IFC is conducting in-depth analyses of select companies in Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the Western Balkans to help them improve operations and save costs through resource efficiency management. IFC will also conduct a sector-wide assessment of the nitrogen chemicals and fertilizer production industry in the region, benchmarking the sector against Western Europe, IFC says.

The IFC study results will serve as a tool for corporate decision makers to benchmark their operations against competitors and help to identify areas for improvement, IFC says. IFC, in partnership with the International Fertilizer Industry Association (Paris) and the European Fertilizers Manufacturers Association (Brussels), plans to turn this resource efficiency benchmarking initiative into a regular global practice in the industry.

“The chemical and fertilizer industry in Europe and Central Asia is a significant generator of exports and employment,” says Viera Feckova, manager of IFC’s resource efficiency program in Europe and Central Asia. “IFC is launching this study to generate more investment into resource efficiency in this industry and enable decision makers at local firms to make more informed investment choices, which will help them to compete in the international marketplace.”

 Chem Week

Together, they saw only a 1.8 percent increase for the month compared with a year earlier. Analysts blamed the near-flat results on the slowing Chinese economy and continuing doubts about the strength of the US recovery.

But the Port of Los Angeles had its best April ever and its best month of the year. Imports grew 16.7 percent from a year earlier to 364,556 containers. Exports rose 11.6 percent to 186,838 containers.

Overall, including empty containers sent back to Asia for later use in delivering more imports, the Port of Los Angeles moved 707,182 cargo containers in April, up 14.6 percent.

"Any time we see more than 700,000 containers, it's a very good month for us," Port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip Sanfield said.

It was quite a different April in Long Beach.

Imports through that port fell 13.8 percent to 232,963 containers, according to preliminary numbers from the port. Exports fell 16.2 percent to 120,452 containers.

Including empty containers, Long Beach moved 461,911 containers in April, down 13 percent from a year earlier. That left the combined ports with 1.2 million containers moved in April.

Long Beach is operating with six cargo terminals instead of the seven it had before California United Terminals left in late 2010 to move into the Port of Los Angeles. Long Beach officials said the lost terminal, which is a subsidiary of Hyundai, represented about 10 percent of the port's cargo traffic.

Experts predict modest growth in traffic at the ports for the rest of the year.

CargoNews Asia

“What we speak of today is a collective vision, a vision to make the Port of Long Beach one of the world’s most competitive ports,” Philip Chow, OOCL’s chief executive, said Monday.

Middle Harbor will feature tandem dual-hoist cranes capable of lifting two 40-foot containers simultaneously. The terminal will include an automated movement of containers from the wharf to the waterside end of stacks positioned perpendicular to the vessel, and the movement of containers within the stacks and to the gate-side end by automated stacking cranes.

The project will combine two older facilities — the Long Beach Container Terminal facility and a nearby, vacated site — into one large 304-acre container terminal. It will be developed in phases over the next eight years.

Last month in Hong Kong, representatives of the port and OOCL signed a 40-year, $4.6 billion agreement for Middle Harbor. The terminal at full build-out will have an annual capacity of more than 3 million 20-foot container units.

Journal of Commerce

Pilot and Engineer Training: Accommodating the growth in demand for air connectivity with trained pilots and engineers is a priority. IATA will facilitate this with the IATA Quality and Training Initiative (ITQI), which moves into its implementation stage. The focus will be on working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) and regulators to shift to a competency-based approach to training for pilots and engineers.

* ITQI takes a comprehensive approach to training by addressing aptitude testing, multi-crew pilot licensing, evidence-based training and instructor qualification.

* Training modernization is based on ensuing the core competencies of pilots and mechanics as defined in the first phase of ITQI (2007-2011).

Alongside training modernization, ITQI will also promote mutual recognition of standards for pilot and engineer licensing and certification of flight simulators.

Enhanced IOSA: The Enhanced IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program will include measures to ensure continuous conformity with IOSA standards and recommended practices (ISARPS) with quality control processes and self-auditing in between IOSA's two-year audit cycle. A timeline for the implementation of Enhanced IOSA will be proposed for endorsement at the next OPC meeting in October. Since the end of 2008, IOSA has been a condition of IATA membership and has been supported by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and ICAO along with other key regulators around the globe.

Ground Operations: A dedicated IATA ground operations team was created to support the IATA Ground Handling Committee as it drives safety and efficiency improvements. The Committee's agenda includes (1) the further development and implementation of the just released IATA Ground Handling Manual (IGOM), (2) developing a standard set of ground handling instructions, and (3) the further development of the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). These are cornerstones of the industry's effort to improve ground safety while reducing the $4 billion cost of ground damage.

Harmonization: The OPC urged governments to focus on the implementation of targeted safety measures instead of adding costly and cumbersome regulations that do little to improve safety. Over the next months, IATA will submit three priority areas for industry to work with ICAO, the US FAA and EASA with a goal of harmonization.

"Safety remains the top priority. We have a full agenda to make an already safe industry even safer. Industry and governments have always cooperated to achieve our common goals based on global standards and harmonization. The need to take those even further in the areas of training, ground safety, and auditing will be our priority over the coming year," said Guenther Matschnigg, IATA's Senior Vice President for Safety, Operations and Infrastructure.

The OPC took place alongside the IATA Ops Conference which was jointly hosted by IATA and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) in Rio de Janeiro from 16-18 April. With Brazil as the setting, there was also a focus on infrastructure preparedness to meet the demands of the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics including the optimization of air routes and implementation of Performance-Based Navigation. "The major world events that Brazil will be hosting are a catalyst for infrastructure improvements. These are needed to accommodate Latin America's long-term needs in light of aviation's key role in the region's robust economic growth," said Matschnigg.

The port’s container business accounts for more than 80 percent of its revenue. About 50 percent of the containerized shipments are discretionary, which means they are headed to destinations outside of Southern California.

“Protecting and retaining discretionary cargo market share in the face of changing economic conditions and intensifying competition is the key to the future of the port and the region,” the port stated in the 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.

Canada’s Pacific Coast ports are aggressively eating into the market share of U.S. West Coast ports, including Los Angeles, with competitive intermodal service to the Midwest. East and Gulf Coast ports are planning a similar assault when the Panama Canal expansion project is completed in early 2015.

Los Angeles handled 6,034,474 loaded 20-foot equivalent unit containers in 2011, according to PIERS, the Port Import-Export Service of the Journal of Commerce. Los Angeles last year handled 21 percent of the total U.S. container volume.

Infrastructure development has been the key to the port’s success, and it will continue to be a key factor in differentiating Los Angeles from other ports in the quest for discretionary cargo, the port stated. Los Angeles will spend more than $3 billion in the coming decade to develop marine terminals, on-dock rail yards, intermodal connectors and other transportation infrastructure.

The strategic plan details seven key objectives for the coming five years: develop and maintain world-class infrastructure; retain and grow market share; advance technology and sustainability; optimize land use; create a positive workplace culture; increase stakeholder and community awareness and support and strengthen financial performance.

The movement of containers by truck and rail is a significant contributor to traffic congestion and pollution in the Los Angeles basin. The port will therefore continue to seek community support through pollution-reduction measures such as operating vessels at berth from shore-side electrical power and encouraging the use of zero-emission trucks in the harbor area, especially those serving near-dock intermodal rail facilities.