<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Food logistics providers increasing their offerings in the "new" last-mile — from restaurants and grocery stores to consumers' homes — as demand for online grocery shopping and direct-to-consumer food delivery skyrockets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</div>

Food logistics providers increasing their offerings in the "new" last-mile — from restaurants and grocery stores to consumers' homes — as demand for online grocery shopping and direct-to-consumer food delivery skyrockets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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<div>The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global food supply chain has been profound, both in the immediate and far-reaching disruption it caused in the spring and in the lasting changes that are emerging as large consumer countries such as the United States begin the transition to a “new normal.”For example, logistics providers are reporting a dramatic move by consumers toward online grocery shopping and direct-to-consumer (DTC) food delivery.“We’ve been seeing a huge shift to e-commerce and DTC,” said John Gaudet, vice president of business development for RLS Logistics, a third-party logistics provider (3PL) specializing in cold chain transportation....

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global food supply chain has been profound, both in the immediate and far-reaching disruption it caused in the spring and in the lasting changes that are emerging as large consumer countries such as the United States begin the transition to a “new normal.” For example, logistics providers are reporting a dramatic move by consumers toward online grocery shopping and direct-to-consumer (DTC) food delivery. “We’ve been seeing a huge shift to e-commerce and DTC,” said John Gaudet, vice president of business development for RLS Logistics, a third-party logistics provider (3PL) specializing in cold chain transportation. But DTC is still an emerging segment of the food supply chain, meaning many food companies and logistics providers are navigating new territory, from simple things such as choosing the right packaging for perishable products to more complex considerations such as developing user-friendly online platforms and reliable last-mile delivery networks. Just four years ago, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) estimated online food and beverage sales would reach $100 billion by 2025. At the beginning of 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, FMI revised that figure to $143 billion. Now, with so many consumers still staying home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), “Obviously, we will have to revise that projection again,” said Mark Baum, senior vice president at FMI. Food specialist 3PL Burris Logistics has also seen a spike in both DTC and retail grocery consumption, according to John Haggerty, vice president of business development. “We are doing three to four times more DTC than prior to the pandemic,” Haggerty told JOC.com, adding the company’s retail grocery business is also up 30 to 40 percent compared with the same period last year. In addition, the 3PL is seeing increased demand in the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment. Dining options “with a drive-through or good takeout operations are doing well,” he said. In fact, consumers are expected to continue using drive-throughs and takeout even when it’s safe to resume in-person dining, according to a recent white paper developed by management consulting firm Technomic on behalf of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA). “Consumers have become accustomed to enjoying foodservice off-premise as dining rooms closed in March and April of this year. Now, consumers are saying once the stay-at-home order in their area is lifted, they will continue to primarily utilize off-premise formats,” Technomic said in the white paper. “Drive-through and takeout are most likely, where the consumer controls the food once purchased, followed by delivery. All of these off-premise methods require safe packaging that maintains the quality of the food and, in the case of delivery, tamper-proof packaging is desired.” SKU rationalization returns While the retail grocery sector is booming, the variety of products on the shelves is diminishing. In 1975, US supermarkets offered approximately 9,000 different items in the store. At the beginning of this year, a typical supermarket carried 40,000 to 50,000 items. Consumers may have driven the SKU proliferation over the years, but food manufacturers have whittled that list down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Food companies have decided that they’re going to sacrifice some SKUs to get the volume right, to get the scale right,” Haggerty said. Mondelez International, for example, in July announced it would jettison a quarter of its products. “That’s always a discussion in a company like ours, that we have too many flavors, too many sizes, and so on,” Dirk Van De Put, CEO of the multinational food and beverage manufacturer, explained in a Bloomberg Television interview. “This is the moment to drive that.” General Mills has said it is cutting the number of soups it offers by half, and a major consumer packaged goods manufacturer said it has eliminated about 60 percent of its SKUs during the pandemic and will bring back fewer than half of those. Restaurants are trimming their menus, too. In particular, independent restaurants are focusing on “fewer menu items that are simple to prepare consistently and successfully,” according to Technomic. Fewer menu items means operators can also enhance efficiency, as streamlined menu items coupled with recipes requiring fewer preparation steps also mean less labor is needed. The 'new' last mile Longstanding challenges with last-mile food delivery, including relatively high per-mile costs, inefficiencies, and food safety concerns, are magnified when a product is temperature-sensitive. Don Durm, vice president of customer solutions for PLM Trailer, the largest lessor of refrigerated trailers and a provider of cold chain solutions for fleets in the US, said the company has been studying last-mile delivery from restaurants and/or grocery stores to consumers’ homes as demand has grown in recent years. Previously, last-mile delivery in the food supply chain referred to the leg from the distributor to a restaurant or grocery store. Today, the “new” last-mile delivery is from the restaurant or grocer to the consumer’s home, Durm said. “Services like these have struggled due to capacity issues — filling up the truck or van with food on a daily basis to pay for infrastructure and employees to make those deliveries,” he said. “We see this with food distributors that need to drop X amount of cases to make it economical to deliver at a restaurant. “This presents a whole new set of challenges from an economic, equipment, and food safety compliance perspective. And those who get it right will be rewarded,” Durm added. Meanwhile, “PLM is also responding to the rising demand for home grocery delivery and DTC,” says Durm. The company is conducting discussions with retail grocers who are interested in launching home delivery services and is adding smaller refrigerated trucks and vans to its fleet. PLM also provides food safety training specifically designed for those who handle food for transport and those who transport food to the home or office. The reality of the COVID-19 crisis and resulting changes in consumer demand patterns mean “both restaurants and grocers need to reformat their business models, including last-mile delivery,” said Durm. “The new and emerging business model is ‘hub and spoke,’ whereby the local grocery store serves as a mini-warehouse for employees or third-party services to pick through inventory to fulfill orders coming in via online or apps, maybe even some phone orders.” Amazon in September announced it would open a new online-only Whole Foods Market store in Brooklyn. The store will be staffed with team members “who are 100 percent dedicated to facility grocery delivery — enabling them to quickly receive, shop, and prepare orders for delivery to more customers than ever before,” Amazon said in a statement, adding that grocery delivery continues to be one of the fastest-growing businesses for the e-commerce giant. Durm said the massive migration to online shopping is evident in almost every segment. During a recent trip to his local Sam’s Club, Durm said he watched employees stationed near the check-out lines encourage everyone to download the Sam’s Club app, so they could avoid the lines on their next visit. This concerted effort is all about “real-time inventory” management, Durm explained. “Think about it: You may have 300 people in a store putting items in their carts, but you don’t know what they have in their carts until they leave the store. At the same time, you’re trying to sell these items online. And while the online inventory may show that you have 20 frozen turkeys in stock, for example, these items are actually in people’s carts that have not yet checked out.” In such scenarios, stores run the risk of overselling certain items online and disappointing those customers when their orders cannot be fulfilled. As a result, some of those consumers “purchase from somewhere else, or if it happens repeatedly, they start shopping somewhere else,” he said. “You have to get this right.” For its part, the US Food and Drug Administration is also adapting to changes in the food supply chain. When the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011, it helped define and codify best practices for all parties along the food supply chain. Most were already adhering to standard food safety protocols, so in that sense the FSMA was “not entirely new,” said Durm. However, the FSMA did not address new and emerging food supply chain business models, he said. In October 2019, Durm was one of 100 experts invited by the FDA to establish the “New Era of Smarter Food Safety” blueprint. “It was obvious by one of the four foundational objectives — namely, new business models and retail modernization — that the FDA has concerns about how food is moving from the restaurant and grocer direct to the consumer’s home,” he said. “The ‘new’ last-mile delivery may be the most important and critical part of the journey from the farm to fork, because this hasn’t been clearly defined by the agency or regulatory agencies." Contact Lara L. Sowinski at lsowinski@gmail.com .

Cool Cargo News

COVID-19 forces shippers, service providers to redesign food supply chains

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The agency in charge of enforcing US shipping law reminded the market that any change in ocean tariffs must come with a 30-day notice period prior to implementation so it can be reviewed.</div>

The agency in charge of enforcing US shipping law reminded the market that any change in ocean tariffs must come with a 30-day notice period prior to implementation so it can be reviewed.

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<div class="phx-topic">The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Wednesday told shippers to check their ocean freight bills for any surcharges related to the war in the Middle East that have not been formally reviewed by the agency, as carriers look to recoup additional costs from rising bunker fuel prices and disrupted networks. In a statement Wednesday, the agency said it is “closely monitoring the impact the current conflict in the Middle East is having on shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz” and any rate adjustments ocean carriers are making in response. The FMC reminded shippers that any change in the ocean tariff must come with a 30-day notice period prior to implementation so it can be reviewed by the agency. The only exception is a “special permission” request, which can have a shorter notice period. “Shippers are encouraged to access and review their common carrier’s tariff,” the FMC said. “Ocean common carriers are responsible for ensuring that service contracts and their amendments are filed in a timely and accurate manner.” Ocean carriers began assessing war-related surcharges for any shipments to and from the Persian Gulf states on March 2, the Iran declared that any commercial ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be subject to attack. Within a day of that announcement, five commercial ships were attacked. While those surcharges were effective immediately for non-US trades, ocean carriers did say US trades to the Middle East would be subject to a 30-day notice period. By Monday, ocean carriers began telling customers of emergency fuel surcharges on all global trades. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has throttled shipments of one-fifth of global oil supply and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-forced-to-ship-fuel-from-us-europe-as-asia-bunkers-start-to-run-dry-6184651">resulted in fuel shortages</a> in an important bunkering region for the shipping industry. <h3>AgTC watching </h3>Speaking at the Journal of Commerce’s TPM26 event in Long Beach last week, Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), said the 30-day review period was necessary for the FMC to assess whether the surcharges are justified. When similar surcharges were issued in early 2024 due to the Houthi attacks against ships transiting the Red Sea, Friedmann said the FMC waived a notice period for a surcharge from one ocean carrier. However, a subsequent economic analysis questioned whether the surcharge was warranted, given the ocean carrier was also saving on Suez Canal tolls by diverting around the Cape of Good Hope. “We were pretty upset that the waiver was granted like that, so we made a stink about it,” Friedmann told the conference. “But the key was if you do the analysis, the carrier is not really losing much money. “I have contacted all the FMC commissioners already that this could be repeated,” he added. “But apparently they learned the lesson.” In August 2021, the FMC <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-orders-carriers-to-justify-us-port-congestion-surcharges-5249012">ordered eight carriers</a> to show how congestion surcharges and other fees tied to the pandemic-driven supply chain disruption met legal and regulatory requirements. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Wednesday told shippers to check their ocean freight bills for any surcharges related to the war in the Middle East that have not been formally reviewed by the agency, as carriers look to recoup additional costs from rising bunker fuel prices and disrupted networks. In a statement Wednesday, the agency said it is “closely monitoring the impact the current conflict in the Middle East is having on shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz” and any rate adjustments ocean carriers are making in response. The FMC reminded shippers that any change in the ocean tariff must come with a 30-day notice period prior to implementation so it can be reviewed by the agency. The only exception is a “special permission” request, which can have a shorter notice period. “Shippers are encouraged to access and review their common carrier’s tariff,” the FMC said. “Ocean common carriers are responsible for ensuring that service contracts and their amendments are filed in a timely and accurate manner.” Ocean carriers began assessing war-related surcharges for any shipments to and from the Persian Gulf states on March 2, the Iran declared that any commercial ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be subject to attack. Within a day of that announcement, five commercial ships were attacked. While those surcharges were effective immediately for non-US trades, ocean carriers did say US trades to the Middle East would be subject to a 30-day notice period. By Monday, ocean carriers began telling customers of emergency fuel surcharges on all global trades. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has throttled shipments of one-fifth of global oil supply and resulted in fuel shortages in an important bunkering region for the shipping industry. AgTC watching Speaking at the Journal of Commerce’s TPM26 event in Long Beach last week, Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), said the 30-day review period was necessary for the FMC to assess whether the surcharges are justified. When similar surcharges were issued in early 2024 due to the Houthi attacks against ships transiting the Red Sea, Friedmann said the FMC waived a notice period for a surcharge from one ocean carrier. However, a subsequent economic analysis questioned whether the surcharge was warranted, given the ocean carrier was also saving on Suez Canal tolls by diverting around the Cape of Good Hope. “We were pretty upset that the waiver was granted like that, so we made a stink about it,” Friedmann told the conference. “But the key was if you do the analysis, the carrier is not really losing much money. “I have contacted all the FMC commissioners already that this could be repeated,” he added. “But apparently they learned the lesson.” In August 2021, the FMC ordered eight carriers to show how congestion surcharges and other fees tied to the pandemic-driven supply chain disruption met legal and regulatory requirements. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Container lines

FMC says ‘closely monitoring’ carrier rate moves tied to Middle East war

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel rose 96 cents for the week ending March 9, according to the Energy Information Administration, the biggest seven-day spike since the agency began releasing the data in 1994. </div>

The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel rose 96 cents for the week ending March 9, according to the Energy Information Administration, the biggest seven-day spike since the agency began releasing the data in 1994.

<div class="phx-topic">The US trucking industry may be showing signs of coming out of a nearly four-year-long freight recession as spot rates have remained elevated, especially along the East Coast and in the Midwest, after the disruption caused by snow and ice storms in January and February. And now lending support to rates is the uncertainty tied to the war in the Middle East and the resulting surge in fuel prices. The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel rose 96 cents for the week ending March 9, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That’s the biggest seven-day spike since the agency began releasing data in 1994, topping the previous record of a 75-cent spike in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Diesel now sits at nearly $4.90 per gallon nationally and more than $6/gallon in California. For the shipper, it means the average fuel surcharge has risen between 15 and 20 cents per mile, causing rates on long hauls across the US to rise sharply. Shippers will notice when they receive invoices from brokers and carriers in the coming weeks. Trucking executives believe the bullish fundamentals will push contract rates higher as those deals are renegotiated. Indeed, the process has already begun, according to multiple shippers; sources have told the Journal of Commerce that brokers are refusing to handle loads on contracts signed as recently as Jan. 1 unless rates are renegotiated. “Tender rejections are up 13 to 15%,” said ITS Logistics Chief Commercial Officer Josh Allen. “That’s the first rejection. If shippers have done [requests for proposals], maybe as recently as 90 to 180 days ago, some of those contract rates are already underwater.” According to a Journal of Commerce analysis, shipper-paid spot rates nationally increased between 15% and 20% year over year in February. But rates are surging in pockets, rather than nationally. Rates between November and February jumped 52 cents per mile on loads originating in the Midwest, but only rose 10 cents for originations in the Southwest. <h3>‘Signs of disruption’ </h3>Tightening capacity is the result of both slower economic conditions causing some carriers to go bankrupt, and by the Trump administration’s crackdown on non-domiciled drivers and push for English language proficiency rules. There is also the proposed Dalilah’s law, which would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants and retroactively cancel all existing licenses to those individuals. “For the first time in roughly three years, routing guides are showing signs of disruption,” said Nolan Transportation Group President and Chief Operating Officer Drew Herpich. “Many transportation RFPs that went live this year were priced in Q3 and Q4 of last year when market conditions were significantly more stable.” Herpich added that as tender rejection rates increase, more freight is going to the second, third, or fourth contract carriers in the shipper’s routing guide or directly posted on the spot market. He also said that carriers and brokers are “becoming more disciplined” around capacity commitments, and communication with customers is becoming clearer as the weekly volume approaches or exceeds the total outlined in the contract. “Conversations around contract alignment are occurring across the market,” Herpich said. “The most effective approach has been collaborative discussions with customers to address market shifts and ensure sustainable pricing that supports service reliability and execution.” Allen said the so-called “waterfall” is beginning as rates need to be adjusted. “I think it’s happening everywhere,” he said. “A shipper calls and says ‘you are 12th in line from a rating perspective in the routing guide. The 11 before you have declined, would you like these opportunities at these published rates?’” At the Raymond James Investor Conference last week, truckload carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services said the tightening capacity shows similarities to the last major regulatory crackdown in 2017. “We’ve really not had a supply market shrinkage since probably ’17 or ’18 with ELDs [electronic logging devices],” Nick Hobbs, J.B. Hunt’s president of highway services, said at the conference. “Probably the most talked about is non-domiciled drivers ... We’re also seeing driver schools shut down [CDL mills] and we’re seeing a lot of enforcement around chameleon carriers.” The term CDL mills has been coined to describe low-quality truck driving schools that prioritize high-volume, rapid training over safety, which are increasingly getting shut down by the US government. Chameleon carriers refer to trucking companies who operate with multiple company names and registration numbers, swapping one placard for another on their trucks to evade law enforcement. Contact Dan Ronan at <a href="mailto:contactdanronan@gmail.com">contactdanronan@gmail.com</a>. </div>

The US trucking industry may be showing signs of coming out of a nearly four-year-long freight recession as spot rates have remained elevated, especially along the East Coast and in the Midwest, after the disruption caused by snow and ice storms in January and February. And now lending support to rates is the uncertainty tied to the war in the Middle East and the resulting surge in fuel prices. The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel rose 96 cents for the week ending March 9, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That’s the biggest seven-day spike since the agency began releasing data in 1994, topping the previous record of a 75-cent spike in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Diesel now sits at nearly $4.90 per gallon nationally and more than $6/gallon in California. For the shipper, it means the average fuel surcharge has risen between 15 and 20 cents per mile, causing rates on long hauls across the US to rise sharply. Shippers will notice when they receive invoices from brokers and carriers in the coming weeks. Trucking executives believe the bullish fundamentals will push contract rates higher as those deals are renegotiated. Indeed, the process has already begun, according to multiple shippers; sources have told the Journal of Commerce that brokers are refusing to handle loads on contracts signed as recently as Jan. 1 unless rates are renegotiated. “Tender rejections are up 13 to 15%,” said ITS Logistics Chief Commercial Officer Josh Allen. “That’s the first rejection. If shippers have done [requests for proposals], maybe as recently as 90 to 180 days ago, some of those contract rates are already underwater.” According to a Journal of Commerce analysis, shipper-paid spot rates nationally increased between 15% and 20% year over year in February. But rates are surging in pockets, rather than nationally. Rates between November and February jumped 52 cents per mile on loads originating in the Midwest, but only rose 10 cents for originations in the Southwest. ‘Signs of disruption’ Tightening capacity is the result of both slower economic conditions causing some carriers to go bankrupt, and by the Trump administration’s crackdown on non-domiciled drivers and push for English language proficiency rules. There is also the proposed Dalilah’s law, which would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to undocumented immigrants and retroactively cancel all existing licenses to those individuals. “For the first time in roughly three years, routing guides are showing signs of disruption,” said Nolan Transportation Group President and Chief Operating Officer Drew Herpich. “Many transportation RFPs that went live this year were priced in Q3 and Q4 of last year when market conditions were significantly more stable.” Herpich added that as tender rejection rates increase, more freight is going to the second, third, or fourth contract carriers in the shipper’s routing guide or directly posted on the spot market. He also said that carriers and brokers are “becoming more disciplined” around capacity commitments, and communication with customers is becoming clearer as the weekly volume approaches or exceeds the total outlined in the contract. “Conversations around contract alignment are occurring across the market,” Herpich said. “The most effective approach has been collaborative discussions with customers to address market shifts and ensure sustainable pricing that supports service reliability and execution.” Allen said the so-called “waterfall” is beginning as rates need to be adjusted. “I think it’s happening everywhere,” he said. “A shipper calls and says ‘you are 12th in line from a rating perspective in the routing guide. The 11 before you have declined, would you like these opportunities at these published rates?’” At the Raymond James Investor Conference last week, truckload carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services said the tightening capacity shows similarities to the last major regulatory crackdown in 2017. “We’ve really not had a supply market shrinkage since probably ’17 or ’18 with ELDs [electronic logging devices],” Nick Hobbs, J.B. Hunt’s president of highway services, said at the conference. “Probably the most talked about is non-domiciled drivers ... We’re also seeing driver schools shut down [CDL mills] and we’re seeing a lot of enforcement around chameleon carriers.” The term CDL mills has been coined to describe low-quality truck driving schools that prioritize high-volume, rapid training over safety, which are increasingly getting shut down by the US government. Chameleon carriers refer to trucking companies who operate with multiple company names and registration numbers, swapping one placard for another on their trucks to evade law enforcement. Contact Dan Ronan at contactdanronan@gmail.com .

Trucking News

Surface

Elevated US trucking rates get new boost from diesel gains amid Middle East war 

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Nineteen MPVs are stuck in the Persian Gulf, while bunker costs have increased by $3 to $7 per ton of cargo as a result of the Middle East war, according to one vessel operator. </div>

Nineteen MPVs are stuck in the Persian Gulf, while bunker costs have increased by $3 to $7 per ton of cargo as a result of the Middle East war, according to one vessel operator.

<div class="phx-topic">There has so far been a muted impact on the multipurpose vessel (MPV) sector from the Middle East war, although vessel operators say there is the potential for higher freight rates if the conflict is prolonged. Arthur English, CEO of Norway-headquartered MPV operator G2 Ocean, said both spot and forward freight rates are “relatively stable.” “The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has so far had limited direct impact on our operations,” he told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. English said G2 Ocean did have one ship that was partially loaded for discharge in the region, but it decided not to go ahead with the voyage following a risk assessment and discussions with the shipper. The cargo was unloaded outside of the high-risk area that covers the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters near Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “Currently, we are not accepting new bookings into the high-risk area, in line with our risk management practices,” English said. <h3>‘Severe effects’ on bunker prices, supply </h3>His views were echoed by sector analysts, including Germany-based shipbroking house Toepfer Transport and maritime consultant Drewry. Toepfer’s latest monthly MPP index showed rates continue to be rangebound despite the conflict, fluctuating in a band between $12,000 and $13,000 a day over the past year. The March index figure is $12,750, Toepfer said in its most recent report published Monday. “It remains unclear what the current escalation of the situation in the Middle East will bring, with 19 [MPV] ships currently ‘locked in’ in the Arabian Gulf and quite some severe effects on bunker prices and supply,” the report said. Overall, the outlook for 2026 remains optimistic on both the carrier and shipper sides, although some stakeholders have begun to express concerns that the situation could change in 2027,” it added. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="9e94cdf4-df57-437c-afda-809c33f45e0c"></dynamic-object></div> The most significant change has been to increase bunker fuel prices, operators and analysts said, who also warned of <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-forced-to-ship-fuel-from-us-europe-as-asia-bunkers-start-to-run-dry-6184651">possible fuel shortages going forward</a>. “Bunker prices have increased since the conflict escalated, driven by tighter availability and supply risk, particularly in Asia,” English said. “Depending on trade route, this has increased our bunker cost by approximately $3 to $7 per ton of cargo onboard, which is increasing the total cost for freight.” Marine fuel prices in Singapore, the world’s largest ship refueling hub, have more than doubled since the war started, according to a report on the conflict by the UN Council on Trade and Development. The study, published Tuesday, said prices for high and low sulfur fuel oil soared from between $400 and $450 per metric ton last month to $874 to $1,000/metric ton now. S&amp;P Global Energy, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce, on Wednesday assessed the price of 0.5% sulfur marine bunker fuel in Singapore at $1,050 per metric ton, up from $519/metric ton the day before the war began. Rising fuel prices and tighter supply are also expected to change “where we bunker our vessels as we adjust for availability and prices,” English said, adding freight rates could increase over time due to reduced bunker availability and longer voyages around high-risk areas if the war persists. <h3>Breakbulk volumes at risk </h3>Longer term, Drewry said the conflict could have a mixed impact on breakbulk cargo in the region. Breakbulk freight is a staple cargo for the MPV sector in the Middle East, with major export cargoes comprising petrochemicals, aluminum, steel, oil and gas equipment and fertilizers, according to Drewry senior research analyst Anurag Kumar. Imports include project cargo and heavy machinery, construction materials, and agricultural products. “Saudi Arabia, especially at Jubail, and the UAE, particularly at Jebel Ali port are major centers for project cargo and industrial shipments,” Kumar said in a commentary on the impact of the conflict. “When the conflict ends, rebuilding could lead to surge in the demand for project cargo, especially heavy machinery, oil and gas equipment, steel structures, power generation parts, and industrial materials,” he added. In the meantime, Kumar said the impact could be immense if the conflict lasts the four to five weeks predicted by US officials. It could cause “unprecedented freight volatility, taking insurance and fuel costs higher, and reducing the ability of delivering breakbulk cargoes to their destinations in the Gulf.” Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>. </div>

There has so far been a muted impact on the multipurpose vessel (MPV) sector from the Middle East war, although vessel operators say there is the potential for higher freight rates if the conflict is prolonged. Arthur English, CEO of Norway-headquartered MPV operator G2 Ocean, said both spot and forward freight rates are “relatively stable.” “The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has so far had limited direct impact on our operations,” he told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. English said G2 Ocean did have one ship that was partially loaded for discharge in the region, but it decided not to go ahead with the voyage following a risk assessment and discussions with the shipper. The cargo was unloaded outside of the high-risk area that covers the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters near Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “Currently, we are not accepting new bookings into the high-risk area, in line with our risk management practices,” English said. ‘Severe effects’ on bunker prices, supply His views were echoed by sector analysts, including Germany-based shipbroking house Toepfer Transport and maritime consultant Drewry. Toepfer’s latest monthly MPP index showed rates continue to be rangebound despite the conflict, fluctuating in a band between $12,000 and $13,000 a day over the past year. The March index figure is $12,750, Toepfer said in its most recent report published Monday. “It remains unclear what the current escalation of the situation in the Middle East will bring, with 19 [MPV] ships currently ‘locked in’ in the Arabian Gulf and quite some severe effects on bunker prices and supply,” the report said. Overall, the outlook for 2026 remains optimistic on both the carrier and shipper sides, although some stakeholders have begun to express concerns that the situation could change in 2027,” it added.  The most significant change has been to increase bunker fuel prices, operators and analysts said, who also warned of possible fuel shortages going forward . “Bunker prices have increased since the conflict escalated, driven by tighter availability and supply risk, particularly in Asia,” English said. “Depending on trade route, this has increased our bunker cost by approximately $3 to $7 per ton of cargo onboard, which is increasing the total cost for freight.” Marine fuel prices in Singapore, the world’s largest ship refueling hub, have more than doubled since the war started, according to a report on the conflict by the UN Council on Trade and Development. The study, published Tuesday, said prices for high and low sulfur fuel oil soared from between $400 and $450 per metric ton last month to $874 to $1,000/metric ton now. S&P Global Energy, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce, on Wednesday assessed the price of 0.5% sulfur marine bunker fuel in Singapore at $1,050 per metric ton, up from $519/metric ton the day before the war began. Rising fuel prices and tighter supply are also expected to change “where we bunker our vessels as we adjust for availability and prices,” English said, adding freight rates could increase over time due to reduced bunker availability and longer voyages around high-risk areas if the war persists. Breakbulk volumes at risk Longer term, Drewry said the conflict could have a mixed impact on breakbulk cargo in the region. Breakbulk freight is a staple cargo for the MPV sector in the Middle East, with major export cargoes comprising petrochemicals, aluminum, steel, oil and gas equipment and fertilizers, according to Drewry senior research analyst Anurag Kumar. Imports include project cargo and heavy machinery, construction materials, and agricultural products. “Saudi Arabia, especially at Jubail, and the UAE, particularly at Jebel Ali port are major centers for project cargo and industrial shipments,” Kumar said in a commentary on the impact of the conflict. “When the conflict ends, rebuilding could lead to surge in the demand for project cargo, especially heavy machinery, oil and gas equipment, steel structures, power generation parts, and industrial materials,” he added. In the meantime, Kumar said the impact could be immense if the conflict lasts the four to five weeks predicted by US officials. It could cause “unprecedented freight volatility, taking insurance and fuel costs higher, and reducing the ability of delivering breakbulk cargoes to their destinations in the Gulf.” Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

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Heavy-haul transport

Project cargo

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Maritime

Muted short-term impact on MPVs from Iran conflict, but longer-term risks rising

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With the flow of waterborne oil suspended in the Strait of Hormuz, reports out of China say suppliers are rationing fuel in anticipation of growing shortages, while bunkering centers such as Salalah in Oman are no longer able to fulfil orders. </div>

With the flow of waterborne oil suspended in the Strait of Hormuz, reports out of China say suppliers are rationing fuel in anticipation of growing shortages, while bunkering centers such as Salalah in Oman are no longer able to fulfil orders.

<div class="phx-topic">The disruption to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz is forcing Maersk to take the unprecedented step of filling ships with fuel in the US and Europe and transferring the bunkers to vessels in Asia, the carrier’s chief commercial officer said Wednesday. Karsten Kildahl told the Journal of Commerce in an interview that in the past two days, several of Maersk’s bunker suppliers in key areas in the Middle East and Asia have been unable to refuel the carrier’s vessels. “We’ve had to start moving oil around ourselves because we don’t have enough supplies where we need them,” Kildahl said. “In Asia, nearly half of their supplies come from the Gulf area, so some of the vessels leaving the US and Europe are filled with as much oil as we possibly can, and then we transport the fuel to other vessels we connect with in Asia.” About one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and refined products — 20 million barrels per day — is exported via the Strait of Hormuz, but that slowed to a trickle after the US and Israel began air strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. More than 10 ships have been attacked since the war started, and soaring war risk insurance is keeping most commercial shipping out of the region, including oil tankers. With the flow of waterborne oil suspended, reports out of China say suppliers are rationing fuel in anticipation of growing shortages, while bunkering centers such as Salalah in Oman are no longer able to fulfil fuel orders, Kildahl said. “Salalah is one of our main bunker ports in the Gulf, but we’ve not been able to bunker there for the past two days, so we need to transfer bunkers from one place to another,” he said. “The main concern right now is how do we safeguard the supply of oil?” <h3>Tanker chartering not an option </h3>Chartering a tanker to transport oil to where it is needed was not an option, Kildahl said, with available vessels in short supply. “In the short term, we have started bunkering in less efficient locations with a higher cost and more difficult logistics behind it, and over time we will have to significantly beef this up if [the war drags on],” he warned. “That is where you will have the risk of a larger impact, much more than the 7% of world cargo flow that goes in and out of the Gulf.” Oil prices, meanwhile, have rocketed higher. S&amp;P Global Energy, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce, on Wednesday assessed the price of 0.5% sulfur marine bunker fuel in Singapore at $1,050 per metric ton, up from $519/metric ton the day before the war began. Carriers have responded by rolling out “emergency” surcharges. Maersk on Tuesday announced a global emergency bunker surcharge of $400 per FEU, joining Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. in implementing similar fuel surcharges. Kildahl said the ship-to-ship transfers, moving oil from the US and Europe to Asia, and changing fuel supply patterns was creating additional expenses for the carrier, on top of rising bunker prices. With the Persian Gulf out of bounds, congestion is growing at other ports in the region with carriers looking to discharge cargo that had already departed Asia when booking suspensions were announced on March 1. Most of the carriers are prioritizing urgent cargo, such as food and pharmaceuticals, but Kildahl said at some point “other cargo will become urgent,” such as aluminum and petrochemicals and polyethylene that are raw materials for plastics production. “Those products can’t float out right now realistically, and so is that a problem tomorrow? No, it’s not,” he said. “It’s not a problem next week either, but at some point, it will be.” <h3>‘End-of-voyage’ disruptions </h3>For general and non-urgent cargo, MSC, CMA CGM and Yang Ming are among the carriers that have declared “end-of-voyage” for Persian Gulf-bound containers already onboard vessels. That cargo status means the carriers are unable to fulfill obligations on a bill of lading, and when the containers are offloaded at a port, they become the responsibility of the cargo owner. Kildahl said Maersk has about 40,000 TEUs that are shipped in and out of the Persian Gulf every week, and that bookings have been suspended to avoid diverted volume collapsing terminals in the region. But instead of declaring end-of-voyage, Maersk has taken a different approach, offering shippers three options: Keeping the cargo in temporary storage, having it returned to the port of departure, or delivering it to another destination for onward transport by another mode. “We are using Salalah and Khor Fakkan for cargo that comes from the east and are securing trucking capacity to take it into the Gulf,” Kildahl said. “For cargo that comes from Europe, we focus mainly on Jeddah and are deploying trucks to take the cargo across the Arabian Peninsula through the desert. “We don’t think it is a fantastic solution for any customer to get an end-of-voyage declaration,” he added. “If the customer doesn’t want any of the options, we may be forced into an end-of-voyage declaration, but I doubt we will come to that.” Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The disruption to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz is forcing Maersk to take the unprecedented step of filling ships with fuel in the US and Europe and transferring the bunkers to vessels in Asia, the carrier’s chief commercial officer said Wednesday. Karsten Kildahl told the Journal of Commerce in an interview that in the past two days, several of Maersk’s bunker suppliers in key areas in the Middle East and Asia have been unable to refuel the carrier’s vessels. “We’ve had to start moving oil around ourselves because we don’t have enough supplies where we need them,” Kildahl said. “In Asia, nearly half of their supplies come from the Gulf area, so some of the vessels leaving the US and Europe are filled with as much oil as we possibly can, and then we transport the fuel to other vessels we connect with in Asia.” About one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and refined products — 20 million barrels per day — is exported via the Strait of Hormuz, but that slowed to a trickle after the US and Israel began air strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. More than 10 ships have been attacked since the war started, and soaring war risk insurance is keeping most commercial shipping out of the region, including oil tankers. With the flow of waterborne oil suspended, reports out of China say suppliers are rationing fuel in anticipation of growing shortages, while bunkering centers such as Salalah in Oman are no longer able to fulfil fuel orders, Kildahl said. “Salalah is one of our main bunker ports in the Gulf, but we’ve not been able to bunker there for the past two days, so we need to transfer bunkers from one place to another,” he said. “The main concern right now is how do we safeguard the supply of oil?” Tanker chartering not an option Chartering a tanker to transport oil to where it is needed was not an option, Kildahl said, with available vessels in short supply. “In the short term, we have started bunkering in less efficient locations with a higher cost and more difficult logistics behind it, and over time we will have to significantly beef this up if [the war drags on],” he warned. “That is where you will have the risk of a larger impact, much more than the 7% of world cargo flow that goes in and out of the Gulf.” Oil prices, meanwhile, have rocketed higher. S&P Global Energy, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce, on Wednesday assessed the price of 0.5% sulfur marine bunker fuel in Singapore at $1,050 per metric ton, up from $519/metric ton the day before the war began. Carriers have responded by rolling out “emergency” surcharges. Maersk on Tuesday announced a global emergency bunker surcharge of $400 per FEU, joining Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. in implementing similar fuel surcharges. Kildahl said the ship-to-ship transfers, moving oil from the US and Europe to Asia, and changing fuel supply patterns was creating additional expenses for the carrier, on top of rising bunker prices. With the Persian Gulf out of bounds, congestion is growing at other ports in the region with carriers looking to discharge cargo that had already departed Asia when booking suspensions were announced on March 1. Most of the carriers are prioritizing urgent cargo, such as food and pharmaceuticals, but Kildahl said at some point “other cargo will become urgent,” such as aluminum and petrochemicals and polyethylene that are raw materials for plastics production. “Those products can’t float out right now realistically, and so is that a problem tomorrow? No, it’s not,” he said. “It’s not a problem next week either, but at some point, it will be.” ‘End-of-voyage’ disruptions For general and non-urgent cargo, MSC, CMA CGM and Yang Ming are among the carriers that have declared “end-of-voyage” for Persian Gulf-bound containers already onboard vessels. That cargo status means the carriers are unable to fulfill obligations on a bill of lading, and when the containers are offloaded at a port, they become the responsibility of the cargo owner. Kildahl said Maersk has about 40,000 TEUs that are shipped in and out of the Persian Gulf every week, and that bookings have been suspended to avoid diverted volume collapsing terminals in the region. But instead of declaring end-of-voyage, Maersk has taken a different approach, offering shippers three options: Keeping the cargo in temporary storage, having it returned to the port of departure, or delivering it to another destination for onward transport by another mode. “We are using Salalah and Khor Fakkan for cargo that comes from the east and are securing trucking capacity to take it into the Gulf,” Kildahl said. “For cargo that comes from Europe, we focus mainly on Jeddah and are deploying trucks to take the cargo across the Arabian Peninsula through the desert. “We don’t think it is a fantastic solution for any customer to get an end-of-voyage declaration,” he added. “If the customer doesn’t want any of the options, we may be forced into an end-of-voyage declaration, but I doubt we will come to that.” Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container Shipping News

Maersk forced to ship fuel from US, Europe as Asia bunkers start to run dry

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">CEO Jeremy Nixon said the investment, which could be valued at close to $1 billion, is part of ONE’s plan to reach 3 million TEUs in capacity by 2030. </div>

CEO Jeremy Nixon said the investment, which could be valued at close to $1 billion, is part of ONE’s plan to reach 3 million TEUs in capacity by 2030.

<div class="phx-topic">Ocean Network Express (ONE) has increased its ownership stake in its largest provider of chartered tonnage, becoming the largest external shareholder of Poseidon Corp. in a transaction potentially valued at close to $1 billion. ONE said in a statement Tuesday it signed an agreement to acquire an additional stake in Poseidon, the parent company of Singapore-based container shipowner Seaspan, from existing shareholders. ONE said the purchase brings its stake in Poseidon to 48.9%. ONE did not say how much it paid for the additional stake. But Canadian insurance company Fairfax Financial said separately Tuesday that it sold about half of its stake in Poseidon for $1.91 billion, with half of that stake going to an existing Poseidon shareholder who will increase their ownership stake. The other half of Fairfax’s stake was sold to unidentified strategic investors. ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon said in the statement that the investment in Poseidon is part of the carrier’s growth strategy through 2030. ONE currently has a fleet of 281 ships amounting to 2.2 million TEUs. Of that, Seaspan has chartered some 43 container ships to ONE, amounting to about 417,000 TEUs in capacity. “Since our initial investment in 2023, Seaspan has achieved remarkable growth as the world’s leading tonnage platform,” Nixon said. “We are pleased to acquire this additional stake in Poseidon, which fully aligns with our ONE 2030 strategic growth plan.” <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/strategic-investment-underpins-ones-sustainable-profitability-target-nixon-5241768">Poseidon took a nearly one-third ownership stake in Seaspan in 2023 for $1.4 billion</a>. The group included Fairfax, investor David Sokol, and the Washington family, which originally owned Seaspan. Sokol and the Washington family pooled their existing shares to take Seaspan private that year. <h3>Tight supply-demand balance </h3>Speaking at the Journal of Commerce’s TPM26 conference in Long Beach last week, Nixon said it’s important for ONE to continue investing in new vessels because the global supply and demand balance remains tight. ONE’s 2030 strategy includes reaching 3 million TEU in carrier capacity. The trans-Pacific market is only expected to see slight growth this year, Nixon said. But north-south trade and intra-regional trades are growing at double-digit rates, keeping further pressure on ship supply. “The charter market is so tight. There are really no ships available,” Nixon said at TPM26. “Carriers have to be thinking all the time four, five, six years ahead.” Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has increased its ownership stake in its largest provider of chartered tonnage, becoming the largest external shareholder of Poseidon Corp. in a transaction potentially valued at close to $1 billion. ONE said in a statement Tuesday it signed an agreement to acquire an additional stake in Poseidon, the parent company of Singapore-based container shipowner Seaspan, from existing shareholders. ONE said the purchase brings its stake in Poseidon to 48.9%. ONE did not say how much it paid for the additional stake. But Canadian insurance company Fairfax Financial said separately Tuesday that it sold about half of its stake in Poseidon for $1.91 billion, with half of that stake going to an existing Poseidon shareholder who will increase their ownership stake. The other half of Fairfax’s stake was sold to unidentified strategic investors. ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon said in the statement that the investment in Poseidon is part of the carrier’s growth strategy through 2030. ONE currently has a fleet of 281 ships amounting to 2.2 million TEUs. Of that, Seaspan has chartered some 43 container ships to ONE, amounting to about 417,000 TEUs in capacity. “Since our initial investment in 2023, Seaspan has achieved remarkable growth as the world’s leading tonnage platform,” Nixon said. “We are pleased to acquire this additional stake in Poseidon, which fully aligns with our ONE 2030 strategic growth plan.” Poseidon took a nearly one-third ownership stake in Seaspan in 2023 for $1.4 billion . The group included Fairfax, investor David Sokol, and the Washington family, which originally owned Seaspan. Sokol and the Washington family pooled their existing shares to take Seaspan private that year. Tight supply-demand balance Speaking at the Journal of Commerce’s TPM26 conference in Long Beach last week, Nixon said it’s important for ONE to continue investing in new vessels because the global supply and demand balance remains tight. ONE’s 2030 strategy includes reaching 3 million TEU in carrier capacity. The trans-Pacific market is only expected to see slight growth this year, Nixon said. But north-south trade and intra-regional trades are growing at double-digit rates, keeping further pressure on ship supply. “The charter market is so tight. There are really no ships available,” Nixon said at TPM26. “Carriers have to be thinking all the time four, five, six years ahead.” Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Trans-Pacific

ONE boosts ownership stake in Seaspan parent Poseidon

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