Despite freefalling spot rates and lackluster demand expectations for the fourth quarter, carriers have been far more conservative in blanking sailings this year.

Full ships, a low number of blank sailings and improving schedule reliability have stabilized the westbound trade lane but will do little to raise rate levels, say executives and analysts.

Consequences for nations supporting the emissions-cutting measures were spelled out by the US State Department this week, which threatened to impose tariffs, port duties and even visa refusals.

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.

Air cargo capacity deployed on Vietnam-US routes nearly doubled in August on a year- over-year basis.

With no clear definition of what duty and data processes are required by CBP after the Aug. 29 end to all de minimis exemptions, most import shipments via post to the US have been suspended until further notice.

The unit cost of moving a container has been pushed higher compared with the prevailing pre-pandemic price structure, according to carrier executives, prompting cost-control measures.

Just over 7,000 TEUs of capacity is scheduled to be withdrawn through blank sailings in September even as carriers increase their deployed capacity by 2%.

With 70% of its volume moving under spot rates, there was no escape from the volatile US-China tariff battle.

New carrier services improved connections between Hamburg and the Mediterranean, Middle East, Asia and India, while hinterland traffic has continued to develop.

The development of the war-damaged Latakia International Container Terminal, which handles 95% of Syria’s containerized trade, is aimed at increasing the port’s handling capacity to 1 million TEUs.

The all-Scandinavian takeover will combine data sources in a move designed to bring transparency and efficiency to how ocean freight is bought and sold, Xeneta CEO Patrick Berglund says.

Carriers have responded by adjusting schedules and blanking sailings, but the capacity management has so far failed to hold up prices on the trade lane.

The Hong Kong-based JV will provide coordination, performance management and strategic oversight of all origin locations across Asia for members of the BCO group.

But the growing synergy and efficiencies of its Gemini network with Maersk are expected to generate significant savings over the next few quarters, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen says.

When the proposed agreement is adopted in October, as expected, all international shipping will be bound by the decarbonization regulation, an official at the shipping association pointed out.

A cautious approach to investment in network and terminal infrastructure is not keeping pace with market growth.

Following a July volume surge as US importers built inventory ahead of the sweeping US tariff rollout on Aug. 7, freighter airlines must now right-size capacity to match new demand levels.

But standing in the way of accelerated margin improvement is the volatile North American market to which the carrier is heavily exposed in logistics.

Globalization is accelerating on the back of the commercial success of Chinese companies that are taking market share on the global stage, according to the Maersk CEO.

Vincent Clerc said while the solid on-time performance levels had to be maintained before any commercial discussions would be held with customers, the time was coming.

The German integrator was able to offset tariff-driven volatility in the second quarter through cost-cutting measures but is facing “more of the same” in Q3, according to its CFO.

The number of unique services on routes navigating through Houthi-controlled waters has doubled since the third quarter of last year, according to data from eeSea, as carriers who do not call Israel feel growing comfort sailing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

Trade uncertainties are limiting visibility for the latter half of the carrier’s fiscal year, prompting it to significantly reduce its profit expectations.

DSV will start adding the first few country operations of DB Schenker into its network from Aug. 1 in an integration process expected to be completed by 2028.

While not yet reflected in freight rates, analysts and forwarders report growing space constraints out of Southeast Asian origins.

The Marseilles-based carrier said the unstable operating environment was disrupting trade flows and leading to growing uncertainty about demand in the major markets.

But with many details of the framework agreement still to be thrashed out over the coming weeks, it will do little to address the uncertainty hanging over the trade lane.

The 90-day pause in tariffs was long enough for US importers to advance most of their cargo shipments by ocean, according to analysts.

Double-digit demand is expected to continue through the third quarter on the Asia-Europe trades, piling more pressure on terminals that have been overstretched for months.

The negative foreign exchange effects were most noticeable in the forwarder’s US dollar-denominated ocean freight business, where earnings fell sharply in the second quarter.

The joint venture is accompanied by a long-term agreement that will lock in the supply of LNG to the ocean carrier’s fast-growing dual-fuel fleet that will increase to 123 vessels by 2029.

Consumer demand is driving container imports, but the weakening competitive position of European industry is directly impacting the integrated industrial cluster at the port.

The NYK subsidiary has its sights on a booming third-party logistics provider healthcare market in Europe that is expected to grow 8.1% a year until 2030.

The European automotive industry has been hammered by Washington’s import tariffs that are imposing a significant financial burden on the continent’s carmakers.

Container volumes handled by North Europe’s busiest port continue to grow, alongside the now critical need for more landside capacity.

But the longer voyages are also seeing container shipping companies cutting the average fuel intensity per TEU mile and ensuring vessels are sailing full.

The gathering will be closely watched by ocean carriers, shippers and container terminal operators in the US and Europe for signs that global unions are developing a coordinated cross-border “solidarity strike” strategy.

The tariff framework agreement between Washington and Hanoi, while still short on details, is expected to support Vietnam’s strong air cargo volume growth this year.

Rhenus Logistics will manage the end-to-end supply chain via a 4PL control tower tailored to the circular textile logistics business.