Spot rates on the westbound route, India’s largest trade lane by volume, have nearly halved in the last two weeks, according to new data obtained by the Journal of Commerce.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:09:14 GMT

While longshore wages will not increase until a formal contract is signed, the container shipping industry is starting to tally up the billions in new costs that will come with the almost 62% wage hike, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:59:29 GMT

Carriers began pulling the charges shortly after the end of the strike was announced last week, while pressure to do so came even earlier from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:56:14 GMT

Some have speculated that specific issues were raised that persuaded at least some of the carrier group CEOs to direct their representatives on the USMX to boost their offer of a pay increase.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:50:14 GMT

Ocean carriers are trying to balance huge investment in their order books with a lack of certainty over the availability of green fuels and a slow-moving regulatory regime critical to supporting shipping’s net-zero transition.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:43:20 GMT

Local freight forwarders say carriers on the trade lane are willing to strike special rate deals with large-volume customers on a per-sailing or short-term contract basis.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:52:14 GMT

Rates were driven by an early peak season as shippers consigned cargo ahead of the longshore strike along the US East and Gulf coasts last week and a capacity crunch as vessels continued to divert around southern Africa.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:01:14 GMT

MSC’s departure from the 2M Alliance gives the world’s biggest shipping line the chance to be more operationally flexible to cater to changing supply chain demands, Soren Toft told the International Association of Ports and Harbors’ conference in Hamburg.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:31:40 GMT

The union’s refusal to work overtime has prompted Montreal’s employer group in turn to decline to pay longshore crews that do not have a full complement of workers.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:40:13 GMT

Market participants yearning for a market where adverse events never lead to major supply chain hiccups are essentially asking for a reality that has never existed, writes Lars Jensen.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:35:13 GMT

With the 62% wage increase being an unprecedented offer to the union, the USMX will be hard-pressed to give in on other key demands the ILA is making, sources tell the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:10:15 GMT

Strong demand on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trade lanes through a volatile third quarter has left the Chinese carrier on course for another highly profitable year.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:32:14 GMT

New provisional guidelines from Indian regulators will allow the major shipping alliances to operate at national ports as long as homegrown carriers get guaranteed access to a 5% share of the massive vessel-sharing agreements.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:39:14 GMT

Maritime employers and the union representing some 45,000 East and Gulf coast dockworkers have reportedly closed the gap in wage expectations to just $1 per hour per year.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:02:15 GMT

Ocean carriers appear to be banking on a short port strike, allowing ships to remain on scheduled calls or sit at anchorage, but those plans could change if East and Gulf ports remain closed through the end of the week.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:12:14 GMT

In container shipping, size still matters, evidenced by carriers continuing to expand their fleets, consolidate and form vessel-sharing alliances, writes Shipping Masters Managing Director Jeremy Masters.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:20:14 GMT

Several groups are calling on the White House to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to stop the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike that began on Tuesday at midnight.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:55:16 GMT

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) rejected a last-minute offer from maritime employers that included higher wages and retirement contributions, as the first strike by East and Gulf coast port workers since 1977 got underway.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:31:19 GMT

The strike will affect about 40% of Montreal’s container capacity and comes as port employers remain in protracted talks with the longshore union over a new contract.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:15 GMT

The White House may finally be looking to take a firmer hand in stalled talks between the ILA and maritime employers with an expected strike just days away.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:59:15 GMT

Israel-based Zim said its new alliance with MSC will offer customers extensive port reach and enhanced service levels.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT

The global bank also said in a report that West Coast ports would only be able to handle less than 20% of cargo diverted from the East and Gulf coasts, while Mexico and Canada would offer almost no relief.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:57:15 GMT

Ocean carriers and marine terminals allege the International Longshoremen’s Association is violating US labor law by refusing to return to contract negotiations that haven’t been held since June.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:35:17 GMT

The lobby group representing ocean carriers in issues involving containers failed in its bid to further delay new rules covering how per diem bills are handled.

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:32:14 GMT

The $1 billion facility at the Port of Charleston has sat largely idle since its opening in 2021 amid a protracted dispute with the ILA over control of crane operator jobs.

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:24:14 GMT

The new network designs recently rolled out by ocean carriers will present shippers with quite an element of choice, and in turn ensure strong competitive pressure among the liners, writes Lars Jensen.

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:22:13 GMT

Because carriers don’t assess terminal handling charges in the US, any wage increase maritime employers agree to in longshore contract negotiations comes directly out of their pockets.

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:41:14 GMT

Front-loaded cargo has dried up ahead of potential labor disruption on the East and Gulf coasts, putting heavy pressure on container spot rates from Asia.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:19:13 GMT

The acquisition will significantly expand CMA CGM’s port reach into a region that is seeing robust demand.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:01:15 GMT

Nearly 30 ships are bound for the Port of New York and New Jersey as marine terminals and ocean carriers prepare for a possible dockworker strike.

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:15:20 GMT

The contingency plans by the ports come as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to ports that may be closed on Oct. 1.

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:37:20 GMT

Hapag-Lloyd said in an advisory that ships were already waiting up to 60 hours to berth at Shanghai and up 48 hours to berth in Ningbo due to vessel bunching ahead of the storm.

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:18:42 GMT

Ports and ocean carriers are now figuring out the playbook for how to handle what would be the first strike to hit the US East and Gulf coasts in nearly half a century.

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:13:15 GMT

Carriers tell the Journal of Commerce they would prefer to avoid a strike and the lengthy operational upheaval a stoppage would cause along the East and Gulf coasts, but unlike in the past, they feel no urgency to get a deal done, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 18:01:21 GMT

It’s a play by carriers to tempt NVOs with a reopened annual contract that, while higher than the deal they signed last spring, is still below current spot rates that have fallen from an early-summer peak.

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 18:24:14 GMT

The carrier this week unveiled a comprehensive network coverage plan, coupled with two slot-swap agreements, that it described as “independent, competitive and complete.”

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:58:13 GMT

For shippers fending off one supply chain shock after another, all the while trying to keep inventory and other supply costs in control, what is happening on the carrier front for them is yet another headache, and one not likely curable any time soon.

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

As supply-demand dynamics rapidly shift back to the shipper side, all general rate increases and peak season surcharges that have failed to take off since early August are now being pushed to October.

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:31:15 GMT

The Global Port Tracker now projects US imports this month will hit 2.31 million TEUs, up 14% from the same month a year ago; last month’s report expected the year-over-year increase for September to be 6.5%.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 21:12:15 GMT

The revised service plan from partners Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk includes scenarios via both the Cape of Good Hope and Suez Canal, with a decision due next month on which option will be chosen when the alliance launches in February.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:21:14 GMT

Forwarders say their containers are sitting at some terminals for 10 days or longer before they can be retrieved, although some relief in import volumes and dwell times is expected next month.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:12:14 GMT

Carriers began pulling the charges shortly after the end of the strike was announced last week, while pressure to do so came even earlier from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:56:14 GMT

The huge import volumes that moved across US docks in August are also muting the post-Golden Week bounce that normally occurs in mid-October when retailers ship their high-value holiday merchandise through the West Coast.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:58:14 GMT

If the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike continues past next week, shippers say they will likely book more freight through West Coast ports, rather than risk being caught up in logjams at East and Gulf coast ports.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:56:14 GMT

The $1 billion facility at the Port of Charleston has sat largely idle since its opening in 2021 amid a protracted dispute with the ILA over control of crane operator jobs.

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:24:14 GMT

Front-loaded cargo has dried up ahead of potential labor disruption on the East and Gulf coasts, putting heavy pressure on container spot rates from Asia.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:19:13 GMT

While there are still regulatory hurdles to clear, a spokesperson for DSV told the Journal of Commerce the combined company “will continue under the DSV brand” going forward.

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:54:14 GMT

It’s a play by carriers to tempt NVOs with a reopened annual contract that, while higher than the deal they signed last spring, is still below current spot rates that have fallen from an early-summer peak.

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 18:24:14 GMT

The Global Port Tracker now projects US imports this month will hit 2.31 million TEUs, up 14% from the same month a year ago; last month’s report expected the year-over-year increase for September to be 6.5%.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 21:12:15 GMT

Spot rates from Asia to the US East Coast are dropping faster than in past years as carriers route discretionary shipments to the West Coast to avoid getting caught up in a threatened dockworker strike on the East and Gulf coasts.

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 21:00:14 GMT

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is wasting no time utilizing its huge scale, striking major slot sharing agreements on the Asia-Europe with new Premiere alliance members.

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:27:14 GMT

A big jump in spot rates was pegged to the cascading impacts of blank sailings and a volume rush from shippers ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday in October.

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 17:21:14 GMT

The added capacity — 14 extra-loaders at each port — comes amid peak season demand and an anticipated boost in discretionary cargo diverted from ports along the US East and Gulf coasts as shippers protect themselves from potential longshore labor disruption.

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 21:17:14 GMT

While some customers worry rail container dwell times could worsen, port stakeholders say they are accustomed to the ebb and flow and can manage the recent import surge.

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:55:02 GMT

The port is looking to employ the landlord model used at other West Coast ports that would allow a private operator to manage the T6 terminal’s daily operations and market the facility to ocean carriers and shippers.

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 20:27:14 GMT

Competition to fill ships in the eastbound trans-Pacific has become so intense in recent weeks that ocean carriers are offering a variety of special rates that are much lower than the spot rates they are quoting.

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:46:51 GMT

Container lines calling in Tacoma say the congestion is being caused by a surge in import volumes and a shortage of rail cars that is likely to last at least through August.

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:36:14 GMT

A prolonged work stoppage at ports along the East and Gulf coasts would put global shipping under stress in a manner similar to the forced vessel diversions around southern Africa, Zim’s Xavier Destriau told the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:32:14 GMT

The closure of one of China’s busiest container ports will add to the lengthening vessel delays being seen on the main Asian export trade lanes, while North Europe grapples with its own congestion woes on the other end.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:47:47 GMT

With the potential for labor disruption looming at the end of September, the Global Port Tracker has again upgraded its short-term forecast for imports, saying it expects year-over-year monthly increases at least through the end of the year.

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 19:14:41 GMT

In a new report, industrial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle said fundamentals such as absorption of warehouse and distribution space, vacancy rates, deliveries of new properties and subleasing activity slowed in the second quarter.

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:20:34 GMT

The carrier believes the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea is now “entrenched” and will not change for the rest of the year.

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:09:52 GMT

The differential between East and West coast spot rates is now more than $3,000 as retailers rush to ship their imports from Asia ahead of a possible strike by ILA dockworkers when their contract expires on Sept. 30.

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 18:17:35 GMT

Matson’s second quarter financial earnings rose well above both last year and the consensus estimate as shippers looked to its expedited ocean services for relief from high air cargo rates.

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:03:19 GMT

The move to increase ship traffic comes as canal officials have started talks with some of the inhabitants who will be affected by the $1.6 billion project to expand the canal’s water catchment, including construction of the Río Indio reservoir.

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 17:03:43 GMT

As the clock ticks down toward the expiration of ILA’s current contract, the window for frontloading to the East and Gulf coasts is closing and there is limited potential for diversions through Canada and Mexico, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT

The Singapore-based carrier also said it is expecting to book an operating profit for its current financial year that is more than double its previous forecast despite a “highly uncertain” outlook for the rest of 2024.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:16:56 GMT

The threat of labor unrest and the increased transit times and costlier voyages on all-water services to the East and Gulf coasts are diverting some discretionary cargo to the West Coast.

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:56:12 GMT

Key to those questions is whether the first-half volume growth was primarily a result of robust underlying demand or rather logistics decisions by skittish shippers to advance the peak season in the face of second-half risk.

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:49:01 GMT

Carriers over the past two months have launched or reinstated seven services from Asia to Los Angeles-Long Beach, and three to Vancouver and the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma.

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:52:45 GMT

The capacity deployments during the first half of 2024 show that smaller carriers have been deploying many of the new large ships serving the North America trade, while major alliance carriers have deployed most of their big vessels on Asia-Europe.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:49:13 GMT

The Cosco subsidiary benefited from a sharp increase in rates as early peak season demand on the main trades out of Asia filled all available vessel capacity.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:57:18 GMT

The liner follows MSC, Cosco and CMA CGM in rolling out new services that cater to the growing container trade between China and Mexico.

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:43:15 GMT

Forwarders expect the rate decline to accelerate in the coming weeks after carriers launched or reinstated 10 services into the eastbound trans-Pacific.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:55:00 GMT

Ocean carriers have seen freight rates on key trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades double and triple since the start of the year amid a capacity crunch and supply chain disruptions.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:12:42 GMT

The revised forecast from the National Retail Federation comes as US consumer spending remains strong despite higher prices for merchandise and various supply chain challenges that have increased shipping costs.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:54:59 GMT

The opening of the first of three new container berths last week at the Tuas mega container terminal is part of a larger effort to shift operations away from the city center.

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:14:40 GMT

Some shippers still raw from two years of pandemic disruptions are willing to pay thousands of dollars more to ensure they secure slots and equipment on container ships, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:59:53 GMT

The carrier next week will roll out a premium express service from central China to complement the South China express service it relaunched late last year as spot rates continue to move higher.

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:52:21 GMT

The daily number of vessel transits through the critical waterway is set to return to normal levels after easing of a drought that cut transits in half last year.

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 17:45:15 GMT

Forwarders say their containers are sitting at some terminals for 10 days or longer before they can be retrieved, although some relief in import volumes and dwell times is expected next month.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:12:14 GMT

Barbara Melvin says 2024 hit Charleston in unexpected ways, but the full reopening of the Leatherman terminal was a major achievement for the port’s future expansion.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:55:14 GMT

Spot rates on the westbound route, India’s largest trade lane by volume, have nearly halved in the last two weeks, according to new data obtained by the Journal of Commerce.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:09:14 GMT

Ocean carriers have so far been unable to stem the rate slide in the traditionally slow post-Golden Week period that followed an early peak season on the trade lane, but they are pulling hard on capacity management levers in a bid to balance supply and demand.

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:02:47 GMT

While longshore wages will not increase until a formal contract is signed, the container shipping industry is starting to tally up the billions in new costs that will come with the almost 62% wage hike, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:59:29 GMT

The port reopened on Saturday after engineering firm Woolpert performed a survey to check for storm debris in shipping channels.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:17:14 GMT

DP World’s group chairman and CEO had initially ordered the cancellation of Monday’s announcement after being angered by comments made last week by two UK government officials.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:00:14 GMT

The move comes after two UK government officials sharply criticized the March 2022 mass layoffs at DP World subsidiary P&O Ferries while launching new legislation to protect seafarer rights.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:47:14 GMT

Carriers began pulling the charges shortly after the end of the strike was announced last week, while pressure to do so came even earlier from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:56:14 GMT

Some have speculated that specific issues were raised that persuaded at least some of the carrier group CEOs to direct their representatives on the USMX to boost their offer of a pay increase.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:50:14 GMT

Port officials say their facilities did not experience widespread flooding but are still being affected by power issues, adding that port tenants will make independent decisions on when to resume their operations.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:30:14 GMT

Ocean carriers are trying to balance huge investment in their order books with a lack of certainty over the availability of green fuels and a slow-moving regulatory regime critical to supporting shipping’s net-zero transition.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:43:20 GMT

The huge import volumes that moved across US docks in August are also muting the post-Golden Week bounce that normally occurs in mid-October when retailers ship their high-value holiday merchandise through the West Coast.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:58:14 GMT

Local freight forwarders say carriers on the trade lane are willing to strike special rate deals with large-volume customers on a per-sailing or short-term contract basis.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:52:14 GMT

With no improvement in the Red Sea security situation and shippers preparing for 2025 contracts, Gemini has jettisoned the traditional shorter route in favor of the longer transit around southern Africa.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:42:16 GMT

Rates were driven by an early peak season as shippers consigned cargo ahead of the longshore strike along the US East and Gulf coasts last week and a capacity crunch as vessels continued to divert around southern Africa.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:01:14 GMT

MSC’s departure from the 2M Alliance gives the world’s biggest shipping line the chance to be more operationally flexible to cater to changing supply chain demands, Soren Toft told the International Association of Ports and Harbors’ conference in Hamburg.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:31:40 GMT

Last week’s three-day longshore strike on the East and Gulf coasts is not expected to disrupt transportation supply chains ahead of the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, the National Retail Federation said.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:42:13 GMT

The union’s refusal to work overtime has prompted Montreal’s employer group in turn to decline to pay longshore crews that do not have a full complement of workers.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:40:13 GMT

Market participants yearning for a market where adverse events never lead to major supply chain hiccups are essentially asking for a reality that has never existed, writes Lars Jensen.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:35:13 GMT

With the 62% wage increase being an unprecedented offer to the union, the USMX will be hard-pressed to give in on other key demands the ILA is making, sources tell the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:10:15 GMT

Strong demand on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trade lanes through a volatile third quarter has left the Chinese carrier on course for another highly profitable year.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:32:14 GMT

Shippers on the trans-Atlantic will find space in short supply by the end of October with bottlenecks on both ends of the trade lane reducing capacity.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:17:18 GMT

Ports on the US East and Gulf coasts say they have spare capacity and expect minor disruptions as they process more than 60 ships backlogged by a three-day strike

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:14:13 GMT

New provisional guidelines from Indian regulators will allow the major shipping alliances to operate at national ports as long as homegrown carriers get guaranteed access to a 5% share of the massive vessel-sharing agreements.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:39:14 GMT

Maritime employers and the union representing some 45,000 East and Gulf coast dockworkers have reportedly closed the gap in wage expectations to just $1 per hour per year.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:02:15 GMT

Refrigerated container shippers using US East and Gulf coast ports are tapping some non-unionized terminals, but they fear produce stuck on ships and in ports will spoil, and equipment will become scarcer if the strike lasts longer than a week.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 19:10:14 GMT

Ocean carriers appear to be banking on a short port strike, allowing ships to remain on scheduled calls or sit at anchorage, but those plans could change if East and Gulf ports remain closed through the end of the week.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:12:14 GMT

The Biden administration’s message of support for striking longshore workers — and inferring of carrier price gouging — shuts down any hopes for a federal government intervention in the short term, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:30:14 GMT

If the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike continues past next week, shippers say they will likely book more freight through West Coast ports, rather than risk being caught up in logjams at East and Gulf coast ports.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:56:14 GMT

Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board approved DSV’s $16 billion acquisition of rival forwarder DB Schenker despite opposition from union members on the board.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:56:14 GMT

In container shipping, size still matters, evidenced by carriers continuing to expand their fleets, consolidate and form vessel-sharing alliances, writes Shipping Masters Managing Director Jeremy Masters.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:20:14 GMT

Several groups are calling on the White House to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to stop the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike that began on Tuesday at midnight.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:55:16 GMT

A nationwide rail strike this year in Canada and the shutdown on British Columbia ports in 2023 give Montreal stakeholders little confidence that the Trudeau government will act swiftly to end wider strikes at the Port of Montreal if port workers pursue more.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:19:14 GMT

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) rejected a last-minute offer from maritime employers that included higher wages and retirement contributions, as the first strike by East and Gulf coast port workers since 1977 got underway.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:31:19 GMT

Nearly five decades of labor peace on the US East and Gulf Coast are coming to an end, with carriers loathe to see high US operating costs high, labor aware of a historic opportunity, and the Biden admiration reluctant to intervene.

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:33:14 GMT

The strike will affect about 40% of Montreal’s container capacity and comes as port employers remain in protracted talks with the longshore union over a new contract.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:15 GMT

The White House may finally be looking to take a firmer hand in stalled talks between the ILA and maritime employers with an expected strike just days away.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:59:15 GMT

Israel-based Zim said its new alliance with MSC will offer customers extensive port reach and enhanced service levels.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT

The global bank also said in a report that West Coast ports would only be able to handle less than 20% of cargo diverted from the East and Gulf coasts, while Mexico and Canada would offer almost no relief.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:57:15 GMT

Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board approved DSV’s $16 billion acquisition of rival forwarder DB Schenker despite opposition from union members on the board.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:56:14 GMT

The integration of two large companies in similar industries is “particularly challenging,” according to Tobias Meyer, who withdrew DHL’s interest in DB Schenker earlier this year.

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:42:14 GMT

While there are still regulatory hurdles to clear, a spokesperson for DSV told the Journal of Commerce the combined company “will continue under the DSV brand” going forward.

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:54:14 GMT

The forwarder did not provide financial details, but CEO James Gagne told the Journal of Commerce the transaction puts SEKO on solid financial footing.

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:04:16 GMT

DSV knocked the unions’ preferred bidder, private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, out of the race, but the forwarder’s bid now needs approval from the German parliament.

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:24:14 GMT

With just three weeks to go until the union’s master contract with port employers expires, US importers are scrambling for options but are finding there are no ideal alternatives.

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:56:17 GMT

Forwarders booking less-than-containerload business from shippers face documentation and pricing challenges that cut into their ability to carve out margin.

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 19:01:14 GMT

While rates remain more than four times higher than this point last year, forwarders and carriers report an easing of demand ahead of the traditional end to the peak shipping period.

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:21:16 GMT

Cargo Services will expand the global port operator’s reach in Asia across a range of industry verticals.

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:44:19 GMT

Competition to fill ships in the eastbound trans-Pacific has become so intense in recent weeks that ocean carriers are offering a variety of special rates that are much lower than the spot rates they are quoting.

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:46:51 GMT

The first signs of US importers beginning to advance shipments from Europe to get ahead of possible terminal closures along the US East and Gulf coasts at the end of September are being reported by carriers and forwarders.

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:39:11 GMT

The closure of one of China’s busiest container ports will add to the lengthening vessel delays being seen on the main Asian export trade lanes, while North Europe grapples with its own congestion woes on the other end.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:47:47 GMT

Despite the nearly $140 billion invested in logistics startups globally from 2012 through 2023, most of the industry’s major inefficiencies remain and the underlying structure of the industry has hardly changed.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT

The retail giant will enable sellers using its US fulfillment services to access its negotiated ocean rates for full containers from Yantian, Shanghai and Ningbo.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:11:50 GMT

Not even the widespread disruption to global aviation from the Microsoft IT outage in mid-July could derail resurgent air freight markets.

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 14:45:28 GMT

Small and midsize forwarders that have watched the ocean shipping market play out this year are left to face the reality of a much-consolidated carrier base that has no qualms about driving up rates hard and fast when openings present themselves, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 13:33:30 GMT

The $200 million funding round cuts against the broader trend of venture capital investors pulling back from early- and growth-stage supply chain and logistics startups.

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:02:07 GMT

The operating profit earned by the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary in the first six months of the year fell slightly but was more than double what it earned in the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:14:28 GMT

More than 70% of air cargo space controlled by Kuehne + Nagel subsidiary Apex has been presold for the third and fourth quarters.

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:00:13 GMT

Jens Lund believes the supply and demand balance on the major trade lanes is being restored as front-loaded shipments make their way through the supply chain.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:42:45 GMT

Kuehne + Nagel’s Stefan Paul presented a sunny outlook for the rest of the year, saying he expects strengthening air and ocean yields to turn around declines reported across most of the forwarder’s financial metrics in the first half.

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 16:23:33 GMT

The overall market share of the top 25 non-vessel-operating common carriers in the eastbound trans-Pacific rose 0.8% year over year from January through May, signaling that the largest NVOs weren’t able to take much volume from mid-market peers.

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 13:48:42 GMT

Midsize NVOs are always under pressure from an M&A perspective, say market observers, and the current freight rate environment is making it hard to value them accurately.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:41:06 GMT

The former CEO of the now bankrupt logistics software vendor has landed in federal prison after a high-profile saga that began with Slync employees not getting paid for weeks in 2022.

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:10:41 GMT

Forwarders expect the rate decline to accelerate in the coming weeks after carriers launched or reinstated 10 services into the eastbound trans-Pacific.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:55:00 GMT

Some imports from Asia are being priced out of the market with container shipping costs on the westbound trade almost seven times higher than this time last year.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:06:10 GMT

While the industry has focused on areas such as tracking and quoting, advancements in booking technology portend new potential for digitizing containerized supply chains.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:12:49 GMT

Shippers and forwarders now have a range of options to book with ocean carriers, who themselves have developed direct online portals to lure smaller ocean freight buyers.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:36:00 GMT

The CMA CGM subsidiary is centralizing its organizational structure following a string of high-profile and expensive acquisitions, making use of its critical size in key product sectors.

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:16:36 GMT

The forwarder’s enormous staff count and a lack of investment in logistics infrastructure contributed to the carrier dropping out, a source told the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:11:45 GMT

The agency’s detention and demurrage rules are still unclear as to billing those charges to truckers, according to challenges put forth by ocean carriers.

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:50:10 GMT

The forwarder says it has been “conditionally” restored to CBP’s so-called Type 86 program and has filed a complaint against the agency to get reinstated without conditions.

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 21:07:45 GMT

Growth in the use of a low-value shipment rule has attracted critics, who say the de minimis program provides a loophole for e-commerce companies abroad to evade duties.

Thu, 30 May 2024 20:49:03 GMT

FMC investigators found the carrier “overbroadly defined and applied” the merchant clause in its bill of lading to a third party “who should not have been billed,” the agency said.

Wed, 29 May 2024 20:01:23 GMT

A legal battle over unpaid detention and demurrage bills between the forwarder and importer Giti Tire has now moved to US maritime regulators.

Tue, 21 May 2024 19:42:32 GMT

In the recently completed annual negotiating round, trans-Pacific carriers slashed, or in some cases eliminated, the access of forwarders to fixed-rate bookings for accounts whose identity they disclose.

Tue, 21 May 2024 17:05:35 GMT

The peak season typically runs from June to September, but unseasonably strong demand is placing capacity under mounting pressure and driving up rate levels on the trade lane.

Tue, 21 May 2024 15:49:01 GMT

The expedited surface transportation provider said it has kept customers and is adding business but needs to “aggressively” address profitability after a first-quarter loss.

Fri, 10 May 2024 19:53:19 GMT

Group CFO Melanie Kreis would not comment on the near-term freight rate outlook or the likelihood of a modal shift from ocean to air or sea-air caused by supply chain disruptions, including the ongoing vessel diversions to avoid the Red Sea.

Tue, 07 May 2024 16:52:10 GMT

European importers are shrugging off gloomy economic forecasts, but rising volume out of Asia is putting pressure on available capacity that is already stretched by longer transits around southern Africa.

Fri, 03 May 2024 14:28:57 GMT

GenLogs, a technology provider aiming to help US brokers track trucks, uses a network of roadside sensors to passively collect truckload carrier locations.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:15:00 GMT

The software provider has steered clear of outside investment as it sought to patiently build import management tools for shippers.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Investors have put $6.3 million into a startup aiming to provide a procurement and transportation management software alternative to enterprise-focused solutions.

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:00:14 GMT

Forwarders booking less-than-containerload business from shippers face documentation and pricing challenges that cut into their ability to carve out margin.

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 19:01:14 GMT

A range of supply chain mapping and risk management tools have emerged in the past decade, many aimed at customs brokers and third-party logistics providers.

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 15:00:17 GMT

A flood of duty-free shipments from Asia has upped the ante on brokers having broad knowledge of the upstream supply chains used by their importer clients.

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 16:43:14 GMT

Most of Freightos’ traction in air and ocean freight procurement has centered around spot pricing, but the purchase of Shipsta will give it access to contract data from enterprise shippers.

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 19:48:14 GMT

A new $54.9 million fund has launched to support climate-focused logistics startups, a rare bright spot amid a larger pull-back in venture capital investment in the wider shipping industry.

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 18:28:13 GMT

Despite the nearly $140 billion invested in logistics startups globally from 2012 through 2023, most of the industry’s major inefficiencies remain and the underlying structure of the industry has hardly changed.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT

The retail giant will enable sellers using its US fulfillment services to access its negotiated ocean rates for full containers from Yantian, Shanghai and Ningbo.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:11:50 GMT

Many tools tend to focus on providing visibility centered around the “planned” supply chain, but perhaps what the industry needs is a shift in mindset that puts greater attention on exceptions, writes analyst Lars Jensen.

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 16:06:27 GMT

The $200 million funding round cuts against the broader trend of venture capital investors pulling back from early- and growth-stage supply chain and logistics startups.

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:02:07 GMT

A report from the consultancy pins lackluster funding into logistics startups on static freight demand and a steep decline in freight rates in 2023.

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:03:30 GMT

The Singapore-based ocean carrier is the fifth shipping line to use WaveBL’s electronic bill of lading product.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:01:01 GMT

The collaboration comes barely a month after Google researchers said they could help shipping lines improve their network designs and profitability.

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 17:45:01 GMT

The former CEO of the now bankrupt logistics software vendor has landed in federal prison after a high-profile saga that began with Slync employees not getting paid for weeks in 2022.

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:10:41 GMT

While the industry has focused on areas such as tracking and quoting, advancements in booking technology portend new potential for digitizing containerized supply chains.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:12:49 GMT

Electronic booking standards across ocean carriers would make it easier for shippers and forwarders to do business with a range of capacity providers, says the Digital Container Shipping Association.

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:15:52 GMT

Shippers and forwarders now have a range of options to book with ocean carriers, who themselves have developed direct online portals to lure smaller ocean freight buyers.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:36:00 GMT

The company believes shippers will benefit from a payments network it has created to help brokers and carriers bill shippers accurately before an invoice is sent out.

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Progress on the industry’s goal of fully moving to electronic bills of lading by 2030 has been slow, but more carriers are signing with vendors to enable the migration.

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:06:25 GMT

The uneven success of the digital brokerage model suggests that the foundations of the market were harder to disrupt than venture investors first envisioned a decade ago, and maybe even harder than some of the founders of digital brokerages had foreseen.

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 18:41:18 GMT

The ocean carrier joins rivals Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd — all investors in NYSHEX — in using the contract management platform.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 17:57:14 GMT

CargoSense said the funding will be used to expand its partner ecosystem of integrated management systems and data sources for its shipper customers.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:28:18 GMT

The new products were launched as Ship Angel announced a $5 million funding round by venture investors.

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 15:10:48 GMT

The thorny issue of running more efficient ocean carrier networks on a global scale has been a long-term quandary for liners and the software vendors catering to them.

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 14:24:46 GMT

One of the first “digital-native” brokerages, Transfix is shifting its focus to selling software as a service to other brokers, including NFI.

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:10:36 GMT

The post-pandemic resilience of small fleets has been attributed in part to driver reliance on apps such as the one Convoy built, which Flexport purchased last November.

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:22:26 GMT

Amid growing interest in making the truckload appointment scheduling process more efficient, the US visibility provider has added weight to an initiative started in late 2022.

Tue, 28 May 2024 17:55:19 GMT

A legal battle over unpaid detention and demurrage bills between the forwarder and importer Giti Tire has now moved to US maritime regulators.

Tue, 21 May 2024 19:42:32 GMT

The fast-evolving supply chain technology market prompted the global forwarders to take over Forward Computers, which will be run under a joint venture as an independent business.

Mon, 20 May 2024 14:29:29 GMT

Amid a range of efforts to automate and standardize truckload appointments, a new provider has launched a neutral platform to reduce manual work and errors associated with the process.

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:30:00 GMT

The auditing initiative between the carrier and software vendor OpenEnvoy was kickstarted by CMA CGM’s ZEBOX technology incubator, which connects startups with entrenched logistics partners.

Tue, 07 May 2024 10:00:00 GMT

John Urban spent a year as chairman and CEO trying to salvage Slync, the logistics automation platform negatively impacted by the high-profile legal saga of its founder Chris Kirchner.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 15:28:54 GMT

The visibility product, called Live Position, is the first service offered as part of the carrier’s 2022 investment to equip its entire box fleet with location-tracking hardware.

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 18:11:06 GMT

Shippers have long struggled to get direct access to rail milestone data that matches the depth and accuracy of ocean visibility markers.

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

The primary dilemma for shippers is whether to source visibility data or applications from a standalone vendor or to expect it to be included in a bundle from a third-party logistics provider.

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:11:26 GMT

The study, commissioned by the Global Shipping Business Network, comes amid a commitment by nine of the top 10 global ocean carriers to only use electronic bills of lading by 2030.

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 15:24:42 GMT

The link-up between the two companies is the latest industry partnership that caters to the desire of shippers for bundled global freight planning, execution and tracking.

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 17:16:16 GMT

Blue Yonder’s $893 million of One Network, a midsize supply chain vendor, comes amid slowing logistics software demand and heightened competition in supply chain software.

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:46:35 GMT

Ocean carriers have so far been unable to stem the rate slide in the traditionally slow post-Golden Week period that followed an early peak season on the trade lane, but they are pulling hard on capacity management levers in a bid to balance supply and demand.

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:02:47 GMT

With no improvement in the Red Sea security situation and shippers preparing for 2025 contracts, Gemini has jettisoned the traditional shorter route in favor of the longer transit around southern Africa.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:42:16 GMT

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is wasting no time utilizing its huge scale, striking major slot sharing agreements on the Asia-Europe with new Premiere alliance members.

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:27:14 GMT

After five rounds of negotiations and a series of 24-hour warning strikes at Germany’s ports, the union and port employers may finally be close to an agreement.

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:28:16 GMT

While rates remain more than four times higher than this point last year, forwarders and carriers report an easing of demand ahead of the traditional end to the peak shipping period.

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:21:16 GMT

Many European shippers are locked into the peak season that will extend the high volume of Asian imports through the third quarter despite the early movement of orders to mitigate disruption from the longer Red Sea routing.

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:37:32 GMT

Most of Freightos’ traction in air and ocean freight procurement has centered around spot pricing, but the purchase of Shipsta will give it access to contract data from enterprise shippers.

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 19:48:14 GMT

HHLA’s container volume and financial performance in the first six months has been a marked improvement on a disappointing 2023.

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:17:12 GMT

The closure of one of China’s busiest container ports will add to the lengthening vessel delays being seen on the main Asian export trade lanes, while North Europe grapples with its own congestion woes on the other end.

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:47:47 GMT

The carrier believes the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea is now “entrenched” and will not change for the rest of the year.

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:09:52 GMT

The Singapore-based carrier also said it is expecting to book an operating profit for its current financial year that is more than double its previous forecast despite a “highly uncertain” outlook for the rest of 2024.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:16:56 GMT

Vessels on the backhaul trade from Europe to Asia are sailing two-thirds empty, with spot rates on the trade lane falling sharply since February.

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:44:26 GMT

There is growing pushback against the pending regulation that some sectors believe poses an impossible challenge in tracing and verifying the origins of certain products that could lead to their exclusion from the EU market.

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:03:42 GMT

The capacity deployments during the first half of 2024 show that smaller carriers have been deploying many of the new large ships serving the North America trade, while major alliance carriers have deployed most of their big vessels on Asia-Europe.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:49:13 GMT

The Cosco subsidiary benefited from a sharp increase in rates as early peak season demand on the main trades out of Asia filled all available vessel capacity.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:57:18 GMT

Ocean carriers have seen freight rates on key trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades double and triple since the start of the year amid a capacity crunch and supply chain disruptions.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:12:42 GMT

Some imports from Asia are being priced out of the market with container shipping costs on the westbound trade almost seven times higher than this time last year.

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:06:10 GMT

An ongoing wage dispute between the ver.di union and port employers is continuing to disrupt operations at some of the busiest container shipping hubs in North Europe.

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:05:23 GMT

The opening of the first of three new container berths last week at the Tuas mega container terminal is part of a larger effort to shift operations away from the city center.

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:14:40 GMT

Shippers and carriers are better prepared to deal with large-scale disruptions following the supply chain chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CEVA Logistics CEO Mathieu Friedberg.

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 14:19:16 GMT

An early start to the peak seasons on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades has left shippers fighting for space with no sign of a respite from soaring rates and deteriorating service levels.

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:09:27 GMT

Cargo flow is improving through Singapore and major Chinese ports, but India’s largest container gateway, Mundra, is straining under rising transshipment volumes, ocean carriers and forwarders say.

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 18:33:40 GMT

Houthi rebels have little incentive to stop attacks even if there is a Gaza-Israel ceasefire, there’s no US appetite to root them out, and a political solution is highly unlikely, according to geopolitical analysts.

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:58:37 GMT

How do you build a robust, resilient system in the face of operational and geopolitical disruptions that throw conventional container shipping networks into disarray?

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:35:58 GMT

The longer transits around southern Africa, port congestion at key hubs in Asia and unseasonally strong demand have absorbed all the capacity carriers threw into the major east-west trade lanes early this year.

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:47:14 GMT

Summer strikes have begun in Europe with a series of walkouts causing significant disruption across the main German and French container ports.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:40:18 GMT

Unseasonally strong European demand for Asian imports is placing the heavily disrupted westbound trade lane under intense pressure as volumes overwhelm available capacity.

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:43:13 GMT

Average spot rates on the westbound trade have tripled compared with this point last year, with growing demand likely to keep upward pressure on prices over the coming weeks.

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:24:06 GMT

The return of regular voyages to the Red Sea and Suez Canal will signal an end to the current disruption on the Asia-Europe trade lane, but there remains zero visibility about when that will happen.

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 18:15:00 GMT

The strength of bookings over the past month has surprised container lines executives, even when factoring some front-loading and replenishing inventories that are back to pre-pandemic levels, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:25:33 GMT

European importers are facing pandemic-era port congestion and soaring rate levels, with only the resumption of regular vessel transits through the Red Sea likely to address the growing supply chain disruption.

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:58:08 GMT

With vessel capacity tight and freight rates on the rise, there are several market dynamics that emerged during the pandemic that are already beginning to play out once again, writes Lars Jensen.

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 17:56:42 GMT

Asia-Europe contracts have been signed at levels that are being dwarfed by the soaring spot market, and with capacity tightening, the lower-paying cargo is first in line to miss a sailing.

Wed, 29 May 2024 15:31:54 GMT

The ability to refuel a ship while loading cargo in port is key to the successful deployment of alternative fuels for ocean carriers at bunkering hubs.

Tue, 28 May 2024 14:05:06 GMT

The current market situation — amid the Red Sea crisis, growing port congestion and a sudden rise in demand — is similar to the early parts of the pandemic, where insufficient capacity led to the largest rate increases the industry has ever seen, writes Lars Jensen.

Wed, 22 May 2024 17:38:46 GMT

The peak season typically runs from June to September, but unseasonably strong demand is placing capacity under mounting pressure and driving up rate levels on the trade lane.

Tue, 21 May 2024 15:49:01 GMT

Longer transit times to Europe and North America as vessels continue to divert via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea region has delayed the return of empty containers to Asia, particularly China.

Tue, 21 May 2024 14:55:44 GMT

The customs pre-arrival security and safety program is being implemented in three steps, starting with ocean and inland waterway carriers in June.

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:47:12 GMT

Poor schedule reliability, challenged by a container supply chain that has been stretched thin by diversions away from the Suez Canal, is causing spot rates from India to Europe to rebound.

Fri, 10 May 2024 16:48:42 GMT

Carrier attempts to mitigate the extended transit times of sailing around southern Africa by increasing the use of transshipment in the Mediterranean are being frustrated by growing port congestion.

Thu, 09 May 2024 16:43:29 GMT

Shippers on the trans-Atlantic will find space in short supply by the end of October with bottlenecks on both ends of the trade lane reducing capacity.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:17:18 GMT

The strike will affect about 40% of Montreal’s container capacity and comes as port employers remain in protracted talks with the longshore union over a new contract.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:15 GMT

Spot rates from Asia to the US East Coast are dropping faster than in past years as carriers route discretionary shipments to the West Coast to avoid getting caught up in a threatened dockworker strike on the East and Gulf coasts.

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 21:00:14 GMT

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is wasting no time utilizing its huge scale, striking major slot sharing agreements on the Asia-Europe with new Premiere alliance members.

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:27:14 GMT

After five rounds of negotiations and a series of 24-hour warning strikes at Germany’s ports, the union and port employers may finally be close to an agreement.

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:28:16 GMT

With just three weeks to go until the union’s master contract with port employers expires, US importers are scrambling for options but are finding there are no ideal alternatives.

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:56:17 GMT

A new warehouse due to open early next year in Portland for frozen and ambient-temperature cargoes could cut transportation costs for shippers now using out-of-state storage and ports.

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:53:14 GMT

The first signs of US importers beginning to advance shipments from Europe to get ahead of possible terminal closures along the US East and Gulf coasts at the end of September are being reported by carriers and forwarders.

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:39:11 GMT

HHLA’s container volume and financial performance in the first six months has been a marked improvement on a disappointing 2023.

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:17:12 GMT

The carrier believes the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea is now “entrenched” and will not change for the rest of the year.

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:09:52 GMT

The attempts to raise prices on the westbound trade lane come as the shadow of potential labor disruption looms at ports along the US East and Gulf coasts.

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 15:49:38 GMT

There is growing pushback against the pending regulation that some sectors believe poses an impossible challenge in tracing and verifying the origins of certain products that could lead to their exclusion from the EU market.

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:03:42 GMT

The Cosco subsidiary benefited from a sharp increase in rates as early peak season demand on the main trades out of Asia filled all available vessel capacity.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:57:18 GMT

How do you build a robust, resilient system in the face of operational and geopolitical disruptions that throw conventional container shipping networks into disarray?

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:35:58 GMT

Measures to mitigate the impact of a potential labor disruption at US East and Gulf coast ports could cause the trans-Atlantic market to follow the same path as the heavily disrupted trades out of Asia.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:44:04 GMT

The customs pre-arrival security and safety program is being implemented in three steps, starting with ocean and inland waterway carriers in June.

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:47:12 GMT

The strains to the extended container shipping system amid the ongoing Red Sea disruption are showing again, largely due to higher-than-expected demand in Europe and the US for Asia imports.

Wed, 08 May 2024 15:59:27 GMT

The carrier has pledged to remain loyal to its core container shipping segment but at the same time is rapidly expanding its terminal business and increasing its share of inland transport capacity.

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:53:51 GMT

Firm growth in imports from Europe in the first quarter has lifted rates to more sustainable levels for carriers as the trans-Atlantic trade lane appears to have finally turned the page on a dismal 2023.

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:20:20 GMT

The import strength goes beyond restocking, showing the impact of a recovery in housing and the US manufacturing resurgence, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:26:27 GMT

Ocean carriers have signaled their belief that US consumer buying will remain strong into the second half of the year by announcing the launch or restart of 11 services involving the trans-Pacific and north-south trades.

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:47:09 GMT

Carriers have been unable to shake a perception among shippers that surcharges were being set above cost-recovery levels, with a report this week directly accusing carriers of “profiteering” from the ETS.

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:00:00 GMT

With the fifth-largest container port on the US East Coast now effectively isolated from waterborne traffic, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a container ship will, at least temporarily, reconfigure the region’s supply chain.

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:45:00 GMT

Hapag-Lloyd's CEO insists the total cost of the network will be lower because Gemini will be able to better utilize controlled assets and deliver more efficient cargo connections in the hub and spoke model.

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:48:23 GMT

Even as the industry seemingly adjusts to the new status quo of routing ships around southern Africa, there are significant — yet less apparent — changes afoot in container shipping, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT

A drop in schedule reliability was expected on trade lanes such as Asia-Europe and Asia-US East Coast, but the diversions around southern Africa have also affected routes not directly connected to the Red Sea.

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:35:57 GMT

The Port of Jacksonville said the first ship on the newly combined trans-Atlantic and north-south service from Mediterranean Shipping Co. called the port this month.

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 18:51:39 GMT

The move has already prompted Busan, one of the ports most affected by the downgrade, to urge Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to rethink their Gemini vessel schedules and restore some calls at the South Korean gateway.

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:00:21 GMT

Container shipping networks from Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean are being reshaped as carriers redeploy capacity to compensate for the additional transit time needed to sail around southern Africa.

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:38:19 GMT

Rates on the westbound trade lane were at loss-making levels last year and have only deteriorated further, giving carriers no leverage to lift prices.

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:13:06 GMT

The Cosco subsidiary’s operational update did not provide profit and loss figures but gives an indication of the impact plunging rate levels will have on ocean shipping’s annual results.

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 16:27:33 GMT

Rates on the headhaul corridor have been loss-making for the last few months, so carriers are trying to get prices up to what they consider more sustainable levels.

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:11:45 GMT

While carriers have been revising their ETS surcharges with carbon pricing on the markets becoming clearer ahead of the implementation date, the price differences have shippers and analysts scratching their heads.

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 13:00:00 GMT

While the preferred approach by carriers is to calculate exposure to the ETS and recover costs per container in a separate surcharge, that will not be possible for Chinese exports to Europe under Shanghai Shipping Exchange regulations.

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 16:18:41 GMT

Carriers are reporting some successes in convincing shippers to use their emissions-reduction services, but acceptance of premium — and costly — green products remains a hard sell in a market where rate levels are at record lows.

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 17:33:29 GMT

Carriers and shippers, however, believe there is little room left to fall for spot rates that are already below pre-pandemic levels.

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:09:02 GMT

Carriers are already beginning to adjust schedules ahead of Europe’s new shipping carbon tax, something forwarders say could reduce direct port connections and boost transshipment activity.

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:40:37 GMT

The Cosco subsidiary reported mostly positive volume metrics for both the third quarter and nine months through September, although revenues were down sharply.

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 14:53:11 GMT

To comply with the European emissions trading system, ocean carriers will essentially need to become experts in carbon credit trading, on top of monitoring, verifying and reporting CO2 emissions.

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:57:37 GMT

A significant misalignment in ETS surcharges among ocean carriers can be expected if the per-FEU levies already announced by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are any indication, according to Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis.

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:14:17 GMT

Forwarders say their containers are sitting at some terminals for 10 days or longer before they can be retrieved, although some relief in import volumes and dwell times is expected next month.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:12:14 GMT

Barbara Melvin says 2024 hit Charleston in unexpected ways, but the full reopening of the Leatherman terminal was a major achievement for the port’s future expansion.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:55:14 GMT

While longshore wages will not increase until a formal contract is signed, the container shipping industry is starting to tally up the billions in new costs that will come with the almost 62% wage hike, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:59:29 GMT

The port reopened on Saturday after engineering firm Woolpert performed a survey to check for storm debris in shipping channels.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:17:14 GMT

DP World’s group chairman and CEO had initially ordered the cancellation of Monday’s announcement after being angered by comments made last week by two UK government officials.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:00:14 GMT

The move comes after two UK government officials sharply criticized the March 2022 mass layoffs at DP World subsidiary P&O Ferries while launching new legislation to protect seafarer rights.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:47:14 GMT

Carriers began pulling the charges shortly after the end of the strike was announced last week, while pressure to do so came even earlier from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:56:14 GMT

Some have speculated that specific issues were raised that persuaded at least some of the carrier group CEOs to direct their representatives on the USMX to boost their offer of a pay increase.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:50:14 GMT

Port officials say their facilities did not experience widespread flooding but are still being affected by power issues, adding that port tenants will make independent decisions on when to resume their operations.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:30:14 GMT

The huge import volumes that moved across US docks in August are also muting the post-Golden Week bounce that normally occurs in mid-October when retailers ship their high-value holiday merchandise through the West Coast.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:58:14 GMT

Vessels are waiting just over two days on average before getting into the harbor in the wake of last week’s ILA strike and Hurricane Helene in late September.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:59:17 GMT

Local freight forwarders say carriers on the trade lane are willing to strike special rate deals with large-volume customers on a per-sailing or short-term contract basis.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:52:14 GMT

With no improvement in the Red Sea security situation and shippers preparing for 2025 contracts, Gemini has jettisoned the traditional shorter route in favor of the longer transit around southern Africa.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:42:16 GMT

If ports operated by ILA labor were for decades a dependable alternative to those reliant on the ILA’s perpetually disruptive West Coast counterpart, the ILWU, that assumption no longer holds true, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 17:51:14 GMT

Eight ports that are working toward “just-in-time” port calls provided their experiences of improving quality around vessel-terminal data sharing.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Last week’s three-day longshore strike on the East and Gulf coasts is not expected to disrupt transportation supply chains ahead of the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, the National Retail Federation said.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:42:13 GMT

The union’s refusal to work overtime has prompted Montreal’s employer group in turn to decline to pay longshore crews that do not have a full complement of workers.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:40:13 GMT

With the 62% wage increase being an unprecedented offer to the union, the USMX will be hard-pressed to give in on other key demands the ILA is making, sources tell the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:10:15 GMT

Ports on the US East and Gulf coasts say they have spare capacity and expect minor disruptions as they process more than 60 ships backlogged by a three-day strike

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:14:13 GMT

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach registered their best year ever in reducing emissions, but they still face daunting challenges as they strive to reduce pollution that remains from vessel, cargo handling, truck and rail sources.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:40:14 GMT

New provisional guidelines from Indian regulators will allow the major shipping alliances to operate at national ports as long as homegrown carriers get guaranteed access to a 5% share of the massive vessel-sharing agreements.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:39:14 GMT

Maritime employers and the union representing some 45,000 East and Gulf coast dockworkers have reportedly closed the gap in wage expectations to just $1 per hour per year.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:02:15 GMT

Refrigerated container shippers using US East and Gulf coast ports are tapping some non-unionized terminals, but they fear produce stuck on ships and in ports will spoil, and equipment will become scarcer if the strike lasts longer than a week.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 19:10:14 GMT

Ocean carriers appear to be banking on a short port strike, allowing ships to remain on scheduled calls or sit at anchorage, but those plans could change if East and Gulf ports remain closed through the end of the week.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:12:14 GMT

The Biden administration’s message of support for striking longshore workers — and inferring of carrier price gouging — shuts down any hopes for a federal government intervention in the short term, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:30:14 GMT

If the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike continues past next week, shippers say they will likely book more freight through West Coast ports, rather than risk being caught up in logjams at East and Gulf coast ports.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:56:14 GMT

Several groups are calling on the White House to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to stop the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike that began on Tuesday at midnight.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:55:16 GMT

A nationwide rail strike this year in Canada and the shutdown on British Columbia ports in 2023 give Montreal stakeholders little confidence that the Trudeau government will act swiftly to end wider strikes at the Port of Montreal if port workers pursue more.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:19:14 GMT

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) rejected a last-minute offer from maritime employers that included higher wages and retirement contributions, as the first strike by East and Gulf coast port workers since 1977 got underway.

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:31:19 GMT

Trucking companies rushed to remove containers at East and Gulf coast ports before a Tuesday strike as nearby yards swell with container equipment and chassis.

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:41:13 GMT

Container lines are contracting directly with perishables shippers, undercutting volume brokers, but the specialized reefer fleet is hanging on to niche markets as a handful of ports pivot toward dockside cold storage.

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:52:14 GMT

Nearly five decades of labor peace on the US East and Gulf Coast are coming to an end, with carriers loathe to see high US operating costs high, labor aware of a historic opportunity, and the Biden admiration reluctant to intervene.

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:33:14 GMT

The increased fees are the latest sign that freight demand in California remains red hot in September, while other high-volume lanes are seeing minimal growth from 2023 levels.

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:02:15 GMT

The strike will affect about 40% of Montreal’s container capacity and comes as port employers remain in protracted talks with the longshore union over a new contract.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:15 GMT

Should a strike occur — and if it continues for an extended period — one possible outcome is the spillover of container cargo into breakbulk vessels, similar to the scenario that played out in response to supply chain bottlenecks during the pandemic.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:32:13 GMT

The White House may finally be looking to take a firmer hand in stalled talks between the ILA and maritime employers with an expected strike just days away.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:59:15 GMT

Israel-based Zim said its new alliance with MSC will offer customers extensive port reach and enhanced service levels.

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:00:00 GMT

The global bank also said in a report that West Coast ports would only be able to handle less than 20% of cargo diverted from the East and Gulf coasts, while Mexico and Canada would offer almost no relief.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:57:15 GMT

Pacific Northwest ports and their terminal operators say they are positioned to handle an extended period of discretionary cargo diversions if a strike by ILA dockworkers begins next week.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:39:13 GMT

Ocean carriers and marine terminals allege the International Longshoremen’s Association is violating US labor law by refusing to return to contract negotiations that haven’t been held since June.

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:35:17 GMT

Forwarders say their containers are sitting at some terminals for 10 days or longer before they can be retrieved, although some relief in import volumes and dwell times is expected next month.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:12:14 GMT

Barbara Melvin says 2024 hit Charleston in unexpected ways, but the full reopening of the Leatherman terminal was a major achievement for the port’s future expansion.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:55:14 GMT

Spot rates on the westbound route, India’s largest trade lane by volume, have nearly halved in the last two weeks, according to new data obtained by the Journal of Commerce.

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:09:14 GMT

Ocean carriers have so far been unable to stem the rate slide in the traditionally slow post-Golden Week period that followed an early peak season on the trade lane, but they are pulling hard on capacity management levers in a bid to balance supply and demand.

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:02:47 GMT

Rapid urbanization and strong economic growth are driving project cargo volumes in India, although heavier cargoes are becoming harder to handle due to port equipment and infrastructure limitations.

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:40:43 GMT

While longshore wages will not increase until a formal contract is signed, the container shipping industry is starting to tally up the billions in new costs that will come with the almost 62% wage hike, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:59:29 GMT

The port reopened on Saturday after engineering firm Woolpert performed a survey to check for storm debris in shipping channels.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:17:14 GMT

DP World’s group chairman and CEO had initially ordered the cancellation of Monday’s announcement after being angered by comments made last week by two UK government officials.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:00:14 GMT

Healthy demand for “sophisticated” multipurpose vessels is being undercut by a sluggish market for standard MPVs.

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:49:16 GMT

The move comes after two UK government officials sharply criticized the March 2022 mass layoffs at DP World subsidiary P&O Ferries while launching new legislation to protect seafarer rights.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:47:14 GMT

Carriers began pulling the charges shortly after the end of the strike was announced last week, while pressure to do so came even earlier from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:56:14 GMT

Some have speculated that specific issues were raised that persuaded at least some of the carrier group CEOs to direct their representatives on the USMX to boost their offer of a pay increase.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:50:14 GMT

Port officials say their facilities did not experience widespread flooding but are still being affected by power issues, adding that port tenants will make independent decisions on when to resume their operations.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:30:14 GMT

Ocean carriers are trying to balance huge investment in their order books with a lack of certainty over the availability of green fuels and a slow-moving regulatory regime critical to supporting shipping’s net-zero transition.

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:43:20 GMT

The huge import volumes that moved across US docks in August are also muting the post-Golden Week bounce that normally occurs in mid-October when retailers ship their high-value holiday merchandise through the West Coast.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:58:14 GMT

Vessels are waiting just over two days on average before getting into the harbor in the wake of last week’s ILA strike and Hurricane Helene in late September.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:59:17 GMT

Local freight forwarders say carriers on the trade lane are willing to strike special rate deals with large-volume customers on a per-sailing or short-term contract basis.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:52:14 GMT

With no improvement in the Red Sea security situation and shippers preparing for 2025 contracts, Gemini has jettisoned the traditional shorter route in favor of the longer transit around southern Africa.

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:42:16 GMT

Rates were driven by an early peak season as shippers consigned cargo ahead of the longshore strike along the US East and Gulf coasts last week and a capacity crunch as vessels continued to divert around southern Africa.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:01:14 GMT

If ports operated by ILA labor were for decades a dependable alternative to those reliant on the ILA’s perpetually disruptive West Coast counterpart, the ILWU, that assumption no longer holds true, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 17:51:14 GMT

A 10-ship order and the acquisition of MPV carrier ForestWave will increase Spliethoff’s fleet to 155 ships by 2029.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:35:46 GMT

MSC’s departure from the 2M Alliance gives the world’s biggest shipping line the chance to be more operationally flexible to cater to changing supply chain demands, Soren Toft told the International Association of Ports and Harbors’ conference in Hamburg.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:31:40 GMT

Eight ports that are working toward “just-in-time” port calls provided their experiences of improving quality around vessel-terminal data sharing.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:13:18 GMT

Last week’s three-day longshore strike on the East and Gulf coasts is not expected to disrupt transportation supply chains ahead of the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, the National Retail Federation said.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:42:13 GMT

The union’s refusal to work overtime has prompted Montreal’s employer group in turn to decline to pay longshore crews that do not have a full complement of workers.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:40:13 GMT

Market participants yearning for a market where adverse events never lead to major supply chain hiccups are essentially asking for a reality that has never existed, writes Lars Jensen.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:35:13 GMT

With the 62% wage increase being an unprecedented offer to the union, the USMX will be hard-pressed to give in on other key demands the ILA is making, sources tell the Journal of Commerce.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:10:15 GMT

Strong demand on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trade lanes through a volatile third quarter has left the Chinese carrier on course for another highly profitable year.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:32:14 GMT

Shippers on the trans-Atlantic will find space in short supply by the end of October with bottlenecks on both ends of the trade lane reducing capacity.

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:17:18 GMT

Ports on the US East and Gulf coasts say they have spare capacity and expect minor disruptions as they process more than 60 ships backlogged by a three-day strike

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:14:13 GMT

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach registered their best year ever in reducing emissions, but they still face daunting challenges as they strive to reduce pollution that remains from vessel, cargo handling, truck and rail sources.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:40:14 GMT

New provisional guidelines from Indian regulators will allow the major shipping alliances to operate at national ports as long as homegrown carriers get guaranteed access to a 5% share of the massive vessel-sharing agreements.

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:39:14 GMT

Maritime employers and the union representing some 45,000 East and Gulf coast dockworkers have reportedly closed the gap in wage expectations to just $1 per hour per year.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:02:15 GMT

Refrigerated container shippers using US East and Gulf coast ports are tapping some non-unionized terminals, but they fear produce stuck on ships and in ports will spoil, and equipment will become scarcer if the strike lasts longer than a week.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 19:10:14 GMT

The record order book for car carriers comes amid forecasts of falling global production of light vehicles, a key driver of roll-on/roll-off vessel demand.

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:53:14 GMT

Ocean carriers appear to be banking on a short port strike, allowing ships to remain on scheduled calls or sit at anchorage, but those plans could change if East and Gulf ports remain closed through the end of the week.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:12:14 GMT

The Biden administration’s message of support for striking longshore workers — and inferring of carrier price gouging — shuts down any hopes for a federal government intervention in the short term, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:30:14 GMT

If the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike continues past next week, shippers say they will likely book more freight through West Coast ports, rather than risk being caught up in logjams at East and Gulf coast ports.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:56:14 GMT

Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board approved DSV’s $16 billion acquisition of rival forwarder DB Schenker despite opposition from union members on the board.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:56:14 GMT

In container shipping, size still matters, evidenced by carriers continuing to expand their fleets, consolidate and form vessel-sharing alliances, writes Shipping Masters Managing Director Jeremy Masters.

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:20:14 GMT