Container Shipping

The transfer of production out of China to avoid U.S. tariffs of up to 25% is having a tangible impact on global trade flows.

The consultants Drewry and supply chain software company CyberLogitec say technology could help small and medium shippers by reducing volatile spot rates.

The introduction of new low-sulfur fuels, bearish demand and increased blanked sailings will bring more volatility to box markets in the coming months, says MSI.

Dredging could begin in late 2020 after port finishes shoreside upgrades.

From Oct. 1 new low-sulfur fuel charges are being levied by some container lines with more to follow through Q4. Use of the fuels is not mandatory until January 1, 2020.

The World Shipping Council considers next steps after the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission on September 26 denied a part of its petition calling for the elimination of service contract filing.

The company is following through on a pledge to acquire 1,000 branded intermodal containers by the end of 2020.

Northern Asia is again in the cross-hairs of an extreme weather event as Typhoon Mitag bears down on some of the busiest box ports in the world.

Australian logistics continues to be dangerous for workers: a man was tragically crushed to death last week. In corporate Australia, companies are winning contracts. Meanwhile, trucks might get bigger in Australia, following an official recommendation.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission does not expect easy answers to the question of how to fairly assess demurrage and detention when Customs and Border Protection holds containers.

The Federal Maritime Commission approves the ocean container carrier organization’s petition to eliminate publication of essential terms but retains the requirement to file the actual service contracts.

The start of the box shipping slack season commences next week when Chinese factories close for the Golden Week holiday. Further spot rate losses are predicted by Alphaliner.

Trade lanes will come to a halt if the U.K. exits the EU on October. 31, believes the Secretary-General of the European Shippers Council.

The new platform focuses on collaboration, workflow automation, and allows users to define business priorities.

At 400 meters in length, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade has capacity for over 23,000 containers.

Port of Long Beach is offering incentive payments to ocean carriers in an effort to stabilize declining cargo volumes.

The shipping giant has teamed up with JDA to boost warehouse and supply chain visibility

Getting to Zero Coalition, which includes Maersk Line, calls for “commercially viable zero-emission vessels” to be deployed on deep sea trade by 2030.

The number of containers is a better bellwether of global trade than the number of container ships.

Team of rivals? The competing ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are looking at additional ways to cooperate for their mutual benefit.

The $42.3 million bust is the latest in a string of global maritime drug seizures at sea and in ports.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission set the new comment deadline for its notice of proposed interpretive rule to address demurrage and detention practices to Oct. 31.

BIMCO says there are “several indications” that goods are being shipped from the Far East to Europe and then transshipped to the U.S. East Coast to avoid tariffs.

Despite sea change in business model, carriers and drivers may want to wait for more clarity.

FIATA warns that higher air, ocean and trucking fuels costs will be passed directly on to customers.

Through the continued development of automated processes, U.S. Customs and Border Protection foresees the day when paper export manifests will no longer be necessary.

If not enough 0.5% low sulfur fuel is available after Jan. 1. 2020 ships may resort to using more expensive 0.1% sulfur fuel used today in emission control areas.

According to an MSI analyst, a key mainline container trade hardly bumped this summer – and the forward outlook for carriers is less than upbeat.

This week, VLCC tanker rates are rising, whereas both trans-Pacific box rates and Capesize bulker rates are slipping.

Dip Shipping will pay a criminal fine to settle an antitrust violation charge as part of an ongoing U.S. Justice Department forwarder price-fixing investigation.

The Port of Savannah’s expansion plans will benefit shippers — so long as infrastructure needs outside the port are met.

Three marine terminal operators had approached the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission about forming a joint terminal services and stevedoring operation in the ports of Savannah and Charleston.

Danish logistics conglomerate DSV is now one of the world’s leading forwarders after completing the acquisition of Panalpina in August.

The drone attacks in Saudi Arabia are reverberating across the ocean shipping business. Part I: the impacts on non-tanker shipping segments.

The AgTC asked the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to extend the comment deadline to Oct. 31, calling the rule “the most relevant and far-reaching initiative taken by the FMC in many years.”

With oil prices climbing 20%, bunker and BAF costs are expected to follow suit after Saudi drone attacks

IMC Companies added its eighth regional trucking branch with the addition of a new drayage and intermodal provider in the Pacific Northwest, The third-party logistics and intermodal trucking provider said […]

Carriers are set to withdraw more Asia-Europe sailings in Q4 as excess capacity drags on freight rates.

Data confirms that U.S. importers are increasingly opting to bring Asian cargoes into East Coast ports.

Port of Los Angeles says it would take seven Vietnams to make up for the loss of business from China trade war.

CSX needs to be more proactive if wants to compete with trucks, CSX’s chief said.

Larger ships now calling as liner services have to reach Southeast Asia ports for East Coast discharge.

Truck capacity across the English Channel could be cut to 50% for up to three months, resulting in two day queues for drivers.

U.S. rail volumes are down nearly 4% year-to-date amid a 6.6% decline for coal and a 4% drop for intermodal.

BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO call on charterers, bunker suppliers and nation states to “double their efforts” to ensure a smooth transition to low-sulfur fuel.

Dry bulk spot rates have pulled back from recent highs, while trans-Pacific container rates have held their gains.

Future attacks could be far worse than the $10 billion ‘NotPetya’ attack in 2017 that hobbled Maersk and cost FedEx $300 million.

But a failure to secure a no-deal Brexit could scupper their plans to reshore manufacturing.

Healthy container throughput growth suggests they might be.

U.S. ports will see a rush of ships as they reopen, but Bahamas port sees severe damage.

The U.S. container shipping industry is eager to weigh in on recommendations produced and approved by the Federal Maritime Commission that promise to bring clarity and fairness to the assessment of demurrage and detention fees.

CMA CGM expects an even better second half to the year following its acquisition of CEVA Logistics.

Inspections of a sample of 500 ocean containers found large numbers with misdeclared cargo, improper stowage or placarding.

Freeport Harbor in the Bahamas is open following Hurricane Dorian, but initially is expected to handle self-geared ships.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission on Sept. 6 unanimously approved a set of recommendations to bring about fairness in the way demurrage and detention fees are administered by ocean carriers […]

But trade associations call for more certainty as political impasse continues.

Delays, diversions and weekend gates as ports get back to normal schedules.

SONAR provides real-time data on Dorian’s progress and forecast, along with likely and actual impacts to transportation and energy infrastructure.

Tech firm will team up with provider of pricing data to container industry to get carriers on time.

Does container shipping have a drug problem? After a string of busts in the U.S. in recent months, attention has now switched to the U.K., where authorities have seized 1,279 […]

The beleaguered dry bulk shipping sector is nearing its post-financial-crisis peak. Is it sustainable?

At least 15 scheduled sailings from Asia are being temporarily culled due to the Chinese national holiday.

Although consumption rates in Europe have remained durable and kept cargo demand reasonably buoyant this year, the U.S.-China trade war and ‘Brexit’ are casting dark clouds over the European economy […]

Forwarders and ocean carriers are betting a major holiday in Asia and seasonal inventory building at U.S. retailers will provide a boost to container shipping rates. Despite the short-term bump, […]

Sixth largest container shipping firm cites Asian demand for fresh food as prompting the move.

South Florida’s customs brokers and forwarder employees begin returning to their offices, with the region mostly avoiding the damaging effects of the hurricane.

Northeast Florida readies for Hurricane Dorian, Uber and Lyft offer free rides, Georgia ports remain closed and UPS issues pickup and delivery advisory.

The price of new IMO 2020-compliant low-sulfur fuels is already 30% higher than fuels currently in use, but costs will rise further as the Jan. 1 deadline approaches, says consultant

Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM and OOCL have announced plans to impose penalties on shippers.

After 35 years representing the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America on Capitol Hill, Jon Kent has decided it is time to retire.

Hurricane Dorian’s approach upward along the U.S. Southeast coast will shutter maritime and rail assets throughout the region during the week.   Dorian was located just 100 miles off the Florida […]

A study sponsored by Canadian dockworkers has tried to quantify the impact of container terminal automation.

Two San Juan, Puerto Rico container terminals can merge but will be subject to additional scrutiny by the Federal Maritime Commission.

Third largest carrier reports rebound in results, partially thanks to rates and partially to subsidies.

Ship traffic has not yet halted, but vessels warned to find shelter away from local ports.

A direct hit on both Freeport and Miami would compound fallout for ocean shipping.

Ocean carriers are deploying ever-larger box ships to drive down slot costs and emissions per unit. But they are sacrificing their own flexibility and are driving up costs for ports and truckers. Overall, the hoped-for benefits haven’t appeared and may even be a net negative, analysts say.

COSCO Shipping Ports (HKEX: 1199)  reported higher revenue and volumes for the first half of the year. But the spin-off of a stake in one of its port assets and […]

New official figures from China’s Ministry of Transport show that the volume of containerized ocean freight, as measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) through China’s 49 main box-ports in the year continue to rise despite the Washington-Beijing trade tensions. But it seems that Vietnam might be benefiting from the turbulence, according to data found in FreightWaves’ SONAR database.

Strong regional and transloading demand keep inbound numbers strong.

LNG shipping rates are being driven by seasonal issues. Box shipping rates are behaving counter-seasonally.

Marine terminals to offer guaranteed empty returns, common portals for truck appointments.

Market Voice Jim Blaze writes about rail intermodal and what is happening to this area of the railroad sector.

Rates manage to outperform volume drops as carrier swings to profit.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will introduce “in the coming months” a new automated tool for importers and exporters to submit their electronic vessel manifest confidentiality requests to the agency.

Container ship firm plans pledge to coincide with upcoming G7 summit in France.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaport complex halted the illegal import of Chinese-made firearm parts valued at $378,225.

Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach plan further cooperation to ensure they are the “gateway of choice in North America.”

Fourth-largest ports operator sees tepid volume growth, but logistics provides offset.

Five container terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey have increased rates in an update to their FMC agreement.

Sanguine outlook could flip, but retailers look well stocked ahead of peak season.

Integrated bulk, rail, trucking, box, warehousing and ports operator, Qube (ASX: QUB), has announced weighty full year earnings of A$1.73 billion (US$1.5 billion). It also made net profit after tax of 15. 4 percent to A$123.2 million. But it sees a subdued economy ahead…

Concerns about the port automation has sparked studies by the Port of Long Beach and other California agencies.

VLCC rates are up over 200% month-on-month. Trans-Pacific box shipping rates are down 11% since the beginning of August.

ZIM, which has entered into space-sharing agreements with Maersk and MSC, says it plans to “double down” on efforts to grow with its partners.

The next global recession would have a different impact on ocean shipping markets than the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Import volumes see best month in 2019, but year-to-date still lower.

WiseTech (ASX:WTC), a global provider of advanced logistics software, has reported a whopping 57 percent growth in revenues and a massive 37 percent net profit after tax for its full 2018-2019 financial year. Revenues generated in the last financial year stood at A$348.3 million and net profits were $54.1 million.

Logistics provider LBC Express (PSE: LBC) of Manila, the Philippines, has reported a massive rise in revenues in the second quarter of 2019 but a big slump in net profit after tax.

A Chicago startup has proposed using crane rails to move containers in and out of terminals to ease congestion in the era of mega-ships.