The fast and furious beneficial cargo owner (BCO) response to recently announced <a>ocean carrier</a> emergency <a>bunker surcharges</a> is troubling, given strong container volumes, flatlining rates in the second quarter, and <a>steadily rising bunker fuel prices</a> outside ocean carriers’ control. Sadly, it isn’t surprising. After decades of black-box surcharge formulas versus all-in contract rates with no meaningful cost recovery, and with a sharp rise in fuel costs on the horizon, the time may be right for one simple surcharge methodology and full transparency.The math is the math. Ships have a rated fuel consumption range; they can be run more slowly to...

Given bunker price volatility and spotty surcharge collection, it makes little economic sense for ocean carriers to sign contracts without separate, floating bunker surcharges. On the other hand, shippers don’t want to pay for increases not allowed under all-in rate or no-adjustment contracts. One solution may be a standardized, transparent, bunker surcharge formula.

Container lines

Transport, Trade, and Regulation News

2020 fuel compliance and cost recovery — what will be the formula?

Southern California agency to unilaterally develop emissions cut rules at rail yards 

Maersk to invest $500 million in Southeast Asia logistics even as integrator model struggles

Europe’s ocean trades may see overlapping CO2 charges: DNV 

Carriers weigh options after Red Sea route threatened by missile attacks 

Fast-approaching green goals pose uncomfortable question for shipping: analyst

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The South Coast Air Quality Management District says it will create rules to reduce emissions at Southern California rail yards because Union Pacific insists on including public financing as a precondition for participating in the more collaborative MOU process.

The spending program will target the company’s logistics and services arm with a “substantial amount of investment” earmarked for its ocean and terminals infrastructure in the region.

The IMO’s global market-based emissions-cutting measure will be introduced in 2027 when it will clash with Europe’s ETS and could force shippers to comply —  and pay for —  two CO2-reducing systems at the same time, classification societies believe.

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The latest container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage includes the movement of containerized cargo handled by marine terminals and container ports, depots, container lines, drayage, consignees, importers and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and off-dock warehousing providers. The Journal of Commerce's container shipping news includes news from the trans-Pacific, Asia-Europe, North America-Caribbean, Central and South America trades, and intra-Asia trades.

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The Journal of Commerce 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 (NVOCCs) 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.

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Southern California agency to unilaterally develop emissions cut rules at rail yards

Maersk to invest $500 million in Southeast Asia logistics even as integrator model struggles

Europe’s ocean trades may see overlapping CO2 charges: DNV