SHORT TAKES

…Maersk Constellation Regains Freeedom
The container Ro-Ro ship Maersk Constellation, which was being detained in Angola harbour after four containers in its manifest were found to be carrying ammunition for Kenya, has been released and is continuing it voyage.
Maersk Constellation was detained for over two weeks even though Kenyan and US officials said the shipment was in full accordance with Kenyan and US government controls.
According to a Maersk Line spokesman, the four containers were never intended to have been offloaded in Lobito and were part of a through cargo destined for Mombasa. The ship was in port for 12 days discharging cargo, mostly food aid, when Angolan authorities began asking questions about the four containers and subsequently detained the ship.

…In Kenya, New Shipping Law to End Cargo Delays
A new law to improve shipping services has been put in place. The Shipping Merchant Act will ensure accountability among maritime facilitators.
Under the new law , structures will be put in place for sustainable standards, efficiency and quality maritime services. Godfrey Omwango, the Kenya Maritime Authority representative in charge of research, said the law will help reduce shipping transport delays from the current 40 percent."The Act will also increase the number of ship or water vessels owner in the country for the benefit of the locals," Omwango said

…MOL commences New Schedule for West Africa
Mitsui OSK Line (MOL) says it has upgraded its container services between Europe and Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and, once the EU sanctions are lifted, Abidjan. The new rotation becomes Thamesport, Antwerp, Dakar, Tin Can Island, Tema, Abidjan (when practical), Antwerp, Hamburg, with the service commencing on 6 April with the Hamburg departure.
Transit will be seven days from Antwerp to Dakar and up to 31 days back to Thamesport.
“This reliable weekly service, with fast transit times, will be especially useful for customers shipping fresh produce from West Africa to Europe and further afield,” said Colin de Souza, MOL Vice President of MOL’s North South Trades.

…DP World 2010 Profit Jumps 35 Percent
DP World, the global ports operator, boosted 2010 earnings 35 percent from a year ago driven by a rebound in container traffic across its worldwide network.
Profit rose to $450 million from $333 million in 2009 on a 9 percent increase in revenue to $3.19 billion from $2.82 billion.
Container volume at the Dubai-based group's 28 consolidated terminals grew 9 percent to 27.8 million 20-foot equivalent units to overtake the record 27.7 million TEUs traffic in 2008.
Including an additional 22 terminals managed by DP World, total volume grew 14 percent in 2010 to 49.6 million TEUs.
Last year "saw a return to volume growth across almost all our terminals," said DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.
"Almost all of our container terminals around the world are back at or ahead of volumes last seen in 2008, which was a peak year for the global container terminal industry."

…As OOCL Also Swings to $841.6 Million Profit
Container line's rebound in 2010 ‘beyond all expectations,’ chairman says
Orient Overseas Container Line reported a profit of $841.6 million last year, after a loss of $376.9 million in 2009 and said it expects supply and demand to be near balance this year.
The rebound in 2010 was “beyond all expectations,” Chairman C.C. Tung said. “Unusually strong demand in the first half of 2010 and positive trading conditions throughout the remainder of the year saw our lifting volumes nearing 2008 levels.”
OOCL’s Hong Kong-based parent, Orient Overseas (International) Ltd., reported profit attributable to continuing operations of $1.87 billion, including a $1 billion profit from the sale of the company’s China real estate unit. The sale left OOIL with net cash of $1.5 billion