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Container Shipping

Stay Up to Date on the Container Shipping Industry

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.

Stuart Chirls Friday, November 1, 2024

China boosts Matson net in Q4

Ocean shipping and logistics services provider Matson saw improved third quarter profits as higher China and domestic freight rates offset mixed container volumes. Operating income was $227 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, up from $118 million in the year-ago quarter, the Honolulu-based carrier said in an earnings release. Revenue from ocean transportation […]

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Stuart Chirls Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Ports detail strike contingencies

Facing an Oct. 1 strike deadline by the International Longshoremen’s Association, ports and other waterside logistics providers along the East and Gulf coasts are advising customers to brace for a shutdown of the container business.

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Stuart Chirls Friday, September 20, 2024

Port of Los Angeles sees busiest month outside pandemic

The Port of Los Angeles handled 960,597 twenty-foot equivalent units in August, a 16% increase over the previous year and the busiest month ever outside the pandemic. Eight months into 2024, the leading U.S. container gateway is 17% ahead of its 2023 pace, already moving nearly 1 million more containers than a year ago. “The […]

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Stuart Chirls Thursday, September 12, 2024

Report: DSV wins Schenker bidding

Schenker has been sold, but not to the U.S. private equity group vying for control of the German logistics provider. Transport provider DSV of Denmark has emerged as the winning bidder, Reuters reported, in a deal worth 14 billion euros ($15.43 billion). A consortium of private investors led by CVC Capital Partners of New York […]

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