Further details on the blank sailings:

Quote

Transatlantic Trade Update
Notice of AX2 Blank Sailing

 
28th November 2014

 
Dear Valued Customer,
Please be advised of a scheduled phase out operation planned for AX2 – Boston Express 100E – in Europe. There will only be discharging operations up to Bremerhaven on this voyage, with a Le Havre omission and a subsequent blank sailing on the westbound voyage.

 
Due to this operation, there will be a blank sailing in Week 01(WB) and Week 04(EB).

 
Please see the following details:
AX2 Blank Sailing in Week 01 (WB-ETA SOU 28th Dec 2014) & Week 04 (EB-ETA HOU 20th Jan 2015)
Resumption of service will commence in Week 02 and 05 on Rotterdam Express 088W/ 088E respectively with the following schedule:

Southampton : ETA 4th January 2015
Antwerp : ETA 5th January 2015
Bremerhaven : ETA 7th January 2015
Le Havre : ETA 9th January 2015
Houston : ETA 27th January 2015
New Orleans : ETA 30th January 2015
Charleston : ETA 3rd February 2015
Southampton : ETA 15th February 2015

 
NYK Line appreciates your continued support. Please discuss with your Sales or Customer Service representative if you have further questions regarding NYK Line services.

Unquote

Quote

Transatlantic Trade Update
Notice of AX1 Blank Sailing

 
28th November 2014

 
Dear Valued Customer,
Please be advised of a scheduled phase out operation planned for AX1 – Frankfurt Express 029E – in Europe. There will only be discharging operations up to Southampton on this voyage and a subsequent blank sailing on the westbound voyage.

 
Please see the following details:

 
AX1/Frankfurt Express 029E – Blank Sailing in Week 52 (EB- ETA LEH 25th Dec 2014) & Week 02 (WB- ETA New York 9th Jan 2015)
Resumption of service will commence in Week 01 and 03 on Bremen Express 037W/ 037E respectively with the following schedule:

Le Havre : ETA 1st January 2015
Rotterdam : ETA 2nd January 2015
Hamburg : ETA 5th January 2015
Southampton : ETA 8th January 2015
New York : ETA 17th January 2015
Norfolk : ETA 20th January 2015
Charleston : ETA 24th January 2015
Le Havre : ETA 5th February 2015

NYK Line appreciates your continued support. Please discuss with your Sales or Customer Service representative if you have further questions regarding NYK Line services.

Unquote

We wonder, who is missing in the meantime, we only seem to distribute Low Sulphur Surcharge circulars…:

Quote

Dear Customers,
At CSAV we are very worried about the environmental protection avoiding any impact we may cause. For that purpose, and following the international environmental regulations, we will introduce a new Low Sulphur Charge (LSC) effective from January 1st 2015 in order to offset additional costs incurred by using cleaner fuels in the Emission Control Areas (ECA).

 
Emission Control Areas in Europe and North America:

By publishing this new surcharge separately from the bunker cost we want to show transparency to our customers regarding the new costs CSAV will incur due to environmental requirements.

 
Background
 As from January 1st 2015 new legal requirements will apply in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North Europe (including Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel) and North America (200 nautical miles from American and Canadian shore) which will lower the maximum allowed content of sulphur in fuel burned in ECA’s to 0.1% sulphur from today’s 1.0%

 
 In order to follow these regulations CSAV will need to incur on significant additional fuel costs. Marine diesel with a sulphur content of 0.1% is USD 300/tons higher than currently used fuel with 1.0% sulphur.

 
 Applying this fuel change we will have a very positive environmental impact by reducing sulphur emissions in approximately 90% in ECA areas.

 
CSAV Group will strictly follow the ECA regulations in order to protect the people and the environment.

 
Below table indicates new Low Sulphur Charge (LSC) per TEU for CSAV Group trades affected by this surcharge. This surcharge will be applied equally to dry and reefer containers.

Unquote

Transatlantic Trade Update
ECA Regulation Surcharge and
North Europe Outports ECA Surcharge

 
28th November 2014

 
Dear Valued Customer,
As of 1st January 2015, every ship operating within the Emission Control Area (ECA) must use higher quality fuels with a sulphur content of no more than 0.1% (current limit 1%). Adherence to this limit under MARPOL Annex VI is required of ship owners by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations body responsible for maritime affairs. With reference to our previous advisory on explaining ECA Regulation Surcharge, NYK would like to announce the implementation of this surcharge for the Transatlantic Trade.

 
Please refer to the following ECA surcharge quantum details:

Effective Period : 1st January 2015 to 31st March 2015

NYK Line appreciates your continued support. Please discuss with your Sales or Customer Service representative if you have any further questions regarding this advisory.

Unquote

Another one, first installed, now cancelled…:

Quote

Transpacific Trade (Eastbound) – Port Congestion Surcharge (PCS) Suspension

Dear Valued Customer,

Further to our announcement released on November 25th, OOCL has decided to postpone the imposition of the Port Congestion Surcharge (PCS) on all cargo entering the United States via US West Coast port or Canadian West Coast Gateway port with immediate effect, and until further notice.

For further information, kindly contact your local OOCL sales representative.

Thank you for your continued support of OOCL.

Unquote

Here the details of the MOL Low Sulphur Surcharge:

Quote

November 26, 2014

RE: Low Sulfur Fuel Charge (LSF) – Effective January 2015

 
Dear Valued Customer,
As a global shipping company with operations around the world, MOL Liner is committed to comply with the international environment regulations in order to maintain our environment sustainability.

 
From January 2015, MOL Liner will engage in full compliance in the implementation of new Low Sulfur Fuel Policy set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in which the new policy requires every ship operating within the Emission Control Areas (ECAs) to use fuel with a maximum allowed sulfur content of 0.1% (current limit: 1.0%).

 
Emission Control Areas (ECA)
Currently, ECAs exits in North Europe (including the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel) and North America (both East and West Coast) and the Caribbean Sea.

Environmental Impact
Sulfur Dioxide (Sox) emissions are toxic and cause respiratory implications as well as acid rain. Under the low sulfur fuel policy, SOx from ships will be reduced in the ECA areas, which will have significant positive effects on the environment and on health in general. The carbon footprint will also be reduced from the container shipments.

(*2) Above charges are per TEU (20 foot equivalent units) and will be applied equally to dry and reefer containers as well as trade direction.
(*3) MOL BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor) formula does already include low sulfur fuel portion in it. The Q1 2015 BAF shall be announced by the end of November 2014 that includes new low sulfur charge effective January 2015. Please visit www.molpower.com (Tariff page) for further details.

….

Unquote

Hyundai gives that latest overview on the port situation  at the  West Coast of the USA :

Quote

27thNovember 2014

Dear Valued Customer:

Further to our last update, and as has been widely reported, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union(ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) continue to negotiate a new contract for coverage of United States West Coast Ports.

Given the uncertainty of the situation on the US West Coast, please find attached our latest update. Customers are however encouraged to monitor the status of labour negotiations directly at http://pmanet.org/news-info in order to gauge possible outcomes of the negotiations.

In essence, cargo is subject to more frequent delay along the supply-chain, especially from vessel arrival delays due to industrial action/s, berthing conflicts,longer dwell times at marine terminals, constrained railcar supply preventing timely train departures, slower rail transit times, and extended truck deliveries plus delays in obtaining truck haulage due to truck (and driver)shortages.

Due to severe delays and existing backlog of containers requiring delivery, HMM regrettably must restrict inland deliveries.

*HMM Restriction: DR Deliveries via USA West Coast (Trans-Atlantic Trades; WB)*

With immediate effect, please note that HMM are unable to accept NEW pricing requests for DRdeliveries via USWC ports.

HMM will try and honour existing agreements, and can accept DR via USWC when in current SCor R/R under DR terms –however please be advised that severe delays are likely.

If existing agreement is CY-CY, we regret that the carriers haulage option will meantime be suspendedand new door bookings will be declined.

It is anticipated that the situation will continue in the short term, HMM will however continue to monitor the situation, and work with all service providers to minimize transit delays and recover the situation as early as possible.

Unquote

Here the latest details about the winter program on the Transtatlantic.

Quote

Trans-Atlantic Trade – Winter Program Update

 
Dear Valued Customer,
In response to the expected low demand during the upcoming Christmas and New Year period, we would like to inform you about the withdrawal of the following Trans-Atlantic sailings:

 
AX1 Mv “Frankfurt Express” 030W, ETS Hamburg on December 30, 2014
AX2 Mv “Rotterdam Express” 088W, ETS Bremerhaven on January 1, 2015
GEX2 Mv “Montreal Express” 246W, ETS Hamburg on January 5, 2015

 
In addition we would also like to inform you that the Pacific Atlantic 2 (PA2) service will temporarily stop calling European ports, and instead turn around on the US East Coast. Consequently, the PA2 service will time being not be part of the G6 Trans-Atlantic Network.

 
The Last sailing of PA2 service from Europe will be the APL Egypt 072W o ETS Bremerhaven December 31, 2014 o ETA New York January 10, 2015.
For further information, please kindly contact our local representatives.
Thank you for your understanding and support of OOCL.

Unquote

One by one the carriers show up with the numbers, here now K- Line:

Quote

Customer Advisory Notice

New Emissions Control Area Surcharge (Europe & USA)

Dear Valued “K” Line Customer,

With effect from 1^st January, 2015 new legal requirements will come into force within the Emission Control Area (ECA) of North Europe, covering the English Channel, North Sea and Baltic Sea and North America, covering 200 nautical miles from the American and Canadian coast, requiring all vessels to burn fuel with a sulphur content of not more than 0.1% (reduced from 1.0%).

“K” Line fully supports this initiative to improve the environment by reducing the level of air pollution from ships. To offset the increased cost of consuming cleaner fuel we will introduce a new and separate ‘Emission Control Area Surcharge’ the details of which are set out in the following table:

The surcharge will apply to all cargo (dry & refrigerated) that is loaded, transhipped and/or discharged at a port within the Emission Control Area (ECA) of North Europe and North America.

The ECA Surcharge will be reviewed each month by “K” Line and may be adjusted upward or downward, to reflect any fluctuation in the price of low-sulphur fuel.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact your local “K” Line office.

Unquote

The Low Sulphur Story will entertain us for a while, here is another one:

Quote

Low Sulphur Surcharge USA Trade
Dear valued Customer,
we as Agent of EVERGREEN LINE would like to inform you, that Low Sulphur Surcharge will be implemented in view of International Maritime Organization new environmental regulation to set global sulphur emission limits for marine fuel.
Carriers are required to use low-sulphur fuel with a sulphur content of less than 0.1% in emission control areas. The emission control areas cover North Europe (including the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel) and North America.
The amount of the Low Sulphur Surcharge (LSS) will be determined and updated periodically and will implement as follows:
Tariff: 606 – USA/Europe Trade (Rule: 010-L02)
Effective Date: January 01, 2015 (carrier’s custody)

Unless otherwise specified, all existing Tariff Rates, Special Quotations as well as Service Contracts are subject to Low Sulphur Surcharge (LSS).
In case of any further questions please contact your local Evergreen Team.

Unquote