Good morning, friends. We have a much quieter day of news for you today, with some tidbits from around the world — including a very panicked EU pushing back against the emissions trading system — and one significant update on Dubai’s Jafza’s logistics park.

ALSO-Don’t miss our big read today on the shipping sector’s progress towards the target for zero-emissions fuel to account for 5% of international shipping fuels by 2030.

A US warship has rescued an Israeli-linked commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden after it was seizedby unidentified assailants, Reuters reports. The USS Mason, along with help from allied vessels, demanded that the armed attackers release the ship, the newswire adds, citing a US military statement. Two ballistic missiles were fired from Yemen towards the Mason and Central Park, landing some 10 nautical miles away from the target.

Background: The vessel was seized on Sunday, following a string of attacks against Israeli-linked vessels since the start of the Israeli assault on Gaza. Yemen’s Houthis seized last week a cargo ship in the Red Sea over its affiliation to Israel.

Israeli airstrikes have left Syria’s Damascus airport out of service since Sunday, redirecting incoming flights to Latakia and Aleppo, Reuters reports. The Syrian army says it intercepted Israeli missiles launched from the Golan Heights and that the attack on the airport resulted only in material losses. Israel has been launching attacks against Syria against what it says are Iranian-linked targets in the country. Iran did, however, deny any connection to the attack on the Israeli-linked vessels by Yemeni forces.

Industrial action will stall Maersk’s operations at DP World Australia’s terminals until at least 4 December, according to notices received by Maersk from Australian worker’s union CFMMEU ’s maritime division. Work stoppages will affect receivals and deliveries at DP World’s terminals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Fremantle, for various intervals between 27 November and 4 December, Maersk explains. Quayside and landside operations will also see stoppages, Maersk added.

What “industrial action”? Industrial action at the terminals includes two hour stoppages occurring at regular intervals three times a day, bans on working on ships from certain shipping lines, and 24 hour work stoppages, among other measures.

This has been going on since October: Shipping press say industrial action could continue until 11 December and will have “significant operations consequences,” affecting exports and imports, the Daily Cargo News reports citing a Maritime Union of Australia statement it had picked up. The series of strikes began in October after talks on a new enterprise bargain agreement collapsed, the outlet said.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar wraps his two-day visit to the UAE today, which sees him meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and ink several MoUs, according to a Pakistani ministry statement. The pair reportedly aims to ink several MoUs to ensure investment for Pakistan in a variety of sectors, including energy, port operations projects, wastewater treatment, logistics and aviation.

The China Trade Week Saudi Arabia 2023 kicked off on Sunday and will run through to Wednesday in Dammam, with over 200 Chinese firms in attendance. The Chinese companies aim to expand their presence and explore potential investments in Saudi Arabia, according to the event’s website.

Antwerp XL will kick off today and run until Thursday at Antwerp Expo Hall 4 in Antwerp, Belgium. The event provides a platform for breakbulk, roro, heavy lift, and project cargo industry members to discuss important industry topics, talk to experts, meet top cargo owners and freight forwarders, and discuss trends and solutions as well as how to overcome challenges in the industry.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly kicked off yesterday, and will run till 6 December in London. The event is open to all 175 IMO members and will also be attended by observers from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The assembly will look at approving the work program and budget for the IMO, whil electing members of the 40-member council of the IMO. The Assembly will also adopt several resolutions on key matters of the IMO’s work.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1-TheUAE’s AD Ports is interested in managing Indonesia’s Patimban International Port (PPI) Container Terminal in West Java, the Indonesian Transport Ministry said in a statement following a meeting between Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and AD Ports head of ports cluster Saif Al Mazroui. AD Ports has submitted a cooperation offer proposal and “some things are still being negotiated,” according to the statement. The development of phase 2 of PPI will allow the terminal to handle some 3.75 mn TEUs, the statement adds.

That’s not all for Abu Dhabi + Indonesia: Sumadi also met with the UAE’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Mohammed Al Mazroui and Abu Dhabi Airports Chairman Sheikh Mohammed Al Nahyan, where Sumadi offered Abu Dhabi Airports the chance to develop and manage West Java’s Kertajati International Airport, according to a separate statement. The Kertajati Airport, which is set to become Indonesia’s second largest airport, will have a cargo village, maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, and commercial areas, the statement added. The discussions also looked into potential cooperation between Indonesian and Emirati airlines to form a JV to serve the domestic aviation market and explore further cooperation in road, sea, air, and rail transport, according to the statement.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2-Saudi Arabia is set to finalize a comprehensive plan to ensure the environmental sustainability of its civil aviation sector, Arab News reports, citing a top official. The plan — which is set to address the environmental impact of the growth of the country’s civil aviation sector — is developed by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation and aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement and the International Civil Organization’s emission reduction goals. The plan will focus on reducing carbon emissions, afforestation, and the protection of marine and terrestrial areas.

WATCH THIS SPACE #3– EIFFA vision sets ambitious goals for Egyptian ports: Egypt’s ports will process 27 mn containers a year by 2030, board member at The Egyptian International Freight Forwarding Association (EIFFA) at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Ahmed Al Antabli, said in statements carried by Daily News Egypt.

ICYMI: These goals align with Egypt’s TIR Container Transport Agreement, which will facilitate increased flexibility for direct and indirect transit goods, inked on 7 November.

DATA POINT #1- Egypt + African Union trade exchange grew 16% y-o-y in 2022, Arab Finance reports, citing a report by Egypt’s statistics agency Capmas. Egypt’s total exports to African Union member states increased 15.5% to USD 6.3 bn in 2022. Egyptian exports to Libya and Sudan made up the biggest share, with exports to Libya accounting for 19.2% of exports, and Sudan accounting for 14.7%. The African Union’s total imports to Egypt rose 16% y-o-y, reaching USD 2.3 bn in 2022.

DATA POINT #2- Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) saw a 21.5% y-o-y rise in cargo handled to 6.5k tonnes in October, according to an Airport International Grouppress release. Passenger traffic at QAIA was 739k passengers and aircraft movements stood at 6.5k for the month, up 2.3% and 10.5% when compared to the same period last year. Although QAIA saw positive yearly growth in cargo volumes, passenger traffic, and aircraft movements in October, the growth rate is considerably slower than that observed in the first nine months of the year. This decline is attributed to Israel’s war on Gaza and is consistent with a dip in regional air traffic noted in October.

DATA POINT #3- Commercial registrations for transportation and sea freight activities in KSA’s Eastern province were up 28% y-o-y to 397 in 3Q 2023, compared to 310 at the same period last year, according to a Commerce Ministry statement.

DATA POINT #4- Qterminals breaks record at Hamad Port with debut of quad operations mode and remote operations: Qterminals used the new techniques to allow for the efficient management of 4.4k transshipment containers on the MSC Maria Elena, including the loading and unloading of four 20 foot containers in a single lift, according to a company statement. The operation marks the highest productivity recorded for remote operations at Hamad Port, the statement adds.

DATA POINT #5- Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus lept 29.4% m-o-m to SAR 44 bn (USD 11.73 bn) in September, according to a monthly General Authority for Statistics trade bulletin (pdf). Despite marking the second monthly increase in a row, the kingdom’s trade surplus was down 31.25% y-o-y, according to figures cited in the trade bulletin. The narrower trade surplus is attributed to a 17.1% y-o-y fall in the country’s merchandise exports to SAR 103.8 bn, in line with a decrease in oil exports due to OPEC+ voluntary production cuts. Merchandise imports saw a 0.02% percent decrease in the same period to SAR 60 bn.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Turkey next month to discuss bilateral ties, as well as proposals by the Iran-Turkey Joint Chamber of Commerce for boosting bilateral trade, including through a potential trade agreement, state-aligned Tasnim News Agency quotes chairman of the chamber Mehrdad Saadat as saying. Saadat said that Iran’s trade with Europe could grow by taking advantage of Turkey’s trade capacities.

The third Iran-UAE Joint Economic Cooperation Commission meeting will be held in the coming weeks in a bid to develop bilateral cooperation, deepen commercial ties, and boost trade. The location has yet to be announced.

The International Conference on Air Services Negotiations (ICAN) 2023 will take place between 3-7 December at the Hilton Riyadh Hotel and Residences in Saudi Arabia. The event is hosted by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, and will serve as a meeting point for bilateral, regional air services talks and consultations, as well as a networking platform for policy makers, regulators, air operators, service providers and other stakeholders.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.

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