<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>Sealand Marine will add a stop in Wilmington on its Central American service beginning in June, adding more connections with Panama and introducing new services between North Carolina and Costa Rica. </p></div>

Sealand Marine will add a stop in Wilmington on its Central American service beginning in June, adding more connections with Panama and introducing new services between North Carolina and Costa Rica.

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<div><p>SeaLand Marine had added the Port of Wilmington to its Central America service to tap a surge of refrigerated imports that hit a monthly record at the North Carolina port in March. </p><p>The service, known as NAE, will connect Cartagena, Turbo, Manzanillo, Puerto Moin, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Savannah, and Everglades, with the first call at the North Carolina port on June 24. The North Carolina State Ports Authority anticipates a flow of produce imports from Latin America, and poultry and beef exports to Latin America. </p><p>“We have seen significant cold chain growth and demand over the past year with our increased...

SeaLand Marine had added the Port of Wilmington to its Central America service to tap a surge of refrigerated imports that hit a monthly record at the North Carolina port in March. The service, known as NAE, will connect Cartagena, Turbo, Manzanillo, Puerto Moin, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Savannah, and Everglades, with the first call at the North Carolina port on June 24. The North Carolina State Ports Authority anticipates a flow of produce imports from Latin America, and poultry and beef exports to Latin America. “We have seen significant cold chain growth and demand over the past year with our increased capabilities in Wilmington,” Hans Bean, the port authority’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. The influx of temperature-controlled cargo comes as Wilmington tripled the number of reefer container plugs to 775 in 2020 . Phase two of the reefer expansion will take the number of plugs over 1,000 to a maximum capacity of 1,200, a project due to be complete in April 2022. The port authority said Wilmington set a new monthly record of 1,686 refrigerated container moves this March, with the second-strongest month coming in April with 1,538 moves. While only 11 percent of Wilmington’s volume in 2020 was reefer cargo, the share among imports and exports with Panama was 42 percent, according to PIERS, a sister product of JOC.com within IHS Markit. The port handled nearly 4,000 TEU from Panama in 2020, but only 700 TEU combined from Colombia and Costa Rica. Sealand Marine already serves Wilmington with the SAE service from Central America through Guatemala and Honduras, and with the TP10 service from Kingston, Jamaica. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@ihsmarkit.com and follow him on Twitter: @arijashe .

North American ports

SeaLand adds Wilmington call to tap reefer import surge

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>Current anti-trust protections “have enabled foreign-owned shipping lines to exert disproportionate control over pricing and service levels” in Australia’s maritime industry, the head of a leading shipper group in the country says. </p></div>

Current anti-trust protections “have enabled foreign-owned shipping lines to exert disproportionate control over pricing and service levels” in Australia’s maritime industry, the head of a leading shipper group in the country says.

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<div class="phx-topic"><p>Shipper groups in Australia will urge the abolition of ocean carrier anti-trust immunity and the implementation of legal controls on port and related fees in their submission to a government inquiry into productivity within the country’s maritime and logistics sectors. </p><p>While groups are still drafting their filing, Paul Zalai, director of the Freight &amp; Trade Alliance, said the focus will be on the two most contentious issues facing shippers in Australia. </p><p>“The FTA and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (ASPA) consider both the end of anti-trust immunity and the introduction of a mandatory port-related fees code central to improving productivity, resilience and competitiveness in Australia’s freight supply chains,” Zalai told the <i>Journal of Commerce</i>. </p><p>Current anti-trust protections “have enabled foreign-owned shipping lines to exert disproportionate control over pricing and service levels, stifling competition, raising costs, and undermining supply chain resilience in our trade-dependent economy,” Zalai said. </p><p>On the matter of landside fees, Zalai said terminal and container park operators should charge their direct shipping line customers, who can then decide whether to absorb the fees or recover the costs from importers, exporters and freight forwarders. </p><p>“But under current arrangements, stevedores and container parks impose incontestable landside fees directly on road and rail transport operators, bypassing normal commercial negotiation and distorting market dynamics,” he said. </p><p>The FTA and ASPA, which together represent more than 550 businesses and trade bodies, were invited to make submissions just before Christmas by a Senate select committee set up to investigate productivity in Australian industry. Filings are due by Feb. 20, with a report scheduled for release by Sept. 30. </p><p>Explaining the rationale for the probe, the Senate said that “global and domestic freight disruptions continue to destabilize the supply chain, leading to congestion, delays and higher costs.”  </p><p>Among the issues the Senate committee will consider is whether harmonized freight and logistics regulations would better support Australia's economy; how disrupted freight supply chains have impacted Australia's infrastructure resilience; and how fit-for-purpose freight infrastructure can encourage productivity growth. </p><p><i>Contact Keith Wallis at </i><a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com"><i>keithwallis@hotmail.com</i></a><i>.</i> </p></div>

Shipper groups in Australia will urge the abolition of ocean carrier anti-trust immunity and the implementation of legal controls on port and related fees in their submission to a government inquiry into productivity within the country’s maritime and logistics sectors. While groups are still drafting their filing, Paul Zalai, director of the Freight & Trade Alliance, said the focus will be on the two most contentious issues facing shippers in Australia. “The FTA and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (ASPA) consider both the end of anti-trust immunity and the introduction of a mandatory port-related fees code central to improving productivity, resilience and competitiveness in Australia’s freight supply chains,” Zalai told the Journal of Commerce. Current anti-trust protections “have enabled foreign-owned shipping lines to exert disproportionate control over pricing and service levels, stifling competition, raising costs, and undermining supply chain resilience in our trade-dependent economy,” Zalai said. On the matter of landside fees, Zalai said terminal and container park operators should charge their direct shipping line customers, who can then decide whether to absorb the fees or recover the costs from importers, exporters and freight forwarders. “But under current arrangements, stevedores and container parks impose incontestable landside fees directly on road and rail transport operators, bypassing normal commercial negotiation and distorting market dynamics,” he said. The FTA and ASPA, which together represent more than 550 businesses and trade bodies, were invited to make submissions just before Christmas by a Senate select committee set up to investigate productivity in Australian industry. Filings are due by Feb. 20, with a report scheduled for release by Sept. 30. Explaining the rationale for the probe, the Senate said that “global and domestic freight disruptions continue to destabilize the supply chain, leading to congestion, delays and higher costs.” Among the issues the Senate committee will consider is whether harmonized freight and logistics regulations would better support Australia's economy; how disrupted freight supply chains have impacted Australia's infrastructure resilience; and how fit-for-purpose freight infrastructure can encourage productivity growth. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Maritime

Australian shippers call for end to ocean carrier anti-trust immunity

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>The carrier is now including calls at Malta, Port Said (Egypt) and Beirut on the weekly Medex itinerary, replacing Valencia and Barcelona in Spain and For-sur-Mer in France.</p></div>

The carrier is now including calls at Malta, Port Said (Egypt) and Beirut on the weekly Medex itinerary, replacing Valencia and Barcelona in Spain and For-sur-Mer in France.

<div class="phx-topic"><p>CMA CGM has reorganized the port rotation of its India–Middle East–West Mediterranean “Medex” service that it switched over <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/cma-cgm-unveils-plans-for-suez-return-on-india-mediterranean-service-6012039">to a Red Sea schedule in June</a>. </p><p>The carrier is now including calls at Malta, Port Said (Egypt) and Beirut on the weekly Medex itinerary, replacing Valencia and Barcelona in Spain and For-sur-Mer in France. </p><p>“As part of this enhancement, the overall rotation duration will be reduced from 70 days to 63 days...,” CMA CGM (India) said in a customer advisory. “This optimization will enable more frequent sailings and enhanced capacity through additional departures, thereby offering greater flexibility and improved connectivity.” </p><p>The carrier said it will continue to serve the three dropped ports of call via transshipment. </p><p>The full updated rotation is Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Jeddah, Port Said, Piraeus, Malta, Genoa, Beirut, Port Said, Jeddah and back to Abu Dhabi.   </p><p>For Indian loads, the changes are due to begin with the <i>CMA CGM Pelleas</i> that has an estimated time of arrival of Jan. 7 in Mundra. </p><p>The revised rotation allows the carrier to run the string with nine vessels, compared with the 10 ships it needed to deploy previously. Cosco Shipping has a slot charter deal with CMA CGM on the Medex, with space allotments pegged at approximately 1,000 TEUs out of India per week. </p><p>India-Mediterranean trades have been the target of a new crop of opportunistic regional carriers over the past year, especially multiple Turkish lines and some others backed by non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs). The new entrants have caused serious market share setbacks for traditional mainline heavyweights, particularly CMA CGM. </p><h3>Spot rates fall on capacity boost </h3><p>With the Medex’s enhanced capacity, signs of a downward correction in rates are emerging. Sources have reported a sharp drop in spot rates for loads from Nhava Sheva to Port Said for late-January CMA CGM sailings — down to $2,350 per TEU and $2,300 per FEU, from $3,250 and $2,800, respectively, quoted for early-January sailings. </p><p>On a broader note, the Medex rotation reset comes as CMA CGM is set to resume Suez Canal transits for its India–US East Coast “Indamex” loop from next month, though it is believed that the carrier still needs to position two more vessels in India to offer a weekly rotation under the normal itinerary. </p><p><i>Contact Bency Mathew at </i><a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com"><i>bencyvmathew@gmail.com</i></a><i>.</i> </p></div>

CMA CGM has reorganized the port rotation of its India–Middle East–West Mediterranean “Medex” service that it switched over to a Red Sea schedule in June . The carrier is now including calls at Malta, Port Said (Egypt) and Beirut on the weekly Medex itinerary, replacing Valencia and Barcelona in Spain and For-sur-Mer in France. “As part of this enhancement, the overall rotation duration will be reduced from 70 days to 63 days...,” CMA CGM (India) said in a customer advisory. “This optimization will enable more frequent sailings and enhanced capacity through additional departures, thereby offering greater flexibility and improved connectivity.” The carrier said it will continue to serve the three dropped ports of call via transshipment. The full updated rotation is Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Jeddah, Port Said, Piraeus, Malta, Genoa, Beirut, Port Said, Jeddah and back to Abu Dhabi. For Indian loads, the changes are due to begin with the CMA CGM Pelleas that has an estimated time of arrival of Jan. 7 in Mundra. The revised rotation allows the carrier to run the string with nine vessels, compared with the 10 ships it needed to deploy previously. Cosco Shipping has a slot charter deal with CMA CGM on the Medex, with space allotments pegged at approximately 1,000 TEUs out of India per week. India-Mediterranean trades have been the target of a new crop of opportunistic regional carriers over the past year, especially multiple Turkish lines and some others backed by non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs). The new entrants have caused serious market share setbacks for traditional mainline heavyweights, particularly CMA CGM. Spot rates fall on capacity boost With the Medex’s enhanced capacity, signs of a downward correction in rates are emerging. Sources have reported a sharp drop in spot rates for loads from Nhava Sheva to Port Said for late-January CMA CGM sailings — down to $2,350 per TEU and $2,300 per FEU, from $3,250 and $2,800, respectively, quoted for early-January sailings. On a broader note, the Medex rotation reset comes as CMA CGM is set to resume Suez Canal transits for its India–US East Coast “Indamex” loop from next month, though it is believed that the carrier still needs to position two more vessels in India to offer a weekly rotation under the normal itinerary. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Asia-Europe

Container Shipping News

CMA CGM reworks India-Med loop rotation to streamline Red Sea operations

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>Whatever capacity might exit the market in 2026, most analysts believe a strong resurgence in freight volumes is needed to enable a true rebound in truckload rates. </p></div>

Whatever capacity might exit the market in 2026, most analysts believe a strong resurgence in freight volumes is needed to enable a true rebound in truckload rates.

<div class="phx-topic"><p><i>The following is part of the Journal of Commerce’s 2026 Annual Review and Outlook.</i></p><p><b>The big picture:</b> The depression in demand that has gripped the US truckload sector for three years will likely continue through the first half of 2026. That could mean a sharper correction in capacity followed by higher rates late in the year or in 2027, which some believe will be the real recovery year for truckload carriers. </p><div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6135199_0.1.jpg"></img></div><p><b>A look back:</b> The recovery in trucking volumes many carriers and analysts had expected — or at least hoped for — at the start of 2025 failed to materialize as US manufacturing lost its early momentum and US tariffs distorted import demand. As a result, truckload spot rates stayed in the trough they’ve inhabited since mid-2022. Pricing rose and fell seasonally throughout 2025, and each minor gain was hailed as a potential turning point, but widespread overcapacity and the lack of a demand catalyst kept a lid on spot and contract rate hikes. Large truckload carriers cut their fleets in an attempt to match low levels of demand and preserve profit margins, dragging capacity to historic lows. The <i>Journal of Commerce</i> Truckload Capacity Index (TCI), a measure of actual truck counts at large publicly-owned carriers, dropped to 72.4% in the third quarter, an all-time low in two decades of TCI data. But the “long tail” of small truckload carriers remains long. More than 38,500 operating authorities were canceled between December 2022 and September 2025, but there were almost 90,000 more carriers that month than in December 2019, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That underscores a shift, with more drivers moving to smaller trucking firms and those smaller firms proving more resilient than in the past. </p><p><b>A look ahead:</b> The resiliency demonstrated by small carriers is a significant break from previous economic downturns and, therefore, makes projections for 2026 more difficult. Analysts and large carrier executives have been predicting small fleets would fold and exit the market in increasing numbers for three years, and while rising costs and low demand will continue to squeeze those carriers, the number of companies closing their doors has slowed to a crawl. Just 1,500 operating authorities were revoked in the first nine months of 2025, down from 13,000 in 2024 and 25,000 in 2023, according to FMCSA data. Trucking executives believe a regulatory crackdown on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses and increased enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements will pull more drivers off the road, but whether these actions will take enough capacity out of service — and do so quickly enough — to move the needle on rates remains to be seen. Orders for new Class 8 trucks are expected to fall amid low rates, weak demand, tariffs and uncertainty over future emissions regulations, slowing the influx of additional capacity into the oversupplied truckload market. </p><div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="5ef87bc3-b502-4e31-85d7-457673195134"></dynamic-object></div><p><b>The next inflection:</b> Whatever capacity might exit the market in 2026, most analysts believe a strong resurgence in freight volumes is needed to enable a true rebound in truckload rates. US manufacturing output, as measured by the S&amp;P Global US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), expanded sequentially for the fourth straight month in November, but growth remains constrained by uncertainty over tariffs, trade policy and consumer spending. Absent a sudden and unexpected demand spike, truckload contract rate increases will likely be limited to low single-digit percentages and spot pricing will likely remain depressed well into this year, if not 2027. </p><p><i>Contact William B. Cassidy at </i><a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com"><i>bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</i></a><i>.</i> </p></div>

The following is part of the Journal of Commerce’s 2026 Annual Review and Outlook. The big picture: The depression in demand that has gripped the US truckload sector for three years will likely continue through the first half of 2026. That could mean a sharper correction in capacity followed by higher rates late in the year or in 2027, which some believe will be the real recovery year for truckload carriers. A look back: The recovery in trucking volumes many carriers and analysts had expected — or at least hoped for — at the start of 2025 failed to materialize as US manufacturing lost its early momentum and US tariffs distorted import demand. As a result, truckload spot rates stayed in the trough they’ve inhabited since mid-2022. Pricing rose and fell seasonally throughout 2025, and each minor gain was hailed as a potential turning point, but widespread overcapacity and the lack of a demand catalyst kept a lid on spot and contract rate hikes. Large truckload carriers cut their fleets in an attempt to match low levels of demand and preserve profit margins, dragging capacity to historic lows. The Journal of Commerce Truckload Capacity Index (TCI), a measure of actual truck counts at large publicly-owned carriers, dropped to 72.4% in the third quarter, an all-time low in two decades of TCI data. But the “long tail” of small truckload carriers remains long. More than 38,500 operating authorities were canceled between December 2022 and September 2025, but there were almost 90,000 more carriers that month than in December 2019, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That underscores a shift, with more drivers moving to smaller trucking firms and those smaller firms proving more resilient than in the past. A look ahead: The resiliency demonstrated by small carriers is a significant break from previous economic downturns and, therefore, makes projections for 2026 more difficult. Analysts and large carrier executives have been predicting small fleets would fold and exit the market in increasing numbers for three years, and while rising costs and low demand will continue to squeeze those carriers, the number of companies closing their doors has slowed to a crawl. Just 1,500 operating authorities were revoked in the first nine months of 2025, down from 13,000 in 2024 and 25,000 in 2023, according to FMCSA data. Trucking executives believe a regulatory crackdown on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses and increased enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements will pull more drivers off the road, but whether these actions will take enough capacity out of service — and do so quickly enough — to move the needle on rates remains to be seen. Orders for new Class 8 trucks are expected to fall amid low rates, weak demand, tariffs and uncertainty over future emissions regulations, slowing the influx of additional capacity into the oversupplied truckload market. The next inflection: Whatever capacity might exit the market in 2026, most analysts believe a strong resurgence in freight volumes is needed to enable a true rebound in truckload rates. US manufacturing output, as measured by the S&P Global US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), expanded sequentially for the fourth straight month in November, but growth remains constrained by uncertainty over tariffs, trade policy and consumer spending. Absent a sudden and unexpected demand spike, truckload contract rate increases will likely be limited to low single-digit percentages and spot pricing will likely remain depressed well into this year, if not 2027. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Truckload

Surface

Persistent supply-demand imbalance to keep US truckload rates in check

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>Hapag-Lloyd’s investment in the Aracruz terminal project in Brazil is part of a plan announced by CEO Rolf Habben Jansen last March to expand the carrier’s ports network to more than 30 terminals by 2030.</p></div>

Hapag-Lloyd’s investment in the Aracruz terminal project in Brazil is part of a plan announced by CEO Rolf Habben Jansen last March to expand the carrier’s ports network to more than 30 terminals by 2030.

<div class="phx-topic"><p>Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) are expanding their container terminal portfolios with separate deals for facilities in Brazil and China, the carriers announced Tuesday. </p><p>In Brazil, Hanseatic Global Terminals, Hapag-Lloyd’s ports division, has signed a joint venture agreement with the Imetame Group to take a 50% stake in Imetame Logística Porto (ILP), which focuses on container terminal operations. </p><p>Under the deal, Hanseatic and Imetame will build and operate the 1.2 million-TEU capacity Hanseatic Global Terminals Aracruz container terminal at Aracruz in Brazil’s Espírito Santo state, about 310 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. </p><p>The two companies declined to disclose the cost of the project, although local sources estimated the terminal would cost $486 million to build. </p><p>The facility, with 2,461 feet of quay and water depth of 56 feet, is expected to start operations in mid-2028 and handle breakbulk in addition to containerized cargo. </p><p>“Latin America is a key strategic market for Hanseatic Global Terminals and Hapag-Lloyd,” Dheeraj Bhatia, Hanseatic Global Terminals CEO, said in a statement. “Our joint venture with the Imetame Group and the development of a new transshipment hub and gateway port on Brazil’s east coast strengthens our terminal portfolio while addressing capacity constraints in a growth region.”  </p><p>Operations at some of Brazil’s existing ports, including Santos and  Navegantes, are often disrupted due to bad weather, congestion and port construction work, according to advisories published by Hapag-Lloyd and forwarder Kuehne + Nagel. </p><p>The investment in the Aracruz terminal project is part of a Hapag-Lloyd plan announced by CEO Rolf Habben Jansen last March to expand its ports network to more than 30 terminals by 2030. </p><h3>ONE extends terminal holdings </h3><p>Meanwhile, ONE has bolstered its container terminals portfolio after signing a deal to take a minority stake in Dalian Container Terminal (DCT) in northern China, the Singapore-headquartered carrier said. </p><p>ONE did not disclose how large its interest will be, but the Dalian deal will add to its network that includes stakes in terminals in Los Angeles, Oakland, Rotterdam and Singapore.  </p><p>“This acquisition of a minority stake aligns with our strategy of ensuring access at key regional ports,” Hiroki Tsujii, global chief officer of ONE’s product and network division, said in a statement. “The ownership stake allows us to collaborate with DCT and contribute to its continued infrastructure development and green terminal initiatives.”  </p><p>DCT is one of the biggest container terminals in the region, with 14 container berths, a total quay length of 14,400 feet, and annual handling capacity of 6.6 million TEUs. </p><p><i>Contact Keith Wallis at </i><a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com"><i>keithwallis@hotmail.com</i></a>.</p></div>

Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) are expanding their container terminal portfolios with separate deals for facilities in Brazil and China, the carriers announced Tuesday. In Brazil, Hanseatic Global Terminals, Hapag-Lloyd’s ports division, has signed a joint venture agreement with the Imetame Group to take a 50% stake in Imetame Logística Porto (ILP), which focuses on container terminal operations. Under the deal, Hanseatic and Imetame will build and operate the 1.2 million-TEU capacity Hanseatic Global Terminals Aracruz container terminal at Aracruz in Brazil’s Espírito Santo state, about 310 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. The two companies declined to disclose the cost of the project, although local sources estimated the terminal would cost $486 million to build. The facility, with 2,461 feet of quay and water depth of 56 feet, is expected to start operations in mid-2028 and handle breakbulk in addition to containerized cargo. “Latin America is a key strategic market for Hanseatic Global Terminals and Hapag-Lloyd,” Dheeraj Bhatia, Hanseatic Global Terminals CEO, said in a statement. “Our joint venture with the Imetame Group and the development of a new transshipment hub and gateway port on Brazil’s east coast strengthens our terminal portfolio while addressing capacity constraints in a growth region.” Operations at some of Brazil’s existing ports, including Santos and Navegantes, are often disrupted due to bad weather, congestion and port construction work, according to advisories published by Hapag-Lloyd and forwarder Kuehne + Nagel. The investment in the Aracruz terminal project is part of a Hapag-Lloyd plan announced by CEO Rolf Habben Jansen last March to expand its ports network to more than 30 terminals by 2030. ONE extends terminal holdings Meanwhile, ONE has bolstered its container terminals portfolio after signing a deal to take a minority stake in Dalian Container Terminal (DCT) in northern China, the Singapore-headquartered carrier said. ONE did not disclose how large its interest will be, but the Dalian deal will add to its network that includes stakes in terminals in Los Angeles, Oakland, Rotterdam and Singapore. “This acquisition of a minority stake aligns with our strategy of ensuring access at key regional ports,” Hiroki Tsujii, global chief officer of ONE’s product and network division, said in a statement. “The ownership stake allows us to collaborate with DCT and contribute to its continued infrastructure development and green terminal initiatives.” DCT is one of the biggest container terminals in the region, with 14 container berths, a total quay length of 14,400 feet, and annual handling capacity of 6.6 million TEUs. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Port News

Port infrastructure

Marine terminals

International ports

Hapag-Lloyd, ONE expand terminal networks with deals in Brazil, China

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper"><p>As 2026 begins, US import demand remains uncertain, but the record amounts of capacity container lines plan to deploy in January and February could put further pressure on already weak rates.</p></div>

As 2026 begins, US import demand remains uncertain, but the record amounts of capacity container lines plan to deploy in January and February could put further pressure on already weak rates.

<div class="phx-topic"><p><i>The following is part of the Journal of Commerce’s 2026 Annual Review and Outlook.</i> </p><p><b>The big picture:</b> An injection of vessels pushed available capacity on the trans-Atlantic beyond market demand in 2025 despite relatively steady volumes. That leaves carriers with little leverage to raise rates from the sustained 16-month low reached in the fourth quarter. </p><div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6135199_0.1.jpg"></img></div><p><b>A look back:</b> US importers frontloading cargo ahead of threatened 30% tariffs on EU goods caused a spring volume surge on the westbound trans-Atlantic. US imports from North Europe peaked in March at 219,560 TEUs, up 14.3% from March 2024 and the third-highest total for any month in nearly nine years of data from PIERS, a sister product of the <i>Journal of Commerce</i> within S&amp;P Global. However, that momentum waned following a late-July trade deal that capped US tariffs on most EU imports at 15%, dragging year-over-year volume growth through November down to just 2.5%. At the same time, carriers added capacity to the trade via new and larger vessels. Mediterranean Shipping Co., for example, added a trans-Atlantic leg to its Asia-Mediterranean Dragon service, which operates with vessels averaging approximately 13,000 TEUs. For context, the largest vessel deployed on any other service between the Mediterranean and East Coast of North America was 9,600 TEUs. That helped boost the average size of container ships deployed on trans-Atlantic routes to nearly 6,200 TEUs in the third quarter, compared with 5,500 TEUs at the start of the year, according to data from Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis. </p><p><b>A look ahead:</b> As 2026 begins, US import demand remains uncertain, but the record amounts of capacity container lines plan to deploy in January and February could put further pressure on already weak rates. After briefly rising to $2,000 per FEU in March, average spot pricing from North Europe to the US East Coast has been stuck at $1,400 per FEU since early November, according to Platts, also part of S&amp;P Global. Even with a significant number of blank sailings, carriers plan to deploy more than 435,000 TEUs of capacity between North Europe and the US East and Gulf coasts in January and 390,000 TEUs in February, both of which would be all-time highs for the trade, according to eeSea. Further complicating demand projections are growing tensions over the implementation of the US-EU trade agreement. EU member states have been slow to approve the agreement — which would eliminate EU tariffs on most US products and reduce US tariffs on EU goods to 15% — on the grounds that it unfairly favors the US. </p><div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="ba342d44-7d63-4c55-a3ba-b135fbe604e7"></dynamic-object></div><p><b>The next inflection:</b> The trans-Atlantic is indirectly exposed to a resumption of regular Suez Canal transits. If congestion spreads across European ports, as predicted, when Asia-Europe vessels return to the Red Sea, it will be felt acutely on the shorter routes between Europe and the US East Coast. US importers would be wise to increase inventory levels of critical stock before carriers flip the Suez switch to mitigate any resulting disruption. </p><p><i>Contact Greg Knowler at </i><a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com"><i>greg.knowler@spglobal.com</i></a><i>.</i> </p></div>

The following is part of the Journal of Commerce’s 2026 Annual Review and Outlook. The big picture: An injection of vessels pushed available capacity on the trans-Atlantic beyond market demand in 2025 despite relatively steady volumes. That leaves carriers with little leverage to raise rates from the sustained 16-month low reached in the fourth quarter. A look back: US importers frontloading cargo ahead of threatened 30% tariffs on EU goods caused a spring volume surge on the westbound trans-Atlantic. US imports from North Europe peaked in March at 219,560 TEUs, up 14.3% from March 2024 and the third-highest total for any month in nearly nine years of data from PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. However, that momentum waned following a late-July trade deal that capped US tariffs on most EU imports at 15%, dragging year-over-year volume growth through November down to just 2.5%. At the same time, carriers added capacity to the trade via new and larger vessels. Mediterranean Shipping Co., for example, added a trans-Atlantic leg to its Asia-Mediterranean Dragon service, which operates with vessels averaging approximately 13,000 TEUs. For context, the largest vessel deployed on any other service between the Mediterranean and East Coast of North America was 9,600 TEUs. That helped boost the average size of container ships deployed on trans-Atlantic routes to nearly 6,200 TEUs in the third quarter, compared with 5,500 TEUs at the start of the year, according to data from Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis. A look ahead: As 2026 begins, US import demand remains uncertain, but the record amounts of capacity container lines plan to deploy in January and February could put further pressure on already weak rates. After briefly rising to $2,000 per FEU in March, average spot pricing from North Europe to the US East Coast has been stuck at $1,400 per FEU since early November, according to Platts, also part of S&P Global. Even with a significant number of blank sailings, carriers plan to deploy more than 435,000 TEUs of capacity between North Europe and the US East and Gulf coasts in January and 390,000 TEUs in February, both of which would be all-time highs for the trade, according to eeSea. Further complicating demand projections are growing tensions over the implementation of the US-EU trade agreement. EU member states have been slow to approve the agreement — which would eliminate EU tariffs on most US products and reduce US tariffs on EU goods to 15% — on the grounds that it unfairly favors the US. The next inflection: The trans-Atlantic is indirectly exposed to a resumption of regular Suez Canal transits. If congestion spreads across European ports, as predicted, when Asia-Europe vessels return to the Red Sea, it will be felt acutely on the shorter routes between Europe and the US East Coast. US importers would be wise to increase inventory levels of critical stock before carriers flip the Suez switch to mitigate any resulting disruption. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Trans-Atlantic

Trans-Atlantic capacity injection overtakes market demand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Breakbulk News

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

Container Shipping News | Journal of Commerce

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

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