Container lines

Robert Erni, who will step into the CFO job after the ocean carrier reports fiscal 2025 results in February, has 30 years of experience in financial roles across the logistics industry.

The Hamburg-based carrier is investing $500 million on eight newbuilds and adding 14 newbuild charters, with the overall goal of making its fleet more fuel efficient and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

New analysis shows a systematic displacement of tonnage from primary to secondary trade lanes has occurred over the past two years, while a shortage of capacity is looming over the smaller shipping segment.

S&P Global’s outlook for the transportation sector sees US ports facing a volume decline in 2026 with the potential for recovery in 2027.

The rise in bookings is driving an increase in the capacity offered by ocean carriers on Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean that this week reached record levels on both trades.

The Israel-based carrier is urging shareholders to reelect its current slate of directors later this month after alternate nominees were put forth by dissident shareholders.

The move is part of the Chinese government’s ambition to accelerate the development of China as a maritime power, China Shipbuilding Group said.

Mumbai-based forwarder executives have linked the pricing gains mainly to lower capacity amid multiple blank sailings during the month covering CMA CGM’s Epic service and Ocean Network Express’ IOX loop.

The softer global growth in October pulled the 12-month rolling average down to the lowest in 20 months, according to Drewry’s Simon Heaney.

A former DOT deputy assistant secretary in the Biden administration says tradable, guaranteed slot reservations would create a scenario enabling greater efficiencies for both shippers and carriers.

A group of Zim employees is said to object to a deal with Hapag-Lloyd due to the significant ownership stakes that the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and Qatar have in the Hamburg-based carrier.

Even though the claims originate from more than seven years ago, the government alleges artificially high freight rates are nonetheless hurting South Africa’s consumers and exporters.

Ocean Network Express said the East Coast 2 service jointly operated with HMM and Yang Ming will call Cai Mep on eastbound rotations, while dropping a call at China’s Port of Xiamen.

The conflicting interests became apparent last week when the Suez Canal Authority issued a statement indicating that Maersk planned to resume normal transits in December, triggering a quick response from the carrier that no timeline had been set.

First-quarter charges will rise across all trade lanes that cover the European Union from Jan. 1, when carriers will be responsible for 100% of their carbon emissions.

The move is significant as the carrier has high stakes in India’s seasonal grape export trade that typically runs between January and April, moving mainly to Europe.

The French carrier plans to enter the long-crimped trade lane via subsidiary brand CNC Line, with a targeted launch in January, market sources say.

But many of the initiatives remain stalled by a "feasibility wall" created by the wide cost gap between conventional and zero-emission fuels, according to a new report.

While the IMO’s decision to postpone global decarbonization measures for a year will create challenges, several qualifying bids from ocean carriers have been received by the ZEMBA alliance.

Eli Glickman’s buyout proposal first surfaced in Israeli media reports back in August, with his offer said to be about $20 per share, which would value Zim at $2.4 billion.

While liners will remain in the black this year, the growing capacity overhang and weak demand expectations will undermine rate-increasing efforts through 2026, analysts say.

The Carney government outlined preliminary goals for a new logistics infrastructure fund that would help increase Canada’s trade outside of the US.

Freight forwarder sources believe ONE will attempt to tap US exports into the Middle East through Jebel Ali calls amid the ongoing slump in westbound volumes out of India.

All ship-to-shore cranes at Yusen Terminals were inspected and cargo handling resumed on the first shift Monday, according to Yusen’s CEO.

Not enough terminal investment in Europe has left ports unable to handle the rising demand, and there is no quick fix, according to analysts and carriers.

Months of frontloading explain the harsher-than-usual import slowdown in the final months of this year, but uncertain consumer sentiment and ever-changing US tariff policy are keeping retail inventories running lean.

The ocean carrier said it still needs approvals from insurers and others, but the ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding.

While the conclusion of arbitration should provide more stability to shippers using Montreal, Canada’s other East Coast gateways will soon face their own contract negotiations.

A surge in replenishment activity in the US could turbocharge container shipping demand, while a wholesale return of container ships to Red Sea and Suez Canal transits would have a far-reaching market impact, speakers on a panel sponsored by the carrier said Wednesday.

A series of freight-all-kinds increases since Oct. 1 has held up the spot market on the trade, with carriers aiming to sustain the pricing momentum through fourth-quarter contract talks.

As a result of that heightened overcapacity, spot rates on the trade lane are at their lowest since February, while exports to the US East Coast fell sharply in October.

The carrier’s first direct service to Halifax comes as Canada looks to pivot its trade networks and as low water levels affect Montreal’s container business.

The consortium of nine liner carriers has launched its first product to facilitate the adoption of electronic bills of lading and other digital standards it is developing.

‘Spectacular’ growth at the Persian Gulf terminal has brought forward expansion plans that will increase handling capacity by almost 50%.

Cargo owners typically balk at paying more for ocean transport, but the significantly improving schedule reliability from the Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd partnership is getting the attention of the market.

As contract tendering season on the European trades gets underway, carriers are stepping up capacity management efforts to elevate spot rates and better match supply with demand.

Remarks from the group’s CFO came as the carrier’s third-quarter financials showed year-over-year declines.

The carrier’s CEO also confirmed Gemini is mulling a price premium, which he forecast would be a “small three-digit number per TEU” to reflect the inventory cost savings customers achieve through the alliance’s consistent on-time delivery.

Responding to market weakness that resulted in an 83% year-over-year decline in third-quarter profits, the carrier said it is “optimizing operations by adjusting port calls and vessel deployment across trade lanes.”

The rebels are incentivized to keep up some level of threat in the Red Sea because they are loathe to give up leverage that generates financial and military support, according to an S&P Global analyst.