<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The world’s largest shipping company said Wednesday the service suspensions and network changes were “in response to the recent changes in demand for cargo transport from Asia to the US.”</div>

The world’s largest shipping company said Wednesday the service suspensions and network changes were “in response to the recent changes in demand for cargo transport from Asia to the US.”

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Mediterranean Shipping Co. has halted two services from China to the US and revamped other container services to the East and Gulf coasts as the Trump administration’s tariffs against Beijing continue to weaken freight demand. The world’s largest shipping company said in an advisory Wednesday the service suspensions and network changes were “in response to the recent changes in demand for cargo transport from Asia to the US.” Following the Trump administration’s imposition of 145% tariffs on most Chinese imports, ocean carriers reported seeing container volumes drop by one-third. Hapag-Lloyd and US-based Matson both said volumes out of China dropped 30% after April 9 when the new China tariffs went into effect. The affected MSC services are all part of <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/network-realignment-shines-light-on-hub-focused-product-vs-direct-calls-5783930">the carrier’s 2025 network following the dissolution of the 2M Alliance with Maersk</a>. In place of Maersk, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/zim-msc-ink-cooperation-deal-on-services-linking-asia-europe-and-med-5223119">Zim Integrated Shipping Services has signed on to share vessel space and charter slots</a> on some of MSC’s Asia-US routes. The suspensions include the Empire service, which calls three of China’s largest ports and the East Coast ports of New York and New Jersey, Norfolk and Baltimore. The service provided 11,500 TEUs in weekly capacity, according to a report from Hong Kong-based logistics provider Honour Lane Shipping.MSC will also suspend the Pelican service from the Chinese ports of Xiamen and Yantian, along with Vietnam’s Vung Tau and South Korea’s Busan, and calling the Gulf Coast ports of Houston, Mobile and Tampa. Honour Lane said the Pelican service provides weekly capacity ranging between 6,500 and 8,500 TEUs. <h3>Boost SE Asia coverage</h3>The two service suspensions coincide with other interim changes by MSC taking effect this week on four other services that will increase port coverage of Southeast Asia and fill in coverage gaps. The America service from Asia to the US East Coast will stop calling China’s Yantian port, MSC said, while adding a westbound call at Vietnam’s Haiphong port and an eastbound call at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The service will also add East Coast calls at the ports of Savannah and Jacksonville, while dropping a call to Norfolk. The Amberjack service from China to the US Southeast will drop a call at China’s Nansha port but keep calling other major Chinese ports. Likewise, the Amberjack’s US rotation will now make its first two calls at the ports of New York-New Jersey and Baltimore and drop service to the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina. MSC’s Emerald service will add an outbound call at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port. The service’s US leg will stop calling Jacksonville and Baltimore but add calls to Norfolk and Boston. The Lone Star service from Asia to the Gulf Coast will add a call at China’s Yantian port, along with adding calls to Singapore and Vung Tau. The service’s US rotation will drop a call at the Port of New Orleans. The MSC suspensions, among the first big ones to hit the East and Gulf coasts, follow similar steps for West Coast services that are also heavily exposed to Chinese freight. Alphaliner reported Tuesday that MSC also suspended its Orient service to Long Beach, while OOCL suspended its Pacific South China Express service to Long Beach.Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Mediterranean Shipping Co. has halted two services from China to the US and revamped other container services to the East and Gulf coasts as the Trump administration’s tariffs against Beijing continue to weaken freight demand. The world’s largest shipping company said in an advisory Wednesday the service suspensions and network changes were “in response to the recent changes in demand for cargo transport from Asia to the US.” Following the Trump administration’s imposition of 145% tariffs on most Chinese imports, ocean carriers reported seeing container volumes drop by one-third. Hapag-Lloyd and US-based Matson both said volumes out of China dropped 30% after April 9 when the new China tariffs went into effect. The affected MSC services are all part of the carrier’s 2025 network following the dissolution of the 2M Alliance with Maersk . In place of Maersk, Zim Integrated Shipping Services has signed on to share vessel space and charter slots on some of MSC’s Asia-US routes. The suspensions include the Empire service, which calls three of China’s largest ports and the East Coast ports of New York and New Jersey, Norfolk and Baltimore. The service provided 11,500 TEUs in weekly capacity, according to a report from Hong Kong-based logistics provider Honour Lane Shipping. MSC will also suspend the Pelican service from the Chinese ports of Xiamen and Yantian, along with Vietnam’s Vung Tau and South Korea’s Busan, and calling the Gulf Coast ports of Houston, Mobile and Tampa. Honour Lane said the Pelican service provides weekly capacity ranging between 6,500 and 8,500 TEUs. Boost SE Asia coverage The two service suspensions coincide with other interim changes by MSC taking effect this week on four other services that will increase port coverage of Southeast Asia and fill in coverage gaps. The America service from Asia to the US East Coast will stop calling China’s Yantian port, MSC said, while adding a westbound call at Vietnam’s Haiphong port and an eastbound call at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The service will also add East Coast calls at the ports of Savannah and Jacksonville, while dropping a call to Norfolk. The Amberjack service from China to the US Southeast will drop a call at China’s Nansha port but keep calling other major Chinese ports. Likewise, the Amberjack’s US rotation will now make its first two calls at the ports of New York-New Jersey and Baltimore and drop service to the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina. MSC’s Emerald service will add an outbound call at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port. The service’s US leg will stop calling Jacksonville and Baltimore but add calls to Norfolk and Boston. The Lone Star service from Asia to the Gulf Coast will add a call at China’s Yantian port, along with adding calls to Singapore and Vung Tau. The service’s US rotation will drop a call at the Port of New Orleans. The MSC suspensions, among the first big ones to hit the East and Gulf coasts, follow similar steps for West Coast services that are also heavily exposed to Chinese freight. Alphaliner reported Tuesday that MSC also suspended its Orient service to Long Beach, while OOCL suspended its Pacific South China Express service to Long Beach. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Trans-Pacific

North American ports

Container lines

MSC suspends two US services, rejigs others as tariffs hit Chinese imports

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Stephen Carmel’s nomination to lead the agency comes after the White House withdrew previous nominee Brent Sadler from consideration for the post.</div>

Stephen Carmel’s nomination to lead the agency comes after the White House withdrew previous nominee Brent Sadler from consideration for the post.

<div class="phx-topic">Former Maersk executive Stephen Carmel has been tapped by the Trump administration to serve as head of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) after Brent Sadler’s nomination for the post was pulled. No reason was given for the switch, but Sadler, a retired US Navy Captain initially nominated in March to head MARAD, said on social media he supports Carmel. The White House announced on Tuesday that it would nominate Carmel as MARAD administrator. Carmel is currently president of US Marine Management, a Norfolk, Virginia-based maritime services provider to commercial and military fleets. Until September 2023, he served as senior vice president at Maersk Line Limited, the shipping line’s US-flag subsidiary. The MARAD administrator role has been vacant since January, when Ann Phillips resigned. MARAD, part of the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for US waterways, as well as supporting the US Maritime Service and US Merchant Marine. Carmel’s nomination comes amid a push by the Trump administration to revitalize US shipbuilding, with a planned set of fees targeting Chinese-built ships due to come into force in October. The revenue from those fees is meant to be channeled into a trust fund supporting US maritime activity. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Former Maersk executive Stephen Carmel has been tapped by the Trump administration to serve as head of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) after Brent Sadler’s nomination for the post was pulled. No reason was given for the switch, but Sadler, a retired US Navy Captain initially nominated in March to head MARAD, said on social media he supports Carmel. The White House announced on Tuesday that it would nominate Carmel as MARAD administrator. Carmel is currently president of US Marine Management, a Norfolk, Virginia-based maritime services provider to commercial and military fleets. Until September 2023, he served as senior vice president at Maersk Line Limited, the shipping line’s US-flag subsidiary. The MARAD administrator role has been vacant since January, when Ann Phillips resigned. MARAD, part of the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for US waterways, as well as supporting the US Maritime Service and US Merchant Marine. Carmel’s nomination comes amid a push by the Trump administration to revitalize US shipbuilding, with a planned set of fees targeting Chinese-built ships due to come into force in October. The revenue from those fees is meant to be channeled into a trust fund supporting US maritime activity. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Maritime

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Trump taps former Maersk executive to head MARAD

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US imports rebounded to a record high in 2024 amid widespread frontloading, while exports expanded slightly for the second straight year.</div>

US imports rebounded to a record high in 2024 amid widespread frontloading, while exports expanded slightly for the second straight year.

The largest US shippers grew their volumes at a faster rate than the overall market last year, according to the 2025 Journal of Commerce Top 100 US Importers and Exporters rankings. Containerized imports to the US rebounded to a record high in 2024 amid widespread frontloading aimed at mitigating the risk of longshore labor disruption and, later in the year, looming tariffs. Against this backdrop, the Top 100 Importers saw their combined volumes surge an estimated 34.1% year over year. Total container imports spiked 15.3% to 25.66 million TEUs in 2024, more than offsetting a 13% decline in 2023 and narrowly surpassing the previous high of 25.57 million TEUs achieved in both 2021 and 2022, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. On the export side, outbound container volumes from the US expanded slightly for the second straight year in 2024 after snapping a three-year skid in 2023. Volumes among the Top 100 Exporters jumped an estimated 14.1% for the full year, while total US exports grew 0.9% in 2024 following a 0.3% uptick in 2023. The annual container volumes of major importers and exporters are not publicly available, so the Top 100 rankings are the best approximation using analysis of PIERS data, confirmation of volumes with cargo owners, and limited modeling. Modeling factors include historical volumes, industry vertical growth and company revenue growth. 2025 Journal of Commerce Top 100 US Importers Annual containerized US imports in 2024, in laden TEUs Rank Importer TEUs Sector 1 Walmart 960,000 Retail 2 Home Depot 516,000 Retail 3 Target 420,000 Retail 4 LG Group 309,160 Conglomerate 5 Lowe's 254,242 Retail 6 Amazon 250,000 Retail 7 Ashley Furniture 207,190 Furniture 8 Chiquita Brands International 189,058 Foodstuffs 9 Dollar Tree 180,283 Retail 10 Samsung SDS 150,357 Conglomerate 11 Fresh Del Monte Produce 133,299 Foodstuffs 12 Hyundai Motor Company, Mobis 115,707 Automotive goods 13 IKEA 110,557 Retail 14 Williams-Sonoma 110,000 Retail 15 Ross Stores 101,500 Retail 16 GE Appliances, a Haier Company 95,000 Retail/Household Goods 17 Tesla 89,000 Automotive goods 18 General Motors 87,568 Automotive goods 19 First Solar 85,651 Solar 20 Sumitomo Corporation 83,500 Conglomerate 21 Newell Brands 64,000 Electronics 22 Bob’s Discount Furniture 61,776 Household goods 23 Rooms to Go 61,000 Furniture 24 Heineken USA 57,802 Alcoholic beverages 25 Dollar General 55,124 Retail 26 Tractor Supply Company 53,600 Retail 27 Daimler Trucks 53,375 Automotive goods 28 Electrolux 51,824 Electronics and household goods 29 John Deere 50,000 Heavy machinery 30 Kohl's 50,000 Retail 31 Michelin North America 47,219 Automotive goods 32 Toyota Tsusho America 45,802 Automotive goods 33 Kubota Tractor Company 45,490 Heavy machinery 34 VF Corp. 43,800 Apparel and footwear 35 Costco Wholesale 39,360 Retail 36 Best Buy 39,000 Electronics 37 At Home 38,500 Retail 38 Yokohama Tire 38,352 Automotive goods 39 Q Cells 38,188 Solar 40 Trina Solar 38,000 Solar 41 Continental Tire 36,169 Automotive goods 42 Hankook Tire America 35,244 Automotive goods 43 Goodyear Rubber & Tire 35,089 Automotive goods 44 Red Bull 35,000 Foodstuffs 45 Dole Packaged Foods 33,000 Foodstuffs 46 Ford Motor Co. 32,727 Automotive goods 47 Element Electronics 31,603 Electronics 48 Toyo Tires 31,363 Automotive goods 49 BYD 31,000 Automotive goods 50 JA Solar 30,584 Solar 51 Sailun Tire Americas 30,030 Automotive goods 52 Adidas Group 29,237 Apparel and footwear 53 BSH Hausgeräte 29,000 Consumer products 54 Euromarket Designs 28,997 Retail 55 TMALL 28,837 Retail 56 Living Spaces Furniture 28,711 Furniture 57 Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits 27,433 Foodstuffs 58 Bissell Homecare 27,000 Household goods 59 Subaru of America 26,426 Automotive goods 60 Dollarama L.P. 25,591 Retail 61 Cardinal Health 24,993 Health care 62 Midea Group 24,621 Household goods 63 Conair LLC 23,992 Electronics 64 Mitsubishi Motors 23,614 Automotive goods 65 SharkNinja Operating LLC 23,483 Household goods 66 Kumho Tire 23,238 Automotive goods 67 Stanley Black & Decker 22,800 Manufacture  68 LKQ Homecare 22,762 Automotive goods 69 Keter North America Inc. 22,575 Storage 70 Goya Foods 22,443 Foodstuffs 71 Volkswagen Group 21,900 Automotive goods 72 Curtis International 20,998 Electronics 73 Raymour & Flanigan 20,276 Retail 74 Yamaha Motor Corporation 20,150 Automotive goods 75 Sol Foods 20,008 Foodstuffs 76 Dorel Industries 20,000 Conglomerate 77 BJ's Wholesale Club 19,928 Retail 78 Sentury Tire 18,973 Automotive goods 79 SanMar 18,940 Footwear and apparel 80 Fiji Water 18,441 Retail 81 American Furniture Warehouse 18,212 Furniture 82 ESWINDOWS 18,000 Glass manufacturer  83 Mattel 17,911 Toys and games 84 Dick's Sporting Goods 17,584 Retail sporting goods 85 JOANN 17,551 Haberdashery and mercery 86 Hewlett-Packard 17,263 Computer technology 87 QVC 17,087 Retail 88 Olam International 16,659 Cotton, spices and vegetables 89 New Balance Athletics 16,638 Footwear and apparel 90 The Vita Coco Company 16,553 Foodstuffs 91 Tireco 16,293 Automotive goods 92 ArdoVLM 16,124 Foodstuffs 93 LollicupStore 16,067 Retail 94 Walgreens 15,467 Retail 95 API Tires  14,729 Automotive goods 96 CMPC Maderas 14,652 Paper product 97 Hyosung Motors 14,401 Automotive goods 98 Procter & Gamble 14,377 Conglomerate 99 Danone Waters 14,256 Foodstuffs 100 EGA America Inc. 14,221 Metals and recyclables © 2025 S&P Global 2025 Journal of Commerce Top 100 US Exporters Annual containerized US exports in 2024, in laden TEUs Rank Exporter TEUs Sector 1 International Paper 230,000 Paper and packaging 2 Dow Chemical 199,000 Chemicals  3 Koch Industries 194,113 Conglomerate 4 DeLong 147,120 Animal Feed and Grain 5 ExxonMobil Chemical 140,000 Chemicals 6 America Chung Nam 111,788 Paper and plastics recyclables 7 Winfibre 100,000 Paper and recyclables 8 Scoular 97,623 Animal Feed and Grain 9 Archer Daniels Midland  97,000 Foodstuffs 10 Ravago 95,019 Chemicals 11 International Forest Products LLC 82,238 Packaging, paper products, pulp, forest products and recyclables 12 Newport CH International 81,857 Paper, metals and plastics recyclables 13 Shintech 80,375 Chemicals 14 WM Recycle America 80,226 Diversified recyclables 15 POET Nutrition 78,832 Animal Feed and Grain 16 Sims Metal Management 78,501 Metal and electronics recyclables 17 JBS USA 77,639 Refrigerated meats and poultry 18 Gavilon/Viterra USA 73,000 Animal Feed and Grain 19 CellMark Group 72,108 Diversified 20 The Anderson's Inc. 68,341 Agricultural goods 21 Cargill 67,694 Conglomerate 22 Louis Dreyfus Company 66,478 Cotton 23 Tricon Energy 64,262 Chemicals 24 Smurfit Westrock 55,280 Paper and packaging 25 BMW of North America 55,000 Automotive goods 26 CHS 54,822 Agriculture, energy and foodstuffs 27 Frey Commodities 54,129 Commodity trading 28 Olam International 48,000 Cotton, spices and vegetables 29 Eastman Chemical 47,145 Chemicals, fibers and plastics 30 Chevron Phillips Chemical 47,000 Chemicals 31 Tyson Foods 46,394 Refrigerated meats and poultry 32 Domtar 44,700 Paper and forest products 33 Walmart 43,649 Retail 34 Prairie Creek Grain 42,957 Plastics, rubber and chemicals 35 Cycle Link 42,170 Recycling  36 PriceSmart, Inc. 41,933 Membership warehouse club 37 Montachem International 41,229 Plastics 38 EM Solutions Inc. 41,000 Electronics manufacturing 39 Rayonier Advanced Materials 40,768 Chemicals and forest products 40 Almarai 40,000 Animal feed 41 SA Recycling 38,885 Recycling  42 Vinmar International LTD 37,000 Chemicals and plastics 43 Smithfield Foods 36,000 Foodstuffs 44 Canusa Hershman Recycling 33,818 Diversified recyclables 45 Celanese 33,500 Chemicals 46 AJC International 33,410 Foodstuffs 47 Staple Cotton 33,214 Cotton 48 International Feed 33,000 Agricultural goods 49 Fresh Del Monte Produce 32,000 Foodstuffs 50 KaMin 31,258 Minerals and clay 51 Alco Iron and Metal 30,914 Metals and recyclables 52 Daimler Trucks 30,000 Automotive goods 53 Valero 29,811 Petrochemical products 54 Al Dahra ACX Inc. 28,678 Animal Feed and Grain 55 Genesis Resource Enterprises 28,628 Paper and recyclables 56 Ekman Group 28,000 Paper and recyclables 57 U.S. Borax Inc. 27,272 Chemicals 58 Stone Arch Commodities 26,030 Animal Feed and Grain 59 Vipa Group 25,012 Paper and recyclables 60 NORAG 25,000 Agricultural goods 61 DuPont 24,664 Diversified 62 Ascend Performance Materials 23,740 Chemicals, fibers and plastics 63 Mitsui & Co. 23,253 Conglomerate 64 Perdue 23,157 Foodstuffs 65 GE Healthcare 23,044 Retail/Household Goods 66 Fornazor International 22,703 Animal feed 67 Haykingdom 21,000 Agricultural goods 68 Potential Industries 20,866 Paper and recyclables 69 Hawkeye Gold 20,770 Minerals 70 Costco Wholesale 20,482 Retail 71 Sappi North America 20,468 Paper and recyclables 72 CELANESE 20,088 Chemicals 73 Michelin North America 18,088 Automotive goods 74 Procter & Gamble 18,061 Consumer Goods 75 Khanna Paper 18,000 Paper prodcuts 76 Seaboard Foods 17,178 Foodstuffs 77 America Metal Export 16,378 Metals and recyclables 78 Active Minerals International 16,337 Minerals 79 Gildan Activewear 15,965 Apparel and footwear 80 Pilgrim's Pride 15,577 Foodstuffs 81 Central National Gottesman 14,393 Paper and forest products 82 Graphic Packaging International 14,042 Paper prodcuts 83 Toyota Tsusho America 13,887 Automotive goods 84 Bayer CropScience 13,761 Agricultural goods 85 National Beef 13,724 Foodstuffs 86 Allan Company 12,741 Paper and recyclables 87 Anheuser Busch InBev 12,585 Foodstuffs 88 Healthy Green Life 12,341 Consumer Goods 89 Wheaton Grain 11,865 Agricultural goods 90 Home Depot 11,614 Retail 91 Fibre Trade 11,474 Paper and recyclables 92 Caterpillar 11,308 Heavy machinery 93 Anderson Hay & Grain 10,900 Animal feed 94 Forest Marketing Enterprises 10,511 Forest products 95 Hayburg 10,394 Agricultural goods 96 Intervision Foods 10,307 Foodstuffs 97 Conveyco Technologies 10,207 Manufacture 98 Zen Trading 9,894 Animal Feed and Grain 99 Mountaire Farms 9,144 Animal Feed and Grain 100 Sysco 9,074 Foodstuffs © 2025 S&P Global © 2025 S&P Global.

Trans-Atlantic

Container Shipping News

Top 100 Importer/Exporter Rankings: Largest US shippers outpace hot market

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A slip in a key sentiment index reveals the MPV sector’s vulnerability to general market uncertainty, but operators remain optimistic that the cargo pipeline is still robust. </div>

A slip in a key sentiment index reveals the MPV sector’s vulnerability to general market uncertainty, but operators remain optimistic that the cargo pipeline is still robust.

<div class="phx-topic">A sense of unease has settled over the project cargo sector as softening multipurpose freight rates and a climate of near-term market uncertainty prevail, stakeholders say. The benchmark indicator for the multipurpose vessel (MPV) sector, the One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) that was published Tuesday, reflects the headwinds facing the industry, dropping from 54.3 in the previous edition to 53.3 points. Still, the figure remains above the crucial 50-point mark, which delineates generally positive versus negative sentiment. Friday &amp; Co shipbroker Justin Archard, creator of the One World Shipbrokers’ MSI, noted that at the time of polling for the latest index, the announcement of a highly punitive US tariff regime had just been made, followed quickly by a moratorium on many of those tariffs after significant convulsions in equity and bond markets. Archard said that “nothing stops investment and growth like uncertainty and much of the business world is now sitting on its hands waiting for the situation to play out.” <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="f0797b66-fe22-4f8b-aeed-cca72e834834"></dynamic-object></div>Operators are observing that shipping committed cargo remains a priority, while shipments that can be delayed are being postponed. Michael Morland, project cargo director for the Atlantic at G2 Ocean, told the Journal of Commerce that new projects are facing difficulties in obtaining final investment decisions due to the shifting economic climate, particularly for industrial projects and commodities. Morland added that doubts about future project cargo volumes are “increasing risk and making importers hesitant.” Felix Schoeller, director at AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that “many stakeholders are adopting a wait-and-see approach to current investment decisions … any shift in trade patterns will take time to materialize — if at all.” Schoeller expects the current situation to calm in the coming months, providing a clearer picture of policies and tariffs, which will allow for a better assessment of market development. Lars Bonnesen, managing director of Germany’s United Heavy Lift (UHL), described the current market as “a bit of a rollercoaster, and it’s quite difficult to prepare for the future with any certainty.” Data from Esgian, the Norwegian shipbroker and maritime consultancy, showed UHL and G2 Ocean were among the MPV operators heavily focused on the US market. Some 68% of UHL’s ocean sailings last year were on US trade lanes, while for G2 Ocean, 51% of sailings were between the US and the East Coast of South America, according to an Esgian analysis of route data from last year published in its February market report. <h3>Underlying fundamentals still strong </h3>Despite the pervasive uncertainty, the MPV fleet remains largely fully employed, with both freight and time charter levels at healthy and sustainable levels. While the sale and purchase market for MPVs is currently experiencing difficulties due to valuation gaps between buyers and sellers, quality tonnage is achieving strong rates on the commercial charter market, offering owners a viable alternative to selling. Looking ahead, MPV operators and owners still anticipate the MSI to be higher in a year’s time, although confidence in the future market environment has waned over the last three MSI editions. Bonnesen mirrored the confidence about longer-term prospects. “I’m not overly concerned about the current situation,” he said. “All in all, I feel quite confident. On top of that, our order books are pretty full for the next three to four years.” A notable MSI development highlighted by Archard is the unprecedented convergence of regional sentiment. Sentiment in the Americas is described as being in “relative freefall,” while Asian carriers maintain a more positive longer-term outlook. The One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) averages the responses from an anonymous group of 20 to 30 MPV owners and operators to a set of breakbulk shipping-related questions. A reading of 50 is neutral, indicating a static market, while scores below 50 show pessimism or wariness and scores above 50 indicate optimism. Contact Carly Fields at <a href="mailto:carly.fields@spglobal.com">carly.fields@spglobal.com</a>. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.</div>

A sense of unease has settled over the project cargo sector as softening multipurpose freight rates and a climate of near-term market uncertainty prevail, stakeholders say. The benchmark indicator for the multipurpose vessel (MPV) sector, the One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) that was published Tuesday, reflects the headwinds facing the industry, dropping from 54.3 in the previous edition to 53.3 points. Still, the figure remains above the crucial 50-point mark, which delineates generally positive versus negative sentiment. Friday & Co shipbroker Justin Archard, creator of the One World Shipbrokers’ MSI, noted that at the time of polling for the latest index, the announcement of a highly punitive US tariff regime had just been made, followed quickly by a moratorium on many of those tariffs after significant convulsions in equity and bond markets. Archard said that “nothing stops investment and growth like uncertainty and much of the business world is now sitting on its hands waiting for the situation to play out.” Operators are observing that shipping committed cargo remains a priority, while shipments that can be delayed are being postponed. Michael Morland, project cargo director for the Atlantic at G2 Ocean, told the Journal of Commerce that new projects are facing difficulties in obtaining final investment decisions due to the shifting economic climate, particularly for industrial projects and commodities. Morland added that doubts about future project cargo volumes are “increasing risk and making importers hesitant.” Felix Schoeller, director at AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that “many stakeholders are adopting a wait-and-see approach to current investment decisions … any shift in trade patterns will take time to materialize — if at all.” Schoeller expects the current situation to calm in the coming months, providing a clearer picture of policies and tariffs, which will allow for a better assessment of market development. Lars Bonnesen, managing director of Germany’s United Heavy Lift (UHL), described the current market as “a bit of a rollercoaster, and it’s quite difficult to prepare for the future with any certainty.” Data from Esgian, the Norwegian shipbroker and maritime consultancy, showed UHL and G2 Ocean were among the MPV operators heavily focused on the US market. Some 68% of UHL’s ocean sailings last year were on US trade lanes, while for G2 Ocean, 51% of sailings were between the US and the East Coast of South America, according to an Esgian analysis of route data from last year published in its February market report. Underlying fundamentals still strong Despite the pervasive uncertainty, the MPV fleet remains largely fully employed, with both freight and time charter levels at healthy and sustainable levels. While the sale and purchase market for MPVs is currently experiencing difficulties due to valuation gaps between buyers and sellers, quality tonnage is achieving strong rates on the commercial charter market, offering owners a viable alternative to selling. Looking ahead, MPV operators and owners still anticipate the MSI to be higher in a year’s time, although confidence in the future market environment has waned over the last three MSI editions. Bonnesen mirrored the confidence about longer-term prospects. “I’m not overly concerned about the current situation,” he said. “All in all, I feel quite confident. On top of that, our order books are pretty full for the next three to four years.” A notable MSI development highlighted by Archard is the unprecedented convergence of regional sentiment. Sentiment in the Americas is described as being in “relative freefall,” while Asian carriers maintain a more positive longer-term outlook. The One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) averages the responses from an anonymous group of 20 to 30 MPV owners and operators to a set of breakbulk shipping-related questions. A reading of 50 is neutral, indicating a static market, while scores below 50 show pessimism or wariness and scores above 50 indicate optimism. Contact Carly Fields at carly.fields@spglobal.com . Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Breakbulk carriers

Heavy-haul transport

Project cargo

Breakbulk News

Market ‘unease’ catches up with MPVs amid tariffs, economic uncertainty

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With the status of a federal multimodal freight network unclear, heavy haulers are forging ahead with their own push for processes, highway improvements and infrastructure specific to the transport of oversized and overweight loads.</div>

With the status of a federal multimodal freight network unclear, heavy haulers are forging ahead with their own push for processes, highway improvements and infrastructure specific to the transport of oversized and overweight loads.

<div class="phx-topic">After a decade of sporadic development, an in-depth federal map of corridors and facilities critical to multimodal freight transport in the US is closer than ever to completion. But it’s unclear whether the map, formally known as the National Multimodal Freight Network, will come to fruition now that its fate is in the hands of the Trump administration.With those efforts in question, heavy haulers with a stake in the multimodal network are forging ahead with their own push for processes, highway improvements and infrastructure specific to the transport of oversized and/or overweight (OS/OW) loads that carry breakbulk and project cargo over land. “The continuing message is: Don’t forget the oversized-overweight segment. If a state is going to be looking at corridors for freight, remember that our industry is out there as well, and we’re going to need some slightly different accommodations on those highway networks,” Chris Smith, transportation vice president for the Specialized Carriers &amp; Rigging Association (SC&amp;RA), told the Journal of Commerce. Creation of the network was scheduled to advance to the final stages this spring, although that timeline was set during the final days of the Biden administration. “I think uncertainty is the word of the day,” Smith said.After failed attempts by the Obama and previous Trump administrations to establish the network, the Biden administration revived those efforts in late 2023. On Jan. 13, a week before Donald Trump took office, the US Department of Transportation published a draft version of its National Multimodal Freight Network map, informed by public comments the department solicited in April 2024. The draft was signed Jan. 6 by Allison Dane Camden, the then-principal deputy assistant secretary for multimodal freight under the US Department of Transportation (US DOT). Camden, who was tapped by the Biden administration to oversee the network’s development, has since left the agency. The US DOT did not respond to a request for comment from the Journal of Commerce. The draft network consists of 175,000 miles of highways, railways and waterways, along with 205 marine ports and airports designated as critical to freight movement and global and domestic supply chains. US DOT opened up the draft for public comments through Feb. 27 with plans to designate the network in spring 2025. Once designated, the network could be used to inform decision-making and investment priorities at the federal, state and local levels.When tying freight corridors to ports, industrial parks and intermodal centers, Smith said both federal and state corridor mapping should factor in the needs of heavy-haul transport.“The economic impact of the things our segment carries far outpaces the volume,” he said. “But there are some special needs that come with that.”<h3>Oversized parking problem</h3>Establishing a network of critical multimodal corridors could help remedy a perennial challenge for heavy-haul truckers — the need for more rest stops that can accommodate oversized loads, as some rest areas restrict them. Smith cited a concerted effort by USDOT to address the shortage of parking for cargo trucks, especially in urban and high-traffic areas. Finding enough space for container trucks and standard-size hauls presents a challenge in and of itself, but factoring in heavy-haul vehicles and loads adds another layer of complexity. “Oversized, overweight permanent loads often run on local and state highways, not on the interstate,” Smith said.” So if all the rest stations are on the interstate, that’s a problem.” John Welch, general manager of heavy-haul and wind operations for Fort Worth-based Lone Star Transportation, told the Journal of Commerce that developing such a map could help governments pinpoint where to locate rest areas, while giving commercial developers insights into where to build truck stops. “I would hope that would encourage the Flying Js, the Pilots, the larger truck stops to start putting their facilities along those corridors,” he said.Welch said federal mapping could also help government entities prioritize which corridors are in need of improvements. “I think this network would be great, especially if these roads were continually funded by federal grants so they’re constantly being repaired and upgraded,” he said.Preserving the existing corridors that heavy haulers rely on is another concern for OS/OW transporters. Craig McGraw, vice president of sales and marketing for New Jersey-based carrier Trans American Trucking &amp; Warehouse, told the Journal of Commerce that the addition of roundabouts makes it more difficult for oversized loads to maneuver. “All the heavy-haul routes are in place for a reason,” he said. “So our big push was just to keep everything the way it is with that.” Roundabouts can make things particularly challenging when transporting massive components such as wind turbines, Welch said. “A route that would be good for a general 13-axle heavy load would not necessarily be good for the blades,” he said. “We could not get most of our blades into and out of most of the ports around the greater Houston area.” Welch added that he’s seeing larger blades being sent to Corpus Christi and Brownsville instead because that’s where the infrastructure can accommodate them.<h3>States stepping up</h3>Independent of federal efforts to develop mapping for multimodal freight, the heavy-haul segment has made a push over the last decade for improved synchronization among state transportation departments when it comes to OS/OW transport requirements, as well as automated permitting systems for each state. Permitting and regulations vary from state to state, and there are often additional, overlapping requirements set by county and municipal governments. In 2018, SC&amp;RA rolled out an initiative encouraging states to implement an automated system that would make the issuance of permits available electronically 24 hours a day, seven days a week — eliminating the need for human review in most cases. At the time, there were 36 states with some level of automation. Since then, Alaska and Wyoming have joined the ranks, launching fully automated systems in 2024, while Connecticut and Oregon have systems in development, Smith said. “So, we’re down to a handful of states that don’t have it yet,” he said. According to a Journal of Commerce analysis of SC&amp;RA data, only seven states and the District of Columbia have indicated no interest in using an automated permitting system. The states are Alabama, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, South Carolina and Vermont. Should the Multimodal Freight Network move forward this spring, states would have a specific role to play in developing it. Each state would have at least 180 days to propose route additions of up to 30% of the total mileage designated in that state. Following US DOT’s April 2024 request for information, the agency received 43 written responses from shippers, carriers, port authorities, state DOT representatives, metropolitan planning organizations, railroads and community interest groups.Among them was the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). On Feb. 25, the association submitted a letter to US DOT Secretary Sean Duffy urging the department to finalize the multimodal network map. “Our supply chains have been tested significantly in recent years, and we strongly advise that the completion of this framework will serve as a vital tool for improving freight transportation infrastructure,” the organization wrote.Regardless of whether the Multimodal Freight Network moves forward, Smith said there are indications that efforts to meet the needs of heavy haulers will continue to advance.“I do think there’s a sense that this administration will ultimately be more friendly to commerce and trade,” he said.Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>.</div>

After a decade of sporadic development, an in-depth federal map of corridors and facilities critical to multimodal freight transport in the US is closer than ever to completion. But it’s unclear whether the map, formally known as the National Multimodal Freight Network, will come to fruition now that its fate is in the hands of the Trump administration. With those efforts in question, heavy haulers with a stake in the multimodal network are forging ahead with their own push for processes, highway improvements and infrastructure specific to the transport of oversized and/or overweight (OS/OW) loads that carry breakbulk and project cargo over land. “The continuing message is: Don’t forget the oversized-overweight segment. If a state is going to be looking at corridors for freight, remember that our industry is out there as well, and we’re going to need some slightly different accommodations on those highway networks,” Chris Smith, transportation vice president for the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), told the Journal of Commerce. Creation of the network was scheduled to advance to the final stages this spring, although that timeline was set during the final days of the Biden administration. “I think uncertainty is the word of the day,” Smith said. After failed attempts by the Obama and previous Trump administrations to establish the network, the Biden administration revived those efforts in late 2023. On Jan. 13, a week before Donald Trump took office, the US Department of Transportation published a draft version of its National Multimodal Freight Network map, informed by public comments the department solicited in April 2024. The draft was signed Jan. 6 by Allison Dane Camden, the then-principal deputy assistant secretary for multimodal freight under the US Department of Transportation (US DOT). Camden, who was tapped by the Biden administration to oversee the network’s development, has since left the agency. The US DOT did not respond to a request for comment from the Journal of Commerce. The draft network consists of 175,000 miles of highways, railways and waterways, along with 205 marine ports and airports designated as critical to freight movement and global and domestic supply chains. US DOT opened up the draft for public comments through Feb. 27 with plans to designate the network in spring 2025. Once designated, the network could be used to inform decision-making and investment priorities at the federal, state and local levels. When tying freight corridors to ports, industrial parks and intermodal centers, Smith said both federal and state corridor mapping should factor in the needs of heavy-haul transport. “The economic impact of the things our segment carries far outpaces the volume,” he said. “But there are some special needs that come with that.” Oversized parking problem Establishing a network of critical multimodal corridors could help remedy a perennial challenge for heavy-haul truckers — the need for more rest stops that can accommodate oversized loads, as some rest areas restrict them. Smith cited a concerted effort by USDOT to address the shortage of parking for cargo trucks, especially in urban and high-traffic areas. Finding enough space for container trucks and standard-size hauls presents a challenge in and of itself, but factoring in heavy-haul vehicles and loads adds another layer of complexity. “Oversized, overweight permanent loads often run on local and state highways, not on the interstate,” Smith said.” So if all the rest stations are on the interstate, that’s a problem.” John Welch, general manager of heavy-haul and wind operations for Fort Worth-based Lone Star Transportation, told the Journal of Commerce that developing such a map could help governments pinpoint where to locate rest areas, while giving commercial developers insights into where to build truck stops. “I would hope that would encourage the Flying Js, the Pilots, the larger truck stops to start putting their facilities along those corridors,” he said. Welch said federal mapping could also help government entities prioritize which corridors are in need of improvements. “I think this network would be great, especially if these roads were continually funded by federal grants so they’re constantly being repaired and upgraded,” he said. Preserving the existing corridors that heavy haulers rely on is another concern for OS/OW transporters. Craig McGraw, vice president of sales and marketing for New Jersey-based carrier Trans American Trucking & Warehouse, told the Journal of Commerce that the addition of roundabouts makes it more difficult for oversized loads to maneuver. “All the heavy-haul routes are in place for a reason,” he said. “So our big push was just to keep everything the way it is with that.” Roundabouts can make things particularly challenging when transporting massive components such as wind turbines, Welch said. “A route that would be good for a general 13-axle heavy load would not necessarily be good for the blades,” he said. “We could not get most of our blades into and out of most of the ports around the greater Houston area.” Welch added that he’s seeing larger blades being sent to Corpus Christi and Brownsville instead because that’s where the infrastructure can accommodate them. States stepping up Independent of federal efforts to develop mapping for multimodal freight, the heavy-haul segment has made a push over the last decade for improved synchronization among state transportation departments when it comes to OS/OW transport requirements, as well as automated permitting systems for each state. Permitting and regulations vary from state to state, and there are often additional, overlapping requirements set by county and municipal governments. In 2018, SC&RA rolled out an initiative encouraging states to implement an automated system that would make the issuance of permits available electronically 24 hours a day, seven days a week — eliminating the need for human review in most cases. At the time, there were 36 states with some level of automation. Since then, Alaska and Wyoming have joined the ranks, launching fully automated systems in 2024, while Connecticut and Oregon have systems in development, Smith said. “So, we’re down to a handful of states that don’t have it yet,” he said. According to a Journal of Commerce analysis of SC&RA data, only seven states and the District of Columbia have indicated no interest in using an automated permitting system. The states are Alabama, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, South Carolina and Vermont. Should the Multimodal Freight Network move forward this spring, states would have a specific role to play in developing it. Each state would have at least 180 days to propose route additions of up to 30% of the total mileage designated in that state. Following US DOT’s April 2024 request for information, the agency received 43 written responses from shippers, carriers, port authorities, state DOT representatives, metropolitan planning organizations, railroads and community interest groups. Among them was the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). On Feb. 25, the association submitted a letter to US DOT Secretary Sean Duffy urging the department to finalize the multimodal network map. “Our supply chains have been tested significantly in recent years, and we strongly advise that the completion of this framework will serve as a vital tool for improving freight transportation infrastructure,” the organization wrote. Regardless of whether the Multimodal Freight Network moves forward, Smith said there are indications that efforts to meet the needs of heavy haulers will continue to advance. “I do think there’s a sense that this administration will ultimately be more friendly to commerce and trade,” he said. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Trucking News

Heavy loads at risk from uncertainty around US freight network map

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A divergence from the weakening container sector has seen the MPV trade hold steady, although the potential for a breakbulk cargo grab by container lines cannot be discounted.</div>

A divergence from the weakening container sector has seen the MPV trade hold steady, although the potential for a breakbulk cargo grab by container lines cannot be discounted.

<div class="phx-topic">Multipurpose ship operators are keeping a weather eye on a demand slump in the competing container ship sector, plummeting container freight rates and an expected deluge of new container ship capacity, fearing it will prompt mode-malleable cargoes to literally jump ship. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6000435_0.1.jpg"></img></div>The container sector is bracing for a notable contraction, echoing challenges not seen since the early days of the pandemic. Multiple factors are contributing to this slump — a slowing economy and slowing retail sales among them. Conversely, the multipurpose/heavy-lift (MPV/HL) sector is eyeing modest growth for 2025, according to exclusive Journal of Commerce analysis, albeit clouded by economic headwinds and regulatory questions. But that growth outlook could diminish if more-than-expected breakbulk cargoes shift to cargo-starved container ships in that forecast period.Seaborne dry cargo trade — a catch-all group that includes dry bulk, dry containerized and general cargo — was expected to grow at an average of just 1% per year to 2026, according to an April 2025 forecast from S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence. This forecast was almost halved from the January 2025 forecast report. S&amp;P Global is the parent company of the Journal of Commerce.<div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="7015183f-ea29-4c3b-996a-b9b99d2e80ae"></dynamic-object></div>Container carriers have some tools to manage the influx of newbuildings: the capacity that arrived in the market over the first quarter of 2025 was mitigated by blank sailings, slower steaming and the withdrawal of capacity in terms of idling, according to container sector experts. But as the situation worsens, this may not be enough, and falling container rates could tempt some cargo traditionally moved as breakbulk to containers. With the pressures from competing sectors, MPV/HL rates are expected to soften, although shippers attending the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference last month said they did not expect them to fall off a cliff the way containers have.<h3>Stark order book differences </h3>The broader dynamics within the MPV/HL fleet differ starkly from the container sector. The MPV order book is much more modest and is equivalent to just 9% of the operating fleet, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis. Fleet growth projections are equally restrained at an average 1.7% per year to 2029. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="153f6b09-2be5-4feb-ac85-4667ff36b8c1"></dynamic-object></div>However, there are downsides to the limited ship supply pipeline, too. Shippers speaking to the Journal of Commerce have raised concerns about capacity going forward, especially for project cargo that needs heavy-lift vessels or deck carriers. “Our biggest challenge is capacity — is this going to be sustainable in the future? If you can’t get a space at all, that’s a bigger problem than a rise in fees,” one shipper said.In contrast, the project cargo sector, while not immune to global economic trends, presents a different outlook. Project cargo is for the longer term; there is a steady flow of cargo expected over 2025 as projects that have reached a final investment decision are already looking to charter tonnage. Looming over all sectors has been the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) Section 301 investigation and potential import tariffs on breakbulk and project cargoes. In the latest iteration of the proposed legislation <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/scaled-back-ustr-port-tariff-to-hit-chinese-carriers-hardest-5987549">released April 17</a>, the majority of the MPV/HL fleet would escape the proposed fees targeting Chinese shipbuilding and ownership. However, for affected Chinese-owned vessels, costs could be substantial, according to Journal of Commerce calculations. Based on the initial $50 per net ton, the charges range from an average $280,000 to near $990,000 per ship for the open hatch MPVs that are significantly bigger. Still, another shipper cautioned that the USTR Section 301 is “not a done deal” and “does not exist in isolation.” “There is a bigger picture we need to be mindful of,” the source said, pointing to the US Federal Maritime Commission’s <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-probes-ocean-chokepoints-as-trump-looks-to-rule-the-waves-5962937">investigation on global chokepoints</a> as another “one to watch.”Contact Susan Oatway at <a href="mailto:susan.oatway@spglobal.com">susan.oatway@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Multipurpose ship operators are keeping a weather eye on a demand slump in the competing container ship sector, plummeting container freight rates and an expected deluge of new container ship capacity, fearing it will prompt mode-malleable cargoes to literally jump ship. The container sector is bracing for a notable contraction, echoing challenges not seen since the early days of the pandemic. Multiple factors are contributing to this slump — a slowing economy and slowing retail sales among them. Conversely, the multipurpose/heavy-lift (MPV/HL) sector is eyeing modest growth for 2025, according to exclusive Journal of Commerce analysis, albeit clouded by economic headwinds and regulatory questions. But that growth outlook could diminish if more-than-expected breakbulk cargoes shift to cargo-starved container ships in that forecast period. Seaborne dry cargo trade — a catch-all group that includes dry bulk, dry containerized and general cargo — was expected to grow at an average of just 1% per year to 2026, according to an April 2025 forecast from S&P Global Market Intelligence. This forecast was almost halved from the January 2025 forecast report. S&P Global is the parent company of the Journal of Commerce. Container carriers have some tools to manage the influx of newbuildings: the capacity that arrived in the market over the first quarter of 2025 was mitigated by blank sailings, slower steaming and the withdrawal of capacity in terms of idling, according to container sector experts. But as the situation worsens, this may not be enough, and falling container rates could tempt some cargo traditionally moved as breakbulk to containers. With the pressures from competing sectors, MPV/HL rates are expected to soften, although shippers attending the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference last month said they did not expect them to fall off a cliff the way containers have. Stark order book differences The broader dynamics within the MPV/HL fleet differ starkly from the container sector. The MPV order book is much more modest and is equivalent to just 9% of the operating fleet, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis. Fleet growth projections are equally restrained at an average 1.7% per year to 2029. However, there are downsides to the limited ship supply pipeline, too. Shippers speaking to the Journal of Commerce have raised concerns about capacity going forward, especially for project cargo that needs heavy-lift vessels or deck carriers. “Our biggest challenge is capacity — is this going to be sustainable in the future? If you can’t get a space at all, that’s a bigger problem than a rise in fees,” one shipper said. In contrast, the project cargo sector, while not immune to global economic trends, presents a different outlook. Project cargo is for the longer term; there is a steady flow of cargo expected over 2025 as projects that have reached a final investment decision are already looking to charter tonnage. Looming over all sectors has been the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) Section 301 investigation and potential import tariffs on breakbulk and project cargoes. In the latest iteration of the proposed legislation released April 17 , the majority of the MPV/HL fleet would escape the proposed fees targeting Chinese shipbuilding and ownership. However, for affected Chinese-owned vessels, costs could be substantial, according to Journal of Commerce calculations. Based on the initial $50 per net ton, the charges range from an average $280,000 to near $990,000 per ship for the open hatch MPVs that are significantly bigger. Still, another shipper cautioned that the USTR Section 301 is “not a done deal” and “does not exist in isolation.” “There is a bigger picture we need to be mindful of,” the source said, pointing to the US Federal Maritime Commission’s investigation on global chokepoints as another “one to watch.” Contact Susan Oatway at susan.oatway@spglobal.com .

Container sector challenges cast shadow over MPV demand

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The new global trade environment has significantly increased supply chain challenges, notably the arbitrary nature of the implementation of US tariffs.</div>

The new global trade environment has significantly increased supply chain challenges, notably the arbitrary nature of the implementation of US tariffs.

<div class="phx-topic">This commentary is not specifically about tariffs, or about capacity shortages or surpluses or what to expect if your shipment happens to be transferred to a Chinese vessel or service — whatever that means today. Instead, it considers a related question: How do supply chain practitioners balance demand and supply planning in the current environment of uncertainty? To start, let’s assume you are a medium-size importer into the US from any Asian country subject to tariffs nominally above 20%. At this stage, you have called on the more recent lessons from the first term of Donald Trump and from the COVID-19 pandemic. These will include, but are not limited to, some form of cost-sharing of the increase, somewhere between you absorbing it all to the supplier wearing the whole lot. If you are buying in US dollars, then your supplier is already suffering and will have less room to maneuver. To counter this, a temporary option could be to switch to buying in your supplier’s local currency. This will have some appeal to your supplier as they are possibly overweight in the dollar and have actual costs in local currency. A lot will depend on your view of the trajectory of the dollar. However, two notes of caution: You will still have transaction costs when converting from the US dollar to the local currency, and depending on the country you source from, you may face capital controls if you need to get money back. Furthermore, changing back and forth in currencies has administrative risks with potential payment delays and errors. No doubt there will be a suggestion of suppliers providing lower-than-correct value invoices and some form of offline reconciliation. But doing the right thing in the face of malevolence has its longer-term reward. And besides, the penalties do not merit the risk. <h3>‘Roulette game’ </h3>You will have reduced your destination-side inventory to the degree of ensuring safety stocks. If you managed to get ahead of the tariff increases, you will be sitting on volume that requires warehousing. But as you have avoided tariffs to some degree, this will maintain your competitiveness — despite the increased warehousing and inventory working capital cost — assuming your competitors source from outside the US However, the new environment has significantly increased challenges. First, the rate at which tariff levels are changing makes supply planning a roulette game. This is primarily due to the arbitrary nature of their implementation, unlike previous changes that gave some degree of leeway for orders already in process and/or on the water. Equally challenging is the rollercoaster nature of the degree of tariff moves both up and down. Finally, the tactical response <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/scaled-back-ustr-port-tariff-to-hit-chinese-carriers-hardest-5987549">to avoid Chinese-built, -owned, and -operated ships</a> will be a nightmare for all logisticians. This is particularly important because carrier and vessel choice is largely transactional at an operational level based on guidance from sourcing, so the likelihood of an error costing thousands is high. Where does that leave beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) in deciding which tactics to adopt? Frankly, for the foreseeable future, you will need to choose your poison. The somewhat binary options of manufacturing and storing at origin have appeal, particularly if the <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/air-cargo-volumes-fall-on-trans-pacific-as-us-de-minimis-changes-loom-5993599">removal of de minimis</a> has a projected impact of freeing up air freight space, allowing cheaper (but not cheap) delivery for urgent orders. Alternatively, having the right stocks in place at the right time will do much for customer relations and, intuitively, result in less likelihood of discounting. The downside will be increased costs that will depend on the cost of the tariff versus your sale price. This will mean you either absorb the increase, thus reducing margins and profitability, or try to pass it on to consumers. The final kicker to this issue is consumer demand. With quite consistent indicators from many sources — Goldman Sachs, the International Monetary Fund, the University of Michigan and others— indicating at best a slowdown in all economies, the likelihood of stagflation emerging in the US, or at best/worst the return of inflation, is actually your greatest risk. Because if consumers truly defer consumption expecting lower prices through price reduction and/or discounting to stimulate demand (stagflation), or cannot afford to spend or increase credit card debt (inflation), then these two factors will cause greater headaches than your deliberations on supply planning. John McCauley, formerly a long-standing vice president of transportation and logistics at Cargill, now consults for shippers. Contact him at <a href="mailto:john-mccauley1@outlook.com">john-mccauley1@outlook.com</a>.</div>

This commentary is not specifically about tariffs, or about capacity shortages or surpluses or what to expect if your shipment happens to be transferred to a Chinese vessel or service — whatever that means today. Instead, it considers a related question: How do supply chain practitioners balance demand and supply planning in the current environment of uncertainty? To start, let’s assume you are a medium-size importer into the US from any Asian country subject to tariffs nominally above 20%. At this stage, you have called on the more recent lessons from the first term of Donald Trump and from the COVID-19 pandemic. These will include, but are not limited to, some form of cost-sharing of the increase, somewhere between you absorbing it all to the supplier wearing the whole lot. If you are buying in US dollars, then your supplier is already suffering and will have less room to maneuver. To counter this, a temporary option could be to switch to buying in your supplier’s local currency. This will have some appeal to your supplier as they are possibly overweight in the dollar and have actual costs in local currency. A lot will depend on your view of the trajectory of the dollar. However, two notes of caution: You will still have transaction costs when converting from the US dollar to the local currency, and depending on the country you source from, you may face capital controls if you need to get money back. Furthermore, changing back and forth in currencies has administrative risks with potential payment delays and errors. No doubt there will be a suggestion of suppliers providing lower-than-correct value invoices and some form of offline reconciliation. But doing the right thing in the face of malevolence has its longer-term reward. And besides, the penalties do not merit the risk. ‘Roulette game’ You will have reduced your destination-side inventory to the degree of ensuring safety stocks. If you managed to get ahead of the tariff increases, you will be sitting on volume that requires warehousing. But as you have avoided tariffs to some degree, this will maintain your competitiveness — despite the increased warehousing and inventory working capital cost — assuming your competitors source from outside the US However, the new environment has significantly increased challenges. First, the rate at which tariff levels are changing makes supply planning a roulette game. This is primarily due to the arbitrary nature of their implementation, unlike previous changes that gave some degree of leeway for orders already in process and/or on the water. Equally challenging is the rollercoaster nature of the degree of tariff moves both up and down. Finally, the tactical response to avoid Chinese-built, -owned, and -operated ships will be a nightmare for all logisticians. This is particularly important because carrier and vessel choice is largely transactional at an operational level based on guidance from sourcing, so the likelihood of an error costing thousands is high. Where does that leave beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) in deciding which tactics to adopt? Frankly, for the foreseeable future, you will need to choose your poison. The somewhat binary options of manufacturing and storing at origin have appeal, particularly if the removal of de minimis has a projected impact of freeing up air freight space, allowing cheaper (but not cheap) delivery for urgent orders. Alternatively, having the right stocks in place at the right time will do much for customer relations and, intuitively, result in less likelihood of discounting. The downside will be increased costs that will depend on the cost of the tariff versus your sale price. This will mean you either absorb the increase, thus reducing margins and profitability, or try to pass it on to consumers. The final kicker to this issue is consumer demand. With quite consistent indicators from many sources — Goldman Sachs, the International Monetary Fund, the University of Michigan and others— indicating at best a slowdown in all economies, the likelihood of stagflation emerging in the US, or at best/worst the return of inflation, is actually your greatest risk. Because if consumers truly defer consumption expecting lower prices through price reduction and/or discounting to stimulate demand (stagflation), or cannot afford to spend or increase credit card debt (inflation), then these two factors will cause greater headaches than your deliberations on supply planning. John McCauley, formerly a long-standing vice president of transportation and logistics at Cargill, now consults for shippers. Contact him at john-mccauley1@outlook.com .

Supply chain

Navigating the current supply chain is a matter of choosing your poison

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The continued growth of the San Pedro Bay ports — and the inter-related rail and logistics systems — are vital to a healthy US supply chain, writes the CEO of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority.</div>

The continued growth of the San Pedro Bay ports — and the inter-related rail and logistics systems — are vital to a healthy US supply chain, writes the CEO of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority.

<div class="phx-topic">The first-quarter surge of cargo flowing into West Coast ports has prompted a key realization — the rail system serving the massive number of exports and imports that come through Southern California has expanded and modernized enough to keep current supply chains functioning, at least for now. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, known as the San Pedro Bay (SPB) Ports, have invested $10 billion, including $4 billion on port rail, and have expanded their infrastructure to support intermodal cargo with efficient connectivity to the US heartland. A vital component of this effort is the Alameda Corridor — a $2 billion investment by SPB Ports to mitigate the impact on local communities and improve the efficiency of rail operations. Import volumes at SPB Ports have grown 3% annually since 2000, doubling volumes over 24 years. During that same period, rail volumes increased 2.5% annually, such that in 2024, rail handled 60% of SPB imports (28% on-dock, 32% off-dock). That rail volume is greater than the total at any other US port — a significant component of the supply chain. In 2024, we saw that SPB handled record cargo and ships were processed without delay. Throughout the 2024 surge, SPB proved itself to be a reliable gateway with available capacity and minimal risk. Rail dwell times at SPB Port terminals were carefully monitored and managed, peaking for two months at a nine-day average. And the ports’ commitment is not waning. To handle forecast cargo demand, they are investing $2.5 billion more in moving cargo efficiently by rail, including the Pier B On-dock Rail Support Facility and several on-dock modernization projects. Despite a looming tariff-related downturn, now is not the time to delay investments. Past downturns, such as the 2009 global recession, seemed insurmountable at the time. But long-term and consistent investments proved prudent as evidenced by the uninterrupted flow of cargo from the recent surge in shipments. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="b2536aba-789d-42cd-9870-4ede2743577b"></dynamic-object></div>The ports’ intermodal rail improvements, totaling $3 billion, initiated on-dock rail and expanded infrastructure to support intermodal cargo with efficient connectivity inland. The Alameda Corridor was built to handle volumes forecast to double in the next 20 to 30 years. Western railroads have made comparable investments in the transcontinental railway, and they are enhancing the supply chain with a much broader network of intermodal distribution points west of the Mississippi River. These advances, when combined with enhanced logistics technology, aimed to reduce cargo dwell times and improve transcontinental shipping time. Upcoming investment in the SPB rail system includes $2.5 billion in programmed projects, which encompass the lessons learned over several decades of port rail operations and intensive performance evaluation. The SPB gateway incorporates several intermodal components: the on-dock rail yards, support rail yards and the rail network connecting those yards, which are the focus of a continuous rail enhancement program; the investments by Union Pacific and BNSF on their transcontinental railways; and the development of new multi-modal logistics centers serving as western distribution hubs, including BNSF Railway’s Barstow International Gateway and other projects in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The speed and efficiency of cargo movement remains the number one priority for all interested parties. The continued growth of SPB — and the inter-related rail and logistics systems — are vital to a healthy US supply chain. We cannot be lulled by disruptions that may result in a temporary reduction in flow. Continued investments in intermodal rail are vital to a healthy supply chain. Contact Michael Leue at <a href="mailto:PR@ACTA.org">PR@ACTA.org</a>.</div>

The first-quarter surge of cargo flowing into West Coast ports has prompted a key realization — the rail system serving the massive number of exports and imports that come through Southern California has expanded and modernized enough to keep current supply chains functioning, at least for now. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, known as the San Pedro Bay (SPB) Ports, have invested $10 billion, including $4 billion on port rail, and have expanded their infrastructure to support intermodal cargo with efficient connectivity to the US heartland. A vital component of this effort is the Alameda Corridor — a $2 billion investment by SPB Ports to mitigate the impact on local communities and improve the efficiency of rail operations. Import volumes at SPB Ports have grown 3% annually since 2000, doubling volumes over 24 years. During that same period, rail volumes increased 2.5% annually, such that in 2024, rail handled 60% of SPB imports (28% on-dock, 32% off-dock). That rail volume is greater than the total at any other US port — a significant component of the supply chain. In 2024, we saw that SPB handled record cargo and ships were processed without delay. Throughout the 2024 surge, SPB proved itself to be a reliable gateway with available capacity and minimal risk. Rail dwell times at SPB Port terminals were carefully monitored and managed, peaking for two months at a nine-day average. And the ports’ commitment is not waning. To handle forecast cargo demand, they are investing $2.5 billion more in moving cargo efficiently by rail, including the Pier B On-dock Rail Support Facility and several on-dock modernization projects. Despite a looming tariff-related downturn, now is not the time to delay investments. Past downturns, such as the 2009 global recession, seemed insurmountable at the time. But long-term and consistent investments proved prudent as evidenced by the uninterrupted flow of cargo from the recent surge in shipments. The ports’ intermodal rail improvements, totaling $3 billion, initiated on-dock rail and expanded infrastructure to support intermodal cargo with efficient connectivity inland. The Alameda Corridor was built to handle volumes forecast to double in the next 20 to 30 years. Western railroads have made comparable investments in the transcontinental railway, and they are enhancing the supply chain with a much broader network of intermodal distribution points west of the Mississippi River. These advances, when combined with enhanced logistics technology, aimed to reduce cargo dwell times and improve transcontinental shipping time. Upcoming investment in the SPB rail system includes $2.5 billion in programmed projects, which encompass the lessons learned over several decades of port rail operations and intensive performance evaluation. The SPB gateway incorporates several intermodal components: the on-dock rail yards, support rail yards and the rail network connecting those yards, which are the focus of a continuous rail enhancement program; the investments by Union Pacific and BNSF on their transcontinental railways; and the development of new multi-modal logistics centers serving as western distribution hubs, including BNSF Railway’s Barstow International Gateway and other projects in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The speed and efficiency of cargo movement remains the number one priority for all interested parties. The continued growth of SPB — and the inter-related rail and logistics systems — are vital to a healthy US supply chain. We cannot be lulled by disruptions that may result in a temporary reduction in flow. Continued investments in intermodal rail are vital to a healthy supply chain. Contact Michael Leue at PR@ACTA.org .

Port infrastructure

North-American rail

Continued rail investment needed to keep boosting LA-LB port growth

GEP and S&P Global produce this index from S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) surveys. The variables are the JP Morgan Global Quantity of Purchases Index, the All Items Supply Shortages Indicator, the Transport Price Pressure Indicator and Manufacturing PMI Comments Tracker data, stockpiling levels due to supply or price concerns and backlog activity due to staff and item shortages. [GEP](https://www.gep.com/knowledge-bank/global-supply-chain-volatility-index)

GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index (GEP and S&P Global)

GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index Gateway

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Los Angeles-Long Beach complex, which handles about half of all US imports from Asia, is so far due to experience 59 blanked sailings between May 1 and June 30.</div>

The Los Angeles-Long Beach complex, which handles about half of all US imports from Asia, is so far due to experience 59 blanked sailings between May 1 and June 30.

<div class="phx-topic">Correction: A previous version of this story attributed blank sailings for the Northwest Seaport Alliance to the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.Ports and marine terminals along the US West Coast are bracing for what could be a massive drop in imports moving across their docks in the coming weeks as the tangible impacts of blank sailings and half-empty container ships arriving from China become apparent. The effects of the US trade war with Beijing will be most visible in Southern California, where stakeholders at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the US’ busiest gateway — expect a huge cut in imports in May, with a 35% decline in Los Angeles and 38% in Long Beach compared with their normal monthly volumes. “Leading indicators forecast a significant dip in container ship arrivals in the next one to two weeks,” Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, said. The Los Angeles-Long Beach complex, which handles about half of all US imports from Asia, is so far due to experience 59 blanked, or canceled, sailings between May 1 and June 30, according to both ports. That number, which could rise, means that about 65,000 to 71,000 TEUs of imports won’t be landing in Southern California each week for the next few weeks. A spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles said 17 blank sailings are scheduled for May and 12 for June. Long Beach is scheduled to have 13 blanked sailings in May and 17 in June, according to Noel Hacegaba, the port’s chief operating officer. The impact of the blanked sailings will vary from terminal to terminal depending on the lines that call there and the origin of the imports, said Alan McCorkle, president and CEO of Yusen Terminals in Los Angeles. “We’re all experiencing it to some degree,” he said. “We expect a couple of blanks in May.” When cargo volumes drop precipitously, terminal operators generally reduce their gate hours, McCorkle said. “We’ll close two or three gates a week to right-size our operation.” <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="1c1d9578-c129-4d4e-a136-e220473bd136"></dynamic-object></div>While dockworkers won’t face lower pay or job cuts given their contract protections, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) nonetheless savaged the Trump administration this week for implementing the tariffs and for the trade dispute they ignited with China. “Tariffs are taxes. These and other reckless, shortsighted policies have begun to devastate American workers, harm critical sectors of the economy, and line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy at the expense of hardworking families,” the union said in a statement. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent on or connected to global trade,” the ILWU added. “Constricted trade between the world’s two largest economies could lead to devastating job losses for workers employed in the global supply chain.” <h3>Imports to drop in Oakland and NWSA </h3>Further up the West Coast, the Port of Oakland likewise anticipates a drop in vessel calls and import volumes over the next two months. “In recent weeks, vessel service reductions have increased,” a port spokesperson said. “Between April and June, 39 blank sailings have been announced across multiple shipping alliances calling Oakland. These reductions tighten available vessel capacity for both imports and exports.” A spokesperson for the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma said carriers are scheduled to blank 17 sailings to the port complex in May and June, five more than in the same period last year. And although import volumes through the NWSA have soared 22.4% year over year through March, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global, that appears to be changing. “We are seeing some vessels coming in with less cargo than anticipated, and we are hearing from exporters and importers directly on canceled orders, especially with China,” the spokesperson said. “These impacts are real and will likely be reflected in our data in the coming months.” China accounts for 51% of NWSA imports and 40% of the complex’s total trade, the spokesperson noted. <h3>Vancouver unaffected </h3>The Port of Vancouver does not anticipate a drop in import volumes due to the US tariffs on imports from China, said Rosanna Lau, manager of trade development at the Vancouver-Fraser Port Authority. “Our forecasts for the coming weeks indicate that container volumes at the Port of Vancouver will remain consistent with seasonal norms,” Lau said. “It is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of container traffic moving through the port is Canadian trade and not directly affected by US tariffs.”Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at <a href="mailto:bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com">bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Correction: A previous version of this story attributed blank sailings for the Northwest Seaport Alliance to the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Ports and marine terminals along the US West Coast are bracing for what could be a massive drop in imports moving across their docks in the coming weeks as the tangible impacts of blank sailings and half-empty container ships arriving from China become apparent. The effects of the US trade war with Beijing will be most visible in Southern California, where stakeholders at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the US’ busiest gateway — expect a huge cut in imports in May, with a 35% decline in Los Angeles and 38% in Long Beach compared with their normal monthly volumes. “Leading indicators forecast a significant dip in container ship arrivals in the next one to two weeks,” Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, said. The Los Angeles-Long Beach complex, which handles about half of all US imports from Asia, is so far due to experience 59 blanked, or canceled, sailings between May 1 and June 30, according to both ports. That number, which could rise, means that about 65,000 to 71,000 TEUs of imports won’t be landing in Southern California each week for the next few weeks. A spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles said 17 blank sailings are scheduled for May and 12 for June. Long Beach is scheduled to have 13 blanked sailings in May and 17 in June, according to Noel Hacegaba, the port’s chief operating officer. The impact of the blanked sailings will vary from terminal to terminal depending on the lines that call there and the origin of the imports, said Alan McCorkle, president and CEO of Yusen Terminals in Los Angeles. “We’re all experiencing it to some degree,” he said. “We expect a couple of blanks in May.” When cargo volumes drop precipitously, terminal operators generally reduce their gate hours, McCorkle said. “We’ll close two or three gates a week to right-size our operation.” While dockworkers won’t face lower pay or job cuts given their contract protections, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) nonetheless savaged the Trump administration this week for implementing the tariffs and for the trade dispute they ignited with China. “Tariffs are taxes. These and other reckless, shortsighted policies have begun to devastate American workers, harm critical sectors of the economy, and line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy at the expense of hardworking families,” the union said in a statement. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent on or connected to global trade,” the ILWU added. “Constricted trade between the world’s two largest economies could lead to devastating job losses for workers employed in the global supply chain.” Imports to drop in Oakland and NWSA Further up the West Coast, the Port of Oakland likewise anticipates a drop in vessel calls and import volumes over the next two months. “In recent weeks, vessel service reductions have increased,” a port spokesperson said. “Between April and June, 39 blank sailings have been announced across multiple shipping alliances calling Oakland. These reductions tighten available vessel capacity for both imports and exports.” A spokesperson for the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma said carriers are scheduled to blank 17 sailings to the port complex in May and June, five more than in the same period last year. And although import volumes through the NWSA have soared 22.4% year over year through March, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global, that appears to be changing. “We are seeing some vessels coming in with less cargo than anticipated, and we are hearing from exporters and importers directly on canceled orders, especially with China,” the spokesperson said. “These impacts are real and will likely be reflected in our data in the coming months.” China accounts for 51% of NWSA imports and 40% of the complex’s total trade, the spokesperson noted. Vancouver unaffected The Port of Vancouver does not anticipate a drop in import volumes due to the US tariffs on imports from China, said Rosanna Lau, manager of trade development at the Vancouver-Fraser Port Authority. “Our forecasts for the coming weeks indicate that container volumes at the Port of Vancouver will remain consistent with seasonal norms,” Lau said. “It is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of container traffic moving through the port is Canadian trade and not directly affected by US tariffs.” Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com .

Port News

Marine terminals

Uneasy West Coast ports watch as first signs of trade dispute with China emerge

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A range of factors including full yards, labor unrest and carrier network changes are making it difficult for the hubs to clear container bottlenecks.</div>

A range of factors including full yards, labor unrest and carrier network changes are making it difficult for the hubs to clear container bottlenecks.

<div class="phx-topic">North Europe’s largest port gateways are continuing to struggle with persistent congestion that has delayed vessels and hampered container operations at the hubs for months. Full container yards, labor unrest, staff shortages and changing carrier alliance networks are among the challenges being piled on top of a steady inbound volume from Asia. “This is systemic by nature and will resurface on a regular basis,” Scan Global Logistics said in a market update this week. The Denmark-based forwarder also noted that the launch of the Gemini Cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk “complicates efforts to sustain operational efficiency while the new rotations are phased in.” Kuehne + Nagel’s SeaExplorer visibility platform warned that “heavily disrupted operations” were being experienced at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg and London Gateway. A national strike in Belgium on April 29, the fourth strike in the country within the past few months, shut down the Port of Antwerp for the day as workers from the private and public sectors protested recent budget cuts made by the federal government. There were 19 vessels waiting to depart from Antwerp on Thursday and 20 waiting to enter the port. SeaExplorer noted that already congested yards there have seen a seven-day average vessel waiting time of about 2.19 days; Scan Global put the seven-day waiting time in Antwerp as high as seven days. <h3>Low-water advisory hampers inland shipping </h3>Labor shortages at Rotterdam because of national holidays are impacting container operations at the port, according to SeaExplorer, with vessels waiting for more than a day to berth. Intermodal operator Contargo told customers in an advisory Wednesday that average waiting times for the handling of barges were 71 hours in Rotterdam and 101 hours in Antwerp. A low-water advisory is also in place on the Rhine River, limiting the volume that can be carried by barges on Europe’s largest inland waterway connecting the industrial heartland of southern Germany to Rotterdam and Antwerp. Container delivery restrictions were imposed by Hamburg’s main terminal operator HHLA in April to tackle yard congestion. Vessel waiting times at Hamburg are currently up to five days, according to Scan Global. On top of ships being delayed in Hamburg, rail shipments are taking up to 10 hours to process and disrupting all terminals in the port. Intermodal logistics operator Metrans said trains to the German ports of Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven were experiencing long delays due to unplanned line closures around Hannover following a landslide in the area. Detour routes were up to 200 kilometers long and battling with overcapacity that was stopping trains and blocking traffic to and from Rotterdam and the inland rail hub of Duisburg. The disrupted train circulation was also having a major impact on service to and from Hamburg. In France, the Port of Le Havre is struggling to catch up with container backlogs following several strikes held in April, while the UK ports of Felixstowe and Southampton are also experiencing lengthy vessel delays. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

North Europe’s largest port gateways are continuing to struggle with persistent congestion that has delayed vessels and hampered container operations at the hubs for months. Full container yards, labor unrest, staff shortages and changing carrier alliance networks are among the challenges being piled on top of a steady inbound volume from Asia. “This is systemic by nature and will resurface on a regular basis,” Scan Global Logistics said in a market update this week. The Denmark-based forwarder also noted that the launch of the Gemini Cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk “complicates efforts to sustain operational efficiency while the new rotations are phased in.” Kuehne + Nagel’s SeaExplorer visibility platform warned that “heavily disrupted operations” were being experienced at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg and London Gateway. A national strike in Belgium on April 29, the fourth strike in the country within the past few months, shut down the Port of Antwerp for the day as workers from the private and public sectors protested recent budget cuts made by the federal government. There were 19 vessels waiting to depart from Antwerp on Thursday and 20 waiting to enter the port. SeaExplorer noted that already congested yards there have seen a seven-day average vessel waiting time of about 2.19 days; Scan Global put the seven-day waiting time in Antwerp as high as seven days. Low-water advisory hampers inland shipping Labor shortages at Rotterdam because of national holidays are impacting container operations at the port, according to SeaExplorer, with vessels waiting for more than a day to berth. Intermodal operator Contargo told customers in an advisory Wednesday that average waiting times for the handling of barges were 71 hours in Rotterdam and 101 hours in Antwerp. A low-water advisory is also in place on the Rhine River, limiting the volume that can be carried by barges on Europe’s largest inland waterway connecting the industrial heartland of southern Germany to Rotterdam and Antwerp. Container delivery restrictions were imposed by Hamburg’s main terminal operator HHLA in April to tackle yard congestion. Vessel waiting times at Hamburg are currently up to five days, according to Scan Global. On top of ships being delayed in Hamburg, rail shipments are taking up to 10 hours to process and disrupting all terminals in the port. Intermodal logistics operator Metrans said trains to the German ports of Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven were experiencing long delays due to unplanned line closures around Hannover following a landslide in the area. Detour routes were up to 200 kilometers long and battling with overcapacity that was stopping trains and blocking traffic to and from Rotterdam and the inland rail hub of Duisburg. The disrupted train circulation was also having a major impact on service to and from Hamburg. In France, the Port of Le Havre is struggling to catch up with container backlogs following several strikes held in April, while the UK ports of Felixstowe and Southampton are also experiencing lengthy vessel delays. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Asia-Europe

International ports

No end to the congestion choking gateway ports in North Europe

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US ports and support infrastructure such as warehouses and rail connections aren’t better equipped to handle import surges than they were during the pandemic when record volumes drove congestion to historic highs, carrier executives said this week.</div>

US ports and support infrastructure such as warehouses and rail connections aren’t better equipped to handle import surges than they were during the pandemic when record volumes drove congestion to historic highs, carrier executives said this week.

<div class="phx-topic">Container line executives warn that the inevitable rebound in Asian imports that will come at some point after the expected plunge in volumes linked to US tariffs may overwhelm major US ports because the supporting systems aren’t significantly better prepared than they were during the pandemic. The timing and scale of the rebound isn’t yet known. But import volumes from Asia are expected to recover eventually either because tariffs are eased or cargo owners ultimately decide there is no relief coming and eat the higher costs due to a need to replenish inventories. “Regardless of whether the demand will go up two times or come back to a level of about eight weeks ago, the system is not fundamentally better than it was five years ago,” Charles van der Steene, president of Maersk North America, said at the Georgia International Trade Conference this week. “Right now ... volumes are down [30%-40%] and if that goes up, the sheer surge will test the system and disruption cannot be avoided.” Similar to during the pandemic, the sharpest limits to capacity during an import surge will be less at the marine terminals and more outside the truck gates. There, importers and consignees could face limited availability of warehousing and chassis, while a rush of international intermodal could sap rail car supply, carrier executives told the conference. “If our terminals start working at 70%, 80%, 90% capacity and beyond on a regular basis for weeks, the system will crumble,” said Fabio Santucci, president of US operations for Mediterranean Shipping Co. Santucci added that if import dwell times at marine terminals exceed 10 days, ports can’t dig out of backlogs. <h3>‘Uncertainty’ the key word </h3>Stuart Sandlin, Hapag-Lloyd’s North America president, fears a rise in abandoned containers as some US exporters walk away from Chinese contracts due to 125% retaliatory Chinese tariffs on low-value US commodities. Even more alarming would be if US importers begin to abandon higher-value cargo, something he said would signal a potential wave of bankruptcies. Some smaller US importers are already struggling with backing a larger surety bond thanks to higher US tariff costs. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trans-pacific-capacity-cuts-accelerating-amid-sharp-reduction-in-chinese-cargo-5992769">Estimates of the plunge in China bookings from carriers and forwarders range from 30% to up to 50%</a>. The resumption of shipping last week from China by Walmart, Target and other big box retailers after they paused US shipments earlier in the month suggests a rebound is already building, executives at two major carriers told the Journal of Commerce. “I think the key word is ‘uncertainty,’” Santucci told the conference. “Sixty to 70% of customers are reevaluating shipment out of China. They’re either pausing [or] they’ve asked for shipments to be brought back to China.” He said customers are requesting changes to import and inland delivery destinations while containers “are on the water,” adding there’s been a spike in requests to hold shipments at transshipment ports before being loaded onto US-bound vessels. Contact Mark Szakonyi at <a href="mailto:mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com">mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Container line executives warn that the inevitable rebound in Asian imports that will come at some point after the expected plunge in volumes linked to US tariffs may overwhelm major US ports because the supporting systems aren’t significantly better prepared than they were during the pandemic. The timing and scale of the rebound isn’t yet known. But import volumes from Asia are expected to recover eventually either because tariffs are eased or cargo owners ultimately decide there is no relief coming and eat the higher costs due to a need to replenish inventories. “Regardless of whether the demand will go up two times or come back to a level of about eight weeks ago, the system is not fundamentally better than it was five years ago,” Charles van der Steene, president of Maersk North America, said at the Georgia International Trade Conference this week. “Right now ... volumes are down [30%-40%] and if that goes up, the sheer surge will test the system and disruption cannot be avoided.” Similar to during the pandemic, the sharpest limits to capacity during an import surge will be less at the marine terminals and more outside the truck gates. There, importers and consignees could face limited availability of warehousing and chassis, while a rush of international intermodal could sap rail car supply, carrier executives told the conference. “If our terminals start working at 70%, 80%, 90% capacity and beyond on a regular basis for weeks, the system will crumble,” said Fabio Santucci, president of US operations for Mediterranean Shipping Co. Santucci added that if import dwell times at marine terminals exceed 10 days, ports can’t dig out of backlogs. ‘Uncertainty’ the key word Stuart Sandlin, Hapag-Lloyd’s North America president, fears a rise in abandoned containers as some US exporters walk away from Chinese contracts due to 125% retaliatory Chinese tariffs on low-value US commodities. Even more alarming would be if US importers begin to abandon higher-value cargo, something he said would signal a potential wave of bankruptcies. Some smaller US importers are already struggling with backing a larger surety bond thanks to higher US tariff costs. Estimates of the plunge in China bookings from carriers and forwarders range from 30% to up to 50% . The resumption of shipping last week from China by Walmart, Target and other big box retailers after they paused US shipments earlier in the month suggests a rebound is already building, executives at two major carriers told the Journal of Commerce. “I think the key word is ‘uncertainty,’” Santucci told the conference. “Sixty to 70% of customers are reevaluating shipment out of China. They’re either pausing [or] they’ve asked for shipments to be brought back to China.” He said customers are requesting changes to import and inland delivery destinations while containers “are on the water,” adding there’s been a spike in requests to hold shipments at transshipment ports before being loaded onto US-bound vessels. Contact Mark Szakonyi at mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com .

Container lines warn of congestion threat when Asia imports rebound

Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Wide Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE

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 MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on the first year of any annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Wide Box

Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - Wide Box

The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046.jpg

Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046 (1).jpg

Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on first year of any annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Offer Box

Subscribe Today

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

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - Offer Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription! 

Upgrade Subscription - Offer Box

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

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A must-attend conference for shippers & logistics providers moving goods inland

Inland Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Inland25

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

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Savings Index

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

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Gateway

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With a “reintroduced” ground freight shipping option, UPS hopes to tempt LTL shippers seeking alternatives to LTL rates that are up 12% on average from mid-2023. </div>

With a “reintroduced” ground freight shipping option, UPS hopes to tempt LTL shippers seeking alternatives to LTL rates that are up 12% on average from mid-2023.

<div class="phx-topic">UPS no longer owns a less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost all interest in LTL freight. The largest US package carrier has “reintroduced” UPS Ground with Freight Pricing, a service option that targets shipments weighing more than 150 pounds typically hauled by LTL carriers as part of a palletized shipment. “This positions us to be the only small package carrier that offers parcel-like pricing for less-than-truckload shipments, which is a true differentiator,” Carol B. Tomé, UPS CEO, said in a first-quarter earnings call last Tuesday. UPS’ major small package competitor, FedEx, owns its own LTL carrier, although it plans to spin off FedEx Freight in 2026. The service is being revived by UPS at a time when LTL shipping costs are rising, with the US long-distance LTL producer price index (PPI) up 5.5% year over year in March and 6% on average in the first quarter. Overall, the selling prices the PPI represents have climbed 12.1% since Yellow, once one of the largest LTL carriers, collapsed in July 2023. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="397d0614-9019-449a-8ca0-64a882efbfbf"></dynamic-object></div>As LTL prices rise, shippers show more interest in alternative modes and shipping options. “We see customers choosing other options in certain instances when we’re taking rate increases,” Matthew J. Batteh, CFO of LTL carrier Saia, said in an earnings call last week. “Customers always challenge the pricing increases that we propose.” With excess truckload capacity available and truckload rates still climbing out of the trough they entered in 2023, some shippers have tried to consolidate LTL shipments into truckloads. But parcel and package shippers have long vied for LTL freight through hundredweight programs and other options similar to ground freight pricing. “They’re bringing back LPL or less-than-pallet load, which they used to have before they bought the LTL business [UPS Freight, sold in 2021],” said Satish Jindel, president of research firm SJ Consulting Group, which covers both LTL and parcel business. “They’re looking for shipments that are higher revenue per parcel.” UPS believes it can move those shipments at a better rate for shippers than an LTL carrier. Boxes, shrink-wrapped together on a pallet, are at the core of LTL volumes, Jindel said. “Shipments under 250 pounds represent 25% of total LTL volumes, and under 500 pounds 45% of the total. Those shipments could be sitting ducks for UPS, depending on how they go after them. They don’t want the pallets, just the nice brown boxes.” UPS sold UPS Freight, now TForce Freight, to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ups-freight-sold-to-canadas-tfi-for-800-million-5250895">TFI International for $800 million</a>. Under the 2021 sale agreement, TFI agreed to continue to utilize UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments for five years. <h3>UPS, Amazon shifting freight </h3>UPS is also looking to bolster US domestic package volume, which fell 3.5% year over year in the first quarter. Ground package volume dropped 2.5% in the quarter, while volumes moving through its deferred service fell 17.3% from a year ago. That countered a 7.1% increase in international package volume, pulling UPS’ total volume down 1.9%. Some of the decline came from UPS’ reduced reliance on Amazon, which UPS calls a “glide-down” in volume. The company said it would close 73 facilities and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/ups-reports-fall-first-quarter-revenue-2025-04-29/">cut 20,000 jobs</a> as part of that reduction. UPS plans to reduce its Amazon volume by 50% by 2026, largely by dropping unprofitable shipments from Amazon fulfillment centers. “The Amazon volume we plan to keep is profitable and it is healthy volume,” Tomé said. UPS first announced the revival of the ground freight pricing offering in early April, alongside UPS Ground Saver, a business-to-consumer shipping option that offers a slower, economy version of UPS ground package service for less urgent packages. Coincidentally, the announcement came the same day Amazon launched its foray <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/amazon-ltl-offering-is-no-threat-to-standalone-carriers-odfl-5990215">into the LTL business</a>. Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>. Journal of Commerce Research Analyst Cathy Morrow Roberson contributed to this report. </div>

UPS no longer owns a less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost all interest in LTL freight. The largest US package carrier has “reintroduced” UPS Ground with Freight Pricing, a service option that targets shipments weighing more than 150 pounds typically hauled by LTL carriers as part of a palletized shipment. “This positions us to be the only small package carrier that offers parcel-like pricing for less-than-truckload shipments, which is a true differentiator,” Carol B. Tomé, UPS CEO, said in a first-quarter earnings call last Tuesday. UPS’ major small package competitor, FedEx, owns its own LTL carrier, although it plans to spin off FedEx Freight in 2026. The service is being revived by UPS at a time when LTL shipping costs are rising, with the US long-distance LTL producer price index (PPI) up 5.5% year over year in March and 6% on average in the first quarter. Overall, the selling prices the PPI represents have climbed 12.1% since Yellow, once one of the largest LTL carriers, collapsed in July 2023. As LTL prices rise, shippers show more interest in alternative modes and shipping options. “We see customers choosing other options in certain instances when we’re taking rate increases,” Matthew J. Batteh, CFO of LTL carrier Saia, said in an earnings call last week. “Customers always challenge the pricing increases that we propose.” With excess truckload capacity available and truckload rates still climbing out of the trough they entered in 2023, some shippers have tried to consolidate LTL shipments into truckloads. But parcel and package shippers have long vied for LTL freight through hundredweight programs and other options similar to ground freight pricing. “They’re bringing back LPL or less-than-pallet load, which they used to have before they bought the LTL business [UPS Freight, sold in 2021],” said Satish Jindel, president of research firm SJ Consulting Group, which covers both LTL and parcel business. “They’re looking for shipments that are higher revenue per parcel.” UPS believes it can move those shipments at a better rate for shippers than an LTL carrier. Boxes, shrink-wrapped together on a pallet, are at the core of LTL volumes, Jindel said. “Shipments under 250 pounds represent 25% of total LTL volumes, and under 500 pounds 45% of the total. Those shipments could be sitting ducks for UPS, depending on how they go after them. They don’t want the pallets, just the nice brown boxes.” UPS sold UPS Freight, now TForce Freight, to TFI International for $800 million . Under the 2021 sale agreement, TFI agreed to continue to utilize UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments for five years. UPS, Amazon shifting freight UPS is also looking to bolster US domestic package volume, which fell 3.5% year over year in the first quarter. Ground package volume dropped 2.5% in the quarter, while volumes moving through its deferred service fell 17.3% from a year ago. That countered a 7.1% increase in international package volume, pulling UPS’ total volume down 1.9%. Some of the decline came from UPS’ reduced reliance on Amazon, which UPS calls a “glide-down” in volume. The company said it would close 73 facilities and cut 20,000 jobs as part of that reduction. UPS plans to reduce its Amazon volume by 50% by 2026, largely by dropping unprofitable shipments from Amazon fulfillment centers. “The Amazon volume we plan to keep is profitable and it is healthy volume,” Tomé said. UPS first announced the revival of the ground freight pricing offering in early April, alongside UPS Ground Saver, a business-to-consumer shipping option that offers a slower, economy version of UPS ground package service for less urgent packages. Coincidentally, the announcement came the same day Amazon launched its foray into the LTL business . Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com . Journal of Commerce Research Analyst Cathy Morrow Roberson contributed to this report.

Surface

UPS seeks reentry into LTL space as LTL costs climb higher

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">National drayage providers experiencing a sharp decline in orders as US tariffs come into effect now warn that a second-half rebound could be just as disruptive. </div>

National drayage providers experiencing a sharp decline in orders as US tariffs come into effect now warn that a second-half rebound could be just as disruptive.

<div class="phx-topic">Drayage providers who handled the early 2025 surge of US-bound cargo booked ahead of US tariffs are now bracing for a significant drop in business that will begin in May and potentially last into the third quarter. They’re also girding for a disruptive import rebound once trade disputes abate. “What happens in the third quarter is going to be the big story,” said Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain for ITS Logistics, a Reno, Nevada-based third-party logistics provider offering over-the-road truckload and drayage services. Once US trade disputes with China and other trading partners are resolved, “there will be a wave of freight that will stress the system,” Brashier said. “We’re pretty much looking at a similar event as we saw with COVID in 2020. There will be pent-up demand.” Indeed, container shipping lines are already warning that a rebound in Asian imports following the expected plunge linked to the US-China trade dispute may <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/container-lines-warn-of-congestion-threat-when-asia-imports-rebound-5993793">overwhelm major US ports</a>. The biggest danger, they say, could be a lack of capacity outside port gates to handle a rapid acceleration in freight. That concern starts at drayage. “We’re warning customers to be very strategic with their dray partners,” said Ken Kellaway, CEO of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, a nationwide drayage provider with headquarters near Boston. “If we lose drivers over the next 30 to 45 days, it will take weeks to get them back,” Kellaway said. “Shippers will be in trouble if we can’t preserve the capacity we have in the system today.” He said a freight “whiplash” could hit US ports as early as mid-June. <h3>Potential for a ‘reset’ </h3>US drayage capacity appears to be <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/shrinking-us-drayage-capacity-to-continue-outstripping-demand-5971095">slowly shrinking from a 2022 high</a>, with some of those losses attributed to the migration of owner-operators to the security of larger carriers. Still, excess drayage capacity persists, putting pressure on already-low rates. However, the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape global trade could reset the drayage market, especially if trade negotiations drag on without a resolution or a lowering of tariff rates that would encourage beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) to boost US imports. “The market’s been soft anyway, so a lot of small drayage companies are struggling with cash flow, taking any freight to keep going,” said Joel Henry, CEO of IMC Logistics, a nationwide drayage provider with headquarters near Memphis. “Now without the volume, they’ll not even have that cash flow,” Henry said. That could push small carriers that have stayed in business despite low rates the past two years out of the market, tightening capacity immediately when a rebound hits US ports. “I think there’s going to be a shakeout in capacity in the next month,” said Brian Kempisty, co-founder of drayage broker Port X Logistics, based in Buffalo, New York. “It could be three months, but when freight comes back, it will come back with a vengeance.” <h3>Drayage on the edge </h3>With the trajectory of trade disputes with China and other countries uncertain, many shippers in April canceled or postponed purchase orders from China. That big pause will lead to a real plunge in drayage demand at US ports and inland rail ramps. The US imposed combined tariffs of 145% on China on April 2, and China in turn imposed a 125% tariff on many US goods, including agricultural products. Another tranche of reciprocal tariffs on trading partners around the globe was paused for 90 days until July 9. And importers are also dealing with a 10% tariff on goods from almost all US trading partners, as well as 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and automotive products and 25% tariffs on <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/tariff-uncertainty-pushing-up-transportation-costs-at-us-mexico-border-5984698">other goods from Mexico and Canada</a> that took effect in March. Bookings for containers headed from China to the US <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trans-pacific-capacity-cuts-accelerating-amid-sharp-reduction-in-chinese-cargo-5992769">dropped nearly 54%</a> during the week of April 21–28 versus the comparable week in March, according to maritime visibility provider Vizion and data and analytics company Dun &amp; Bradstreet. “One of our large customers who imports through Savannah shared with us that they canceled all their purchase orders from China for the next 30 days,” said Kent Williams, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Cookeville, Tennessee-based Averitt. The regional trucking and drayage provider, which drays about 45,000 containers a year in the Southeast, saw its drayage business jump 10% to 12% year over year in the first quarter as customers rushed goods to the US ahead of the tariffs. In the past month, as the tariffs on China took effect, Averitt’s drayage volumes have dropped 5% year over year. “There’s a real fear it could get worse,” Williams said. “All the canceled bookings and blanked sailings are about to hit the supply chain in a big way.” The effects of the trade war on drayage are just becoming apparent, said Port X’s Kempisty. “Freight that sailed April 1,” just before the US tariffs on China took effect, “is arriving in the US now,” he said. But that will be the last frontloaded freight from China. “In drayage, we’re at the front end of this,” said Kempisty. The initial impact will be on the West Coast, but it won’t be long before inland markets begin to see volumes drop. “Inland drayage markets in Chicago and Kansas City are going to see a fairly substantial decline in the next couple of weeks,” he said. IMC Logistics, partly owned by Kuehne + Nagel, saw its drayage volume drop 14.2% in the last seven days as of Tuesday, and 8.1% in the last 30 days. “We’re seeing double-digit decreases in the orders we’re tracing,” Henry said. Added RoadOne’s Kellaway: “We haven’t seen the business fall off yet, but we know it’s coming.” Over the next few weeks, RoadOne anticipates its drayage volumes will drop 30% on the West Coast, 20% in the Midwest and 15% on the East Coast. “We could see a three- to four-week lull in volumes, so we’re moving equipment around,” he said. <h3>How long a decline? </h3>Other drayage providers offered similar forecasts of shipment decline, but no one has a clear idea of how long it will last. Guesses — it’s hard to call them estimates — have ranged from three weeks to three months or longer, in worst-case scenarios. The monthly Global Port Tracker produced by the National Retail Foundation (NRF) and Hackett Associates in April predicted US retail imports will be down 20% year over year in the second half of 2025, with a 20.2% decline in May and a 26.6% drop in June. “Even if there’s a [US-China] agreement today, there will still be this period where there will be less work coming inbound to the ports, with less drays, less transload, less truckload and less-than-truckload [LTL],” said Williams. “All this is already in motion.” The longer the “lull” or “pause” in Asian imports lasts, the bigger the long-term impact on drayage. And the bigger the rebound may be when trade disputes are settled. “If we get agreements before July, we could have an aggressive second half of the year,” Keith Prather, managing partner at Armada Capital Intelligence, said during an SMC3 webinar Tuesday on tariffs, the economy and the LTL sector. A big enough freight snap could boost not only drayage but other transportation modes out of what’s now a four-year freight downturn. “I look forward to dealing with the congestion,” said Henry. “That’s a much better challenge than this decline, because our driver base will be stable.” Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="Mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>.Associate editor Laura Robb contributed to this story. </div>

Drayage providers who handled the early 2025 surge of US-bound cargo booked ahead of US tariffs are now bracing for a significant drop in business that will begin in May and potentially last into the third quarter. They’re also girding for a disruptive import rebound once trade disputes abate. “What happens in the third quarter is going to be the big story,” said Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain for ITS Logistics, a Reno, Nevada-based third-party logistics provider offering over-the-road truckload and drayage services. Once US trade disputes with China and other trading partners are resolved, “there will be a wave of freight that will stress the system,” Brashier said. “We’re pretty much looking at a similar event as we saw with COVID in 2020. There will be pent-up demand.” Indeed, container shipping lines are already warning that a rebound in Asian imports following the expected plunge linked to the US-China trade dispute may overwhelm major US ports . The biggest danger, they say, could be a lack of capacity outside port gates to handle a rapid acceleration in freight. That concern starts at drayage. “We’re warning customers to be very strategic with their dray partners,” said Ken Kellaway, CEO of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, a nationwide drayage provider with headquarters near Boston. “If we lose drivers over the next 30 to 45 days, it will take weeks to get them back,” Kellaway said. “Shippers will be in trouble if we can’t preserve the capacity we have in the system today.” He said a freight “whiplash” could hit US ports as early as mid-June. Potential for a ‘reset’ US drayage capacity appears to be slowly shrinking from a 2022 high , with some of those losses attributed to the migration of owner-operators to the security of larger carriers. Still, excess drayage capacity persists, putting pressure on already-low rates. However, the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape global trade could reset the drayage market, especially if trade negotiations drag on without a resolution or a lowering of tariff rates that would encourage beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) to boost US imports. “The market’s been soft anyway, so a lot of small drayage companies are struggling with cash flow, taking any freight to keep going,” said Joel Henry, CEO of IMC Logistics, a nationwide drayage provider with headquarters near Memphis. “Now without the volume, they’ll not even have that cash flow,” Henry said. That could push small carriers that have stayed in business despite low rates the past two years out of the market, tightening capacity immediately when a rebound hits US ports. “I think there’s going to be a shakeout in capacity in the next month,” said Brian Kempisty, co-founder of drayage broker Port X Logistics, based in Buffalo, New York. “It could be three months, but when freight comes back, it will come back with a vengeance.” Drayage on the edge With the trajectory of trade disputes with China and other countries uncertain, many shippers in April canceled or postponed purchase orders from China. That big pause will lead to a real plunge in drayage demand at US ports and inland rail ramps. The US imposed combined tariffs of 145% on China on April 2, and China in turn imposed a 125% tariff on many US goods, including agricultural products. Another tranche of reciprocal tariffs on trading partners around the globe was paused for 90 days until July 9. And importers are also dealing with a 10% tariff on goods from almost all US trading partners, as well as 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and automotive products and 25% tariffs on other goods from Mexico and Canada that took effect in March. Bookings for containers headed from China to the US dropped nearly 54% during the week of April 21–28 versus the comparable week in March, according to maritime visibility provider Vizion and data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet. “One of our large customers who imports through Savannah shared with us that they canceled all their purchase orders from China for the next 30 days,” said Kent Williams, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Cookeville, Tennessee-based Averitt. The regional trucking and drayage provider, which drays about 45,000 containers a year in the Southeast, saw its drayage business jump 10% to 12% year over year in the first quarter as customers rushed goods to the US ahead of the tariffs. In the past month, as the tariffs on China took effect, Averitt’s drayage volumes have dropped 5% year over year. “There’s a real fear it could get worse,” Williams said. “All the canceled bookings and blanked sailings are about to hit the supply chain in a big way.” The effects of the trade war on drayage are just becoming apparent, said Port X’s Kempisty. “Freight that sailed April 1,” just before the US tariffs on China took effect, “is arriving in the US now,” he said. But that will be the last frontloaded freight from China. “In drayage, we’re at the front end of this,” said Kempisty. The initial impact will be on the West Coast, but it won’t be long before inland markets begin to see volumes drop. “Inland drayage markets in Chicago and Kansas City are going to see a fairly substantial decline in the next couple of weeks,” he said. IMC Logistics, partly owned by Kuehne + Nagel, saw its drayage volume drop 14.2% in the last seven days as of Tuesday, and 8.1% in the last 30 days. “We’re seeing double-digit decreases in the orders we’re tracing,” Henry said. Added RoadOne’s Kellaway: “We haven’t seen the business fall off yet, but we know it’s coming.” Over the next few weeks, RoadOne anticipates its drayage volumes will drop 30% on the West Coast, 20% in the Midwest and 15% on the East Coast. “We could see a three- to four-week lull in volumes, so we’re moving equipment around,” he said. How long a decline? Other drayage providers offered similar forecasts of shipment decline, but no one has a clear idea of how long it will last. Guesses — it’s hard to call them estimates — have ranged from three weeks to three months or longer, in worst-case scenarios. The monthly Global Port Tracker produced by the National Retail Foundation (NRF) and Hackett Associates in April predicted US retail imports will be down 20% year over year in the second half of 2025, with a 20.2% decline in May and a 26.6% drop in June. “Even if there’s a [US-China] agreement today, there will still be this period where there will be less work coming inbound to the ports, with less drays, less transload, less truckload and less-than-truckload [LTL],” said Williams. “All this is already in motion.” The longer the “lull” or “pause” in Asian imports lasts, the bigger the long-term impact on drayage. And the bigger the rebound may be when trade disputes are settled. “If we get agreements before July, we could have an aggressive second half of the year,” Keith Prather, managing partner at Armada Capital Intelligence, said during an SMC3 webinar Tuesday on tariffs, the economy and the LTL sector. A big enough freight snap could boost not only drayage but other transportation modes out of what’s now a four-year freight downturn. “I look forward to dealing with the congestion,” said Henry. “That’s a much better challenge than this decline, because our driver base will be stable.” Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .Associate editor Laura Robb contributed to this story.

Drayage

US drayage providers bracing for container plunge say rebound could reset market

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Insufficient volumes, including on the lane between the Port of Virginia and Memphis, have forced the railroad to reallocate resources to areas where it believes container business will grow in the future.</div>

Insufficient volumes, including on the lane between the Port of Virginia and Memphis, have forced the railroad to reallocate resources to areas where it believes container business will grow in the future.

<div class="phx-topic">Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) will eliminate international intermodal service on more than 20 routes along the US East Coast, including trains between the Port of Virginia and the key inland hub of Memphis, due to insufficient container volumes. The service changes will take effect May 31, according to a notice NS sent to customers that was obtained by the Journal of Commerce. The railroad did not make a formal public announcement but confirmed the details. “By reallocating those resources, we’re reinforcing our broader network to better serve our customers and to ensure we are investing in growth where it’s most impactful,” Norfolk Southern said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce. The railroad said the services could be restored if a business case arises. Among the affected lanes are two notable routes: the Port of Virginia to Memphis and Chicago to Jacksonville. Norfolk Southern launched trains from Virginia to Memphis with <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/new-ns-norfolk-memphis-service-aims-to-grab-east-coast-cargo-shift-5202715">much fanfare in March 2023</a>, but the service never caught on among ocean carriers or shippers who had other options via the ports of Charleston and Savannah. “While we initially saw some interest from the international community for Port of Virginia-Memphis service, the volume ultimately was not strong enough to support the service sustainably over the long term,” NS said. “Our commitment to supporting international trade through the Port of Virginia remains strong, and we continue to focus on providing reliable, high-quality service for the lanes where customers need it most.” The Virginia Port Authority did not respond to requests for comment. <h3>Onward business to Puerto Rico affected </h3>NS will also discontinue service between Chicago and Jacksonville, which will impact onward business to Puerto Rico. Each year, Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation move an estimated 16,000 to 22,000 ocean containers between Chicago and Jacksonville, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis of data from the US Surface Transportation Board. While the lane was heavily utilized southbound into Florida, northbound demand remained limited. Jacksonville serves as the launching point for Jones Act services to Puerto Rico operated by Crowley Maritime, Tote Maritime and Trailer Bridge. “Ultimately, the low density of international volumes challenged our ability to provide the consistent and reliable service product that our customers expect,” NS said in its statement on the Chicago-Jacksonville service. “We have been in close communication with our ocean carrier partners to fully understand their needs and priorities. We’ve worked to ensure they have access to alternative service options that continue to support critical trade flows, including the important Puerto Rico market.” While Norfolk Southern will discontinue international trains, CSX will remain an option for shippers moving ocean boxes between Chicago and Jacksonville. NS will still operate domestic intermodal trains between the two cities for 53-foot containers or ocean boxes with local drayage arrangements from its Jacksonville terminal. The other lanes affected by the Norfolk Southern service changes handled minimal international container traffic. For example, international trains will no longer run between Atlanta and Chicago — a high-volume domestic intermodal route that is served by ports in Baltimore, New York-New Jersey and Virginia for ocean freight. NS will also terminate international service between the Port of Charleston and Huntsville, Alabama, although service will continue from Savannah. The railroad also plans to convert the Norfolk Portlock Yard exclusively for domestic intermodal operations, shifting a small amount of remaining international cargo back to on-dock facilities within the Port of Virginia. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) will eliminate international intermodal service on more than 20 routes along the US East Coast, including trains between the Port of Virginia and the key inland hub of Memphis, due to insufficient container volumes. The service changes will take effect May 31, according to a notice NS sent to customers that was obtained by the Journal of Commerce. The railroad did not make a formal public announcement but confirmed the details. “By reallocating those resources, we’re reinforcing our broader network to better serve our customers and to ensure we are investing in growth where it’s most impactful,” Norfolk Southern said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce. The railroad said the services could be restored if a business case arises. Among the affected lanes are two notable routes: the Port of Virginia to Memphis and Chicago to Jacksonville. Norfolk Southern launched trains from Virginia to Memphis with much fanfare in March 2023 , but the service never caught on among ocean carriers or shippers who had other options via the ports of Charleston and Savannah. “While we initially saw some interest from the international community for Port of Virginia-Memphis service, the volume ultimately was not strong enough to support the service sustainably over the long term,” NS said. “Our commitment to supporting international trade through the Port of Virginia remains strong, and we continue to focus on providing reliable, high-quality service for the lanes where customers need it most.” The Virginia Port Authority did not respond to requests for comment. Onward business to Puerto Rico affected NS will also discontinue service between Chicago and Jacksonville, which will impact onward business to Puerto Rico. Each year, Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation move an estimated 16,000 to 22,000 ocean containers between Chicago and Jacksonville, according to a Journal of Commerce analysis of data from the US Surface Transportation Board. While the lane was heavily utilized southbound into Florida, northbound demand remained limited. Jacksonville serves as the launching point for Jones Act services to Puerto Rico operated by Crowley Maritime, Tote Maritime and Trailer Bridge. “Ultimately, the low density of international volumes challenged our ability to provide the consistent and reliable service product that our customers expect,” NS said in its statement on the Chicago-Jacksonville service. “We have been in close communication with our ocean carrier partners to fully understand their needs and priorities. We’ve worked to ensure they have access to alternative service options that continue to support critical trade flows, including the important Puerto Rico market.” While Norfolk Southern will discontinue international trains, CSX will remain an option for shippers moving ocean boxes between Chicago and Jacksonville. NS will still operate domestic intermodal trains between the two cities for 53-foot containers or ocean boxes with local drayage arrangements from its Jacksonville terminal. The other lanes affected by the Norfolk Southern service changes handled minimal international container traffic. For example, international trains will no longer run between Atlanta and Chicago — a high-volume domestic intermodal route that is served by ports in Baltimore, New York-New Jersey and Virginia for ocean freight. NS will also terminate international service between the Port of Charleston and Huntsville, Alabama, although service will continue from Savannah. The railroad also plans to convert the Norfolk Portlock Yard exclusively for domestic intermodal operations, shifting a small amount of remaining international cargo back to on-dock facilities within the Port of Virginia. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Rail News

Intermodal providers

Norfolk Southern to drop international intermodal service on many USEC lanes

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The freeing up of vessel capacity that has been diverted around southern Africa for the past 18 months could inject as much as 2 million TEUs of functional capacity into the global container shipping market. </div>

The freeing up of vessel capacity that has been diverted around southern Africa for the past 18 months could inject as much as 2 million TEUs of functional capacity into the global container shipping market.

<div class="phx-topic">US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Houthi militants operating from Yemen have agreed to stop their 18-month-long series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. If true, the apparent ceasefire would raise the prospects of major ocean carriers returning to Suez Canal transits this year, something that would result in significant vessel overcapacity in the container shipping market.While not a formal deal, Trump said the Houthis have agreed to stop their missile and drone attacks on vessels that began in late 2023 as part of what the militants said was a show of solidarity for Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.The Houthis have not confirmed that a deal with the US has been made. US bombings of militant positions in Yemen have intensified in the last two months. “They don’t want to fight anymore. They just don’t want to fight. We will honor that, and we will stop the bombings,” Trump said at the White House. “They have capitulated, but more importantly we will take their word. They say they won’t be blowing up ships anymore.” Approximately 1 million to 2 million TEUs of capacity would become available if the container shipping industry returned to Suez Canal transits and no longer needed to use the lengthy diversion around southern Africa, according to Maersk estimates. An estimated 10% of global capacity has been absorbed by the longer transits, according to shipping association BIMCO. The container shipping order book is currently just over 7 million TEUs, representing 25% of the existing fleet, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global, with the supply-demand imbalance expected to be particularly acute over the next two years. An Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the Houthis’ pledge to not attack commercial vessels was announced in January but didn’t provide enough certainty to most container lines to restart their Suez Canal sailings. Small Asian container lines along with CMA CGM have transited the Red Sea amid Houthi threats, yet it is unclear whether the apparent de-escalation announced by Trump will change the risk calculations of carriers that include crew safety and insurance costs. The Houthis – who on Wednesday said it was the US who “backed down,” not them, according to various news reports – warned they will continue to target Israel. Zim Integrated Shipping Services, based in Israel, has been specifically targeted by Houthi militants. A return to a safe shipping environment in the region would also be a boon to Gulf-based ocean shippers, reopening a direct east-west route rather than forcing cargo owners to transship via feeder vessels or even tap overland trucking. Contact Mark Szakonyi at <a href="mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com.">mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Houthi militants operating from Yemen have agreed to stop their 18-month-long series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. If true, the apparent ceasefire would raise the prospects of major ocean carriers returning to Suez Canal transits this year, something that would result in significant vessel overcapacity in the container shipping market. While not a formal deal, Trump said the Houthis have agreed to stop their missile and drone attacks on vessels that began in late 2023 as part of what the militants said was a show of solidarity for Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis have not confirmed that a deal with the US has been made. US bombings of militant positions in Yemen have intensified in the last two months. “They don’t want to fight anymore. They just don’t want to fight. We will honor that, and we will stop the bombings,” Trump said at the White House. “They have capitulated, but more importantly we will take their word. They say they won’t be blowing up ships anymore.” Approximately 1 million to 2 million TEUs of capacity would become available if the container shipping industry returned to Suez Canal transits and no longer needed to use the lengthy diversion around southern Africa, according to Maersk estimates. An estimated 10% of global capacity has been absorbed by the longer transits, according to shipping association BIMCO. The container shipping order book is currently just over 7 million TEUs, representing 25% of the existing fleet, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global, with the supply-demand imbalance expected to be particularly acute over the next two years. An Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the Houthis’ pledge to not attack commercial vessels was announced in January but didn’t provide enough certainty to most container lines to restart their Suez Canal sailings. Small Asian container lines along with CMA CGM have transited the Red Sea amid Houthi threats, yet it is unclear whether the apparent de-escalation announced by Trump will change the risk calculations of carriers that include crew safety and insurance costs. The Houthis – who on Wednesday said it was the US who “backed down,” not them, according to various news reports – warned they will continue to target Israel. Zim Integrated Shipping Services, based in Israel, has been specifically targeted by Houthi militants. A return to a safe shipping environment in the region would also be a boon to Gulf-based ocean shippers, reopening a direct east-west route rather than forcing cargo owners to transship via feeder vessels or even tap overland trucking. Contact Mark Szakonyi at mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com .

MSC suspends two US services, rejigs others as tariffs hit Chinese imports

Featured Gateway Chart

Essential Reads

Uneasy West Coast ports watch as first signs of trade dispute with China emerge

No end to the congestion choking gateway ports in North Europe

Container lines warn of congestion threat when Asia imports rebound

Recent Commentary

Navigating the current supply chain is a matter of choosing your poison

Continued rail investment needed to keep boosting LA-LB port growth

Top 5 Most Read Stories