminal in Bayonne, N.J. that it said will make it one of the most technologically advanced container facilities in the country.    James J. Devine, president and chief executive officer of Global Container Terminals USA, said the expansion will add 70 acres to Global Terminal’s existing 99 acres, and increase annual capacity from about 400,000 to 1 million container lifts (1.7 millio...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   Cargotec has changed the roles of several executives to further implement its marine and terminal business strategy.    In specific, Cargotec aims to grow its marine activities in Asia, especially in offshore, and accelerate the improvement of its terminal business to enable growth.    Chief Operating Officer Pekka Vauramo has been appointed executive vice president for marine, effective Aug. 1. He will continue as deputy to President and Chief Executive Officer Mikael M...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

   The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday voted to advance a bill that directs the Department of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on gaps in port security and how to address them.    The "Gauging American Port Security Act" was introduced by Rep. Janice Hahn, D-Calif., who has taken an active interest in port issues since winning a seat in a special election last year. She is the founder of the PORTS Caucus on Capitol Hill.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   The chief negotiator for U.S. East Coast and Gulf terminal operators and ocean carriers in ongoing contracts discussion with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) said Tuesday he didn’t think unionized dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports would join ILA members if they strike this fall.    The ILA and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing terminal operators and ocean carriers in collective bargaining, are negotiating a new multiyear contract, with the cu...

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   The Port of Corpus Christi in Texas announced on Tuesday a sales agreement with Oxy Ingleside Property Holdings, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp., to buy about 816 acres of the former U.S. Naval Station Ingleside and adjacent port property for $82.1 million cash.    The transaction does not include the former naval base “campus” section.    Previously, Oxy deposited a $1 million down payment, the port authority said. With the signing of the sales agreement, a 3...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   Using a newly purchased chassis pool, third-party logistics service provider Regal Logistics said it is now ready to meet demand requirements for on container transport service at piers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, including the ports of Tacoma and Seattle.    The company said it is responding to a market vacuum as steamship lines eliminate chassis provisions at ports to cut costs, a trend it said is already affecting operations on the West coast.     “In mos...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.2 million tons in April, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to a year ago.    However, when compared to its 5-year average, the trade was down nearly 27 percent, said the Cleveland-based Lake Carriers’ Association.    The trade group said loadings at Lake Superior ports increased by nearly 10 percent, but shipments from Chicago fell by a third, while Lake Erie ports were off 12.3 percent, or 90,000 tons.    Year-to...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   International Longshore and Warehouse Union President Robert McEllrath on Tuesday issued a strong statement supporting U.S. East and Gulf coast dockworkers in their talks with maritime employers, saying the two unions have similar goals and depend on solidarity to ensure strong contracts on both coasts.    The International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing terminal operators and ocean carriers in collective bargaining, are...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has granted permits to a private development group for the construction and operation of a new container terminal to be built at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal.    With an estimated construction value exceeding $600 million, the Panama Colón Container Port said the facility will have four berths and is expected to have annual capacity for 2 million TEUs. The terminal property is located on the same location as the former U.S. military...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to remove the remains of a Civil War-era vessel that remains an obstacle to a major harbor deepening project for the Port of Savannah.    The Corps of Engineers will spend an estimated $14 million to remove the Confederate ironclad warship Georgia and its ordinance, which was reportedly scuttled in December 1864 just before Union General Sherman’s arrival in the port city. The vessel never fired a shot during the war and essentially ser...

Monday, May 07, 2012

   The Port of Long Beach and California Department of Transportation have identified a $649.5 million bid from a joint venture as the best option for designing and building a replacement for the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge.    The joint venture's major partners are Shimmick Construction Co. Inc., Oakland, Calif.; FCC Construction S.A., based in Madrid; Italy's Impregilo S.p.A.; San Francisco-based Arup North America Ltd.; and Biggs Cardosa Associates Inc., San Jose, Calif....

Friday, May 04, 2012

   Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics said it will make its inaugural call to Adelaide, Australia on Saturday, May 5, with its pure car truck carrier Aida .    The ship operates on a WWL route from Europe via North America. The company has also added calls in Galveston, Texas, on the service.    The company said while it carries cars to the Oceania region, the trade is increasingly driven by Australia’s mining and agricultural industries and the need for hea...

Friday, May 04, 2012

   The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has begun publishing " PA Pulse ," monthly indexes of passenger and freight volumes.     The agency says while "the indices do not precisely account for every passenger or every dollar worth of freight that passes through port authority facilities, they approximate those quantities closely using observed data."     The port authority said the indexes will track the rise and fall of...

Friday, May 04, 2012

   Dockworkers at the Port of Tilbury in England are set to strike May 7 over a change in their contract that calls on them to work when ships are ready for unloading, not in set shift patterns.    Forty-five employees are involved in the planned action, all of them at the Enterprise Distribution Centre in Essex and members of the union Unite. The union said it is the first strike by dockworkers at Tilbury since 1989.    The workers will picket outside the ma...

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

   An executive from APM Terminals told the "Future Ports" conference in Stockholm last week that "productivity will be the battleground for terminal operators and those who are able to meet our customers’ requirements will be the winners."    Soren Sjostrand Jakobsen, APMT's head of project implementation, said as carriers build bigger ships “it is imperative that we are able to increase our delivered productivity at minimum the same pace as the ships grow - but preferably...

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

   Manatee County Port Authority in Florida has approved a $13 million contract with American Bridge Co. for a 584-foot extension of Berth 12 and a 10-acre container yard.    The project is expected to be completed in June 2013, in advance of the completion of the Panama Canal expansion.    Once completed, Berth 12 will be 1,584 long with a 40-foot draft. The extension will complement dredging completed in October 2011, and finish an expansion project that or...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   A 15 percent increase in cargo by weight helped the Port of Baltimore set a record in 2011 of $51.4 billion worth of goods that moved over the state's docks, a 24 percent increase in value over the prior year, according to the latest statistics released by the Maryland Port Administration.    The port's marine terminals processed 37.8 million tons of cargo last year compared to 32.8 million tons in 2010. The percentage growth was higher than any other port in the nation. &nbs...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, worried that planning for a rail intermodal center to support more port-related cargo and economic growth is taking longer than anticipated, on Friday asked CSX Transportation to consider a site within city limits instead of suburban locations that face political opposition or excessive development costs.    The freight railroad wants to build an intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) south of the city to combine international ...

Friday, April 27, 2012

Maersk operation tailored to balance U.S. import and export international container volumes.     By Francis Phillips          Beginning early March Maersk Line launched a premium transpacific eastbound service called Flagship.    It offers weekly day of availability connections between 15 ports in Asia and five inland destinations in the United States, including Chicago, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Memphis, and Northwest Ohio. The inland r...

Friday, April 27, 2012

   Opponents of dredging the Port of Miami's main shipping channel to 50 feet will withdraw petitions seeking to block the project after Miami-Dade County officials agreed to contribute $2.3 million to support environmental programs aimed at protecting and restoring Biscayne Bay, the county announced Thursday.     The deal, which must still be approved by the Board of County Commissioners at its May 1 meeting, will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to move ahead with c...

Friday, April 27, 2012

   The Port of Virginia said Monday that for the second time this year it has become the last outbound port of call on the East Coast for a liner service.    Being the last destination point is desirable for ports because they can capture business from exporters in a broader region who may delay booking cargo at their local port to avoid the extra transit time while vessels make other stops along the seaboard.    The CKYH Green Alliance has adjusted the schedule for its AWE...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   The Weather Channel this week said it expects the Atlantic hurricane season in 2012 to be milder than in recent years.    “This preseason forecast calls for 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes (category three or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale),” the channel said. “These forecast numbers are below the long-term average from 1950-2011 (12 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes) and well below the averages for the curre...

Thursday, April 26, 2012

   The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a $550,000 grant to Terminal Fluvial Andalucía, S.A. (Andalucia River Terminal or "TFA") for a feasibility study to determine the technical and financial viability of a new inland river port along Colombia’s Magdalena River.    The feasibility study will also include the preparation of preliminary design documents for the river port. TFA, a subsidiary of Grupo Puerto de Cartagena (GPC), plans to build and operate an inland riv...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   Leonard D. Waterworth was appointed to executive director of the Port of Houston Authority during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.    Waterworth had served as interim executive director since Jan. 30. Prior to that, he had been president and chief executive officer of Dannenbaum Engineering Corp., a Texas-based engineering-consulting firm. He has also been district engineer commander of the Army Corps of Engineers District in Galveston.  ...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The terminal operator COSCO Pacific said its operating profit grew 40.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012 to $57 million.    COSCO’s revenue grew 33.5 percent to $174 million.    Container throughput at terminals in which COSCO has a stake increased 11.5 percent to 12.8 million in the first quarter.    COSCO is a subsidiary of the state-owned China COSCO Group, and includes container leasing and manufacturing divisions. — Eric Johnson

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   Pacer International and CRST International said Tuesday they have agreed to multi-market dedicated drayage agreements focused on driving intermodal drayage efficiencies and providing incremental capacity for Pacer.    CRST has formed a separate operating unit, CRST IMX, within its dedicated services subsidiary to provide the service. CRST IMX will market, sell, and operate its intermodal drayage network and other short-haul trucking services.    The initial focu...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The Diamond State Port Corp., operator of Delaware’s Port of Wilmington, on Monday handled its first shipment of wind turbine blades manufactured by REpower Systems SE.    The cargo arrived on the vessel Star Hansa , and 45 blades, each measuring more than 147-feet long, were discharged. The blades will be trucked to the Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pa. Upon completion, the wind farm will consist of 68 turbines capable of generating 2.05 megawatts of electri...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The Port of Indiana said Phoenix Services has signed a multi-year contract with ArcelorMittal to provide slag and processing services for the Burns Harbor steel giant.    Slag is a product generated during the iron- and steel-making processes. Phoenix has opened a 13-acre distribution facility at the port and is installing processing equipment at various locations throughout the ArcelorMittal complex.    "We are in the process of installing the most technologically advan...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   The Port of Long Beach has been selected to apply for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to replace the highly congested Gerald Desmond Bridge.    The bridge lacks capacity for current and projected traffic, including trucks that serve the Southern California port, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday.    The Port of Long Beach project was one of five picked to submit a loan application, which the Transporta...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   States, local governments and non-profit organizations can apply for up to $20 million worth of grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help programs aimed at replacing older diesel engines with cleaner alternatives.    The EPA on Friday opened the fiscal year 2012 application process for the Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA). Another $9 million in funding will be available through state environmental programs, it said.    Late-model diesel en...

Monday, April 23, 2012

   The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach both saw sizable growth in container volumes in March, according to statistics released last week by the ports.    Los Angeles’ total volume grew 8.3 percent year-on-year in March to 650,452 TEUs, while Long Beach volume grew 12 percent to 461,590 TEUs.    Los Angeles’ loaded import volume grew 9.3 percent to 324,758 TEUs, while loaded exports fell 2.4 percent to 188,155 TEUs. Year-to-date, volume is up 3.2 percent to 1.9 million TE...

Monday, April 23, 2012

   American Honda Motor Co. has started shipping new CR-Vs manufactured at its plant in East Liberty, Ohio, to the Port of Jacksonville for export to the Middle East, Africa and Puerto Rico, the port authority said.    After evaluating several ports, Honda selected Jacksonville and auto processor AMPORTS to receive, prep and load the new CR-Vs on car carriers. AMPORTS operates a 141 acre facility at the Blount Island Terminal. Rail service is provided by CSX Transporta...

Friday, April 20, 2012

   An executive at the Port of Long Beach dismissed the possibility that dockworkers on the West Coast would engage in work slowdowns or other sympathy action if negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association, which represents longshoremen on the East and Gulf coasts, and maritime employers on a new contract break down.    ILA leaders late last month began collective bargaining talks with representatives for container lines and stevedoring companies. The curre...

Friday, April 20, 2012

   The Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a new five-year strategic plan that focuses on retaining its place as the top U.S. seaport, among a variety of other goals.    The plan is built around three main areas of emphasis – competitive operations, strong relationships and financial strength. Underlying those goals are efforts to improve sustainability, optimize land use, advancing maritime technologies, and growing market share.    ...

Friday, April 20, 2012

   The Port of Brownsville handled 6.1 million tons of cargo in 2011, 16 percent more than the prior year.    The Texas port said in a statement that while it is primarily thought of as a steel port, it has "made a conscious push to diversify the types of cargoes handled."    “We are among the top three ports in the country in terms of steel imports and exports, however, over the course of the last few years we have experienced a steady increase in our liquid commoditi...

Friday, April 20, 2012

   The substance of comments at a Senate hearing on a proposal for federal oversight of tolls charged on bridges, tunnels and highways got overshadowed by a political brawl more suited for an episode of Jersey Shore than Capitol Hill this week.    "Trash Talk Gets Louder," screamed the headline of The Star-Ledger , New Jersey's largest newspaper Friday morning, reporting on the aftermath of a hearing on Wednesday dominated by testy exchanges between Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.,...

Thursday, April 19, 2012

   The South Carolina Ports Authority said it is doubling, to $10,000, the financial incentive for local truck drivers who shuttle containers in and out of the Port of Charleston to replace old, polluting trucks with ones made since 2004.    The port launched its voluntary truck-replacement program last fall, offering $5,000 towards the purchase of a newer truck to frequent port users driving pre-1994 vehicles. Removing the old trucks is a priority for many ports around the nati...

Thursday, April 19, 2012

   One way or another U.S. harbors may get more money for maintaining shipping channels this year.    On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 293 to 127 in favor of H.R. 4348, the 2012 Surface Transportation Extension Act. The bill will extend by three months past June 30 funding for transportation and transit projects and includes a provision that would result in additional funding for harbor maintenance.    Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr., R-La., said...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

   Two large intermodal projects to better connect the Port of Tampa with road and rail networks are making good progress and will benefit freight shippers such as American Honda Motor Co., which recently began using the port as an import gateway.    Construction of an on-dock rail facility to handle 100-car unit trains of ethanol from the Midwest is scheduled to be completed by the fall, according to the Tampa Port Authority. The multipurpose rail terminal can also serve the ad...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

   The Virginia Port Authority said 166,719 TEUs were handled at its terminals in March, an increase of 4.4 percent when compared with totals from March 2011.    VPA also said breakbulk totals increased to 32,011 tons, an 8.6 percent increase compared to totals from last March.    The port also handled 31,532 rail containers in March, a 12.5 percent increase over the same period last year.    The number of containers moved between the Port of R...

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

   President Obama visited the Port of Tampa Friday and spoke about the benefits of trade with Latin America on his way to the Summit of the Americas in Colombia.     The president reiterated that increasing exports to the rest of the world is a part of his plan to help restore American manufacturing and create jobs.     "Part of building that economy is making sure that we're not a country that's known just for what we buy and what we consume. After all,...

Friday, April 13, 2012

   Maher Terminals has filed a complaint against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, claiming the agency gave a sweetheart deal to a competing terminal after it won the business of its largest customer.    In October 2009, Mediterranean Shipping Co. transferred its business from Maher to the neighboring Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT).    Maher said the port authority knew that the transfer would harm...

Thursday, April 12, 2012

   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a report Wednesday recommending the Savannah River be deepened from 42 to 47 feet.    The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project study, which consists of a General Re-evaluation Report and an Environmental Impact Statement, looked at options ranging from keeping the harbor at its current depth to deepening it to 48 feet. It concluded that deepening the harbor from its current depth of 42 feet to 47 feet is "economically viable, environment...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

   Cargo tonnage at the Port of Redwood City, Calif., for the first three quarters of the fiscal year ended March 31 was 965,033 metric tons, an increase of 390,165 metric tons, or more than 68 percent higher than the first three quarters of the previous fiscal year, the port announced.    Imports of sand and aggregates in the first three quarters totaled 614,799 metric tons, two-thirds higher than the same period the year before. The increase helped offset an 85,011 metric ton decre...

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

DOT bans motor carrier    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday ordered J&A Transportation of New Jersey to shut down operations because it posed a threat to public safety.     The agency, part of the Department of Transportation, placed J&A out of service after multiple hours-of-service, driver and vehicle maintenance violations were discovered during roadside inspections.    FMCSA found the trucking company continued to operate without an ...

Monday, April 09, 2012

   A review of Area Maritime Security (AMS) plans for some of the nation's largest ports by the Government Accountability Office found they have incorporated key recovery and salvage response planning elements as called for by legislation and the Coast Guard.    GAO reviewed the plans, which are supposed to help ports and waterways recover in the event of a disaster such as a terrorist incident or natural disaster like a hurricane, at the request of Congress. &nbs...

Monday, April 09, 2012

   Baltimore's Domino Sugar refinery said it planned to make history Monday by receiving the largest single raw sugar shipment to be delivered to any port east of the Mississippi.    The company said it will set a record by receiving more than 95 million pounds of raw sugar from Guatemala, just six weeks short of the factory's 90th anniversary.    The sugar will arrive on the Simon Schulte , a handymax bulk carrier with a capacity of 45,320 deadweight tons. T...

Friday, April 06, 2012

  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said overwhelming requests for so-called TIGER grants reflect the need for increased infrastructure funding.   "It's clear that communities across America can't afford to wait any longer to get started," LaHood said. "At a time when gas prices are high, it's more important than ever that we invest in projects that will relieve congestion, improve the safety of our transportation systems, and provide Americans with affordable, efficient optio...

Friday, April 06, 2012

   Customs and Border Protection has agreed to continue inspections at the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn through Jan. 8, 2017.    Customs has recently consolidated its examinations in the Port of New York and New Jersey.    Yesterday's announcement means cargo will not have to be trucked to sites in New Jersey or on Staten Island to undergo examination, but will be looked at in Brooklyn. There were concerns that trucking cargo to and from distant examination sites ...

Thursday, April 05, 2012

  The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said mariners along the U.S. East Coast can now download a new iPad and iPhone application that warns them when they enter areas of high risk of collision with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.     The free Whale Alert app provides one source for information about right whale management measures and the latest data about right whale detections, all overlaid on NOAA digital charts.    Fede...

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

   Austerity measures will result in a weak first quarter for North Europe ports, says Ben Hackett, founder of the consultancy Hackett Associates, in the latest edition of the North Europe Global Port Tracker report.    The report, prepared with the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) in Bremen, is projecting European deep-sea import growth for 2012 in the 3 percent range, with most of the growth coming in the second half of the year. Volumes through July are...