Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2016)

MARITIMEPROFESSIONAL.COM

Laudable Logistics

Happy Holidays from Hong Kong

About the Author

Hong Kong’s impressive logistics hub(s) set to get

Joseph Keefe is the lead commenta- tor of MaritimeProfessional.com. Ad- even better. A local look at all of it from the sixth ditionally, he is Editor of both Maritime

Logistics Professional and MarineNews annual Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference print magazines. He can be reached at [email protected] or at provides unique perspective.

[email protected]. MaritimePro- fessional.com is the largest business networking site devoted to the marine industry. ong Kong: Last month’s capacity, deepening its harbors and im- the states – is well worth attending. I’m amazing air cargo freight handling cen- version of the Asian Logis- proving its intermodal connectivity in quite sure the airline is still buf? ng out ter at the airport. Although at ? rst glance tics and Maritime Confer- an ambitious plan to move the port into my ? ngernail marks from the inside of only of peripheral interest to me (and

Hence is an eye opener. I have the nation’s top 5 ports. When they are the fuselage, but I am nevertheless glad perhaps you, as well), I’m glad that I been all around the world over the past done, the port will be capable of moving that I made the effort to come. Of par- made the effort. The logistics technol- 40 years, but had never before been to as many as 4 million TEU’s annually. ticular note was the high quality Liner ogy and ef? ciencies on site there are en- this eclectic and remarkably diverse city At that point, you will be able to ? t ? ve Shipping presentation on day one. Fea- viable, and I think, the maritime sector located strategically in the heart of the ‘Charlestons’ – with room to spare – into turing speakers such as Alphaliner’s Mr. could take some lessons there. More on

Paci? c intermodal equation. In fact, one the port of Hong Kong. Tan Hua Joo, McKinsey & Company’s that, at a later date. Stay tuned.

could argue that Hong Kong IS the heart Passing by the container terminals on Steve Saxon, Maersk China Chairman Tomorrow, I will have the opportunity of logistics for this region – and beyond. the way in from the airport – the num- Tim Smith and MOL Chief Commercial to tour the massive container terminal

That said; it is remarkable that local ber one air cargo hub in the world – it Of? cer Richard Hiller, it was without a complex and then, several other local commerce stakeholders have absolutely takes ? ve minutes driving at full speed doubt the ? nest panel discussion of its meetings, topping off what has already no intention of taking their foot of the to get by all of it. I have honestly never kind that I have ever had the pleasure of been a busy one-on-one interview sched- gas at a time when you wouldn’t think seen anything like it. I’m told that seven attending at ANY trade event. That sen- ule. And, it came as no surprise that, as it possible to cram one more square inch of the world’s top ten container ports timent was echoed by many others here, one of the few Americans here at the of anything into this tightly packed, 427 are in China. In my mind, that makes as well. They said it, I believe it, and that show, I frequently get asked about our square mile autonomous territory. Hong Kong’s ability to attract commerce settles it. new President-elect, especially in the

To say that that Hong Kong’s collec- that much more impressive. Hence, it And, it isn’t over yet. Predictably, wake of his announcement that he would tive container terminal(s) handle 20 mil- shouldn’t be a surprise that almost 25% much of the discussion centers around pull the United States out of the Trans- lion boxes annually with a daily capac- of the local economy is driven by logis- Hong Kong’s ongoing effort to build the Paci? c (TPP) Partnership. For my part, ity of 67,000 TEU’s on any given day tics, and much of that – the local mari- new bridge to the mainland – eventu- I tell them, “I think everything is going doesn’t really give you an idea of the time cluster. Hong Kong is additionally ally shortening trucking transits to and to be okay.” I reserve the right to de? ne scope of this maritime operation. For home to the world’s 4th largest ship reg- from the local container terminals from what that means, exactly, at a later date.

example, and having only recently vis- ister and Hong Kong-based ship owners today’s 4 hours to just 45 minutes – a So, it looks like Dim Sum on Turkey ited and written an article (4Q Maritime further control as much as 9 percent of planned third runway for the world’s Day, from here in what is arguably the

Logistics Professional magazine) about the world’s tonnage. A vibrant group of busiest air freight hub, and of course, world’s greatest trading hub. I admit that the port of Charleston, SC, the scope of maritime law, marine insurance and ship China’s Belt & Road initiative, some- I need adult supervision when ordering. the world’s number ? ve ranked contain- ? nance professionals contribute much thing that will eventually impact the I’ve eaten a couple of things that I wasn’t er port (Hong Kong) becomes only too more to the global shipping picture. local maritime cluster here like nothing quite able to identify. Perhaps that’s best. clear. Already a top 10 U.S. container The conference – despite the excru- else that ever came before it. It’s all good. Happy Thanksgiving from hub, Charleston is today expanding its ciatingly long (16.5+ hour) ? ight from On Monday, I toured Cathay Paci? c’s Hong Kong! 8 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • DECEMBER 2016

MR #12 (1-9).indd 8 MR #12 (1-9).indd 8 12/5/2016 2:29:08 PM12/5/2016 2:29:08 PM