New Transportation research report from Business Monitor International is now available from Fast Market Research.- In Q110, Venezuela's maritime sector was rocked by news of a strike by cargo handlers at the country's largest port, Puerto Cabello following a dispute over pay. Venezuela's port sector, which was partly nationalised in 2009, remains dogged by poor efficiency and delays which BMI believes may impact the country's external trade. According to the Associated Press (AP), cited by El Universal, a number of cargo handling businesses ceased operations at the port, claiming not to have been paid by the state-run port authority. About 3,000 workers reportedly stopped work. Since being nationalised, little improvement has been seen at Puerto Cabello and, in October 2009, El Universal reported an increase in delays at the facility resulting from power cuts at major terminals caused by government rationing of the country's energy supply. Problems of congestion have continued at Puerto Cabello and other major ports, despite a fall in throughput levels. One positive for the sector in Q110, meanwhile, was news of an oil supply deal agreed by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, with the government of Belarus. Following a meeting with Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, Chavez said the two countries were close to agreeing a deal that would see Venezuela supply the former Soviet state with up to 80,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The agreement allows for increased output from an existing Belarusian oil venture in Venezuela's Orinoco region. Crude will be refined at the site before being sold on to European buyers. The move supports our view of a gradual diversification in Venezuela's trade network which, from a shipping perspective at least, should have a positive impact. An increase in long-distance crude shipments from the South American country to Asia and Europe will benefit shipping lines, however, these trades will only prove profitable if large tankers such as very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are used to carry the load. These are currently in short supply in Venezuela and despite plans by the country's state energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), to double the size of its oil tanker fleet over the next few years, independent shipping lines can expect to be called upon to carry much of the load in the interim. In the Q210 Venezuela Shipping Report, we forecast that 2009's downturn in the country's maritime sector will continue. The government's recent devaluation of the bolivar will have a direct impact on the country's trade volumes with imports expected to fall by 15% year-on-year (y-o-y) in real terms and exports expected to grow by 4% in 2010. Total trade is forecast to fall by 8% and this will have a knockon effect at the country's ports, as cargo volumes passing through the ports continue to decrease. BMI's shipping team forecasts that one of Venezuela's main ports, the port of Puerto Cabello, will experience a projected y-o-y throughput fall in total tonnage of 4.4%, while container volumes are expected to decrease by 1.6% in 2010. Despite the lack of an upturn, our forecasts suggest that the rate of decline in the port's handling will slow. In 2009, Venezuela's total trade fell by 17.2% leading to an estimated 20.9% drop in the port's total tonnage handling and a 2.4% decrease in its box throughput volumes. BMI's Q210 Venezuela Shipping Report not only analyses the environment in the Venezuela shipping market in 2010 but looks at developments going forward into the mid term (2011-2014) and considers whether the country's trade volumes will increase adequately to allow the country's ports to reclaim their pre-downturn throughput levels. The report also contains an in-depth analysis of Venezuela's main ports, the port of Puerto Cabello and the port of La Guaira. We offer an overview of the ports' infrastructure, and consider whether they will be able to cope with cargo growth or whether congestion could become an issue. The ports' expansion and development plans are also reviewed, along with the facilities' links to the rest of the country's freight transport. The Q210 Venezuela Shipping Report, contains detailed company overviews of the top 11 global container lines. Our shipping desk has prepared an analysis of these companies' varying downturn strategies, and we offer our views and predictions on what 2010 holds for these lines. For more information or to purchase this report, go to: www.fastmr.com/prod/58316_venezuela_shipping_report_q2_2010.aspx .