Israeli container carrier ZIM has weathered the first half of 2016 well, with the launch of a mobile app and successful preparation for the new verified gross mass (VGM) SOLAS rules.

Helping matters, ZIM is also taking practical measures to ensure a minimum amount of disruption in these rather turbulent times for the shipping industry. These include trying to align vessel size to volume demand and adjusting capacity according to the market situation, a ZIM official told Asia Cargo News.

The ZIM official said that its systems were prepared to accept the verified gross mass information required by the amended Safety of Life at Sea convention prior to the July 1 deadline. “We are prepared with our systems to accept VGM from our customers and transmit to all parties involved. Once we receive the information from our customers, we will put it on the system. From our point of view, we are ready,” the official added.

ZIM has also announced its new mobile application for Android and iOS has been launched and is now active and available for free download on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. This allows easy, intuitive access to the main functions of the ZIM web site, including Cargo Track & Trace, Find Your Route, Vessels Schedule, Find Local Contacts and Marketing Announcements, the company said in a launch statement.

“We are excited to launch our new mobile ZIM application, which I’m sure will be highly useful for our customers,” said Dudi Avni, vice president of customer service at ZIM. “We will keep on expanding our mobile solutions as part our efforts to provide customers with advanced tools designed to enhance customer experience and ease of doing business with ZIM.”

SOLAS is just one of the changes the Israeli shipper has been preparing to deal with. Looming large on the agenda at least for the second half of the year is the issue of alliances. At the time of a mid-year interview with Asia Cargo News, ZIM was taking a ‘never say never’ approach to joining an alliance while remaining open to working with other groups.

“Obviously if there would be an opportunity we will of course consider, if the time is right and if practicable,” the official said. “We will continue our cooperation with carriers that are members of the alliances.”

Like the rest of the shipping industry, ZIM is monitoring what is going on and is talking to various parties but remains tightlipped about what it thinks will happen and its own role in that. “It is not concluded within the alliances what would be the set up. We are in discussion, and once things are clearer, we are confident we will find the way to work with them,” said the official.

The shipper also refrained from strong forecasts for the upcoming months, saying only that there is still growth in China, and that the line expects higher growth in Southeast Asia. The codicil for China is that it will no longer provide double-digit growth, the official added.

There is a shift, the official said, similar to one some years ago when the manufacturing of goods moved from Japan to China and South Korea. “We see a lot of shifting of manufacturing between China and Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand,” the official said.

Such a shift could raise concerns about port infrastructure. This is not a problem in Asia, although ZIM points out an unlikely weakness elsewhere in the world.

“We don’t see an issue in [Asia]. There is enough capacity in terms of ports,” the official said. It is different though on the other side of the Pacific, with North America one to watch, he said. “The next issue will be the US accommodating bigger vessels. All ports in the US are working on this,” the official said.

By Michael Mackey

Southeast Asia Correspondent | Haifa, Israel