Sep. 11 is the half of the year since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami happened. Restoration has been starting but reconstruction has not yet been touched under the master plan. The dead of 15,751 people and the missing 4,086 people totals close to 20,000 victims. This tragedy should not be repeated again. Politician of this nation should really understand grief of victims? The new Trade and Industry Minister appointed 9 days ago resigned due to the indiscreet remark and gesture after coming back from on-site inspection of the town near the Nuclear power plants damaged by Tsunami. All politicians of this nation have been qualified as a politician? There are many people who want to be a politician. At the same time many politicians want to be a minister. However, they may be not qualified as a politician, much less the minister? The stress test should be hopefully done to them before being appointed as a minister. It is said that in Japan constituency, reputation and funds are in need to become a politician. I believe that this is the relic of a decade ago. The politicians who are involved in government of the nation should not be a representative of interest of a small group. It is quite doubtful that people who descend from a long line of politicians are qualified as a politician. The prime minister has been changed once a year which looks like the prime minister’s term to be set for one year. How can we expect them to do a good job? The dignity of the prime minster should not be the highest decoration of the politician.
Now Japan has been in various crises for the nation. However, many politicians have been spending their time playing political game. The opposition Diet members of this nation like to find faults of the member of Government party. There is no generosity of assisting Government party. There is no attractiveness in question and answer in the Diet due to their artlessness. Heckling in Diet makes them doubt the dignity of Diet members. The deterioration in dignity of Diet members must come from mass of Diet members. Democratic party in power should carry out their promise of reducing Diet members. 480 members of the house of Representatives, 242 members of the house of Councillors totals 722 Diet Members. They should be reduced the half of them or one third which is the quickest way to cut the national expenditure and the best way to save Japan from the national crises.
In USA Sep. 11, 2011 is also 10th anniversary for the September 11 terror attaches to the World Trade Center Buildings in New York caused 2749 victims. The bereaved families have been still suffering from the deepest grief after 10 years. This kind of tragedy has been stopped by all means. The USA president’s address has been appealing to our hearts. President Obama’s pressure should have been heavier than anybody else. He proposed a $450 billion plan for creating jobs before Congress on Sep 8. This must be aiming at his re-election campaign in 2012. However, his way of address was quite impressive and persuasive to people. It is said that the politicians are the mirrors of the nation.
The leaders of the organizations are in need of their firm resolution and power to act. This will apply to any management of the companies. The most of the major shipping lines have shown in red figures in the first half of 2011(Jan to Jun) due to a fall in the freight rate and higher fuel charge after recovering in V shape in 2010. In addition, the peak season usually starting from Sep seems to have been slow in demand reflected by the sluggish economy in Europe and N. America.
The number of containerships waiting for delivery has increased to 116 ships with 211,000 teu in slots as of the end of Aug, 2011. As a result, the average export slot usage ratio from China has been kept as 85% for US West Coast Trade, 95% for US East Coast Trade, 90% for Europe Trade, 95% for Australia/NZ Trade and 90% for Middle East Gulf Trade at president.
Meantime, the remaining order of Containerships is 4.47 million teu in slots. 1.3 million teu has been increased in 2011. 1.15 million teu for 2012 and 1.33 million teu for 2013 will be anticipated in slot increase. 0.5 million teu of the new building ships consists of 45 ships of the average 11,000 teu per ship. 31 out of 45 ships will be delivered in 2013. How will shipping lines break through the situation? The role of the leaders of the shipping lines will be significant.
According to Mr. John Maccarone, CEO of Textainer, the largest leasing company in the world total In 2011 3.5 million teu will be added in the market compared to 2.4 million teu in 2010. There are the whole containers of 30.6 million teu in the world. Leasing companies own 44.5 % out of 30.6 million teu. 65% in 2010 and 60% in 2011 will be shared by leasing companies. He predicts that Shipping lines will replace older containers with the new ones by the end of 2011 or early of 2012 owing to avoid higher operational cost including repair cost. He continued to say that shipping lines will have to rely more on leasing containers as they could not purchase many own fleet.
Textainer had first half revenue of $196.9 million, 37% more than in the first half of 2010. As a result, they will have its best year ever in 2011 and 2012 and 2013 will also good for them with their fleet of 2.4 million teu. Slow steaming taken by shipping lines will force shipping lines using more containers by 5~7%. Shipping lines could not attain higher slot utilization because they have already reached to the highest level. So they will eventually have to come to leasing. Therefore, the leasing companies are doing incredibly well, he made his comments. The most leasing companies have kept in the highest container utilization of 97~98% even now.
New container factory stock in China is 660,000 teu as of the end of Aug which is reduced by 18% comparing to 800,000 teu of the previous month. Chinese container makers have been suffering terribly from less order. Their selling price to big customers would be $2,400 per 20f or a bit less. Leasing companies have been still taking a wait and see attitude. Instead, shipping lines would be the shipping lines to be the main target of container makers when they will start to replace older containers with the new ones. The lowering price will motivate shipping lines to replace with the new.
Lastly, Japan has been still facing the strong Yen (USD1.00=JPY76~77). The enterprises who find their way in overseas for growth should be paid attention. The enterprises whose market was confined in the domestic before might decide to turn their business into overseas for survival. It will give you a good chance to start business.
Japanese food business would be one of the growth enterprises in the world. The taste of Japanese cuisine could make people of the world happy. Most Japanese food business in overseas have been managed by none Japanese. In view of good taste of Japanese dishes prepared by the professional Japanese cooks and tasting with the health conscious mind you must be successful in grasping reliability of overseas people for their taste and health. You don’t need speaking even English.
In addition the water business including water supply and drainage operations, the rice farming system business, the railway vehicle and operation system business, nursing care goods and nursing care system etc. It looks against the time but Japanese culture of the customer oriented high class services seen in Japanese department store would be welcomed by people in the world. Many enterprises have been starting to look at overseas market. The cargo volume would be not small once they start moving. The sales people in the shipping lines should keep your eyes open and you could help them from the beginning you could secure certain volume of cargo. Let’s move it.