<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The current backlog of ships at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex will not be unloaded until well into 2022 as even more containers prepare to head toward Southern California </div>

The current backlog of ships at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex will not be unloaded until well into 2022 as even more containers prepare to head toward Southern California

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<div>Despite efforts to clear out the landside of the US’ busiest import gateway, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach face a major challenge on the waterside with unloading, trucking, and railing out cargo from over 100 container ships that were scheduled to arrive through mid-December but are queueing in some cases more than 150 miles off the coast. According to logistics experts, the current backlog of containers stemming from an historic import surge in the United States will take until mid-2022 to clear out. Chris Chase, business development director for the Port of Los Angeles, told the audience...

Despite efforts to clear out the landside of the US’ busiest import gateway, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach face a major challenge on the waterside with unloading, trucking, and railing out cargo from over 100 container ships that were scheduled to arrive through mid-December but are queueing in some cases more than 150 miles off the coast. According to logistics experts, the current backlog of containers stemming from an historic import surge in the United States will take until mid-2022 to clear out. Chris Chase, business development director for the Port of Los Angeles, told the audience at the Northeast Trade and Transportation Conference last week that the LA-LB ports are expected to handle 3 million more containers in 2021 than they did in 2020. That total would be much higher, he said, if all the containers on ships that are currently at anchor or slow steaming further off the California coast were to be counted. “This is different, this is an unrelenting flow of cargo,” Chase told the audience at the event, sponsored by the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade. “This unrelenting flow has changed how we do things and has implications up and down the supply chain. “Every single piece of the supply chain has a responsibility to do something different, to try something different and new,” he added. “The status quo is not working.” Chase said that a busy month for Los Angeles used to be when it handled about 800,000 containers. During 2021, the port has been handling over 900,000 on average per month, he said. The effect has been that its terminals are jammed, and container delivery has slowed. “We were thrown a curveball that, even in any of our wildest dreams, we never predicted that these kinds of things would be happening with this kind of volume,” said Chase. Over 100 ships ‘backed up’ On Wednesday, the Marine Exchange of Southern California reported that 101 container ships are “backed up” outside the ports. Ships in that category were scheduled to arrive at the port prior to Dec. 15, according to the Marine Exchange’s new queuing system, which uses time of departure from the last port to estimate a time of arrival at Southern California. The backlog number includes 30 vessels that have reported into one of the designated anchor or loitering points within 40 miles of the port. Although the exact number of containers carried is uncertain, those vessels account for some 170,000 TEU in capacity, according to data from the Marine Exchange. According to Marine Exchange data, at least three of those vessels arrived at the port over two months ago. The other 71 vessels are slow steaming in areas that must be no closer than 150 miles from the port because they lack an upcoming berth assignment. Those ships account for 640,700 TEU of vessel capacity. Along with those ships, another 35 are scheduled to arrive at LA-LB port through Dec. 28, according to Marine Exchange’s queuing system, with total reported capacity of 277,400 TEU. The only metric that is going in the right direction currently is rail dwell, which Chase said was “looking pretty good right now.” But in terms of truck driver availability, chassis supply, and container dwell, the port is stretched and will remain so, he said. “Velocity is terrible,” said Chase. “We have been crushed by velocity. We have a plan in place that we are so far off from that everything is a challenge.” John Esborn, logistics director at e-commerce aggregator Perch, said that an ocean carrier source estimated that the current backlog would take over five months to clear out, and that is only if no more freight was booked in Asia. As for the traditional Chinese New Year lull in shipping activity, he said that many importers are going to race to get ahead of the spring shipping season, adding another wave of freight to US ports. “I don’t think there’s any slowdown in March, April, and May as people pull that inventory forward,” said Esborn. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@ihsmarkit.com and follow him on Twitter at @michael_angell .

Port News

LA-LB backlog will not clear until well into 2022, experts say

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">After announcing a pause on ship attacks in November, the Iran-backed militants posted a pair of threatening videos over the weekend that are sure to cause fresh concerns for ocean carriers planning a return to the Red Sea.</div>

After announcing a pause on ship attacks in November, the Iran-backed militants posted a pair of threatening videos over the weekend that are sure to cause fresh concerns for ocean carriers planning a return to the Red Sea.

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<div class="phx-topic">Yemen’s Houthi militants have warned of new attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as tensions escalate between the US and Iran, raising questions over whether moves by some carriers to return services to the shorter Suez Canal route will actually happen. A Houthi video posted on YouTube over the weekend showed a ship on fire accompanied by the headline: “Soon.” It was followed by another video, this one from Houthi spokesman Brigadier Yahya Saree, pointing to “the escalation of possibilities” of the US launching a military strike against Iran, which he said would be met by retaliation against the US and Israel. The Iran-backed Houthi announced a pause on ship attacks in November following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza that was agreed the previous month and have so far honored that pledge. But Iran’s clampdown on anti-government protests in late December sparked a threat earlier this month by US President Donald Trump to respond militarily, with a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln now heading for the region. Even before the new Houthi threat, CMA CGM, one of the main Red Sea users over the past two years, said it would <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/cma-cgm-backs-off-plans-to-resume-suez-transits-for-asia-europe-services-6155264">scale back plans to send three Asia-Europe westbound services</a> through the Suez, citing the “complex and uncertain international context.” <h3>Maersk India-US service due to begin shorter route </h3>Maersk’s <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-set-to-resume-regular-suez-transits-on-india-usec-mecl-loop-sources-6152441">MECL service from India to the US East Coast</a> is due to be rerouted through the Suez and Red Sea beginning Monday. While no change of plan has been announced, the volatility in the region prompted the carrier to include a caveat in its Jan. 15 advisory announcing a return to the shorter route. “Maersk has contingency plans in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual MECL sailings or the wider structural change of the MECL service back to the Cape of Good Hope route,” the carrier said. While Maersk tests the waters and CMA CGM continues to send regional and back-haul services through the Red Sea, most of the other major carriers are content to maintain longer transits around southern Africa until the fluid geopolitical environment stabilizes. Carriers have used the longer route since the Houthis began attacks against commercial shipping in late 2023 in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Resuming services through the Suez represents more than just a routing change. Oversupplied carriers have benefited from the longer route absorbing about 8% of global capacity, preventing rates from falling. “A full-scale return of liner services to the Red Sea would initially be disruptive, with increased risks of port congestion, landside capacity constraints and short-term cost implications,” Bjoern Schoon, senior vice president of ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding/Asia-Pacific, said in a market update last week. “However, once networks stabilize, it will benefit shippers through faster transit times, and the trade is likely to become more competitive on pricing,” Schoon added. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Yemen’s Houthi militants have warned of new attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as tensions escalate between the US and Iran, raising questions over whether moves by some carriers to return services to the shorter Suez Canal route will actually happen. A Houthi video posted on YouTube over the weekend showed a ship on fire accompanied by the headline: “Soon.” It was followed by another video, this one from Houthi spokesman Brigadier Yahya Saree, pointing to “the escalation of possibilities” of the US launching a military strike against Iran, which he said would be met by retaliation against the US and Israel. The Iran-backed Houthi announced a pause on ship attacks in November following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza that was agreed the previous month and have so far honored that pledge. But Iran’s clampdown on anti-government protests in late December sparked a threat earlier this month by US President Donald Trump to respond militarily, with a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln now heading for the region. Even before the new Houthi threat, CMA CGM, one of the main Red Sea users over the past two years, said it would scale back plans to send three Asia-Europe westbound services through the Suez, citing the “complex and uncertain international context.” Maersk India-US service due to begin shorter route Maersk’s MECL service from India to the US East Coast is due to be rerouted through the Suez and Red Sea beginning Monday. While no change of plan has been announced, the volatility in the region prompted the carrier to include a caveat in its Jan. 15 advisory announcing a return to the shorter route. “Maersk has contingency plans in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual MECL sailings or the wider structural change of the MECL service back to the Cape of Good Hope route,” the carrier said. While Maersk tests the waters and CMA CGM continues to send regional and back-haul services through the Red Sea, most of the other major carriers are content to maintain longer transits around southern Africa until the fluid geopolitical environment stabilizes. Carriers have used the longer route since the Houthis began attacks against commercial shipping in late 2023 in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Resuming services through the Suez represents more than just a routing change. Oversupplied carriers have benefited from the longer route absorbing about 8% of global capacity, preventing rates from falling. “A full-scale return of liner services to the Red Sea would initially be disruptive, with increased risks of port congestion, landside capacity constraints and short-term cost implications,” Bjoern Schoon, senior vice president of ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding/Asia-Pacific, said in a market update last week. “However, once networks stabilize, it will benefit shippers through faster transit times, and the trade is likely to become more competitive on pricing,” Schoon added. Contact Greg Knowler at  greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container lines

Container Shipping News

Maritime

Latest Houthi threat renews questions about Suez route as US-Iran tensions rise 

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The agency ruled in 2024 that shippers can pick their own chassis when they arrange for truck transportation, but compliance with that ruling remains unclear. </div>

The agency ruled in 2024 that shippers can pick their own chassis when they arrange for truck transportation, but compliance with that ruling remains unclear.

<div class="phx-topic">The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is launching its second probe into chassis restrictions ocean carriers put on truckers when hauling a container. The probe comes after the agency ruled in 2024 that shippers can choose their own chassis when they contract with their own trucker. In a federal register notice Friday, the FMC said it plans to open a 60-day window for comments about “service contract terms or other means to mandate that motor carriers [truckers] and shippers use the ocean common carriers’ designated chassis.” The comments are sought in relation to an investigation by the FMC over allegations that “ocean common carriers may be in violation of the Shipping Act by unjustly and unreasonably restricting truckers and shippers from negotiating and dealing with chassis providers.”The investigation stems from <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-rules-for-truckers-in-chassis-dispute-with-ocean-carriers-5234355">the 2024 agency ruling</a> that ocean carriers have to stop mandating what specific chassis must be used under merchant haulage contracts. The agency upheld an administrative law judge’s earlier decision in a case between the American Trucking Association and the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA) that <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ocema-appeals-chassis-ruling-to-fmc-commissioners-5193253">container lines violate the Shipping Act when they restrict chassis choice</a> among shippers who are arranging their own container trucking. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-says-investigating-potential-violations-of-recent-ruling-on-chassis-control-5192272">The FMC was already investigating compliance</a> with a cease-and-desist order in the 2024 ruling, which is still ongoing. The new probe is looking for “any information concerning new or ongoing ocean common carrier practices ... to affect, restrict, or inhibit chassis provider selection,” the notice said. Part of the new probe involves whether ocean carriers designate single chassis providers at Chicago and Memphis rail ramps, if providers have enough chassis on-hand, any reimbursement for truckers on chassis split, and whether truckers are given notice about a container being under merchant or carrier haulage, the latter allowing an ocean carrier to choose a chassis. Along with the inland rail ramps, the FMC said its investigation is looking at chassis choice at the Savannah, Los Angeles, and Long Beach ports. As part of the probe into the Southern California market, the FMC is seeking how the “Pool of Pools” (PoP) operated by the three main chassis providers for the LA-LB ports distinguishes between “carrier haulage and merchant haulage containers and coordinate billing accordingly,” the notice said. OCEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment into the new investigation.<h3>‘Sweetheart Deals’</h3>Robert Loya, chief executive of the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents drayage providers in Southern California, told the Journal of Commerce that some shippers have merchant haulage contracts that include a chassis at no additional cost, requiring the trucker to use the ocean carrier’s designated chassis. But servicing the LA-LB ports with the trucker’s own chassis and one from the PoP can result in wasted miles and more costs, he added.Returning an empty container on a PoP chassis can require a trip back to the trucker’s own yard for a shipper without an ocean carrier-provisioned chassis. Truckers are also forced to pay gate fees that marine terminals charge for temporarily storing PoP chassis.“The intermodal equipment providers have negotiated sweetheart deals with the shipping lines to use their chassis, then that gets negotiated into the ocean contract with the beneficial cargo owner,” Loya said. “That puts pressure on us, so we’re forced by the lines to use their chassis. That’s the rub for us.”<h3>Chassis mis-mounts</h3>An executive of a Tennessee-based drayage provider told the Journal of Commerce that ocean carrier chassis pools at inland rail terminals are vulnerable to shortages in times of high demand, resulting in potential delays if a trucker cannot use their own chassis.Containers can also come off a train and be mis-mounted onto the wrong chassis, causing a trucker to wait for the correct chassis. The executive said that what appears to be a no-cost chassis can mean added costs and inefficiencies for truckers.“The trucker is squeezed,” she said. “The frustration is that there’s no change after years. The US would have been better served if we had chassis choice during the pandemic. We need a faster and more fluid way to move freight.”Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto: michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is launching its second probe into chassis restrictions ocean carriers put on truckers when hauling a container. The probe comes after the agency ruled in 2024 that shippers can choose their own chassis when they contract with their own trucker. In a federal register notice Friday, the FMC said it plans to open a 60-day window for comments about “service contract terms or other means to mandate that motor carriers [truckers] and shippers use the ocean common carriers’ designated chassis.” The comments are sought in relation to an investigation by the FMC over allegations that “ocean common carriers may be in violation of the Shipping Act by unjustly and unreasonably restricting truckers and shippers from negotiating and dealing with chassis providers.” The investigation stems from the 2024 agency ruling that ocean carriers have to stop mandating what specific chassis must be used under merchant haulage contracts. The agency upheld an administrative law judge’s earlier decision in a case between the American Trucking Association and the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA) that container lines violate the Shipping Act when they restrict chassis choice among shippers who are arranging their own container trucking. The FMC was already investigating compliance with a cease-and-desist order in the 2024 ruling, which is still ongoing. The new probe is looking for “any information concerning new or ongoing ocean common carrier practices ... to affect, restrict, or inhibit chassis provider selection,” the notice said. Part of the new probe involves whether ocean carriers designate single chassis providers at Chicago and Memphis rail ramps, if providers have enough chassis on-hand, any reimbursement for truckers on chassis split, and whether truckers are given notice about a container being under merchant or carrier haulage, the latter allowing an ocean carrier to choose a chassis. Along with the inland rail ramps, the FMC said its investigation is looking at chassis choice at the Savannah, Los Angeles, and Long Beach ports. As part of the probe into the Southern California market, the FMC is seeking how the “Pool of Pools” (PoP) operated by the three main chassis providers for the LA-LB ports distinguishes between “carrier haulage and merchant haulage containers and coordinate billing accordingly,” the notice said. OCEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment into the new investigation. ‘Sweetheart Deals’ Robert Loya, chief executive of the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents drayage providers in Southern California, told the Journal of Commerce that some shippers have merchant haulage contracts that include a chassis at no additional cost, requiring the trucker to use the ocean carrier’s designated chassis. But servicing the LA-LB ports with the trucker’s own chassis and one from the PoP can result in wasted miles and more costs, he added. Returning an empty container on a PoP chassis can require a trip back to the trucker’s own yard for a shipper without an ocean carrier-provisioned chassis. Truckers are also forced to pay gate fees that marine terminals charge for temporarily storing PoP chassis. “The intermodal equipment providers have negotiated sweetheart deals with the shipping lines to use their chassis, then that gets negotiated into the ocean contract with the beneficial cargo owner,” Loya said. “That puts pressure on us, so we’re forced by the lines to use their chassis. That’s the rub for us.” Chassis mis-mounts An executive of a Tennessee-based drayage provider told the Journal of Commerce that ocean carrier chassis pools at inland rail terminals are vulnerable to shortages in times of high demand, resulting in potential delays if a trucker cannot use their own chassis. Containers can also come off a train and be mis-mounted onto the wrong chassis, causing a trucker to wait for the correct chassis. The executive said that what appears to be a no-cost chassis can mean added costs and inefficiencies for truckers. “The trucker is squeezed,” she said. “The frustration is that there’s no change after years. The US would have been better served if we had chassis choice during the pandemic. We need a faster and more fluid way to move freight.” Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Drayage

FMC takes second look at ocean carrier limits on chassis choice

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Transflo, which sells automation software to transportation providers, is using AI agents to identify specific exceptions common to LTL billing errors.</div>

Transflo, which sells automation software to transportation providers, is using AI agents to identify specific exceptions common to LTL billing errors.

<div class="phx-topic">Transflo, a provider of workflow software for freight transportation companies, has launched an invoice audit and resolution product for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, targeting error rates that touch nearly a third of shipments in that mode. The product is geared toward solving the interactions between LTL carriers and brokers that result in the manual management of exceptions on inaccurate freight bills by instead using automated invoice matching and validation. “We designed this solution to address the inherent complexity of LTL billing, reducing invoice resolution from days to minutes, accelerating payments, and delivering transparency for all parties,” Transflo CEO Renee Krug said in a statement Thursday. The product, called Workflow AI for LTL, is built around artificial intelligence (AI) agents trained to handle specific invoice exception types, as opposed to general purpose AI agents that are trained over time to automate a range of transportation processes. Ultimately, Transflo said, the goal is to make auditing teams 10 times more productive in handling additional invoices without adding headcount. The company estimates that 30% to 40% of LTL invoices are inaccurate. The new product is an example of so-called agentic AI overlapping with process automation in the freight transportation industry. A range of providers have sprung up in the last two years building AI agents, also called digital workers, to help brokers avoid adding headcount. Most of those companies are taking aim at workflow processes, from responding to shipper quote requests to automating appointment scheduling to invoice auditing, reconciling, and payment, such as Transflo’s product. The focus on LTL is also unique in that the majority of third-party automation software has been trained on the much larger and more fragmented truckload industry, leaving LTL brokers and carriers to largely develop their own internal solutions to automate processes. Because of the differences in pricing, quoting, and network operations between LTL and truckload, the technologies are rarely transferable. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Transflo, a provider of workflow software for freight transportation companies, has launched an invoice audit and resolution product for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, targeting error rates that touch nearly a third of shipments in that mode. The product is geared toward solving the interactions between LTL carriers and brokers that result in the manual management of exceptions on inaccurate freight bills by instead using automated invoice matching and validation. “We designed this solution to address the inherent complexity of LTL billing, reducing invoice resolution from days to minutes, accelerating payments, and delivering transparency for all parties,” Transflo CEO Renee Krug said in a statement Thursday. The product, called Workflow AI for LTL, is built around artificial intelligence (AI) agents trained to handle specific invoice exception types, as opposed to general purpose AI agents that are trained over time to automate a range of transportation processes. Ultimately, Transflo said, the goal is to make auditing teams 10 times more productive in handling additional invoices without adding headcount. The company estimates that 30% to 40% of LTL invoices are inaccurate. The new product is an example of so-called agentic AI overlapping with process automation in the freight transportation industry. A range of providers have sprung up in the last two years building AI agents, also called digital workers, to help brokers avoid adding headcount. Most of those companies are taking aim at workflow processes, from responding to shipper quote requests to automating appointment scheduling to invoice auditing, reconciling, and payment, such as Transflo’s product. The focus on LTL is also unique in that the majority of third-party automation software has been trained on the much larger and more fragmented truckload industry, leaving LTL brokers and carriers to largely develop their own internal solutions to automate processes. Because of the differences in pricing, quoting, and network operations between LTL and truckload, the technologies are rarely transferable. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Surface

Logistics Technology News

Software provider targets LTL invoice inaccuracies with automation solution

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Despite 2025 being shaped by geopolitics and trade upheaval, France’s largest container port of Le Havre was able to capitalize on significant investments to modernize its terminal infrastructure.</div>

Despite 2025 being shaped by geopolitics and trade upheaval, France’s largest container port of Le Havre was able to capitalize on significant investments to modernize its terminal infrastructure.

<div class="phx-topic">France’s Haropa Port, operator of the Northern Europe hub Le Havre, on Friday reported record container volumes for 2025, supported by huge investments into terminals partly owned by three of the world’s largest ocean carriers. Haropa Port comprises the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris. Despite a year shaped by geopolitics and trade upheaval, container traffic at Haropa increased 4% in 2025, setting a record with more than 3.2 million TEUs handled during the year. Transhipment was up 2.4%, with hinterland traffic up 4% at 2.3 million TEUs. “The performance of the port will be strengthened in 2026 and 2027 and the coming years by the huge investment, led by the by the main terminal operators,” Kris Danaradjou, deputy CEO in charge of development at Haropa Port, told the Journal of Commerce. Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd were among the investors that committed €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) to modernize Haropa’s infrastructure. Danaradjou said Haropa’s operations were shaped by “an extremely unpredictable” international environment, marked by the introduction of US tariffs, the reshuffling of carrier alliances and strategies, and the normalization of vessel routing via the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal. <h3>Return to Red Sea could ‘challenge’ port </h3>Asked how Le Havre was preparing for a potential return of shipping to Suez and Red Sea transits and the congestion that shift was expected to bring, Danaradjou acknowledged it would be a challenge. “What will be the trickiest period is the transition when you have some vessels going through the Suez and others going around the Cape of Good Hope, and when you receive this kind of traffic in the same period, it could be a challenge,” he said. But Danaradjou said Le Havre had significant land available to terminals if they needed to clear their yards, and road, rail and barge options to move import containers to their inland destinations. “We are also a deep-water port so there is little waiting time, and we can move ships from the mooring area to the quay within an hour,” he said. Haropa Port has made multimodality a priority to improve decarbonization, the French port operator said in a statement. On the River Seine corridor that stretches from Le Havre to Paris, modal share of barge traffic grew from 19.7% in 2024 to 20.3% last year, in line with objectives set in Haropa’s 2020–25 strategic plan. River container traffic measured at the Paris terminals grew 1% after several record years, but rail container transport from Le Havre to the hinterland reached a record 145,000 TEUs last year, up 18%. Despite US tariffs on the European Union, trade between France and the US East Coast remained stable in 2025 with about 180,000 TEUs moved on the trans-Atlantic. The US is Haropa’s largest export market with about 30% of the cargo comprising wine and spirits, and the rest made up of commodities including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and dairy products. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

France’s Haropa Port, operator of the Northern Europe hub Le Havre, on Friday reported record container volumes for 2025, supported by huge investments into terminals partly owned by three of the world’s largest ocean carriers. Haropa Port comprises the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris. Despite a year shaped by geopolitics and trade upheaval, container traffic at Haropa increased 4% in 2025, setting a record with more than 3.2 million TEUs handled during the year. Transhipment was up 2.4%, with hinterland traffic up 4% at 2.3 million TEUs. “The performance of the port will be strengthened in 2026 and 2027 and the coming years by the huge investment, led by the by the main terminal operators,” Kris Danaradjou, deputy CEO in charge of development at Haropa Port, told the Journal of Commerce. Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd were among the investors that committed €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) to modernize Haropa’s infrastructure. Danaradjou said Haropa’s operations were shaped by “an extremely unpredictable” international environment, marked by the introduction of US tariffs, the reshuffling of carrier alliances and strategies, and the normalization of vessel routing via the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal. Return to Red Sea could ‘challenge’ port Asked how Le Havre was preparing for a potential return of shipping to Suez and Red Sea transits and the congestion that shift was expected to bring, Danaradjou acknowledged it would be a challenge. “What will be the trickiest period is the transition when you have some vessels going through the Suez and others going around the Cape of Good Hope, and when you receive this kind of traffic in the same period, it could be a challenge,” he said. But Danaradjou said Le Havre had significant land available to terminals if they needed to clear their yards, and road, rail and barge options to move import containers to their inland destinations. “We are also a deep-water port so there is little waiting time, and we can move ships from the mooring area to the quay within an hour,” he said. Haropa Port has made multimodality a priority to improve decarbonization, the French port operator said in a statement. On the River Seine corridor that stretches from Le Havre to Paris, modal share of barge traffic grew from 19.7% in 2024 to 20.3% last year, in line with objectives set in Haropa’s 2020–25 strategic plan. River container traffic measured at the Paris terminals grew 1% after several record years, but rail container transport from Le Havre to the hinterland reached a record 145,000 TEUs last year, up 18%. Despite US tariffs on the European Union, trade between France and the US East Coast remained stable in 2025 with about 180,000 TEUs moved on the trans-Atlantic. The US is Haropa’s largest export market with about 30% of the cargo comprising wine and spirits, and the rest made up of commodities including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and dairy products. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

French port operator posts record volumes as carrier investments pay off 

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The multimodal option is aimed at shippers wanting predictability in cross-border shipments and the ability to control costs.</div>

The multimodal option is aimed at shippers wanting predictability in cross-border shipments and the ability to control costs.

<div class="phx-topic">DHL Global Forwarding has launched a Truckair service between China and Turkey, with onward connections to points in Europe. The company this week said its Truckair multimodal service integrates air and road freight to move large-volume shipments, picking up cargo in China and transporting it by truck to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, then onward by air to Istanbul. From there, various modes are used to other European destinations. The service was launched two months ago, DHL said in a statement, with total transit time from China to Turkey at nine to 11 days. While that is longer than the typical four to seven days for all air freight, DHL cited the “cost-efficient” nature of its service. “Demand for agile and cost-efficient logistics solutions continues to rise, backed by sustained growth in China-Europe and broader Asia-Europe trade,” said Aditi Rasquinha, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China. The European Union was China’s second-largest trading partner in 2025, the company said, with bilateral trade up 5.4% year over year at $716 billion. DHL’s latest market update points to tight capacity and rate increases into Chinese New Year, with a demand peak expected in early February. The Truckair service is designed to help shippers avoid short-term volatility while maintaining predictable lead times. “Truckair was developed to meet this growing demand for greater flexibility and predictability in cross-border shipments, enabling businesses to control costs...,” Rasquinha said. Although costs vary from shipment to shipment, DHL maintains customers such as European retailers have reported savings of six-digit figures over the two months of using the multimodal service instead of all air freight. Still, shippers without time-to-market pressures continue to use the overland China-Europe rail network. In 2025, China-Europe freight trains made about 34,000 trips and carried 3.17 million TEUs, up 9.8% and 7.6% year over year, respectively, according to the China State Railway Group, which manages the network. Freight volume on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, an initiative that began in 2017 to encourage development in China’s western regions, shot up 47.5% to 1.42 million TEUs in 2025, China State Railway Group said in a statement. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>.   </div>

DHL Global Forwarding has launched a Truckair service between China and Turkey, with onward connections to points in Europe. The company this week said its Truckair multimodal service integrates air and road freight to move large-volume shipments, picking up cargo in China and transporting it by truck to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, then onward by air to Istanbul. From there, various modes are used to other European destinations. The service was launched two months ago, DHL said in a statement, with total transit time from China to Turkey at nine to 11 days. While that is longer than the typical four to seven days for all air freight, DHL cited the “cost-efficient” nature of its service. “Demand for agile and cost-efficient logistics solutions continues to rise, backed by sustained growth in China-Europe and broader Asia-Europe trade,” said Aditi Rasquinha, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China. The European Union was China’s second-largest trading partner in 2025, the company said, with bilateral trade up 5.4% year over year at $716 billion. DHL’s latest market update points to tight capacity and rate increases into Chinese New Year, with a demand peak expected in early February. The Truckair service is designed to help shippers avoid short-term volatility while maintaining predictable lead times. “Truckair was developed to meet this growing demand for greater flexibility and predictability in cross-border shipments, enabling businesses to control costs...,” Rasquinha said. Although costs vary from shipment to shipment, DHL maintains customers such as European retailers have reported savings of six-digit figures over the two months of using the multimodal service instead of all air freight. Still, shippers without time-to-market pressures continue to use the overland China-Europe rail network. In 2025, China-Europe freight trains made about 34,000 trips and carried 3.17 million TEUs, up 9.8% and 7.6% year over year, respectively, according to the China State Railway Group, which manages the network. Freight volume on the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, an initiative that began in 2017 to encourage development in China’s western regions, shot up 47.5% to 1.42 million TEUs in 2025, China State Railway Group said in a statement. Contact Greg Knowler at  greg.knowler@spglobal.com .   

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