The CMA CGM Jules Verne, one of the world’s largest container ships currently sailing, was officially inaugurated last week by French President François Hollande in Marseille, site of CMA CGM’s home office.
The inauguration also marked the 35th anniversary of the founding of the shipping group in Marseille in 1978.
At 1,299 feet long and 177 feet wide, the Jules Verne has a capacity of 16,000 TEUs — or twenty-foot equivalent units — and boasts all the latest environmental technology.
As impressive as she is, however, the ship won’t retain that “largest” title for long.
As reported last month, Maersk Lines will deploy the first 12 of its order of 20 Triple E container ships on an Asia-Europe route this summer, starting next month.
The first Triple E — with a capacity of 18,270 TEUs — is undergoing sea trials and will make its maiden port call July 14 at Busan, Korea.
At a whopping 1,310 feet long, the Triple E has a price tag to match: $190 million.
According to the Journal of Commerce, the “Triple E” name comes from the economy of scale, energy efficiency and environmental improvements Maersk says the bigger vessels will offer.
Retailers ‘cautious’ on imports
Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports — including Savannah’s — is projected to increase only 1.1 percent in June over the same month last year.
The numbers reflect modest growth expectations as retailers head toward the back-to-school and holiday seasons, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released this week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
“With the economic recovery moving slowly, retailers are being cautious this summer and could hold off on stocking up for the holiday season until fall,” said Jonathan Gold, the federation’s vice president for supply chain. “We aren’t expecting significant increases for imports until October, when retailers will have a better idea of what to expect for holiday demand.”
Cargo import numbers do not correlate directly with retail sales or employment as they count only the number of cargo containers brought into the country, not the value of the merchandise inside them. Still, the amount of merchandise imported provides a rough indication of retailers’ expectations.
U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.31 million TEUs in April, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 14.6 percent from an unusually slow March but down slightly from April 2012.
May TEUs are estimated at 1.4 million, up 2.2 percent from a year ago. June is forecast at 1.4 million TEUs, up 1.1 percent from last year; July at 1.44 million TEUs, up 1.9 percent; August at 1.43 million TEUs, up 0.5 percent; September at 1.42 million TEUs, up 0.8 percent; and October at 1.45 million TEUs, up 7.9 percent.
“We are witnessing a period of import trade growth that is running more or less in sync with the U.S. economic expansion, said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett.
“Unfortunately, both are anemic.
“The impact of this extremely cautious consumer spending is that we expect import consumption to remain weak for the coming four to six months.”
GPA wins communication competition
The American Association of Port Authorities, a trade association representing leading port authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere, has announced that the Georgia Ports Authority has won the Dan Maynard Communications Award for Overall Excellence.
This “traveling” award is presented annually to the port that earns the most award points in AAPA’s annual Communications Awards Program competition. The trophy was renamed by AAPA’s Public Relations Committee in 2004 after the late Dan Maynard, the communications director for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
“When port authorities communicate strategically with their many audiences, including their communities, business leaders and policymakers, they’re better able to show their tremendous value as economic development and jobs drivers,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO. “This competition helps our member ports by rewarding effective communications and highlighting best practices and lessons learned.”
GPA executive director Curtis Foltz credited senior director of corporate communications Robert Morris and his staff for the honor.
“A well deserved recognition for all the hard work and professionalism demonstrated by Robert and his entire communications team,” Foltz said. “To receive the top award in the Western Hemisphere by the AAPA for the first time is a great milestone for the GPA.”
The award will be presented in October at the AAPA’s annual convention in Orlando.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.
Terminal Ship name Arrival
GCT SCT ZURICH Today
GCT MSC VITTORIA Today
GCT SEA-LAND RACER Today
GCT MAERSK UTAH Today
GCT YM KEELUNG Today
GCT MSC MESSINA Saturday
GCT CMA CGM DALILA Saturday
GCT EVER DELUXE Saturday
GCT MARE ATLANTICUM Saturday
GCT ST LOUIS EXPRESS Saturday
OT PACIFIC BLESS Saturday
GCT MIRAMARIN Sunday
GCT CGM UTRILLO Sunday
GCT ZIM VIRGINIA Sunday
GCT CHEMICAL MARINER Sunday
GCT XIN NAN TONG Sunday
OT STAR JUVENTAS Sunday
GCT MADRID EXPRESS Monday
GCT MSC BUSAN Monday
GCT XENA Monday
GCT CMA CGM MANET Monday
GCT HANJIN SAN DIEGO Monday
GCT ZIM SHANGHAI Monday
GCT CONTI HARMONY Monday
GCT MAERSK DETROIT Monday
GCT OAKLAND EXPRESS Monday
GCT HYUNDAI FORWARD Monday
OT ANET Monday
OT ATLANTIC GLORY Monday
GCT MSC LUCY Tuesday
GCT APL QATAR Tuesday
GCT NYK CONSTELLATION Tuesday
GCT ZIM RIO GRANDE Tuesday
GCT ILSE WULFF Tuesday
OT TAMERLANE Tuesday
OT ATLANTIC IMPALA Tuesday
GCT HANJIN ELIZABETH Wednesday
GCT RANJAN Wednesday
GCT MOL PRESTIGE Wednesday
GCT JO KIRI Wednesday
GCT GUANG DONG BRIDGE Wednesday
GCT HANJIN PHILADELPHIA Wednesday
GCT MAERSK ROUBAIX Thursday
GCT VALENCIA BRIDGE Thursday
GCT JPO CAPRICORNUS Thursday
GCT OOCL ANTWERP Thursday
GCT MAERSK CAROLINA Thursday
GCT ZIM PANAMA Thursday
GCT UASC DOHA Thursday
GCT CMA CGM JAMAICA Thursday