singapore – Shanghai Metal Corporation

The 2014 World’s Busiest Container Ports. The winner is…

Wondering which are the busiest container ports across the planet? And which is the world’s leading port city for 2014? This article will provide you with the answer. The list was made public a few weeks ago and, not surprisingly, eight of the top ten ports are Chinese. Moreover, according to Medi Telegraph, 14 is the number of the ports that, in 2014, have handled more than 10 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), two more than 2013 (Kaohsiung and Dalian). In this chart the only non-Asian ports are Dubai and Rotterdam.

Here is the chart.

The winner is again Shanghai.

	Port	Country	Volume Million TEU	2014/2013
1	Shanghai	China	35.28	+5%
2	Singapore	Singapore	33.90	+4.1%
3	Shenzhen	China	24.03	+3.3%
4	Hong Kong	China	22.30	+0.1%
5	Ningbo	China	19.45	+12%
6	Busan	South Korea	18.65	+5.5%
7	Qindao	China	16.62	+7%
8	Guangzhou	China	16.16	+6%
9	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	15.24	+11.8%
10	Tianjin	China	14.05	+8.1%

Following, Rotterdam 12.30 million TEUs (+ 5.8%), Port Kelang 10, 94 million TEUs (+ 5.8%), Kaohsiung 10.59 million TEUs (+ 6.5%), Dalian 10.59 million TEUs (+ 2%). The Chinese ports alone have handled a total of 179 million TEUs, 6% more than the previous year. (from themeditelegraph.com)

shanghai-port-cargo2 — ‘Shanghai Port’ from chinarushonline.com

For the fifth consecutive time Shanghai is confirmed as the busiest port for containers in the world. Indeed, in 2010, Singapore lost its crown as leading world’s port remaining so far one step behind in Shanghai.

0x600 — ‘The Port of Singapore’ from forbes.com

Congrats Shaghai and… guess what! Shanghai Metal Corporation based in the city with the busiest world’s container port, provides you with a great selection of containers. Visit our website for more details and do not hesitate to contact us.

Scan the QR code below and stay informed about our latest updates:

Stefano// SMC Editor

Shipping Industry Insights: Ports in Asia

China is popularly known as the leader of the world’s busiest ports since decades. It possesses an important number of ports that are located in different parts of the countries, the top ones are at Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It has been reported that each year import and export trade moving through the Port of Shanghai represents one-fourth of the value of China’s foreign trade. The importance of activities in the Port of Shanghai has been viewed as an opportunity to establish it as an international shipping center.

Port of Shanghai

Other Asian countries fills the top list of the world’s busiest cargo ports. Although the major parts of the list is composed by ports from different cities in China, we can observe a growth of activities in Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. Check this website if you’re interested to see the complete list.

The Port of Singapore has one of the most spectacular number of trade transportation in the world. This year, it was named “Asia Container Port of the Year“, beating China. This phenomenon isn’t surprising at all. Having a limited natural resources, the country needed to exports products as a source of revenue to purchase natural resources and raw goods. As a consequence, it becomes one of the world’s largest exporter and importer.

Port of Singapore

To respond to the increase of international trade transportation, the technology of operating it has been improving. For example, more and more cargo are converted to container. The demand of “intermodal container” has been increasing since its efficiency allows the container to be moved from one mode of transportation to another without unloading and reloading the contents, reducing the cost of operation.

Graphic from BIMCO

The size of container ships is becoming increasingly larger over time with the increased uses of intermodal container.

If you are searching for a supplier of container or other shipping equipment, Shanghai Metal Corporation can help you. Our professional experts ensure only the best quality of products. If you have any question, feel free to contact us, our English speaking staffs will help you. Follow us on social media to have a better look on our products.

Credits to Wikipedia
Pictures from Google image.

Ayu P.//SMC editor

The Many Architectural Applications of Shipping Containers vol.4

The modularity of shipping containers enables creative architects to design beautiful container homes and hotels. Open top containers can be turned into swimming pools. Containers can even be turned to nice pop-up theaters and nightclubs.

In 2013 a local architecture studio O+A designed the architectural setting of the 20th Over het IJ Festival and transformed Amsterdam’s shipyard into a huge restaurant area with theatrical stages. Building the “container city” took four days, and another two days to take down, lasting only two weeks in between. Miami also had its container theater in 2012 when the actors of Microteatro por Dinero started showing 15 minute short dramas in containers.

Besides drama, shipping containers have also been used as movie theaters. Container mini theaters showed short films in New York in 2011. The event was a part of USA Network’s Character Project and it also was supported by the director of the Alien Saga, Ridley Scott. Audience was placed in 18-seat air conditioned screening pods to watch the shorts. The tour also took place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

A Singaporean company Venue VBox is using shipping containers to build mobile discotheques. The company’s “Night Box” pop-up nightclub is a container systems that can hold 500 people. Such systems are applied also in other countries. For instance New Orleans’ 2009 and 2010 Voodoo Music experience event has had VIP lounges made of shipping containers. The price, mobility and overall attractiveness makes containers a great solution for all of these applications.

Shanghai Metal Corporation sells many sorts of high-quality shipping containers. They can be easily converted the affordable houses or business facilities. See our webpage for detailed descriptions. Please also visit our social media sites.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Trendhunter.com, Rocknrollproblems.wordpress.com, Intra-plus.com, WLRN, N-punto, Broadway World,Gizmag, Wired, Miami New Times, Inhabitat, Oplusa.nl

Continue to chapter 5.

Please use the the social media boxes below to SHARE this article to reach all the friends of shipping container architecture everywhere.

Shipping Containers And Other Amazing Swimming Pools

Swimming pools seem to be a symbol of luxury that every high-end real estate must have. A simple container of water that gives people a relaxing sensation can be designed in many ways. The world has its crazy examples.

The Cage of Death in Darwin Australia lets the swimmers swim in an underwater glass cage that is surrounded by 18-foot alligators. The attraction in Crocosaurus Cove operates 12 times a day, letting visitors take a 15 minute dive with the crocs.

The Infinity Pool in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands hotel lets its guests swim on the roof of the 150 meter tall 5-star hotel. The pool designed by Moshe Safdie is the world’s largest at this height and offers the best city-skyline view of Singapore.

If you are visiting Dallas, getting a room in Joule Hotel would be a great option. The special thing about the hotel is its rooftop swimming pool that goes beyond the edge of the hotel’s wall. Guests will enjoy the spectacular view from the plexiglass window at the far end of the pool. The Pool is also heated to perfection and offers the ideal place for perfect relaxation.

In case of building pop-up swimming pools, shipping containers are the right material. Shipping container pools have attracted crowd in many public events. For instance the fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger introduced a container swimming pool in Berlin’s Bread and Butter fashion trade show in 2011. Also the city of New York has arranged some container pool parties in Manhattan.

As mentioned in our previous articles, shipping containers are an instance of modest luxury because they allow even lower and middle income households to build a home or a summer house with a swimming pool. An experimental architect Stefan Beese set us an example when he used less than US$7,000 to build a fantastic swimming pool in his New Orleans home. (read more)

Even though shipping containers are a really simple structured construction material, their application is limited only by human imagination. The facilities that used to be expensive are now getting cheaper thanks to shipping containers. Some people say that heating the water in swimming pools is expensive. Could heat absorbing metal containers be the solution?

If you are interested in building shipping container swimming pools, we in Shanghai Metal Corporation are really glad to help you. Our variety of shipping containers is wide as we show in our webpage. In order to offer you a right solution, just send us an inquiry and our English speaking staff will give you assistance. Also remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Crocosaurus Cove, Marina Bay Sands, The Joule Hotel, Allday.com

Get Bent: Apple

All the buzz around Apple’s newest iPhone6 may not be that of a success. Not even its 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models sold in three days after the phones went on sale. Rather, it seems like the new ‘bendable’ iPhone6 is even a hotter hit, going viral on social media as hashtag #BendGate.

Not only a rumor but proved by a number of pictures published on the world web, the new iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus easily bend when carried in owners’ pockets for long periods of time. Others claimed the flexibility of the new phone while having more active lifestyle and dancing.

The question whether this affects all the devices or if it is limited to a small number of phones is still unclear, and Apple has not yet pronounced. Last year there were similar cases involving iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC EVO, and many others, but this is actually the first time the bending issue has become an “epidemic”.

Ironically, the reports claiming the issue came out the same day that smartphone warranty provider SquareTrade called the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus the “most durable smartphones ever”. Significantly larger and thinner than the traditional iPhone, the iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus are encased by aluminum enclosure, which is a naturally flexible material.

CNNMoney received a test model and several staffers tried and failed to change its shape using brute force. What this will mean for the future of iPhones? Well, earlier this year the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently published Apple’s patent application which describes a new technology to be integrated with bendable displays. It talks about a new method on how to use tiny metal components in a way that prevents them from breaking when the display is bent. It might be it?

For now, what remains for iPhone6 owners is to remove their iPhones from their pockets before sitting, placing them in a less tight pocket, or choose for a more resistant case that could protect the device from bending and flexing. And if you still think of acquiring an iPhone6 or iPhone6 Plus, it is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK and it will go on sale in 20 more countries on September 26^th and others by the end of the year.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is a world leader in producing and supplying the best quality in aluminum that could prevent devices such as the iPhone6 and iPhone6 to easily bend. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Story credit: Dominick F.//SMC Sales Specialist

Source and photo credit: foxnews.com, money.cnn.com, macrumors.com, newser.com, gadgetlove.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Shipping Containers – The World’s Most Sustainable Restaurants

Shipping containers are a perfect solution for setting up a pop-up restaurant. As we already covered in our blog about container stores, container restaurants can be installed almost everywhere and they are very likely to gather a lot of crowd. Some very well know companies have already set up a mobile restaurant.

In 2010, the sandwich company Subway had a shipping container restaurant on top of the five story Freedom Tower in New York. Subway established the restaurant for the construction workers who would otherwise have needed 45 minutes to get down from the construction. The containers had the Subway logo on a yellow background and the flag of the USA that represented the recovering from 9/11 and the resurrection of the American Dream. (source)

Shipping containers are also a form of sustainable building and offer an eco-friendly and a low-cost solution for starting restaurants. One of the world’s best coffee shops, Starbucks, has also used shipping containers and build such an eco-friendly drive-thru cafe in Seattle. Alongside with shipping containers, the architecture also enables the collecting of rainwater and thereby lowering water consumption. (source)

In 2011, the people of London, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Delhi, Dubai and Sydney had a chance to enjoy traditional Singaporean food that was offered form a shipping container restaurant. Thanks for shipping container’s mobility the Singapore Takeout was able to serve people in these cities within 12 months. (source)

As a new business idea, shipping container restaurants are an ideal low-cost choice. During these hard times in the economy, people who have always wanted start an own restaurant, but feel the lack of enough capital seem to have found a solution.

Shanghai Metal Corporation has a wide variety of containers including 20 ft, 40 ft, reefer containers and open top containers to name but a few. For more details, please visit our website or send us an inquiry from here. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Inthrald, Weburbanist, Urban Times, Inhabitat, Inhabitat, Westphoria

Party in a Box! Going Wild in Container Night Clubs!

Shipping Containers are designed to transport freight in rough weather conditions for long distances. They are also all built according one international standard, so that the loading of container ships can be optimized. Later on, their structure inspired architects to design modular houses and now containers are used also e.g. as hotels, stores and offices. Now they are also building night clubs out of containers.

Shipping containers have strong foundations on each of four corners. The foundations enable stacking and piling them into huge real estate complexes. A Singaporean company Venue VBox is using this feature to build mobile discotheques out of containers.

The company’s “Night Box” pop-up nightclub is a container systems that can hold 500 people. Such systems are applied also in other countries. For instance New Orleans’ 2009 and 2010 Voodoo Music experience event has had VIP lounges made of shipping containers. It has been more common for businesses to open a temporary bar for crowded events by using a single container. Used containers cost between US 1000 and 2000. The price, mobility and overall attractiveness makes containers a great solution for arranging mobile parties.

Such internationally standardized containers can be purchased from Shanghai Metal Corporation. We offer basic containers, open-top containers and refrigerated containers to name but a few. More information can be found in our website. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. We have also launched a mobile application that you can download by scanning the QR code below.

Tuomas P.// SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Trendhunter.com, Rocknrollproblems.wordpress.com, Intra-plus.com, Shipping Container Architecture on Wikipedia

4 Strange Stockpiling Panics

Stockpiling panics can be triggered by the smallest of market shocks. Maybe a news report causes it, an unexpected price change, or word of mouth, but once the panic sets in chaos ensues. Each country has seen its own stockpiling panic, like raw materials, power, food and water. But the following countries have been a little more creative with their stockpiling choices.

Japan – Toilet paper

Japan’s bureaucrats don’t want the nation to be caught with its pants down the next time toilet paper supplies run short after a natural disaster.

That’s why the government is rolling out its latest public-awareness campaign, entitled “Let’s Stockpile Toilet Paper,” which involves an exhibition on the topic at the trade ministry, a summit of industry leaders and the sale of specially packaged “emergency use” toilet tissue.

USA – Sick Days

Due to loopholes in the employee benefit package, government employees of the USA are eligible for 2,164 sick days that they are eligible to draw from according to figures requested from the auditor’s office.

China – Cabbage

In Beijing especially, there are the piles of cabbage that accrue in communal courtyards, high-rise hallways and window ledges across the city. This has been common practice since the 1960’s industrialization to get people through harsh winters that may hinder food production.

Singapore – Sand

Some countries have strategic oil reserves; others stockpile rice or wheat. The island nation of Singapore has emergency reserves of imported sand. The government is now being forced to tap its sand hoard after its usual supplier, Indonesia, abruptly banned exports in February in a string of disputes between the two countries.

Currently, Raw material surcharges are spurring stockpiling of stainless steel and nickel across the globe. Finland’s Outokumpu OYJ (OUT1V), Germany’s ThyssenKrupp AG and Aperam SA (APAM) in Luxembourg all reporting boosts in deliveries.

So, why not beat the stockpiling surge and invest in nickel and stainless steel today? Shanghai Metal Corporation manufactures an array of value-added Metal Products, Building Systems, Shipping Containers, and Machinery. We are committed to delivering quality to businesses as an integrated global manufacturer, exporter, and supplier with offices and subsidiaries located throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. To find out more, please visit our website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

You can also read more articles by our team at SMC:

Live Clean Or Die Hard

Top 3 Ammunition Alternatives

Top 10 Countries For Internet Speed

Drunk Man Found In Container Bound For The USA

Containers – The New Political Soapbox

Move Along Airplanes – Submarines Overtake Travel

Thor’s Hammer: The Science

Shipping Container City – Shanghai Immigrant’s Homes

Can You Do A 360 Degree Loop On A Swing Set?

Become Bullet Proof …Using Water

Counterfeit Money Cases