<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, deputy maritime administrator, urged state and local agencies to get involved in federal programs to improve infrastructure and boost U.S. exports. </div>

Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, deputy maritime administrator, urged state and local agencies to get involved in federal programs to improve infrastructure and boost U.S. exports.

<div>The Obama administration, as part of its effort to double U.S. exports, is investing millions of dollars in the maritime and intermodal freight transportation industries, a top Maritime Administration executive said.Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, deputy maritime administrator, told the California Maritime Leadership Symposium in Sacramento Wednesday that state and local agencies must join this effort if they want their regions to benefit from the federal government’s programs.“This administration, for the first time, put the marine transportation system on an equal footing with other transportation modes,” Jaenichen said.He cited four TIGER grant programs in President Obama’s first term that resulted in $350...

The Obama administration, as part of its effort to double U.S. exports, is investing millions of dollars in the maritime and intermodal freight transportation industries, a top Maritime Administration executive said. Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, deputy maritime administrator, told the California Maritime Leadership Symposium in Sacramento Wednesday that state and local agencies must join this effort if they want their regions to benefit from the federal government’s programs. “This administration, for the first time, put the marine transportation system on an equal footing with other transportation modes,” Jaenichen said. He cited four TIGER grant programs in President Obama’s first term that resulted in $350 million of appropriations for port projects. While there will be no more TIGER grant programs, assistance is still available in the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and Rail Infrastructure Financing programs, Jaenichen said. The new MAP-21 program (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century) to develop a national freight transportation infrastructure plan, while geared primarily for overland transportation, will also offer opportunities for the port and maritime industries to receive assistance, he said. State and local authorities must do their part to help the federal government prioritize infrastructure projects. Jaenichen noted there are 37 states with ports or navigable waterways, but only eight of those states have a maritime coordinator in their transportation agencies. The nation’s transportation infrastructure continues to lag in accommodating the growth in freight volumes. According to a “Failure to Act” report released last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the U.S. economy will suffer a loss of 178,000 jobs and $4 trillion in economic growth if the nation’s infrastructure needs are not addressed. Jaenichen said there is a pressing need to move forward with a national freight transportation plan under MAP-21. The effort must include an increase in spending on freight infrastructure, repair of existing infrastructure, stepping up channel dredging, expanding intermodal connectors and achieving a balance between infrastructure development and environmental needs. States that are successful in attracting federal money must demonstrate good management of funds under existing assistance programs, and they must prioritize their needs and show positive benefit-to-cost potential for future grants, he said. Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bmongelluzzo@joc.com and follow him at twitter.com/billmongelluzzo .

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Take Advantage of Export Efforts, States Urged

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Fifteen of the 27 EU countries will postpone implementation of the customs risk analysis program for imports into the EU until the end of the year, including France, Belgium, Spain and Italy.</div>

Fifteen of the 27 EU countries will postpone implementation of the customs risk analysis program for imports into the EU until the end of the year, including France, Belgium, Spain and Italy.

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<div class="phx-topic">More than half of the European Union’s 27 member nations will delay implementation of the advance cargo information system for road and rail shipments that was supposed to require full compliance from Sept. 1 to give service providers more time to prepare. But the four-month postponement of the final segment of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) regulation — a customs risk analysis program for imports into the EU that has taken five years to fully launch — has been roundly criticized by shippers and transport organizations. The incomplete rollout has created “a patchwork implementation that will confuse and frustrate” parties that move cargo into the EU, according to James Hookham, director-general of the Global Shippers’ Forum “It’s an EU-wide system so it’s either ready to work in 27 member states — plus Norway, Northern Ireland and Switzerland — or it’s not,” Hookham told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. The ICS2 advance filing system was applied to air cargo in 2021 and ocean shipments in 2024. Under ICS2 “Release 3” on Sept. 1, the regulation was applied to road and rail shipments that now also require Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for shipments entering or transiting the EU Customs Territory. Bryn Heimbeck, president and co-founder of global logistics platform TradeTech, noted that although ICS2 Release 3 was an important step in strengthening supply chain security in Europe, "the decision to allow postponements has created different timelines across the EU, which can be challenging for participants to navigate.” He said 15 of the 27 EU countries will delay implementation of ICS2 Release 3, including France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. The postponements are expected to be in effect until the end of the year, with full compliance mandatory once they expire. Road transport association IRU said granting postponements to EU member nations was logical if the system was not ready, but should have been applied to all member states. “In the current situation, a two-speed approach will expose road transport operators to high penalties and will force difficult and expensive decisions on the routing of operations, while customs administrations may struggle with high volumes of incomplete or missing ENS declarations,” the IRU said in a statement, warning of “severe disruption” at the EU’s external borders. <h3>Landside cargo challenges </h3>While the ICS2 was rolled out relatively painlessly for the ocean sectors, bringing the EU’s customs regulatory processes and data configurations in line with those of the US, Canada and Japan, preparations for advance information for landside cargo have proved to be complicated. The European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (Clecat), explained in a recent letter to the European Commission that land borders, unlike seaports and airports, had limited capacity and could be congested by only a few delayed trucks. “Practical challenges unique to road and rail, such as split loads, the prevalence of small carriers and the need for a multitude of non-EU operators to register in EU systems were clearly overlooked when assigning the same deployment timeline to all modes of transport,” the forwarder association noted. Clecat, the Global Shippers’ Forum and IRU have urged the European Commission to grant a non-enforcement period for ICS2 for road and rail, warning of serious blockages at European land borders. “The European Commission should act without delay and announce a six-month grace period at EU level to avoid fragmentation, ensure legal certainty and prevent disruption to European supply chains,” Clecat wrote in its letter to Brussels. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

More than half of the European Union’s 27 member nations will delay implementation of the advance cargo information system for road and rail shipments that was supposed to require full compliance from Sept. 1 to give service providers more time to prepare. But the four-month postponement of the final segment of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) regulation — a customs risk analysis program for imports into the EU that has taken five years to fully launch — has been roundly criticized by shippers and transport organizations. The incomplete rollout has created “a patchwork implementation that will confuse and frustrate” parties that move cargo into the EU, according to James Hookham, director-general of the Global Shippers’ Forum “It’s an EU-wide system so it’s either ready to work in 27 member states — plus Norway, Northern Ireland and Switzerland — or it’s not,” Hookham told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. The ICS2 advance filing system was applied to air cargo in 2021 and ocean shipments in 2024. Under ICS2 “Release 3” on Sept. 1, the regulation was applied to road and rail shipments that now also require Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for shipments entering or transiting the EU Customs Territory. Bryn Heimbeck, president and co-founder of global logistics platform TradeTech, noted that although ICS2 Release 3 was an important step in strengthening supply chain security in Europe, "the decision to allow postponements has created different timelines across the EU, which can be challenging for participants to navigate.” He said 15 of the 27 EU countries will delay implementation of ICS2 Release 3, including France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. The postponements are expected to be in effect until the end of the year, with full compliance mandatory once they expire. Road transport association IRU said granting postponements to EU member nations was logical if the system was not ready, but should have been applied to all member states. “In the current situation, a two-speed approach will expose road transport operators to high penalties and will force difficult and expensive decisions on the routing of operations, while customs administrations may struggle with high volumes of incomplete or missing ENS declarations,” the IRU said in a statement, warning of “severe disruption” at the EU’s external borders. Landside cargo challenges While the ICS2 was rolled out relatively painlessly for the ocean sectors, bringing the EU’s customs regulatory processes and data configurations in line with those of the US, Canada and Japan, preparations for advance information for landside cargo have proved to be complicated. The European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (Clecat), explained in a recent letter to the European Commission that land borders, unlike seaports and airports, had limited capacity and could be congested by only a few delayed trucks. “Practical challenges unique to road and rail, such as split loads, the prevalence of small carriers and the need for a multitude of non-EU operators to register in EU systems were clearly overlooked when assigning the same deployment timeline to all modes of transport,” the forwarder association noted. Clecat, the Global Shippers’ Forum and IRU have urged the European Commission to grant a non-enforcement period for ICS2 for road and rail, warning of serious blockages at European land borders. “The European Commission should act without delay and announce a six-month grace period at EU level to avoid fragmentation, ensure legal certainty and prevent disruption to European supply chains,” Clecat wrote in its letter to Brussels. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Logistics Technology News

Supply chain

Cargo groups slam ‘patchwork’ rollout of Europe’s ICS2 advance filing program

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Container lines offering regular calls at India’s busiest port have told customers the landside logjam is causing considerable supply chain risks for the trade as train turnarounds remain increasingly chaotic.</div>

Container lines offering regular calls at India’s busiest port have told customers the landside logjam is causing considerable supply chain risks for the trade as train turnarounds remain increasingly chaotic.

<div class="phx-topic">Mundra Port – India’s busiest container handler – is grappling with major harbor congestion that has severely disrupted the flow of cargo to and from northern hinterlands by rail. Rail freight accounts for a significant portion of box volumes handled by Mundra, with northern inland container depots (ICDs) contributing the most. Container lines offering regular calls at Mundra have told customers the landside logjam is causing considerable supply chain risks for the trade as train turnarounds remain increasingly chaotic. “Due to congestion, train movement towards Mundra Port is currently disrupted,” Maersk said in a customer advisory. “This is affecting the timely placement of export trains at the port and, consequently, causing delays in the evacuation of import containers.” The import backlogs have choked rail yards, complicating the typically followed first-in, first-out (FIFO) model of train operations, sources said. Concerns among local supply chain stakeholders are growing, with freight depot service leader Gateway Distriparks (GDL) sending out a trade advisory to customers. ”Train movement towards the port [Mundra] is currently sluggish,” GDL noted. “We are in regular touch with Indian Railways to expedite train movement.” Officials at India’s Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) who spoke with the Journal of Commerce have attributed the rail slowdowns to chronic capacity pressure at Mundra stemming from landside infrastructure gaps amid steady trade growth. “There is a critical need for port rail capacity to increase with more handling lines and evacuation capacity in order to deal with the growing volumes,” said ACTO President Manish Puri. “This is the only long-term solution, otherwise congestion will keep occurring whenever there is even a minor volume peak or other operational hiccup due to external factors.” <h3>Terminals, train operators at odds </h3>As shippers face additional cost implications, a blame game over the cargo buildups appears to be at play between port terminals and container train operators (CTOs), including state-owned giant Container Corporation of India (Concor). “We are not denying the increased pressure from import surges, but CTOs stick to their normal business approach on the export leg – wait until trains are completely full to dispatch,” said a port executive who didn’t want to be identified. Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines’ Association (India), said the issue needs fixing between terminals and CTOs, adding that a shortage of truck drivers linked to the festive season and lingering vessel bunching cases have exacerbated the problem. Mundra is equipped to handle up to 30 trains a day, generally railing out between 5,000 TEUs to 6,000 TEUs daily. But the normal inventory of import containers landing into its yards is in the range of 15,000 TEUs, which sources said has peaked at 20,000 TEUs in recent days. Mundra -- Adani Ports’ flagship port entity – features five box terminals, which have had 90%-plus utilization of existing capacity levels for some time because of strong cargo growth. But the pace of volumes passing through rival Nhava Sheva Port has ticked noticeably higher over the past few months following the recent launch of Phase II operations by concessionaire PSA International, pushing overall port capacity to about 10 million TEUs. The latest port data reflects that altering regional trend. April-August volumes at Nhava Sheva were up 13% year over year to 3.3 million TEUs, while Mundra remained relatively flat at 3.5 million TEUs. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com.</a></div>

Mundra Port – India’s busiest container handler – is grappling with major harbor congestion that has severely disrupted the flow of cargo to and from northern hinterlands by rail. Rail freight accounts for a significant portion of box volumes handled by Mundra, with northern inland container depots (ICDs) contributing the most. Container lines offering regular calls at Mundra have told customers the landside logjam is causing considerable supply chain risks for the trade as train turnarounds remain increasingly chaotic. “Due to congestion, train movement towards Mundra Port is currently disrupted,” Maersk said in a customer advisory. “This is affecting the timely placement of export trains at the port and, consequently, causing delays in the evacuation of import containers.” The import backlogs have choked rail yards, complicating the typically followed first-in, first-out (FIFO) model of train operations, sources said. Concerns among local supply chain stakeholders are growing, with freight depot service leader Gateway Distriparks (GDL) sending out a trade advisory to customers. ”Train movement towards the port [Mundra] is currently sluggish,” GDL noted. “We are in regular touch with Indian Railways to expedite train movement.” Officials at India’s Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) who spoke with the Journal of Commerce have attributed the rail slowdowns to chronic capacity pressure at Mundra stemming from landside infrastructure gaps amid steady trade growth. “There is a critical need for port rail capacity to increase with more handling lines and evacuation capacity in order to deal with the growing volumes,” said ACTO President Manish Puri. “This is the only long-term solution, otherwise congestion will keep occurring whenever there is even a minor volume peak or other operational hiccup due to external factors.” Terminals, train operators at odds As shippers face additional cost implications, a blame game over the cargo buildups appears to be at play between port terminals and container train operators (CTOs), including state-owned giant Container Corporation of India (Concor). “We are not denying the increased pressure from import surges, but CTOs stick to their normal business approach on the export leg – wait until trains are completely full to dispatch,” said a port executive who didn’t want to be identified. Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines’ Association (India), said the issue needs fixing between terminals and CTOs, adding that a shortage of truck drivers linked to the festive season and lingering vessel bunching cases have exacerbated the problem. Mundra is equipped to handle up to 30 trains a day, generally railing out between 5,000 TEUs to 6,000 TEUs daily. But the normal inventory of import containers landing into its yards is in the range of 15,000 TEUs, which sources said has peaked at 20,000 TEUs in recent days. Mundra -- Adani Ports’ flagship port entity – features five box terminals, which have had 90%-plus utilization of existing capacity levels for some time because of strong cargo growth. But the pace of volumes passing through rival Nhava Sheva Port has ticked noticeably higher over the past few months following the recent launch of Phase II operations by concessionaire PSA International, pushing overall port capacity to about 10 million TEUs. The latest port data reflects that altering regional trend. April-August volumes at Nhava Sheva were up 13% year over year to 3.3 million TEUs, while Mundra remained relatively flat at 3.5 million TEUs. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com.

Container Shipping News

Port News

International ports

Container lines

Port infrastructure

Maritime

Congestion choking Mundra Port threatens North India cargo flow

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Knight-Swift already partners with both UP and NS, so a combined transcontinental railroad would fit nicely into its existing service for shippers.</div>

Knight-Swift already partners with both UP and NS, so a combined transcontinental railroad would fit nicely into its existing service for shippers.

<div class="phx-topic">Knight-Swift Transportation said Tuesday it believes US regulators should approve Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), becoming the fourth major intermodal provider to publicly back the $85 billion deal. Swift Intermodal, Knight-Swift’s intermodal division, already partners with both UP and NS, making the acquisition a natural fit for its existing intermodal network. A combined transcontinental railroad would require little to no adjustment for Swift, and it could reap the rewards of eliminating time-consuming interchanges in cities such as Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans. “By knitting together a coast-to-coast rail network, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are creating new efficiencies that will benefit everyone — from logistics providers like us to our customers, to the end-consumers,” Knight-Swift CEO Adam Miller said in a statement. “As a company that operates thousands of trucks and thousands of intermodal containers, we know the power of combining modes. This unified rail system will let us seamlessly integrate our trucking with rail on cross-country shipments like never before.” Knight-Swift’s intermodal division owns about 12,000 containers, hauling nearly 150,000 loads across all North American railroads annually. It is the fifth-largest asset-owning intermodal provider in the US behind J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Hub Group, Schneider National and STG Logistics. Knight-Swift joins <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/up-ns-deal-would-trigger-unnecessary-wave-of-rail-mergers-cpkc-6069870">C.R. England, Hub Group, and Mode Transportation</a> as supporters of the UP-NS deal, which would create the US’ first transcontinental railroad and requires approval from the US Surface Transportation Board (STB), which could come sometime in 2027. <h3>Political football </h3>While UP and NS have until January to file their formal application to the STB, the railroads received a boost last week when the Trump administration moved to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trump-move-to-oust-stbs-primus-boosts-likelihood-of-up-ns-approval-6070952">fire board member</a> Robert Primus, who has been vocal in his opposition to consolidation in the rail industry. The Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Union and its transportation division (SMART-TD), has come out against the UP-NS transaction and criticized the attempted removal of Primus. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), another large rail union, has not taken a position on the proposed acquisition. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) opposes the deal and last week ruled out a potential merger with the other eastern US railroad, CSX Transportation. Canadian National Railway has not commented publicly on the UP-NS deal. Schneider National and STG Logistics, two other large asset-based partners of UP, have not taken a position on the proposed acquisition. Both partner with CSX in the eastern US, making a UP-NS transcontinental railroad more complicated for their intermodal networks. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Knight-Swift Transportation said Tuesday it believes US regulators should approve Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), becoming the fourth major intermodal provider to publicly back the $85 billion deal. Swift Intermodal, Knight-Swift’s intermodal division, already partners with both UP and NS, making the acquisition a natural fit for its existing intermodal network. A combined transcontinental railroad would require little to no adjustment for Swift, and it could reap the rewards of eliminating time-consuming interchanges in cities such as Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans. “By knitting together a coast-to-coast rail network, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are creating new efficiencies that will benefit everyone — from logistics providers like us to our customers, to the end-consumers,” Knight-Swift CEO Adam Miller said in a statement. “As a company that operates thousands of trucks and thousands of intermodal containers, we know the power of combining modes. This unified rail system will let us seamlessly integrate our trucking with rail on cross-country shipments like never before.” Knight-Swift’s intermodal division owns about 12,000 containers, hauling nearly 150,000 loads across all North American railroads annually. It is the fifth-largest asset-owning intermodal provider in the US behind J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Hub Group, Schneider National and STG Logistics. Knight-Swift joins C.R. England, Hub Group, and Mode Transportation as supporters of the UP-NS deal, which would create the US’ first transcontinental railroad and requires approval from the US Surface Transportation Board (STB), which could come sometime in 2027. Political football While UP and NS have until January to file their formal application to the STB, the railroads received a boost last week when the Trump administration moved to fire board member Robert Primus, who has been vocal in his opposition to consolidation in the rail industry. The Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Union and its transportation division (SMART-TD), has come out against the UP-NS transaction and criticized the attempted removal of Primus. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), another large rail union, has not taken a position on the proposed acquisition. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) opposes the deal and last week ruled out a potential merger with the other eastern US railroad, CSX Transportation. Canadian National Railway has not commented publicly on the UP-NS deal. Schneider National and STG Logistics, two other large asset-based partners of UP, have not taken a position on the proposed acquisition. Both partner with CSX in the eastern US, making a UP-NS transcontinental railroad more complicated for their intermodal networks. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Intermodal providers

Rail News

Knight-Swift says it backs Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern deal

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Ocean carriers are seeking to curb the sharp decline in spot rates in the run-up to next month’s Golden Week holiday. </div>

Ocean carriers are seeking to curb the sharp decline in spot rates in the run-up to next month’s Golden Week holiday.

<div class="phx-topic">The next few weeks on the trans-Pacific trade will be telling as time is running out for container lines to adjust capacity to falling demand or risk losing contracted cargo to the spot market. A slight bump last week in container spot rates, as measured by the Platts and Shanghai Shipping Exchange indexes, could be a sign of blank sailings ending the sharp dive in rates that began in late May, or merely a blip. The run-up to Golden Week that starts Oct. 1, a period of slowing China production due to the holiday observance, gives carriers the last major window this year to stem the rate bleed or see shippers neglect contracted allocations in favor of cheaper spot rates. Ocean carriers are seeking rate increases of $800 to $900 per FEU, sources say, with one carrier representative noting the efforts are focused on curbing the rate erosion of the last two months. Container spot rates from Asia to the US West Coast are about $2,000 per FEU, according to various indexes, with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange registering a 65% drop since June. Container lines thus far have been modest in blanking capacity despite falling rates and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-retailers-project-big-year-over-year-import-declines-to-close-out-2025-6060323">weak forecasts for year-end volumes</a>. But analysts and forwarders warn that a sharp increase in blanks is nearly inevitable. Carriers’ averseness to losing import <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/toll-of-us-tariffs-begins-to-emerge-on-unsettled-trans-pacific-6065761">volumes already weakened by US tariff frontloading</a>, the potential for a late-year surge, and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/niche-carriers-plan-to-ride-out-declining-spot-rates-on-the-trans-pacific-6071722">niche carriers sticking to the trade</a> have kept blanking levels consistent with past years. <h3>More capacity coming in October </h3>Container lines plan to inject more capacity in October, nonetheless, adding nearly 100,000 TEUs more than what’s deployed in September, according to maritime intelligence provider eeSea. The share of tonnage deployed on Asia to the US West Coast that is made unusable through blank sailings hovered near 8.4% in August, and carriers so far plan to blank a similar proportion of tonnage in September and October, although that can rise as weeks progress. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="d0dc514b-60a6-4b10-862a-081c37b36db2"></dynamic-object></div>If carriers can’t adjust demand to supply, they face the risk of more shippers turning to the spot market rather than fulfilling contracted cargo allocations. Spot rates, as measured by various indexes, are at levels that many small and medium-sized shippers signed contracts at in the spring. Short-term ocean rates, as measured by benchmarking provider Xeneta, began falling in early August below contract rates covering 88 days or more. The short-term cost to ship an FEU from Asia to the US West Coast was $1,319 for the week ending Aug. 28, compared with $1,597 for the long-term rate in the same period. “We've got customers who are eager to save $100 anywhere, and they want a piece of that,” said a forwarder who did not want to be identified. “We are not trying to sell it, but when they ask us, ‘What are your FAK rates?’ We can’t tell them, ‘No, we’re not going to offer you our FAK rates,’ especially if it means we’re going to get some incremental business out of it.”<div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="98a0037a-3658-44f2-86a3-be3148b993eb"></dynamic-object></div>Small and medium-sized importers signed service contract rates at a larger-than-usual premium than the largest retailers in mid-April just as the market was showing strength, said another forwarder. The largest big-box retailers signed contracts that generally began May 1 in the range of $1,600 to $1,800 per FEU, while midsize and smaller importers secured contract rates in the range of $2,000 to $2,200 per FEU. The danger importers face chasing cheaper spot rates when the rates are falling is that carriers will be loath to help out cargo owners when the market inevitably tightens — even if it’s short-lived. Container lines are more agile in moving vessels to and from ocean trades by omitting calls to ports or voiding sailings, according to an Aug. 28 notice sent by forwarder American Shipping Co. to its customers that was seen by the Journal of Commerce. While such tools to manage capacity haven’t had much impact in recent months, “if timed right, it can have a direct impact on the freight rates,” the notice read. Most shippers are not concerned about carriers charging them for dead freight if they do not fill the minimum quantity commitments (MQCs) in their contracts because, historically, carriers have never done that. Carriers normally roll over the unused MQCs into the next year’s contracts. So far, the shift from contracted cargo to spot cargo has been minimal, according to forwarders and carriers who spoke with the Journal of Commerce. But the inflection point is getting closer. “It could happen” that more BCOs turn to the spot market if rates reverse course in the coming weeks and begin dropping again toward $1,600 to the West Coast and $2,600 to the East Coast, said Benton Kauffman, head of trans-Pacific air and sea logistics at forwarder DSV Global Logistics. “If the West Coast spot rate sinks to $1,400, some BCOs will seek to reopen their contracts, or they could book more under spot,” Kauffman said. Contact Mark Szakonyi at <a href="mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com">mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com</a>. Senior Editor Bill Mongelluzzo and Associate Editor Laura Robb contributed to this report. </div>

The next few weeks on the trans-Pacific trade will be telling as time is running out for container lines to adjust capacity to falling demand or risk losing contracted cargo to the spot market. A slight bump last week in container spot rates, as measured by the Platts and Shanghai Shipping Exchange indexes, could be a sign of blank sailings ending the sharp dive in rates that began in late May, or merely a blip. The run-up to Golden Week that starts Oct. 1, a period of slowing China production due to the holiday observance, gives carriers the last major window this year to stem the rate bleed or see shippers neglect contracted allocations in favor of cheaper spot rates. Ocean carriers are seeking rate increases of $800 to $900 per FEU, sources say, with one carrier representative noting the efforts are focused on curbing the rate erosion of the last two months. Container spot rates from Asia to the US West Coast are about $2,000 per FEU, according to various indexes, with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange registering a 65% drop since June. Container lines thus far have been modest in blanking capacity despite falling rates and weak forecasts for year-end volumes . But analysts and forwarders warn that a sharp increase in blanks is nearly inevitable. Carriers’ averseness to losing import volumes already weakened by US tariff frontloading , the potential for a late-year surge, and niche carriers sticking to the trade have kept blanking levels consistent with past years. More capacity coming in October Container lines plan to inject more capacity in October, nonetheless, adding nearly 100,000 TEUs more than what’s deployed in September, according to maritime intelligence provider eeSea. The share of tonnage deployed on Asia to the US West Coast that is made unusable through blank sailings hovered near 8.4% in August, and carriers so far plan to blank a similar proportion of tonnage in September and October, although that can rise as weeks progress. If carriers can’t adjust demand to supply, they face the risk of more shippers turning to the spot market rather than fulfilling contracted cargo allocations. Spot rates, as measured by various indexes, are at levels that many small and medium-sized shippers signed contracts at in the spring. Short-term ocean rates, as measured by benchmarking provider Xeneta, began falling in early August below contract rates covering 88 days or more. The short-term cost to ship an FEU from Asia to the US West Coast was $1,319 for the week ending Aug. 28, compared with $1,597 for the long-term rate in the same period. “We've got customers who are eager to save $100 anywhere, and they want a piece of that,” said a forwarder who did not want to be identified. “We are not trying to sell it, but when they ask us, ‘What are your FAK rates?’ We can’t tell them, ‘No, we’re not going to offer you our FAK rates,’ especially if it means we’re going to get some incremental business out of it.” Small and medium-sized importers signed service contract rates at a larger-than-usual premium than the largest retailers in mid-April just as the market was showing strength, said another forwarder. The largest big-box retailers signed contracts that generally began May 1 in the range of $1,600 to $1,800 per FEU, while midsize and smaller importers secured contract rates in the range of $2,000 to $2,200 per FEU. The danger importers face chasing cheaper spot rates when the rates are falling is that carriers will be loath to help out cargo owners when the market inevitably tightens — even if it’s short-lived. Container lines are more agile in moving vessels to and from ocean trades by omitting calls to ports or voiding sailings, according to an Aug. 28 notice sent by forwarder American Shipping Co. to its customers that was seen by the Journal of Commerce. While such tools to manage capacity haven’t had much impact in recent months, “if timed right, it can have a direct impact on the freight rates,” the notice read. Most shippers are not concerned about carriers charging them for dead freight if they do not fill the minimum quantity commitments (MQCs) in their contracts because, historically, carriers have never done that. Carriers normally roll over the unused MQCs into the next year’s contracts. So far, the shift from contracted cargo to spot cargo has been minimal, according to forwarders and carriers who spoke with the Journal of Commerce. But the inflection point is getting closer. “It could happen” that more BCOs turn to the spot market if rates reverse course in the coming weeks and begin dropping again toward $1,600 to the West Coast and $2,600 to the East Coast, said Benton Kauffman, head of trans-Pacific air and sea logistics at forwarder DSV Global Logistics. “If the West Coast spot rate sinks to $1,400, some BCOs will seek to reopen their contracts, or they could book more under spot,” Kauffman said. Contact Mark Szakonyi at mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com . Senior Editor Bill Mongelluzzo and Associate Editor Laura Robb contributed to this report.

Forwarding

Trans-Pacific

Ocean market in trans-Pacific arrives at spot pricing tipping point

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The former NYK Line executive was a swashbuckling figure who epitomized an era of influential and charismatic US heads of European and Asian container lines — figures who dominated the US landscape with levels of authority that have long since given way to headquarter supremacy.</div>

The former NYK Line executive was a swashbuckling figure who epitomized an era of influential and charismatic US heads of European and Asian container lines — figures who dominated the US landscape with levels of authority that have long since given way to headquarter supremacy.

<div class="phx-topic">The passing of <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/dodd-fiori-ex-nyk-north-america-executive-dead-at-82-6067734">former NYK Line executive Dodd Fiori on Aug. 16 at 82</a> is cause to look back on the heyday of his career in the 1990s, a period of profound change in the industry that culminated in an ultimately futile legislative effort to set the industry on a path toward value creation both for itself and its customers. Fiori was a swashbuckling figure who epitomized an era of influential and charismatic US heads of European and Asian container lines — figures who dominated the US landscape with levels of authority that have long since given way to headquarter supremacy within carrier organizations. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6073367_0.1.jpg"></img></div>Figures such as Capt. Nicola Arena of Mediterranean Shipping Co., Oscar J. Abello of “K” Line, Conrad Everhard of Cho Yang, A.B. “Ted” Ruhly of Maersk and Rudy Mack of Hapag-Lloyd rode astride the US industry and had the authority to be go-to sources for deals by shippers and forwarders. The lack of such figures in the US industry today means many large beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) regularly make pilgrimages to carrier headquarters to lock in capacity — the customer traveling to see the vendor — reflecting how the nexus of power within carriers gravitated from regions such as the US to Geneva, Marseille, Shanghai, Hamburg, Singapore and Copenhagen. But years ago, it was the regional leadership that was firmly in charge, especially in the US, where the regional heads were on the frontlines in dealing with customers and regulators. An example was Fiori negotiating NYK’s first contract with Walmart based on the carrier’s new Asia-East Coast via the Suez Canal route, the famed AEX service, which played to the retailer’s desire to land goods closer to East Coast store locations. “While the early 1990’s was still an era where the container industry had sustained periods of excess capacity, the Asia to East Coast [via Panama or Suez] was still somewhat of a niche market and not characterized by severe excess supply; that would of course change,” recalled Sam Ruda, who worked under Fiori before going on to other roles, including heading the Port of New York and New Jersey. “So, in this lane, at least in the early 1990’s, the power balance between the carrier and the shipper was more even,” Ruda said. “Dodd really played into this dynamic in the meeting with Walmart. The West Coast was not really the strategic imperative for Walmart. They needed capacity and service in the emerging East Coast lane from Asia via the canal routings.” <h3>Shippers emerge as a ‘power center’ </h3>While the 1990s saw the emergence of shippers such as Walmart, whose business model was based on supply chain, parallel and interconnected changes were underway that Fiori and other carrier heads were in the middle of. The period saw the emergence of shippers as a power center and the parallel demise of the decades-old conference system, where rate levels were set by conference carriers with little room for flexibility via “independent action” on rates. The idea to replace that system, supported by Fiori and other US industry leaders, as well as shippers, was enshrined in the deregulatory 1998 Ocean Shipping Reform Act, forged out of consensus among all key players. (That was in direct contrast to OSRA-22, which, in an entirely different political environment, was passed over carriers’ objections). The idea in 1998 was that win-win contractual relationships would result from allowing shippers and carriers for the first time to sign confidential contracts not subject to collective pricing actions by conferences. That vision, it seems fair to say, was never realized. At the first TPM in 2001, then-APL CEO Flemming Jacobs based his keynote speech on the need for value-creating relationships to emerge, which had yet to happen three years after the law passed. It was not hard to understand why. Consolidation at that time was still in its early stages. And persistent overcapacity and most shippers’ unwillingness to pay a premium for reliable service created tensions, especially with traditional conference carriers such as NYK and APL, whose services were based on reliability, with rates set 5% to 10% above non-conference lines. <h3>‘In the middle’ of tension </h3>During the 1990s, “the carrier side had sustained periods of overcapacity. Profitability for the carriers was elusive. And this lack of profitability created a lot of underlying tension between the [NYK] home office [in Tokyo] and the regional offices [in the US],” Ruda said. “I think this tension was true across the entire carrier industry. Dodd was right in the middle of this tension.” As the conference system faltered, the deregulated market that replaced it made it increasingly unprofitable for carriers to invest in the extra fuel needed to speed up to maintain schedules. Some carriers spent on extra fuel anyway in an elusive bid to extract premium rates until number crunches later exposed the folly of the spending. That pressure has carried through to the present day, with a key difference being that most carriers seem to have largely given up on the idea of reliability or are minimally focused on it. They prefer instead to see capacity absorbed by port congestion or geopolitical shocks, which resulted in the all-time record profits earned during and after COVID-19, including in the first half of 2025. If Fiori’s day saw the impact of overcapacity, that was partly due to the number of carriers serving the east-west trades being much greater than today. In the 1990s, 12 major conference carriers and five non-conference carriers were operating in the trans-Pacific, said Mike DiVirgilio, who worked under Fiori at NYK. That has now changed. “With a steady stream of mergers, acquisitions and a few bankruptcies, the carrier side has undergone a tectonic transformation,” Ruda said. “From a carrier perspective, consolidation enables significantly improved capability to better manage capacity which then enables improved pricing power and thus, the ability to charge rate levels that offer a return on capital.” While overcapacity is asserting itself again in the second half of 2025, consolidation has resulted in the top 10 carriers controlling 84% of capacity, according to Alphaliner, a fundamental change from the 1990s. “The ‘3-Cs’ have played out on a global scale in the container industry: consolidation, capacity management and the ability to charge [pricing power],” Ruda said. Contact Peter Tirschwell at <a href="mailto:peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com">peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

The passing of former NYK Line executive Dodd Fiori on Aug. 16 at 82 is cause to look back on the heyday of his career in the 1990s, a period of profound change in the industry that culminated in an ultimately futile legislative effort to set the industry on a path toward value creation both for itself and its customers. Fiori was a swashbuckling figure who epitomized an era of influential and charismatic US heads of European and Asian container lines — figures who dominated the US landscape with levels of authority that have long since given way to headquarter supremacy within carrier organizations. Figures such as Capt. Nicola Arena of Mediterranean Shipping Co., Oscar J. Abello of “K” Line, Conrad Everhard of Cho Yang, A.B. “Ted” Ruhly of Maersk and Rudy Mack of Hapag-Lloyd rode astride the US industry and had the authority to be go-to sources for deals by shippers and forwarders. The lack of such figures in the US industry today means many large beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) regularly make pilgrimages to carrier headquarters to lock in capacity — the customer traveling to see the vendor — reflecting how the nexus of power within carriers gravitated from regions such as the US to Geneva, Marseille, Shanghai, Hamburg, Singapore and Copenhagen. But years ago, it was the regional leadership that was firmly in charge, especially in the US, where the regional heads were on the frontlines in dealing with customers and regulators. An example was Fiori negotiating NYK’s first contract with Walmart based on the carrier’s new Asia-East Coast via the Suez Canal route, the famed AEX service, which played to the retailer’s desire to land goods closer to East Coast store locations. “While the early 1990’s was still an era where the container industry had sustained periods of excess capacity, the Asia to East Coast [via Panama or Suez] was still somewhat of a niche market and not characterized by severe excess supply; that would of course change,” recalled Sam Ruda, who worked under Fiori before going on to other roles, including heading the Port of New York and New Jersey. “So, in this lane, at least in the early 1990’s, the power balance between the carrier and the shipper was more even,” Ruda said. “Dodd really played into this dynamic in the meeting with Walmart. The West Coast was not really the strategic imperative for Walmart. They needed capacity and service in the emerging East Coast lane from Asia via the canal routings.” Shippers emerge as a ‘power center’ While the 1990s saw the emergence of shippers such as Walmart, whose business model was based on supply chain, parallel and interconnected changes were underway that Fiori and other carrier heads were in the middle of. The period saw the emergence of shippers as a power center and the parallel demise of the decades-old conference system, where rate levels were set by conference carriers with little room for flexibility via “independent action” on rates. The idea to replace that system, supported by Fiori and other US industry leaders, as well as shippers, was enshrined in the deregulatory 1998 Ocean Shipping Reform Act, forged out of consensus among all key players. (That was in direct contrast to OSRA-22, which, in an entirely different political environment, was passed over carriers’ objections). The idea in 1998 was that win-win contractual relationships would result from allowing shippers and carriers for the first time to sign confidential contracts not subject to collective pricing actions by conferences. That vision, it seems fair to say, was never realized. At the first TPM in 2001, then-APL CEO Flemming Jacobs based his keynote speech on the need for value-creating relationships to emerge, which had yet to happen three years after the law passed. It was not hard to understand why. Consolidation at that time was still in its early stages. And persistent overcapacity and most shippers’ unwillingness to pay a premium for reliable service created tensions, especially with traditional conference carriers such as NYK and APL, whose services were based on reliability, with rates set 5% to 10% above non-conference lines. ‘In the middle’ of tension During the 1990s, “the carrier side had sustained periods of overcapacity. Profitability for the carriers was elusive. And this lack of profitability created a lot of underlying tension between the [NYK] home office [in Tokyo] and the regional offices [in the US],” Ruda said. “I think this tension was true across the entire carrier industry. Dodd was right in the middle of this tension.” As the conference system faltered, the deregulated market that replaced it made it increasingly unprofitable for carriers to invest in the extra fuel needed to speed up to maintain schedules. Some carriers spent on extra fuel anyway in an elusive bid to extract premium rates until number crunches later exposed the folly of the spending. That pressure has carried through to the present day, with a key difference being that most carriers seem to have largely given up on the idea of reliability or are minimally focused on it. They prefer instead to see capacity absorbed by port congestion or geopolitical shocks, which resulted in the all-time record profits earned during and after COVID-19, including in the first half of 2025. If Fiori’s day saw the impact of overcapacity, that was partly due to the number of carriers serving the east-west trades being much greater than today. In the 1990s, 12 major conference carriers and five non-conference carriers were operating in the trans-Pacific, said Mike DiVirgilio, who worked under Fiori at NYK. That has now changed. “With a steady stream of mergers, acquisitions and a few bankruptcies, the carrier side has undergone a tectonic transformation,” Ruda said. “From a carrier perspective, consolidation enables significantly improved capability to better manage capacity which then enables improved pricing power and thus, the ability to charge rate levels that offer a return on capital.” While overcapacity is asserting itself again in the second half of 2025, consolidation has resulted in the top 10 carriers controlling 84% of capacity, according to Alphaliner, a fundamental change from the 1990s. “The ‘3-Cs’ have played out on a global scale in the container industry: consolidation, capacity management and the ability to charge [pricing power],” Ruda said. Contact Peter Tirschwell at peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com .

Dodd Fiori’s passing harks back to a bygone era in US shipping

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At SSA Marine Mexico, we firmly believe that business development must go hand in hand with social and environmental well-being. Our vision is not solely focused on operating efficiently, but also on creating a meaningful and positive impact in the communities where we are present. Since 1995, we have reaffirmed this commitment through tangible actions that reflect our core values of responsibility, solidarity, and sustainability. <span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-3_2 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="3:2"><img src="/content-assets/1752584535914_Photo%201.jpg" alt="" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"> A Year of Major Achievements Over the past year, we allocated more than $107,000 USD to the implementation of 60 social and environmental projects, positively impacting over 7,800 people across various regions of Mexico. Each initiative was designed with a holistic approach, addressing key areas that contribute to long-term community development. Education: Laying the Foundation for the Future Education is one of the most powerful tools to promote social mobility and equitable development. At SSA Marine Mexico, we support academic initiatives that inspire and empower the next generation of leaders. One of our most impactful partnerships was with the University of Colima, where we sponsored the “Reto Camp” program. This initiative encourages university students to develop innovative solutions in the fields of sustainability, logistics, and port operations, offering them mentorship, tools, and real-world challenges to solve. In addition, we donated microscopes, school supplies, and educational materials to institutions in underserved communities, helping to improve the learning environment and provide students with the resources they need to succeed. Health and Sports: Promoting Wellness We believe that healthy communities are strong communities. We have supported several local sporting events and provided direct assistance to talented athletes, enabling them to pursue their passions and represent their regions with pride. Beyond sports, we also strengthened our collaboration with critical emergency response organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross and Civil Protection. Our contributions helped enhance their readiness and capabilities in times of crisis, ensuring better outcomes for those affected by emergencies. Supporting Vulnerable Groups: Reaching Those Who Need It Most A core part of our social responsibility efforts is directed toward supporting vulnerable populations. We have contributed to a range of initiatives focused on children, migrants, and at-risk families. These efforts included donations to orphanages and shelters, as well as support for the National Institute of Migration and grassroots organizations dedicated to protecting and empowering people facing adversity. By standing with those in need, we reinforce our commitment to inclusion and social justice, values that are central to our identity as a responsible company. <span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-3_2 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="3:2"><img src="/content-assets/1752584944645_Photo%202.png" alt="" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit">Culture: Strengthening Community Identity Cultural identity is a key element in building resilient and united communities. At SSA Marine Mexico, we actively participate in the organization and sponsorship of cultural events that celebrate local traditions and foster civic pride. Working alongside port authorities and municipal governments, we helped bring music, art, and heritage to the forefront, creating spaces for community engagement and intercultural dialogue. Environment: Investing in the Planet Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond operations—it’s a philosophy that drives every decision we make. We have partnered with environmental institutions to carry out reforestation campaigns, beach cleanups, and conservation efforts. In collaboration with the Institute for the Environment, we supported initiatives aimed at decarbonization, biodiversity protection, and environmental education. By involving our employees and local volunteers in these actions, we also foster a culture of environmental stewardship throughout our organization and our surrounding communities. Innovation for a Sustainable Future Sustainability is not just about doing good—it’s also about doing things better. In 2024, we invested $22 million USD in the acquisition of 11 state-of-the-art E-RTG cranes. These electric rubber-tired gantry cranes represent a significant technological advancement in port equipment. Seven of them are already operating on clean electric energy, resulting in a reduction of nearly 4,000 tons of CO₂ emissions and improving operational efficiency by 7%. The remaining four cranes are fully compatible with future electrification, underscoring our long-term strategy to modernize our operations in an environmentally responsible way. This investment is part of a broader innovation roadmap that includes digitalization, automation, and cleaner energy sources—all designed to ensure that our ports continue to grow without compromising the health of our planet. Building a Better Tomorrow, Together At SSA Marine Mexico, we understand that sustainability is a shared and ongoing responsibility. True impact requires collaboration across sectors, long-term vision, and unwavering commitment. That is why we continue to work hand-in-hand with local authorities, non-profit organizations, universities, and our own employees to create solutions that are both scalable and sustainable. Our journey is far from over. In the years ahead, we will continue to deepen our community engagement, explore cleaner technologies, and strengthen the social fabric of the regions where we operate. Each initiative, no matter the size, is a step toward building a future where business success goes hand-in-hand with human and environmental prosperity. We are proud of what we have achieved in 2024, but we are even more excited about what lies ahead. SSA Marine Mexico — Moving the World, Caring for People and Planet. LINK: https://www.ssamarine.mx/

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