International shipping slowdown

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on problems facing shipping companies and how they are addressing them.

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The Fidelio is about to set sail from Germany to Asia. One of the largest container vessels in the world, the Fidelio is a perfect example of the problems facing international shipping.

This ship can fit more than 9,000 of the standard shipping containers in its hold(船舱). Shipping containers are something like the currency of international trade. But now with the international financial crisis going on, the question is “Will the companies still be able to fill their vessels in the future?”

CMA CGM, the company that operates the Fidelio says, while the logistics industry is still reporting growth, that has slowed considerably. “The key to staying alive in these hard times is adjusting to the crisis,” says Nicolas Sartini, CMA's head of Europe and Asia operations. The line is chartering fewer ships, and telling captains to go slower.

We have been updating some measures to slow down the vessel, which obviously limits the consumption of fuel, reduces the cost and also reduces the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere.

While it may look like business as usual in the container terminal, the signs of trouble are lurking below the surface. Dock workers say they are unloading far fewer trucks since the beginning of the financial crisis. And the pilots who guide ships in and out of Hamburg’s Port tell us fewer vessels are arriving, most of them lighter than usual, indicating they have less cargo on board.

Germany’s Shipping Association says with less cargo volume, rates are dropping fast.

For parts of the shipping industry, the rates have declined very seriously, in the board sector by 90% or so, in the container sector, it’s by 30% or more, if depending on the region where the shipping industry is transporting.

Back on board, the Fidelio Captain Luc Massart has another problem to worry about: getting his ship safely through the pirate-infested waters off Eastern Africa near Somalia.

One of the first measures is to offer good lookout, sharp lookout to see any suspicion craft, also sometimes we put some firewoods splaying outside to avoid approaching of crafts.

Fewer containers, declining rates and piracy along list of problems for an industry trying to navigate through some very rough waters.

Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Hamburg, Germany.

文本参考中文翻译

CNN记者Frederik Pleitgen报道船运公司面临的问题以及他们的应对措施。

Fidelio即将启航，踏上从德国去亚洲的征程。它是全世界最大的集装箱船之一。目前国际船运面临着严重的问题，Fidelio就是一个完美的例子。

这只船的船舱可以容纳9，000个标准船运集装箱。船运集装箱就好象国际贸易中的货币一样。但是，由于现在的国际金融危机，出现了这样的问题，将来船运公司还能装满这些船只吗？

CMA CGM是Fidelio的运营公司。他们表示，虽然物流业仍然保持增长，但是增长速度也相对减慢。“ 能够在这个艰难时期生存下来的方法就是适应危机，”CMA欧亚运营中心的负责人Nicolas Sartini表示。现在，发放给船只的特许证减少，而且告诉船长们可以放慢速度。

我们曾经采取过一些新的方法来减缓船只速度，这很明显的限制了燃料消耗量，降低了成本，同时也减少了向环境中排放的二氧化碳量。

在集装箱终端，生意看上去和往常没有什么差别，但是在表面一样，危机的信号正在蔓延。码头工作人员表示，自从金融文集以来，他们每天装卸的卡车数量正在减少。进出汉堡港的导航者告诉我们，现在到港的船只减少，而且大部分重量都比往常轻，这表示，船上的货物减少。

德国船运协会表示，由于货物减少，税率也急剧下降。对于船运行业的部分部门来讲，税率下降非常严重，按照船运行业运输的区域来算，甲板方面下降90%，集装箱方面下降30%以上。

Fidelio的船长Luc Massart还在为另外一个问题担忧：怎样使他的船只安全地度过海盗横行的索马里附近的东非地区。

我们采取的其中一个措施就是提供非常好，非常灵敏的了望台，可以看到任何可疑的船只，有时候我们也会在外面燃烧一些木柴以防其他船只靠近。

更少的集装箱，下降的利率，海盗横行，但是这个行业还是要在这个艰难的时代里航行。