<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Georgia Ports Authority will buy four new electric-powered rubber-tired gantry cranes and retrofit other RTGs in the Port of Savannah to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance costs.</div>

The Georgia Ports Authority will buy four new electric-powered rubber-tired gantry cranes and retrofit other RTGs in the Port of Savannah to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance costs.

<div>The Georgia Ports Authority will buy four new electric-powered rubber-tired gantry cranes and retrofit other RTGs in the Port of Savannah to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance costs.The GPA board on Monday approved an initial investment of $1 million to buy the four new cranes from Konecranes, the Finnish company that is already constructing 20 RTGs for use at Savannah&amp;rsquo;s Garden City Terminal.The four demonstration ERTGs will be powered through 480-volt bus bars that will be installed on the container yard. The ERTGs will operate at the rear of Container Berths 4 and 5. &amp;ldquo;We plan to retrofit the...

The Georgia Ports Authority will buy four new electric-powered rubber-tired gantry cranes and retrofit other RTGs in the Port of Savannah to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance costs. The GPA board on Monday approved an initial investment of $1 million to buy the four new cranes from Konecranes, the Finnish company that is already constructing 20 RTGs for use at Savannah&rsquo;s Garden City Terminal. The four demonstration ERTGs will be powered through 480-volt bus bars that will be installed on the container yard. The ERTGs will operate at the rear of Container Berths 4 and 5.   &ldquo;We plan to retrofit the rest of our RTGs and make additional purchases that will bring our total number of electrified RTGs to 169 by 2022,&rdquo; said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. Electric-powered RTGs are more reliable than diesel-powered versions with less downtime, said GPA Senior Director of Engineering Wilson Tillotson. He said fewer hours of diesel-powered operation will reduce maintenance costs. The required power infrastructure will be installed by fall of this year, with the new ERTGs commissioned for service in October.  -- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com . Follow him on Twitter @petertleach .

Maritime

Port News

Savannah to Switch to Electric-Powered Cranes

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The first vessel on the carrier’s Caribbean-North America service will call the port next week, offering Canadian exporters more transshipment options to other markets. </div>

The first vessel on the carrier’s Caribbean-North America service will call the port next week, offering Canadian exporters more transshipment options to other markets.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">CMA CGM has added the Port of Montreal to its main north-south liner service for the North American East Coast, the carrier said Wednesday, with the new service also offering a transshipment option for Canadian exporters looking to reach global markets. The CMA CGM Homere is expected to make its first call to the Cast Terminal at Montreal on April 5, according to the carrier’s schedule. The 1,713-TEU ship is part of CMA CGM’s Cagema service with a northbound rotation including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, New York-New Jersey, Montreal and Port Saint John. CMA CGM said in a statement that Montreal shippers will also be able to access the Indian subcontinent, Mediterranean, Middle East and Oceania ports through the backhaul connection to CMA CGM’s New Jersey terminal. In addition, Asian services can be accessed through transshipment at Jamaica’s Kingston port. The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) said in a statement the addition of the Cagema service will open new markets for Canada’s exports. It added that the new service will also offer a new direct connection for refrigerated produce imports into Montreal, so shippers can bypass imports through other US East Coast ports. ”The addition of the Cagema service will help increase the port’s competitiveness, diversify the markets served and open up new export opportunities for Canadian companies,” the MPA said. While a small part of its business, the MPA said north-south trades have been one of its faster-growing segments. Trade with Latin America accounted for about 5% of the port’s total container tonnage last year, or roughly 70,000 TEUs, up 12% from 2024, according to data from the port. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

CMA CGM has added the Port of Montreal to its main north-south liner service for the North American East Coast, the carrier said Wednesday, with the new service also offering a transshipment option for Canadian exporters looking to reach global markets. The CMA CGM Homere is expected to make its first call to the Cast Terminal at Montreal on April 5, according to the carrier’s schedule. The 1,713-TEU ship is part of CMA CGM’s Cagema service with a northbound rotation including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, New York-New Jersey, Montreal and Port Saint John. CMA CGM said in a statement that Montreal shippers will also be able to access the Indian subcontinent, Mediterranean, Middle East and Oceania ports through the backhaul connection to CMA CGM’s New Jersey terminal. In addition, Asian services can be accessed through transshipment at Jamaica’s Kingston port. The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) said in a statement the addition of the Cagema service will open new markets for Canada’s exports. It added that the new service will also offer a new direct connection for refrigerated produce imports into Montreal, so shippers can bypass imports through other US East Coast ports. ”The addition of the Cagema service will help increase the port’s competitiveness, diversify the markets served and open up new export opportunities for Canadian companies,” the MPA said. While a small part of its business, the MPA said north-south trades have been one of its faster-growing segments. Trade with Latin America accounted for about 5% of the port’s total container tonnage last year, or roughly 70,000 TEUs, up 12% from 2024, according to data from the port. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Container lines

Container Shipping News

Montreal shippers get new north-south service from CMA CGM 

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The decision to push back the late-April implementation is in response to industry appeals and the Middle East crisis, which has left Indian ports handling significant rerouted volumes of stranded Persian Gulf-bound containers. </div>

The decision to push back the late-April implementation is in response to industry appeals and the Middle East crisis, which has left Indian ports handling significant rerouted volumes of stranded Persian Gulf-bound containers.

<div class="phx-topic">India will delay by six months enforcement of a rebooted cabotage policy that sought to revoke the coastal shipping freedom <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/india-scraps-cabotage-rule-opens-domestic-freight-to-foreign-ocean-carriers-5229628">extended to foreign-flag vessel operators in 2018</a>. The incumbent regulatory support has long enabled carriers to freely move laden containers for transshipment and empty boxes for repositioning intra-country. The Ministry of Ports &amp; Shipping, in announcing the reprieve Tuesday, said the decision to push back the late-April implementation is in response to industry appeals and the Middle East crisis, which has left Indian ports handling significant rerouted volumes of stranded Persian Gulf-bound containers. “…Representations have been received from stakeholders, including container liner operators' associations, highlighting operational concerns arising out of the prevailing geopolitical situation, particularly in the Persian Gulf region, affecting global shipping dynamics such as route planning, insurance costs and vessel deployment,” the ministry said. While the Middle East chaos is an “incidental operational challenge,” it is believed that carrier representatives had already been engaging with policymakers — individually and through industry bodies — to seek a review of the policy U-turn or at least gain more time to get ready for the new operational environment. Local industry analysts view the temporary reprieve more as regulatory posturing as liner heavyweights come forward to diversify their investment interests in India, including reflagging vessels to the local registry. Maersk, CMA CGM, Mediterranean Shipping Co. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/hapag-lloyd-to-invest-1-billion-across-indian-maritime-verticals-6189463">and Hapag-Lloyd</a> have either already added a few ships to the Indian flag or confirmed flag changing plans. “India is emerging as a transshipment hub, and global operators and shipping lines have shown commitment towards flagging container ships in India,” the ministry said in its statement. Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines’ Association (India), welcomed the government’s decision. “The extension of cabotage relaxations was much needed under the current circumstances wherein transshipment at Indian ports has further increased,” Vaswani told the Journal of Commerce. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com</a>. </div>

India will delay by six months enforcement of a rebooted cabotage policy that sought to revoke the coastal shipping freedom extended to foreign-flag vessel operators in 2018 . The incumbent regulatory support has long enabled carriers to freely move laden containers for transshipment and empty boxes for repositioning intra-country. The Ministry of Ports & Shipping, in announcing the reprieve Tuesday, said the decision to push back the late-April implementation is in response to industry appeals and the Middle East crisis, which has left Indian ports handling significant rerouted volumes of stranded Persian Gulf-bound containers. “…Representations have been received from stakeholders, including container liner operators' associations, highlighting operational concerns arising out of the prevailing geopolitical situation, particularly in the Persian Gulf region, affecting global shipping dynamics such as route planning, insurance costs and vessel deployment,” the ministry said. While the Middle East chaos is an “incidental operational challenge,” it is believed that carrier representatives had already been engaging with policymakers — individually and through industry bodies — to seek a review of the policy U-turn or at least gain more time to get ready for the new operational environment. Local industry analysts view the temporary reprieve more as regulatory posturing as liner heavyweights come forward to diversify their investment interests in India, including reflagging vessels to the local registry. Maersk, CMA CGM, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and Hapag-Lloyd have either already added a few ships to the Indian flag or confirmed flag changing plans. “India is emerging as a transshipment hub, and global operators and shipping lines have shown commitment towards flagging container ships in India,” the ministry said in its statement. Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines’ Association (India), welcomed the government’s decision. “The extension of cabotage relaxations was much needed under the current circumstances wherein transshipment at Indian ports has further increased,” Vaswani told the Journal of Commerce. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

International ports

India delays cabotage rewind plan amid carrier pressure, Middle East reroutings

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The agreement is the first of its kind between rail freight companies in Rotterdam and part of ongoing efforts to share information across the busy multimodal network at Europe’s largest port</div>

The agreement is the first of its kind between rail freight companies in Rotterdam and part of ongoing efforts to share information across the busy multimodal network at Europe’s largest port

<div class="phx-topic">Six rail companies operating on Rotterdam’s Port Railway Line have signed a pilot cooperation agreement aimed at addressing long delays and cancelations on the crucial corridor linking Europe’s busiest container hub with the hinterland. The rail operators — Rail Force One, HSL Netherlands, DB Cargo Nederland, RTB Cargo, LTE, and Rail Cargo Group — account for 70% of the market using the line that stretches 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Rotterdam city center to the Maasvlakte terminals. Known as “Track Together,” the shunting agreement is the first such partnership between rail freight operators in the port and is led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. It launched on Wednesday as a seven-month pilot scheme, and if successful will be made permanent. “By sharing information more effectively, the platform helps to ensure more efficient operations and a more reliable rail network for all stakeholders,” Jordy Hermes, product design specialist at LTE, said in a statement. Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, handled 14.2 million TEUs in 2025, up 3.1% year over year, with around a quarter of that volume using rail to connect with the hinterland network. But the port faced persistent congestion last year that spilled through to multimodal connections with the hinterland. <h3>Efficient collaboration </h3>Ongoing efforts are being made to improve collaboration and data-sharing across the carrier, terminal, barge, road, and rail operators with the Track Together partnership addressing collaboration around railway movements within the port corridor. “(It) will enable transport operators to collaborate more efficiently via the platform in the event of disruptions at the port of Rotterdam, thereby ensuring better utilization of capacity,” said Martin van der Linden, production manager at HSL. Under the shunting agreement, rail operators can take over each other’s journeys at fixed rates in the event of capacity issues in a move intended to prevent train cancellations and long delays. The collaboration also ensures that a contingency plan is immediately available in the event of deviations from standard timetables, enabling trains to be taken over quickly. Terminals in the port will benefit as their tracks are cleared, allowing scheduled trains to run as planned. The agreement outlines how trains are to be transferred, both administratively and physically, and the responsibilities of both the principal operator and the contractor. Journeys between Kijfhoek to the Maasvlakte, including all intermediate stations and terminals, can be booked via the specially developed PortFlow app. During the pilot period, the app developer, port authority and rail operators will meet monthly to review the collaboration. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Six rail companies operating on Rotterdam’s Port Railway Line have signed a pilot cooperation agreement aimed at addressing long delays and cancelations on the crucial corridor linking Europe’s busiest container hub with the hinterland. The rail operators — Rail Force One, HSL Netherlands, DB Cargo Nederland, RTB Cargo, LTE, and Rail Cargo Group — account for 70% of the market using the line that stretches 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Rotterdam city center to the Maasvlakte terminals. Known as “Track Together,” the shunting agreement is the first such partnership between rail freight operators in the port and is led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. It launched on Wednesday as a seven-month pilot scheme, and if successful will be made permanent. “By sharing information more effectively, the platform helps to ensure more efficient operations and a more reliable rail network for all stakeholders,” Jordy Hermes, product design specialist at LTE, said in a statement. Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, handled 14.2 million TEUs in 2025, up 3.1% year over year, with around a quarter of that volume using rail to connect with the hinterland network. But the port faced persistent congestion last year that spilled through to multimodal connections with the hinterland. Efficient collaboration Ongoing efforts are being made to improve collaboration and data-sharing across the carrier, terminal, barge, road, and rail operators with the Track Together partnership addressing collaboration around railway movements within the port corridor. “(It) will enable transport operators to collaborate more efficiently via the platform in the event of disruptions at the port of Rotterdam, thereby ensuring better utilization of capacity,” said Martin van der Linden, production manager at HSL. Under the shunting agreement, rail operators can take over each other’s journeys at fixed rates in the event of capacity issues in a move intended to prevent train cancellations and long delays. The collaboration also ensures that a contingency plan is immediately available in the event of deviations from standard timetables, enabling trains to be taken over quickly. Terminals in the port will benefit as their tracks are cleared, allowing scheduled trains to run as planned. The agreement outlines how trains are to be transferred, both administratively and physically, and the responsibilities of both the principal operator and the contractor. Journeys between Kijfhoek to the Maasvlakte, including all intermediate stations and terminals, can be booked via the specially developed PortFlow app. During the pilot period, the app developer, port authority and rail operators will meet monthly to review the collaboration. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Rail News

International rail

Surface

Rotterdam rail operators ink deal to tackle delays, reliability

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The World Shipping Council argued unsuccessfully that a section of OSRA-22 aimed at US exports was an overreach by the country’s maritime regulator. </div>

The World Shipping Council argued unsuccessfully that a section of OSRA-22 aimed at US exports was an overreach by the country’s maritime regulator.

<div class="phx-topic">An appeals court has denied a challenge to US shipping law that blocks ocean carriers from unfairly denying vessel space to exporters, ruling that the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has broad latitude to review a carrier’s rates and export policy when it believes such violations occur. A three-judge panel for the District of Columbia appellate court on Tuesday turned down <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/dc-court-hears-challenge-to-fmc-rulemaking-on-refusal-to-deal-6078353">the World Shipping Council’s (WSC’s) petition</a> to review a section of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-22) that bars ocean carriers from “unreasonably refus[ing] to deal or negotiate ... with respect to vessel space accommodations.” The provision stemmed from <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-regulators-warn-container-lines-on-obligation-to-serve-exporters-5251170">the US agriculture industry’s difficulties in getting export space</a> during the COVID-19-era container shipping surge. After OSRA-22 was passed, a July 2024 rulemaking by the FMC sought to clarify how the agency would determine an unreasonable refusal to deal. The WSC claimed the rulemaking exceeded the FMC’s authority because it allowed the agency to review export freight rates, even though it gave up its ratemaking authority in 1984. The rulemaking also requires ocean carriers to document their export policies, which the WSC claimed also oversteps the agency’s powers, and removed references to “business decisions” as a factor in deciding whether an ocean carrier unreasonably refused to deal. However, the court ruled that even if the FMC no longer regulates rates, it can still review ocean freight rates if they appear to be dissuading an export container booking. The ruling said that removing the FMC’s authority to review export rates “would permit any ocean carrier to refuse to deal or to negotiate with impunity, simply by quoting an unrealistically high rate.” “There is no practical difference between quoting a rate of one billion dollars and outright refusing to deal,” the ruling said. The court also turned away the WSC’s argument that a documented export policy was government overreach because it is “prospective” information, not a factual recounting of what occurred in a particular instance. The judges said the FMC has authority under US shipping law to collect information about carrier pricing strategies and export policies. As for the exclusion of business decisions in the rulemaking, the judges said the rulemaking did not explicitly prevent the FMC from considering that factor in whether a shipper was unfairly denied vessel space. The FMC itself said that it could also consider business decisions. “Counsel for the Commission acknowledged that the Commission may not decline to consider a relevant business decision because failure to consider a relevant factor would itself be arbitrary,” the ruling said. “In short, the Commission did not meaningfully change course by dropping its main reference to business decisions.” <h3>Despite loss, WSC notes ‘clarity’ in ruling </h3>In a statement to the Journal of Commerce, WSC Chief Executive Joe Kramek said, “the ruling provides the liner shipping industry with clarity on the factors the [FMC] must consider in reviewing refusal-to-deal cases.” Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), said in a statement the FMC’s refusal-to-deal rulemaking followed Congress’ intent on providing a level playing field for US exporters. “The provision in OSRA-22 and the subsequent FMC implementing regulation was designed to address refusals of ocean carriers to accept booking of many agriculture commodities during the COVID crisis,” Friedmann said. “Congress responded, on behalf of agriculture and other constituents, leading to this provision of OSRA-22. AgTC is pleased with the Court of Appeals decision denying efforts to derail this FMC regulation.” Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

An appeals court has denied a challenge to US shipping law that blocks ocean carriers from unfairly denying vessel space to exporters, ruling that the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has broad latitude to review a carrier’s rates and export policy when it believes such violations occur. A three-judge panel for the District of Columbia appellate court on Tuesday turned down the World Shipping Council’s (WSC’s) petition to review a section of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-22) that bars ocean carriers from “unreasonably refus[ing] to deal or negotiate ... with respect to vessel space accommodations.” The provision stemmed from the US agriculture industry’s difficulties in getting export space during the COVID-19-era container shipping surge. After OSRA-22 was passed, a July 2024 rulemaking by the FMC sought to clarify how the agency would determine an unreasonable refusal to deal. The WSC claimed the rulemaking exceeded the FMC’s authority because it allowed the agency to review export freight rates, even though it gave up its ratemaking authority in 1984. The rulemaking also requires ocean carriers to document their export policies, which the WSC claimed also oversteps the agency’s powers, and removed references to “business decisions” as a factor in deciding whether an ocean carrier unreasonably refused to deal. However, the court ruled that even if the FMC no longer regulates rates, it can still review ocean freight rates if they appear to be dissuading an export container booking. The ruling said that removing the FMC’s authority to review export rates “would permit any ocean carrier to refuse to deal or to negotiate with impunity, simply by quoting an unrealistically high rate.” “There is no practical difference between quoting a rate of one billion dollars and outright refusing to deal,” the ruling said. The court also turned away the WSC’s argument that a documented export policy was government overreach because it is “prospective” information, not a factual recounting of what occurred in a particular instance. The judges said the FMC has authority under US shipping law to collect information about carrier pricing strategies and export policies. As for the exclusion of business decisions in the rulemaking, the judges said the rulemaking did not explicitly prevent the FMC from considering that factor in whether a shipper was unfairly denied vessel space. The FMC itself said that it could also consider business decisions. “Counsel for the Commission acknowledged that the Commission may not decline to consider a relevant business decision because failure to consider a relevant factor would itself be arbitrary,” the ruling said. “In short, the Commission did not meaningfully change course by dropping its main reference to business decisions.” Despite loss, WSC notes ‘clarity’ in ruling In a statement to the Journal of Commerce, WSC Chief Executive Joe Kramek said, “the ruling provides the liner shipping industry with clarity on the factors the [FMC] must consider in reviewing refusal-to-deal cases.” Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), said in a statement the FMC’s refusal-to-deal rulemaking followed Congress’ intent on providing a level playing field for US exporters. “The provision in OSRA-22 and the subsequent FMC implementing regulation was designed to address refusals of ocean carriers to accept booking of many agriculture commodities during the COVID crisis,” Friedmann said. “Congress responded, on behalf of agriculture and other constituents, leading to this provision of OSRA-22. AgTC is pleased with the Court of Appeals decision denying efforts to derail this FMC regulation.” Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Appeals court upholds FMC rules on carrier refusal-to-deal, export policies

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With operations at Salalah suspended on Saturday due to a drone strike, Hapag-Lloyd has positioned its upcoming westbound sailing on the India-USEC “TPI” service to call at Port Qasim in Pakistan. </div>

With operations at Salalah suspended on Saturday due to a drone strike, Hapag-Lloyd has positioned its upcoming westbound sailing on the India-USEC “TPI” service to call at Port Qasim in Pakistan.

<div class="phx-topic">Stop-and-start operations at Salalah Port in Oman are adding to the schedule challenges that had already forced major carriers on the Indian westbound trades to rework their network rotations in response to the Middle East crisis. Salalah remains a critical hub for Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, both for the Gemini Cooperation India-Europe/Mediterranean loop and their standalone India-US East Coast services. With operations at Salalah suspended on Saturday due to a drone strike, although <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/drone-strike-closes-key-middle-east-transit-hub-of-salalah-6195094">gradually resuming from Tuesday</a>, Hapag-Lloyd has now positioned its upcoming westbound sailing on the India-USEC “TPI” service to call at Port Qasim (Karachi) in Pakistan. The Niledutch Lion has an estimated time of arrival of April 9 in Karachi after a scheduled departure from India’s Mundra port on April 7, updated data shows. Hapag-Lloyd last year halted calls to Karachi following the country-to-country trade restrictions between India and Pakistan, and instead has been connecting Pakistan cargo via Salalah by using common feeder capacity. Maersk did not immediately disclose its contingency plans for Indian regional transshipment affected by the Salalah shutdown. All the vessels deployed on the Gemini India-Europe loop, known as the ME1 for Maersk and the IOS for Hapag-Lloyd, are from the Danish liner. <h3>Multi-modal solutions </h3>Meanwhile, ocean carriers are rapidly shifting from port-to-port shipping to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/as-war-rages-multimodal-demand-surges-on-asia-europe-landbridge-6185162">integrated regional multimodal solutions</a> to handle imports into the Middle East, an alternative supply chain model that industry observers believe could outlast the war as cargo interests seek reliability and resilience in the supply chain. Supporting that transformation, there have been a series of collaborative attempts by Persian Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, to establish “land bridges” by trucking and/or “green corridors” through sea-land networks for cargo flows within the region. One example is a strategic partnership between the UAE’s Gulftainer and the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) to open alternative logistics links between Sharjah in the UAE and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is offering an extended 60-day free time for the storage of Gulf import/export containers in addition to implementing multiple regulatory relaxations, including raising the permitted operational age of trucks in the country from 20 years to 22 years. Major liners have also stepped up the evacuation of Middle East-bound containers rerouted to Indian ports. Hapag-Lloyd this week has a shuttle sailing from Nhava Sheva in West India to Fujairah in the UAE, with onward connections available for Jebel Ali by trucking. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com</a>. </div>

Stop-and-start operations at Salalah Port in Oman are adding to the schedule challenges that had already forced major carriers on the Indian westbound trades to rework their network rotations in response to the Middle East crisis. Salalah remains a critical hub for Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, both for the Gemini Cooperation India-Europe/Mediterranean loop and their standalone India-US East Coast services. With operations at Salalah suspended on Saturday due to a drone strike, although gradually resuming from Tuesday , Hapag-Lloyd has now positioned its upcoming westbound sailing on the India-USEC “TPI” service to call at Port Qasim (Karachi) in Pakistan. The Niledutch Lion has an estimated time of arrival of April 9 in Karachi after a scheduled departure from India’s Mundra port on April 7, updated data shows. Hapag-Lloyd last year halted calls to Karachi following the country-to-country trade restrictions between India and Pakistan, and instead has been connecting Pakistan cargo via Salalah by using common feeder capacity. Maersk did not immediately disclose its contingency plans for Indian regional transshipment affected by the Salalah shutdown. All the vessels deployed on the Gemini India-Europe loop, known as the ME1 for Maersk and the IOS for Hapag-Lloyd, are from the Danish liner. Multi-modal solutions Meanwhile, ocean carriers are rapidly shifting from port-to-port shipping to integrated regional multimodal solutions to handle imports into the Middle East, an alternative supply chain model that industry observers believe could outlast the war as cargo interests seek reliability and resilience in the supply chain. Supporting that transformation, there have been a series of collaborative attempts by Persian Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, to establish “land bridges” by trucking and/or “green corridors” through sea-land networks for cargo flows within the region. One example is a strategic partnership between the UAE’s Gulftainer and the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) to open alternative logistics links between Sharjah in the UAE and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is offering an extended 60-day free time for the storage of Gulf import/export containers in addition to implementing multiple regulatory relaxations, including raising the permitted operational age of trucks in the country from 20 years to 22 years. Major liners have also stepped up the evacuation of Middle East-bound containers rerouted to Indian ports. Hapag-Lloyd this week has a shuttle sailing from Nhava Sheva in West India to Fujairah in the UAE, with onward connections available for Jebel Ali by trucking. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Asia-Europe

Salalah disruptions send carriers on Indian trades back to adding Pakistan calls

Use code GTT26W at checkout and save $900 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Arm your team with the most trusted information portal for the international container shipping industry.

Group Subscriptions - Wide Box

Get into a group subscription today

Use code SSFTW30 at checkout to save 30% on a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - FT to S/SP - Wide Box

SPRING SALE!

Use code GW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid for first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Wide Box

SAVE $900 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION

Use code SSLW30 at checkout and save 30% on an annual Silver or Silver Plus subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to S/SP - Wide Box

Access Journal of Commerce content for 30 days

Free Trial - Wide Box

START A FREE TRIAL TODAY

Use code SSGFTW895 at checkout to save $600 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT to Gold - Wide Box

Use code SSLW895 at checkout and save $600 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to Gold - Wide Box

SPRING SALE: Use code SSFTW30 to save 30% on first year of a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - FT to S/SP - Offer Box

Subscribe and Save

GET INTO A GROUP SUBSCRIPTION: Arm your team with unlimited Journal of Commerce content

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

SPRING SALE: Use code SSLW30 at checkout and save 30% on an annual Silver or Silver Plus subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to S/SP - Offer Box

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTT26W at checkout and save $900 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

SPRING SALE: Use code SSLW895 at checkout and save $600 on an annual Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to Gold - Offer Box

SAVE $900 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION: Use code GW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid on first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Offer Box

SPRING SALE: Use code SSGFTW895 and save $600 on the first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT to Gold - Offer Box

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

Monthly publication providing an editorial deep dive into global supply chain news

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

A premium access index of savings using domestic intermodal vs. OTR 

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Savings Index

An in-depth analysis of transport trends in the multipurpose and heavy-lift fleet segment

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

An extensive dashboard of charts organized by trade lane, mode, and topic

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Gateway

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

The only editorially independent conference for the breakbulk & project cargo industry

Breakbulk Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Breakbulk26

The latest port news from the Journal of Commerce spans the globe from North Carolina and Florida to Shanghai and Singapore. Port news includes port automation, terminal construction projects, the future of decarbonization and net-zero shipping, dredging, port hinterland connectivity, labor, disruption, port congestion and cargo flow.

Marine terminals

Longshore labor

Drayage

Port infrastructure

Breakbulk ports

North American ports

Stay informed on port news worldwide with Journal of Commerce. From decarbonization to labor updates, get insights on global developments.

Port News | Journal of Commerce

The Journal of Commerce is the industry’s source for maritime news and analysis about ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, global shipping ports, shipping technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage tracks the movement of containerized cargo — from origin to destination — handled by marine terminals in the US and abroad, depots, container ports, container lines, drayage, consignees and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs) and off-dock warehousing providers, as well as pricing, capacity, volume and reliability on the trans-Pacific, Asia–Europe, North America–Caribbean, Central and South American and intra-Asia trades.

Discover comprehensive trucking news and trends with Journal of Commerce - from trucking LTL to regulation and trucking supply and demand.

Breakbulk News shipping | Journal of Commerce

Breakbulk News

Container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology and end-to-end connectivity.

Container Shipping News | Journal of Commerce

News and analysis of ocean containerized cargo movement, logistics, supply chains, technology, and end-to-end connectivity. Maritime news and analysis of containerized ocean cargo movement, breakbulk and roll-on and roll-off shipping from origin to destination.

Latest News

More News & Analysis

Montreal shippers get new north-south service from CMA CGM

India delays cabotage rewind plan amid carrier pressure, Middle East reroutings

Rotterdam rail operators ink deal to tackle delays, reliability