Shipping

VLCC rates are now at or near $100,000 per day, courtesy of U.S. sanctions targeting China’s COSCO.

The Baltic Exchange has been unrivaled in its creation of indices for dry freight futures. That may be about to change.

Crude tanker rates continue to surge, driven by geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, container rates remain weak.

U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian crude aboard Chinese ships ensnare Canadian-headquartered, New York-listed owner of Bahamas-flagged vessels carrying Russian cargoes via Arctic Sea.

U.S. sanctions targeting a subsidiary of China’s COSCO Shipping could have far-reaching consequences.

Ocean carriers are deploying ever-larger box ships to drive down costs and emissions, but do the pros outweigh the cons?

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.

Shipping equities have suffered through a rough couple of years, but hope persists that market capitalizations and trading volumes can be resuscitated.

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

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

Capital-market sentiment is so bad in New York that ship owners may end up raising more money in Oslo this year.

Blockchain to be deployed by VAKT to smooth the post-trade process

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

A breakdown of some of the most active ships in the global maritime industry.

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

Final investment decisions for new global LNG export plants are surging, a negative for future thermal coal demand.

The Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) is the world’s leading – and most accurate – index of market rates for 40′ containers.

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?

A look at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex… sponsored by NEXT

Due to recent pirate activity, the International Maritime Bureau has urged seafarers to remain vigilant and to report all suspicious activities to regional authorities and the IMB.

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

Amazon nears U.S. release for Prime Air drone deliveries.

Matson, the largest U.S. domestic container carrier, said it is lowering its operating income projection for 2019, citing lower container volumes to Hawaii.

Tank barges plying U.S. rivers are seeing higher rates as more petroleum is shipped.

Rates for mid-sized bulkers including Kamsarmaxes and Ultramaxes are following Capesizes’ lead.

FreightWaves’ Freight Intel Group has released a new study of the impact of IMO 2020 on the U.S. trucking industries (and other industries). Read what may happen to diesel fuel prices.

Some believe the pace of regulatory and technological change is causing owners to pull back from newbuilding contracts.

Government places 10-knot restriction on a section of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) moves about 10,000 loads per week in the United States. Drivers picking up those shipments – whether they’re beverage bases destined for bottlers or ice tea for retailers […]

Market expert writes about the latest tensions in the Mideast and how that might impact air and sea cargo, as well as supply chains.

Sentiment toward shipping tech has reached a new high point among startups, tech investors and vessel interests.

Land O’Lakes continues to value the companies that haul its freight and the drivers that show up to its docks, even as the state of the market shifts.

Despite all the negative news, container shipping may be on a steadier course than in previous decades.

Canadian-based firm rolls out Amazon-like hubs to handle shipments for merchants using its e-commerce platform.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has just welcomed another ship owner aboard. On June 17, the stock of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier owner Flex LNG (NYSE: FLNG) began […]

Suppliers, traders and ship operators will need to increase credit lines and be more diligent about counterparty risk.

An independent valuation of DryShips’ fleet by VesselsValue puts the bid to take it private in context.

Suezmax tankers can carry half as much crude as VLCCs, but now command twice the VLCC rate.

Performance Shipping’s expansion into the tanker sector underscores the continued appeal of diversification to listed ship owners.

International shipping has become one of the largest drivers of domestic shipping volumes in the United States over the past several years. Knowing when and where container volumes are moving […]

Developers are poised to bring new software to the ocean shipping sector. What will work and what will not?

U.S. coal export volumes are down 12.7 percent in the first four months of this year and the outlook looks even worse for 2020.

A consortium comprising DP World of the United Arab Emirates, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (a sovereign wealth fund), Rosatom and Norilsk Nickel have agreed to look into developing the Russian Northern Sea Route.

Is a recovery near for VLCC crude tanker spot rates? Not yet, warns an an analyst at VesselsValue.

Switch to long-term coverage that began in 2016 continues to pay off in 2019.

Rates are rising for bulkers and gas carriers, while container pricing on the trans-Pacific is showing signs of life.

Today on FreightWaves NOW, we discuss the promise of the Mexico tariffs from a volume, rate, and oil perspective.

Shipping rates are clawing their way back from lows set earlier this year.

If a trade war pares GDP growth, OPEC cuts may be extended, weighing tanker rates.

The Teekay companies continue to concentrate their focus on oil and LNG shipping.

There are some positive signs for shipping rates, but overall, disappointment prevails.

Customers’ heightened demands—such as white glove delivery and fast shipping times—have changed expectations for shippers dramatically. Many companies are struggling to figure out how to compete with large, successful companies […]

A more flexible shipping loan concept is good for borrowers and their clients, but may have limited scope.

Large ships may provide liner operators with economies of scale, but they are proving more expensive in the chartering market.

In its first full quarter since repurchasing its spin-off, Navios Acquisition moved to lower its fleet age.

NASDAQ-listed Eagle Bulk believes its ‘owner-operator’ model allows it earn more than ‘pure owner’ competitors.

NYSE-listed Global Ship Lease is reporting improved conditions in the container ship chartering market.

Stocks of publicly listed ship owners, particularly in the dry bulk sector, are feeling the fallout of trade tensions.

Executives at GasLog Ltd. believe the LNG shipping spot market is set to rebound. Others are not so sure.

According to Seaspan Corporation, the largest U.S.-listed container-ship lessor, liner companies are pulling vessels from service to install scrubbers, which is increasing demand for new charters.

Momentum is building to limit the speed of ocean-going vessels to curtail harmful emissions. The debate will focus on how this could impact charter rates, and whether it could have the unintended consequence of creating even more emissions-generating ship capacity.

NYSE-listed Scorpio Tankers has returned to profitability and its scrubber-installation program should position it to take advantage of the looming IMO 2020 rule.

So far this year, there has been heightened refinery downtime for maintenance and upgrades, but the tide is expected to turn in the second half, to the benefit of product-tanker rates.

Tanker companies like Euronav expect to see financial benefits from impending environmental regulations, which will change the type of fuel burned at sea and could eventually limit how fast ships can go.

The expanded Neopanamax locks of the Panama Canal, which debuted in June 2016, have been a boon for many shipping sectors, but they were specifically designed with container shipping in mind. Lock capacity is measured in twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU).

A top executive of the Panama Canal Authority outlines the prospects for LNG, LPG and crude/product tanker transits through the larger locks of the waterway.

Nick Brown, head of marine at classification society Lloyd’s Register, is at the front lines of ocean shipping’s technological evolution. He explains how he sees this transformation playing out.

An overview of blank sailing and how it can affect your shipments.

Inxeption introduces Zippy Freight, a new service that helps B2B merchants get shipping costs and complexity under control and obtain flexible logistics options.

Big data is opening up opportunities for shippers of all sizes, and used properly, it can help reduce shipping rates and improve customer service.

Mexico’s current economic boom is providing business for the country’s cross-border shipping industry, but also emphasizing the industry’s growing pains.

Global logistics player, Toll, has officially launched two new roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) ships for the carriage of trucks and containers across the Bass Strait between mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania. The first commercial sailing begins in a few days on March 1. FreightWaves reviews the vessels in detail, describes the local wharf upgrades and analyses the Bass Strait trade.

It is said that moving freight is all about relationships. If that is true, what value does a routing guide provide? A great deal, it turns out.

Widespread jitters in the Australian political and business communities that China may have banned imports of Australian coal now appear to be unfounded. Customs clearance delays at Dalian are happening owing to entirely “normal” reasons and coal cargo can be re-routed around a given port anyway, coal mining and coal transport executives have explained to FreightWaves.

The Schulte Group has acquired a majority stake in TecHullClean Ltd. (THC). Schulte said in a  press release that the acquisition will expand the range of its underwater ship inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) solutions.

Shippabo has created its own version of a fixed-rate contract, which helps small and mid-sized shippers gain access to direct-to-carrier contracts, allowing them to cut their shipping costs and secure reliable capacity.

Transflo used its slot during the MarketWaves 18 Demo Day to showcase how its app’s new user interface, along with the broader Transflo ecosystem can be used effectively to reduce time during the lifecycle of a load.

A look at just how many shipping containers are lost at sea each year.

The first week of 2019 saw three of America’s largest companies announce revenue expectation reductions, signaling a potential cooling of the U.S. shipping market.

With the market data available on SONAR, we have ability to see all the ebbs and flows of freight movement happen in real-time.

Full digital automation of shipping processes may be on the way, but what are the intermediary steps leading us there?

Net-zero carbon emissions from the transportation sector is possible by 2050 if industry starts to make changes now, says a new report.

CargoX Smart B/L platform would be the first open and neutral blockchain platform in the shipping industry for real-world commercial use.

Higher rates ahead for FedEx shippers.

Supply chain software company E2open is in the process of acquiring the world’s largest neutral maritime network INTTRA, in its bid to expand its services to the ocean container industry.

Continuing efforts to fight what he says are unfair trade practices, the administration of President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will pull out of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty, which sets how much can be charged for international shipping.

UNCTAD expects volumes across all maritime segments to grow in 2018. However, it warns that trade wars can disrupt the global trading system and there is a need to assess the implications of vertical integration within the industry, addressing any potential negative effects.

We take a look at the U.S. maritime industry in our latest infographic.

In September 2017, IKEA Group was one of the first to join EV100—a global initiative created by The Climate Group—and now, a year later, IKEA Group has announced their commitment to moving toward zero emissions deliveries in 5 major cities by 2020.

This is all part of the startup’s mission to help independent ecommerce businesses battle giants like Amazon.

Transportation network Lanehub recently announced Backhaul Assist, a feature that will allow shippers utilizing private fleets or dedicated contract carriers to market available capacity to other shippers.  

Exactly three months after truck drivers in Brazil shut down highways for across the country in protest, its impact continues to be felt.

The digital platform is designed to match warehouse space and fulfillment services with small and medium-sized companies working to get online orders out fast.

As schools are back in session this month, students across the country are stocking up on easy, cheap, dorm-friendly foods. Most notably, instant ramen noodles. They’re certainly a hot commodity this time of year—so hot, in fact, that thousands of dollars worth of ramen has gone missing outside of Atlanta. 

Sponsored by LaunchIt Public Relations…Alan Amling, director of UPS’s Global On-Demand Manufacturing Initiative pursues the benefits of on-demand additive manufacturing.

Unilever, the massive Rotterdam-headquartered company that brings beauty, personal care, and food products to over 2.5 billion people daily, has partnered with JD.com, an e-commerce giant based in Beijing, to expand its reach in China.

The Freight Movement is in partnership with Arrive Logistics …The continued speculation over global trade and tariffs has increased the uncertainty that manufacturers and the businesses that support them face, but it hasn’t dampened optimism.

According to CB Insights, “the maritime shipping industry accounts for 90% of global trade and is only now beginning to leverage technology. This shift could have far-reaching impact on retailers, consumer goods companies, manufacturers, and more.” With this important industry in mind, CB Insights hosted a July 24 webinar to “explore how shipping companies and global ports are utilizing automation and blockchain technology to revolutionize the shipping industry,” taking a look at various aspects of the supply chain along the way.