JUPITER SEA & AIR SERVICES PVT. LTD, EGMORE – CHENNAI, INDIA.

 

E-MAIL : Robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in   Mobile : +91 98407 85202

 

 

Corporate News Letter for  Tuesday  September 30,  2025


Today’s Exchange Rates


CURRENCY

PRICE

CHANGE

%CHANGE

OPEN



USD/INR

88.785

0.015007

0.016906

88.69



EUR/USD

1.1738

0.0011

0.093796

1.1727



GBP/INR

119.3728

0.153099

0.128418

119.1535



EUR/INR

104.2386

0.228104

0.219308

103.9985



USD/JPY

148.197

-0.39299

-0.26448

148.59



GBP/USD

1.3445

0.0016

0.119138

1.3429



DXY Index

97.862

-0.043999

-0.04494

97.909


JPY/INR

0.5992

0.0026

0.435805

0.5969


///                   Sea Cargo News            ///

US eyes strategic port in Bangladesh under Quad initiative


In a strategic move under the Quad Ports for Future initiative, the United States is exploring the possibility of establishing a foothold in Bangladesh’s port sector—potentially signaling a significant shift in the geopolitical dynamics of the Bay of Bengal.

The move, however, may unsettle India, which remains a close Quad ally but currently lacks a direct role in the US initiative in Bangladesh. According to persons familiar with the developments, the US has recently conducted a preliminary meeting with key stakeholders in Dhaka to discuss prospects for port development.

As a next step, Washington is expected to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study before moving forward with any concrete proposals. The Bay of Bengal has increasingly become a focal point for regional and global powers. 

The United States’ interest in securing a strategic presence in the area is widely seen as part of broader efforts to counter China's deepening footprint in South Asia. China has invested heavily in infrastructure across the region, including the nearby Kyaukpyu port in Myanmar as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Ironically, despite being a central member of the Quad – comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia – India currently has no formal involvement in the US led port plan in Bangladesh. This has raised concerns in New Delhi about potential strategic overlaps and regional competition among Quad members.

India, for its part, is reportedly considering its own plans to build a port in Bangladesh under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model. This would further deepen its maritime and logistical integration with its eastern neighbour.

In recent years, India has made significant inroads, including gaining operational rights in 2024 to a terminal at Bangladesh’s Mongla Port. Furthermore, Bangladesh granted India access to both the Chittagong and Mongla ports for cargo and transit in 2018.

Japan, another quad member, is also a key player in Bangladesh’s port infrastructure. Tokyo is currently constructing a deep sea port at Matarbari, which is expected to become a major regional trans-shipment and industrial hub. The Matarbari project aims to accommodate large container ships, reduce logistics costs, and enhance connectivity for Bangladesh and India’s northeastern states.

Amid these developments, the US military has reportedly shown increased activity in the Chittagong area, raising further speculation about Washington’s long term strategic goals in the region.

While the Quad has often emphasized cooperation and transparency, the lack of Indian involvement in the US’s early-stage talks in Dhaka may test the unity and mutual trust within the grouping, Observers note that co-ordination among Quad partners will be crucial to avoid redundancy, foster synergy and ensure that strategic initiatives in the Indo-Pacific remain aligned.

As the US moves ahead with its feasibility study and consultations in Bangladesh, all eyes will be on how India positions itself-both in terms of diplomatic response and infrastructure investment-to safeguard its own strategic and economic interests in the Bay of Bengal.

India in advanced FTA talks with Oman, open to GCC deals: Piyush Goyal


 

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said that India is in the advanced stage of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Oman, and is surely open to similar trade partnerships with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 

Speaking to the media during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the Minister attended the 13th meeting of the UAE-India High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments, he said, "As of now, we are at an advanced stage of dialogue with Oman (on FTA), which should conclude soon.

Some of the other countries have expressed an interest. Surely we are open to free trade agreements with other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries." The GCC, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, is one of India's largest trading blocs. FTA with these countries are expected to accelerate collaboration in key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, fintech, logistics, renewable energy and food security.


He added that over 9,000 companies have already expressed interest in joining Bharat Mart. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with operations commencing by early 2027.

Among his key meetings were discussions with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s National Security Advisor and other senior leaders responsible for economic affairs, the Union Minister said.

Goyal also met the UAE’s Minister of Investment, Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi and held discussions with tech industry leader Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, known for their work in genomics and artificial intelligence.

Emirates Shipping Line joins global cargo safety program to combat fire risks


Emirates Shipping Line (ESL), a leading regional carrier based in Dubai, has joined the World Shipping Council’s (WSC) Cargo Safety Program, a new industry-wide initiative aimed at improving maritime safety through the detection and prevention of undeclared and misdeclared dangerous goods. 

As the shipping industry faces increasing incidents of cargo-related fires—many caused by improperly declared hazardous materials—this program brings together major global carriers to implement enhanced cargo screening, standardized inspection protocols, and the use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) tools. 

By joining the WSC Cargo Safety Program, Emirates Shipping Line aligns itself with over 70% of the world’s container shipping capacity, taking a firm stand on proactive safety measures. The program’s primary goal is to reduce the risk of shipboard fires by identifying high risk cargo at the booking state, well before it is loaded onto vessels.


Diana Shipping secures strong price in latest ultramax vessel sale

Greece’s Diana Shipping has revealed it has sold an ultramax it partially owns for what brokers describe as a very firm price. 


The nine-year-old DSI Drammen ultramax has fetched a price of $26.86m, the New York-listed company said in a statement. The buyer has not been revealed. 

Diana Shipping holds a 25% interest in the limited partnership, while the remaining 75% of the limited partnership is owned by Ecobulk, a Norwegian entity. Diana Shipping’s fleet currently consists of 36 dry bulk vessels ranging in size class from newcastlemax to ultramax.

CONCOR launches first export movement using own containers from ICD Whitefield to Jebel Ali via Chennai Port


In a landmark development for Indian logistics and international trade, the Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) successfully commenced its first export movement using CONCOR-owned containers from its flagship Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Whitefield, Bengaluru, on 19th September 2025.

The cargo is en route to Jebel Ali, UAE, via Chennai Port, marking a significant stride in India’s multimodal logistics landscape. This strategic movement is a major boost for export connectivity from key industrial regions, including: Bengaluru, Hosur, Krishnagiri, Mysuru. With a robust rail network and state-of-the-art multimodal infrastructure, CONCOR continues to strengthen India’s export ecosystem by providing seamless and efficient connectivity to global markets—particularly in the Middle East and Far East regions.

“This milestone demonstrates CONCOR’s unwavering commitment to enhancing India’s trade logistics,” said a senior CONCOR official. “By leveraging our integrated logistics capabilities, we’re helping Indian businesses – especially from the hinterlands – access international markets more competitively and reliably”.

This inaugural export movement underlines CONCOR’s pivotal role in supporting the Government of India’s vision for “Make in India for the World” by brining industrial hubs with global trade routes. It also reaffirms CONCOR’s position as a key enabler in promoting multimodal transport solutions for the nation’s exporters.

/////       AIR  CARGO   NEWS   /////

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu announces Noida International Airport inauguration on Oct 30


The Noida International Airport will be inaugurated on October 30, and flight operations are expected to start 45 days thereafter, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has said. The greenfield airport is located in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district in western Uttar Pradesh, some 75 km from Delhi. 

This will be the second international airport in the national capital region (NCR) after Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. "We are trying to push up the inauguration so that we can see it happen very soon. Right now, the date that we have decided is October 30, when we will have the inauguration and within 45 days, we can see the operations also start," the minister told reporters during an event at the Hindon airport in neighbouring Ghaziabad on Wednesday.

Naidu further said, “..the airlines are very much excited to operate from the Jewar airport, also they feel that there is huge potential in that area. So I can see that at least 10 cities will be connected in the first phase from Jewar airport, as seen in discussions that re happening with the airlines”. The minister also noted that it will have more significance as a strategic airport with a focus on cargo operations than passenger flights. The airport is being built by Uttar Pradesh government in a PPP model.

YTO Cargo Airlines partners with WebCargo by Freightos


Freightos and YTO Cargo Airlines have announced a partnership that will make YTO’s full capacity exclusively available on the WebCargo by Freightos platform. The move makes YTO the first all-cargo Chinese airline on the booking platform, which already has more than 75 airlines live. 

The collaboration will give freight forwarders real-time pricing, instant booking, interline connections, and integrated payments across high-demand trade lanes between China and South Asia. The partnership will first cover India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with plans to expand to the Persian Gulf and Europe.

This step also marks a key moment in YTO’s digital transformation as the carrier celebrates its 10th anniversary. By offering capacity rapidly and transparently on Freightos’ platform, the traditional quote-to-confirmation process of up to 48 hours will be reduced to minutes.

Freight forwarders will be able to book shipments quickly for perishables, pharmaceuticals, electronics and cross border e-commerce. These services will also benefit from Hangzhou’s Cross Border E Commerce Pilot Zone.

She added that bringing YTO’s freighter network onto Freighto’s platform for booking, payment and interline removes friction and strengthens the platform’s offering in Asia, which remains a strategic priority.

US government orders Delta-Aeromexico JV to shut down

The Delta & Aeromexico joint venture is due to be dissolved because Mexico has allegedly not been complying with the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement.


AeroMexico and Delta aircraft

The US government has ordered Delta & Aeromexico to dissolve their joint venture (JV) following its ongoing disagreement with Mexico over the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the dissolvement of the JV has been ordered due to Mexico’s non-compliance with the Agreement.

The country's behaviour is anti-competitive and disadvantages US carriers, and means Delta and Aeromexico have an unfair advantage, said the US DOT in a press release. The government has also withdrawn antitrust immunity.

"Mexico’s non-compliance intervenes in the market to provide an unfair advantage to Delta and Aeromexico, who operated a price- and capacity-setting joint venture with conditional approval by USDOT," said the US DOT.

The US government placed restrictions on Mexico's air cargo and passenger operations in July, in response to what it said was "abuse" of the Agreement, but it said Mexico has since failed to take "meaningful action".  The Delta-Aeromexico JV must wind down by 1 January 2026, said the US DOT. Delta/Aeromexico will be required to discontinue competitively sensitive activities such as common pricing, capacity management, and revenue sharing that require antitrust immunity.

However, Delta and Aeromexico will be able to continue their partnership through arms-length activities such as codesharing, marketing, and frequent flyer cooperation. Delta will also be able to retain its equity stake in Aeromexico and "both carriers can maintain all of its existing flying in the U.S.-Mexico market unimpeded".

Delta said: "We are disappointed that the Department of Transportation has chosen to terminate its approval of the strategic and pro-competitive partnership between Delta and Aeromexico, a decision that will cause significant harm to U.S. jobs, communities and consumers traveling between the U.S. and Mexico. We are reviewing the Department’s order and considering next steps.”

According to the U.S DOT, Mexico has not been in compliance with the agreement since carriers were required to shiift cargo operations from Benito Juarez International Airport, known as Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to Felipe Angeles International Airport (AFIA), as reported by Air Cargo News in February 2023.

JD Airlines launches Shenzhen-Singapore cargo route

The new route will operate three times a week and connects China's manufacturing hub with Southeast Asia's key transshipment centre


 First JD Airlines flight between Shenzhen and Singapore

JD Logistics' cargo airline, JD Airlines has begun flying between Shenzhen, China and Singapore to support e-commerce and electronics demand in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first flight between Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) took place on 19 September and is scheduled to be carried out every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, taking off from Shenzhen at 9am and landing in Singapore at 3pm, said JD Logistics in a press release.

This new route is served with a 737-800 Boeing Coverted Freighter (BCF), which has a one-way maximum payload of 22 tons. According to Planespotters, JD Airlines's fleet comprises 10 737-800 freighters in total, all converted.

In June last year, AerCap signed lease agreements for four 737-800BCFs with JD Airlines.

Outbound goods on the new route are mainly consumer electronics and e-commerce packages which will be flown directly to Singapore. A small amount of time-sensitive goods will be transited to the European and American markets through Singapore.

The return trip will mainly focus on electronic products, Singapore's local auto parts and e-commerce goods transshipped from Europe and the US through Singapore.

The opening of this route is an important measure for JD Airlines to serve the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area economic circle and the core market of Southeast Asia, said JD Logistics.

In recent years, Shenzhen, as an important base for China's scientific and technological innovation and cross-border e-commerce, has continued to increase its import and export demand for Southeast Asia. As a global trade, shipping and financial center, Singapore is an important hub connecting Southeast Asia with European and American markets. 

JD Airlines said: "We hope that through this route, we will open a smoother channel for Chinese manufacturing and Chinese sellers, and improve the turnover efficiency of the entire supply chain in Southeast Asia and international markets." 

JD Airlines has opened more than 20 regular domestic and international routes, including Nantong, Incheon, Ezhou, Bangkok, Chengdu, Yangon, Shenzhen and Kuala Lumpur.

JD Logistics is a global provider of technology-driven supply chain and logistics services. Established as a dedicated business group of JD.com in April 2017, JD Logistics serves a wide range of businesses and individual consumers across China.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the above news letter.                                                    

Robert Sands

Joint Managing Director

Jupiter Sea & Air Services Pvt Ltd

Casa Blanca, 3rd Floor

11, Casa Major Road, Egmore

Chennai – 600 008. India.

GST Number : 33AAACJ2686E1ZS.

Tel : + 91 44 2819 0171 / 3734 / 4041

Fax : + 91 44 2819 0735

Mobile : + 91 98407 85202

E-mail : robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in

Website : www.jupiterseaair.com 1Branches  : Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Tuticorin.

Associate Offices : New Delhi, Kolkatta, Cochin & Hyderabad.

 

Thanks  to  :  Container  News,  Indian Seatrade, Cargo Forwarder Global  &  Air Cargo News. 

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