IANA: Intermodal saw turnaround in 2024
A new report from the Intermodal Association of North America found international volumes helped intermodal freight author a turnaround in 2024.
The global shipping industry is constantly evolving, and the COVID-19 pandemic began a marked shift in how container shipping operates. Disruption caused by the pandemic has forced the industry to expand its capacity and reduce costs to remain profitable.
At the peak of the pandemic, containers essentially stopped moving. As manufacturers went into lockdown and closed factories, many of the containers used to ship those manufactured goods were left stranded at ports or storage depots, where they weren’t needed. Simultaneously, freight shippers were reducing the number of vessels in use due to the manufacturing slowdown. This limited global shipping capacity and disrupted the worldwide flow of containers and goods. As a result, some regions were left with an excess of stored containers, while other places were left with no containers at all.
As the pandemic slowed and the global economy began to rebound, labor shortages and congestion at ports have left many of these stored containers stuck where they aren’t needed. Now, instead of a shortage of shipping containers, the industry is dealing with too many. Many container storage depots are turning away new clients due to lack of space, and some shippers are even giving containers away to make room. Blank and cancelled sailings are increasing as well, as shippers decide to skip a port or cancel a trip altogether in order to manage changes in demand and capacity.
Check back here for the latest news and insights on the state of the container shipping industry. You can also visit our maritime news archive to learn more about cargo shipping, or our American Shipper archive for air cargo shipping industry news.
A new report from the Intermodal Association of North America found international volumes helped intermodal freight author a turnaround in 2024.
Here’s what you need to know as ocean carrier alliances prepare to deploy new and reorganized container services.
Maersk has won an additional two years for domestic container transshipments between ports in China. China’s Transport Ministry this week announced an extension of the pilot cabotage program through December 2027. The program aims to improve domestic export and import container flows between Yangshan port in Shanghai and select ports in northern China. It will […]
Ports in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, reported increased year-over-year cargo movements in 2024 versus 2023.
Trans-Pacific container rates eased in the most recent week as Chinese manufacturing and logistics activity wound down for the Lunar New Year holiday, which began Wednesday. Asia-U.S. West Coast ocean rates fell 7% to $4,938 per forty-foot equivalent unit for the week ending Jan. 24, according to the Freightos Baltic Dry Index. Asia-U.S. East Coast […]
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill discussed whether Chinese influence was violating Panama Canal neutrality at the expense of U.S. international trade.
A strong shipping market helped secondhand container prices grow to an above-average finish in 2024, but it’s unclear whether that will be sustained heading into the new year. “With inflationary pressures persisting and central banks maintaining higher interest rates for longer, container owners will face increased total asset costs,” said Christian Roeloffs, co-founder and chief […]
While the global supply chain seemed whipsawed on a daily basis in 2024, one thing remained constant: a veritable tsunami of ocean containers moving through the Port of Los Angeles. The busiest U.S. maritime trade hub moved 10.3 million container units in 2024, a record 1.7 million TEUs or nearly 20% higher than a year […]
CMA CGM, the French container line that has continued to transit the Red Sea despite attacks on shipping, said it will continue to route most of its affected services away from the region.
An investigation by the United States trade representative found evidence of wide-ranging plans by China that have helped it dominate the global ocean shipping and shipbuilding industries.
There are no major bottlenecks for North American container port drayage and rail ramps, according to ITS Logistics’ January U.S. Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index.
Weaker container rates for Asia-U.S. volumes could give way to increases, but that depends on carriers’ plans in the coming weeks, said analyst Freightos.
President Donald Trump on Monday repeated his wish to “take back” the Panama Canal and initiate 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada.
Houthi rebels said they will end attacks on Israel and on merchant shipping in the Red Sea in the wake of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The International Longshoremen’s Association expects to shortly take the next steps toward ratifying a new contract with East and Gulf Coast port employers. Union leadership will be scheduling meetings “in the next few weeks” with ILA wage scale delegates to review the tentative agreement with terminal operators and ocean carriers of the United States Maritime […]
Washington added China’s Cosco shipping line and two of its largest shipbuilders to a blacklist of companies it said were directly tied to the People’s Republic of China military apparatus.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, raising questions as to when major container lines will return to the Red Sea.
Container rates from Asia to the United States are in a holding pattern after an East Coast longshore strike was averted.
The Port of Los Angeles has appointed Jeffrey Strafford as chief financial officer at the busiest U.S. container port.
Swiss logistics startup Alpha Augmented Services recently snared $2 million in investment aimed at expanding its global reach.
CMA CGM is adding a call in Salerno, Italy, on its service linking the Mediterranean and North America.
China’s largest ocean carrier forecast record profits as Red Sea disruptions helped keep freight rates high.
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the public-private Louisiana International Terminal project $1 million toward its Sustainability Management Plan.
Container volumes through U.S. gateway are forecast to stay ahead of year-ago levels, according to the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker.
French carrier CMA CGM rolled out three peak season surcharges for U.S.-bound containers.
Sixteen Republicans have signed on to a bill that would pave the way for soon-to-be President Donald Trump to put the Panama Canal back under U.S. control.
Trans-Pacific container rates increased sharply to start 2025, according to analyst Freightos, as importers brought shipments forward ahead of Lunar New Year.
The head of the United States Maritime Alliance cited President-elect Donald Trump’s leadership for helping reach agreement on a new longshore contract.
A compromise by the ILA and USMX on automation has settled global concerns over a potential strike at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract. The agreement will replace the expiring contract which had been extended after a short strike in October 2024. The two groups issued a joint statement late Wednesday evening, saying “the two sides […]
Stakeholders at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting gathered to evaluate port performance, a complicated conversation within the supply chain.
Officials with the International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance met privately to discuss port automation technology.
After a year marked by port congestion, vessel diversions and longshore labor issues, maritime shipping is bracing for the unknown in 2025.
Workers are becoming more aggressive in seeking better compensation. Who can blame them when CEO pay has skyrocketed, but corporate performance often lags? Companies thrive when they focus on creating value for all stakeholders, not just investors.
CMA CGM has announced several surcharges affecting US container services but delayed one after reports that union dockworkers and port employers would resume contract negotiations.
Maersk this week called on shippers to clear out laden containers ahead of a possible strike by union longshore workers at East and Gulf Coast ports.
The International Longshoremen’s Association and port employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance are set to resume bargaining on a new contract Jan. 7.
Shippers continue to navigate the known and the unknown as trans-Pacific container rates moved higher as 2024 comes to an end.
Suez Canal revenues have suffered an abrupt 60% decline y/y as vessel operators divert services away from the Red Sea.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino rejected President-elect Trump’s claims of Chinese interference and high fees to use the Panama Canal.
The Port of Oakland saw loaded imports post year-over-year gains in November, the 13th straight monthly increase for the Northern California hub.
Liner operator Hapag-Lloyd announced new surcharges ahead of a possible
January strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association at East and Gulf Coast ports.
The Port of Long Beach is on course to handle 9.6 million TEUs in 2024, which would top record volume set in 2021.
Frontloading by importers ahead of 2025 helped Asia-U.S. ocean freight rates stay elevated into mid-December.
Total freight movements were up in Houston, Corpus Christi and New Orleans, boosted by shipments of consumer goods, machinery and crude oil.
Liner operator Yang Ming of Taiwan announced plans to modernize its fleet with orders for as many as 13 newbuildings.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the unanimous re-election of Chairman Kevin O’Toole.
American forces said friendly fire was responsible for shooting down an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet during military operations battling Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Fears of new tariffs and a strike at East Coast ports combined to push up ocean container rates on Asia-U.S. routes in December.
Shippers would have to move 10% of all seagoing Chinese imports on U.S.-flagged and -crewed vessels under the terms of proposed bipartisan legislation.
The International Longshoremen’s Association has the backing of President-elect Trump in its contract fight with East and Gulf Coast port employers, who may yet have the final say.
The rebel militia that has spent the past year terrorizing Red Sea shipping may be taking a new tack as events unfold in the Mideast.
Continuing consumer demand and frontloading by importers in November helped the Port of Los Angeles to double-digit gains in container volumes.
American military forces protecting Red Sea shipping launched an airstrike against Houthi rebel bases inside Yemen.
Credit evaluator Fitch Ratings is changing its outlook for global container shipping in a move that could make it easier for vessel operators to issue debt or borrow money.
President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend again backed union dockworkers in their fight to block automation technology at East and Gulf Coast container ports.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association called on port employers and the International Longshoremen’s Association to work out their differences over automation and avoid another strike in January.
President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on the East Coast longshore labor standoff Thursday, urging foreign-based ocean carriers to forgo automation technology in favor of hiring more union dockworkers.
Rates on Asia-U.S. West Coast and Asia-U.S. East Coast container transport fell for the latest week tracked by Freightos but rose by double digits for Asia-Europe/Mediterranean traffic.
The Port of Jacksonville is taking on a larger role in 2025 as ocean container lines add the north Florida hub to their global services.
US forces defeated an attack by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on a trio of merchant ships and two destroyers in the Gulf of Aden.
The National Retail Federation forecasts containerized imports to continue to surge through U.S. ports ahead of a possible longshore strike and tariffs planned by the Trump administration.
Resilient consumer spending and a healthy jobs market underpinned record intermodal volumes through November, a new report finds, as the U.S. economy enjoys stable footing approaching 2025.
A plethora of factors will weigh on container prices in 2025 as shippers manage their businesses in a changing supply chain.
As a January deadline nears, a coalition of exporters and importers calls on East Coast port employers and their longshore union to resume bargaining on a new contract.
The International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance aren’t bargaining, but that hasn’t swayed Polymarket bettors wagering against another dock strike.
A new four-lane bridge is a key piece of a logistics project aimed at making Burns Harbor a destination for international cargo.
A Chinese national illegally residing in the U.S. was arrested Tuesday on allegations that he exported firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea from Long Beach, California.
The International Longshoremen’s Association and United States Maritime Alliance make claims and counterclaims amid stalled contract negotiations.
Ocean container rates to the U.S. remained steady as shippers maneuver to minimize the effects of higher tariffs and a potential port strike in 2025.
A.P. Moller-Maersk has signed contracts for 20 new dual-fuel container ships set for delivery in 2028-2030.
U.S. Navy warships fought off airborne attacks on a trio of American merchant vessels by Yemen-based Houthi militia.
Container rates to the U.S. West and East coasts stayed above $5,000 per FEU as tariff talk and labor issues shadowed shippers’ plans.
Maritime transportation could be vulnerable to remote attacks, the U.S. Coast Guard states in a new security directive.
Port of LA-Long Beach short line Pacific Harbor Line has won partial federal funding toward the purchase of zero-emission locomotives.
Terminal operators and ocean carriers at the Port of Montreal have agreed to mediation in bargaining on a new longshore contract.
Israel’s richest man exits Zim shipping as Red Sea attacks send ocean lines’ profits soaring.
There are some delays as Canada’s top import gateways work off backlogs of containers from labor-related shutdowns.
The Port of Los Angeles posted record container volume in October on resilient consumer spending and a strong economy.
Zim saw a decision to leverage its business against spot rates pay off on surging demand in the trans-Pacific trade.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association said the U.S. should do more to protect Mideast shipping as attacks on vessels spur “unsustainable” higher costs and delays.
The New York Shipping Exchange announced it has closed a Series C funding round and launched a series of shipping rate indexes.
Four new container cranes will help the Port of Virginia handle ultra large container vessels at Virginia International Gateway.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered port operations to resume in British Columbia and Montreal after lockouts of union dockworkers halted container traffic.
Supply chain services giant Kuehne+Nagel said it has acquired a majority share of IMC Logistics, a marine drayage provider handling 2 million TEUs per year.
The International Longshoremen’s Association broke off negotiations on a new contract with the United States Maritime Alliance, charging employers want to eliminate union jobs.
Canada Labor Secretary Steven MacKinnon asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order operations to resume at the ports of Montreal, Vancouver and Prince Rupert and send employers and longshore unions back to the bargaining table.
Terminal operators and ocean carriers on Sunday locked out striking dockworkers at the Port of Montreal after the union said the contract proposal doesn’t address scheduling or automation concerns.
he third-largest ocean container carrier, CMA CGM, saw bottom-line improvement as higher rates on vessel diversions amplified a single-digit volume increase.
Western Canada port employers and their longshore union met separately with a federal mediator Saturday, but the talks ended quickly with no new bargaining scheduled.
As a strike by longshore workers cripples container handling, Port of Montreal employers plan to lock out union employees.
The United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association are scheduled to resume bargaining next week on a new master contract covering 45,000 workers at 36 East and Gulf Coast ports.
As a strike by dockside workers disrupts container handling, Montreal’s port chief executive calls on Ottawa to force union employees back to work.
Ships are waiting at anchor after port employers at Vancouver and Prince Rupert on Monday locked out union forepersons after contract talks broke down.
Hapag-Lloyd’s dual-fuel-powered container ships will replace older vessels and reduce emissions.
An extensive study by a U.N. panel found that Yemen’s Houthi rebels are taking in as much as $180 million a month in protection money from shipowners.
The Swiss container carrier MSC said it is adjusting the port rotation on its United States to South America east coast service.
Alone among major liner operators, CMA CGM of France has maintained scheduled voyages between Asia, the Mediterranean and North America ports via the turbulent Red Sea.
Employers at the Port of Montreal say they will suspend salary guarantees for striking longshore workers who have shut down two container terminals.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association representing ocean carriers and terminal operators plan to lock out union forepersons after the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union rejected a final contract offer.