After reaching a record low in 2020, a spate of orders for container ships scheduled for delivery from early 2023 has revived the excess capacity discussion.

After announcing its highly profitable operating results in January, Hapag-Lloyd’s annual financial report only reinforced what was an incredibly successful 2020 for the carrier.

The addition of NileDutch to the Hapag-Lloyd network adds significant capacity in an expanding market.

Strongly growing volume on China-Europe rail is causing surprisingly few major delays as forwarders find new routes around potential choke points on the network.

The world’s third-largest container carrier has reported a huge turnaround from the losses of 2019, driven by higher rates and strong demand in the second half of last year.

Multiple factors are lining up to rock the traditional stability of the trans-Atlantic, even as those on the trade prepare for strong growth in volume.

Air cargo industry experts told the TPM21 conference the belly space that normally makes up more than half of all available freight capacity will likely remain sidelined as airlines continue to struggle with uncertain passenger demand.

With green ammonia quickly emerging as one of the most promising zero-carbon fuels of the future, a group of companies involved in the maritime industry have signed up to a bunkering study in Singapore.

The DHL group has much of its business focused on a segment of the market that has enjoyed explosive growth through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strong and sustained demand from its major markets and elevated rate levels delivered a solid 2020 result for the parent company of Cosco Shipping and OOCL.

Shippers being forced out of container shipping by congestion and equipment shortages may find the air cargo markets too rich for their lower margin freight.

Heavily disrupted container shipping markets are forcing ocean shippers into the air cargo markets, with space shortages on vessels, port congestion, and difficulties in sourcing equipment for Asian exports heaping additional pressure on limited air freight capacity.

Kuehne + Nagel turned around a weak first half of 2020 when the pandemic slashed demand, building back its business with air cargo profitability leading the way.

The explosion of online shopping through the COVID-19 pandemic is having an effect on demand patterns that will keep pressure on the supply chain through this year and beyond.

Sustained demand will keep volume high deep into 2021 and fill all available ocean capacity, so delaying contract talks with carriers could leave shippers stuck on the volatile spot markets.

The trans-Atlantic has largely managed to avoid the extreme rate increases of the other east-west routes, but that may be about to change.

The way container shipping contracts are structured between shippers and carriers has left both parties with greater exposure to the highly disrupted market.

There has been no slowdown in demand for Asian cargoes from European importers, and the strong volume is keeping rates at extremely elevated levels.

With no material improvement in heavily constrained air cargo capacity expected anytime soon, forwarders have been aggressively expanding their access to space

Long-term contract rates signed by shippers on key shipping corridors out of China continued to increase through February, driven by strong demand and high spot rates.

The head of CMA CGM said given the historically low rates prior to the pandemic, container shipping had to increase overall price levels going forward, but dismal service levels also have to improve.

Europe’s third-largest port could not convert a solid rebound in second half volume into full-year growth in container throughput.

CMA CGM Air Cargo’s two Airbus freighters will take to the skies in March, adding capacity to a severely constrained trans-Atlantic market.

A Danish project to produce carbon-neutral ammonia fuel at scale has been backed by market leaders in the shipping and agriculture sectors.

The seasonal drop in demand is likely behind a steep fall in air freight rates out of China, but limited capacity will keep prices above pre-pandemic levels traditionally seen in the first half of the year.

Kuehne + Nagel has made its biggest ever takeover deal in an agreement to acquire Chinese forwarder Apex and capitalize on explosive growth in the Asia Pacific e-commerce market.

The pandemic-disrupted 2020 was a year of two halves for Europe’s hub ports such as Rotterdam, where demand fell sharply in the first six months before rebounding strongly over the rest of the year.

Soaring rate levels and deteriorating service from carriers has aroused regulator interest, but in a thoroughly disrupted market, Hapag-Lloyd sees this as a positive development.

The need to handle rising LCL and air freight volume within its network is behind the acquisition by Rhenus of a rival’s forwarding business in Germany.

Evolving technology has allowed Maersk to fast track the deployment of its first methanol-fueled container vessel.

Hapag-Lloyd says it expects to continue to reap hefty rewards from strong demand and high rates that led the carrier to a record 2020 operating result.

Backlogs in Chinese factory orders and sustained demand from the US and Europe is keeping air cargo capacity full and rates up during a period that is typically the slack season.

Europe’s pandemic-weakened economies are struggling to recover this quarter, and slowing demand is being reflected in freight rates that have been sliding since mid-January.

Having greater control of growing volume at ports and inland corridors, and tackling competition, is behind two huge port mergers in Europe.

CMA CGM has taken a giant step deeper into the air freight market, launching an air cargo division to provide global coverage out of Europe.

Several top French shippers have committed to a wind-driven sailing service on the trans-Atlantic as part of efforts to further reduce their cargo’s carbon footprint.

The demand surge that is congesting supply chains out of Asia is expected to continue long after Chinese New Year as carriers and ports battle with cargo backlogs.

Greater coverage of air and ocean markets through its acquisition of Panalpina has driven up profitability at DSV, and the forwarder is expecting an even better result this year.

Maersk expanded deeper into landside logistics during 2020, strongly boosting its non-ocean revenue during a highly profitable year.

South Korean carrier HMM is the latest shipping line to report a significantly improved 2020 result, with the industry now firmly on track for its most positive financial performance in years.