<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">India cargo owners are now dealing with a fresh levy linked to container weight, along with a new wave of general rate increases and surcharges that have already found their way into the market ahead of peak shipping season.</div>

India cargo owners are now dealing with a fresh levy linked to container weight, along with a new wave of general rate increases and surcharges that have already found their way into the market ahead of peak shipping season.

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<div>Amid somewhat eroded pricing power that has seen rate levels stay steady or taper in recent weeks, carriers active on India trades have begun to impose new surcharges on overweight container loads to the US and Canada. CMA CGM from July 26 implemented a levy of $1,000 per TEU for all types of containers weighing over 20 metric tons, including the weight of the container itself. “This is in addition to any existing surcharge/rules applicable with inland point movement,” CMA CGM (India) said in a customer advisory. Other major liners, notably Hapag-Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Co., have also instituted similar...

Amid somewhat eroded pricing power that has seen rate levels stay steady or taper in recent weeks, carriers active on India trades have begun to impose new surcharges on overweight container loads to the US and Canada. CMA CGM from July 26 implemented a levy of $1,000 per TEU for all types of containers weighing over 20 metric tons, including the weight of the container itself. “This is in addition to any existing surcharge/rules applicable with inland point movement,” CMA CGM (India) said in a customer advisory. Other major liners, notably Hapag-Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Co., have also instituted similar surcharges on the India-US trades, which local freight forwarder sources put at $500 per TEU for loads exceeding an 18 metric ton threshold, not including the equipment’s unladen weight. Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are the lead consortium partners in the two-string Indamex network, the most sought-after connection between West India and the US East Coast. MSC has three independent routings a week on the same trade lane. “Individual member lines independently may decide on overweight charges, if any, based on the over-the-road limits at destination or deadweight restrictions of the vessel,” Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines Association (India), told JOC.com. But for cargo owners, that fresh levy, along with a new wave of general rate increases and peak-season surcharges already finding their way into the market, has now set the stage for prices to climb again from this month as the industry heads into its traditional peak season. Additionally, Indian exporters must file VGM (verified gross mass) declarations for all their laden containers, generally costing them $35 on a bill of lading. Sylvester D’mello, director of operations at Mumbai-based digital forwarder Freightwalla, told JOC.com the availability of containers has improved measurably. “Shippers are in a better position at this juncture, [and are] hoping the momentum will continue for a more extended period and rates will return to the pre-pandemic level soon,” D’mello said. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Container lines

India-US cargo hit by overweight surcharges ahead of peak season

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The company is one of several LTL carriers reporting growing volumes, although its daily shipments are still down year over year.</div>

The company is one of several LTL carriers reporting growing volumes, although its daily shipments are still down year over year.

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<div class="phx-topic">After three years of depressed demand, freight is returning to US less-than-truckload (LTL) networks, with daily volumes climbing month to month from January through April at several large LTL carriers. Those trucking companies haven’t entirely escaped the freight trough, but they’re getting closer to its edge as demand continues to accelerate. “While our first quarter revenue declined on a year-over-year basis, demand for our service improved as the quarter progressed,” Kevin “Marty” Freeman, president and CEO of Old Dominion Freight Line, said Wednesday during a first-quarter earnings call. Stronger demand contributed to sequential tonnage growth in February and March at the second-largest US LTL provider, Freeman said. ODFL’s daily volume dropped 7.9% year over year in the first quarter to 41,037 shipments per day, while tonnage per day fell 7.7%. But tonnage increased month by month, CFO Adam Satterfield told Wall Street analysts during the call. In January, tonnage dropped 3.4% from December, but it rose 4.9% in February from January, he said. The trend continued in March, when tonnage climbed 4.6% from February, said Satterfield. “Our volumes are still down on a year-over-year basis,” he said, but he expects that to flip as sequential month-to-month increases continue. The freight market “definitely feels like it’s continued to improve” in the early second quarter, Satterfield said. <h3>Truckload reversal </h3>Some of the general increase in tonnage and shipments may be attributable to freight shift rather than fresh demand, with truckload freight being redirected to LTL trailers. As truckload rates hit lows over the past few years, some shippers consolidated LTL freight and shifted it to truckload carriers to take advantage of lower pricing. “That trend has reversed,” Satterfield said. Freight optimization tools are making it easier for shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to shift freight among modes, he said. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/soaring-truck-rates-power-major-rebound-in-domestic-intermodal-volume-6208736">Intermodal rail providers</a> are benefiting from freight shifts as well. To date in 2026, much of the improvement in volume at ODFL has come from retail customers, not traditional industrial shippers, Satterfield said. “Most of our positive performance over the past five months has been in that retail side of our business,” he said, which does not represent the majority of their freight. “We’re starting to see some early indications of industrial starting to turn the corner as well,” Satterfield said, with the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in expansion territory for three consecutive months as of March. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="16105334-c54a-4d51-9403-6d5bac8369c4"></dynamic-object></div>As the ISM PMI rises, “We expect to see the weight per shipment continuing to tack higher,” he said. “Right now, we’re at about 1,490 pounds per shipment. In really strong markets, we’ve been more like 1,600 pounds per shipment.” In terms of daily shipment count, “we need to get our numbers back to neutral year over year, and start getting back to what we do best, which is growth,” he said. <h3>‘Constructive’ conditions </h3>The improvement ODFL sees in the market is visible in other LTL carrier earnings. TFI International, the parent of national US LTL carrier TForce Freight, saw LTL daily volume drop 10% year over year in January and then go flat in February before rising 8% year over year in March, company executives said during a first-quarter earnings call this week. “We saw notable improvement during the quarter as weather improved, with shipments per day in March considerably stronger than January and February, and this trend continued into April,” TFI CEO Alain Bédard told analysts. “We’re starting to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the demand.” Transportation and logistics provider ArcBest on Tuesday said daily shipment counts at LTL provider ABF Freight System rose 1.8% in the first quarter from a year ago. Tonnage per day rose 6.5% year over year in the quarter, indicating ABF is capturing heavier freight. “While the timing and pace of a broader recovery remains difficult to predict, conditions are becoming more constructive,” said Seth K. Runser, who succeeded Judy McReynolds as CEO of ArcBest in January. “Leading indicators of manufacturing activity have moved into expansion, which is supportive of future freight demand,” Runser told analysts on the company’s earnings call. Privately owned regional carrier Pitt Ohio sees <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/freight-returning-to-us-ltl-market-as-pricing-fuel-costs-climb-higher-6207125">daily shipment counts rising</a> as well. Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

After three years of depressed demand, freight is returning to US less-than-truckload (LTL) networks, with daily volumes climbing month to month from January through April at several large LTL carriers. Those trucking companies haven’t entirely escaped the freight trough, but they’re getting closer to its edge as demand continues to accelerate. “While our first quarter revenue declined on a year-over-year basis, demand for our service improved as the quarter progressed,” Kevin “Marty” Freeman, president and CEO of Old Dominion Freight Line, said Wednesday during a first-quarter earnings call. Stronger demand contributed to sequential tonnage growth in February and March at the second-largest US LTL provider, Freeman said. ODFL’s daily volume dropped 7.9% year over year in the first quarter to 41,037 shipments per day, while tonnage per day fell 7.7%. But tonnage increased month by month, CFO Adam Satterfield told Wall Street analysts during the call. In January, tonnage dropped 3.4% from December, but it rose 4.9% in February from January, he said. The trend continued in March, when tonnage climbed 4.6% from February, said Satterfield. “Our volumes are still down on a year-over-year basis,” he said, but he expects that to flip as sequential month-to-month increases continue. The freight market “definitely feels like it’s continued to improve” in the early second quarter, Satterfield said. Truckload reversal Some of the general increase in tonnage and shipments may be attributable to freight shift rather than fresh demand, with truckload freight being redirected to LTL trailers. As truckload rates hit lows over the past few years, some shippers consolidated LTL freight and shifted it to truckload carriers to take advantage of lower pricing. “That trend has reversed,” Satterfield said. Freight optimization tools are making it easier for shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to shift freight among modes, he said. Intermodal rail providers are benefiting from freight shifts as well. To date in 2026, much of the improvement in volume at ODFL has come from retail customers, not traditional industrial shippers, Satterfield said. “Most of our positive performance over the past five months has been in that retail side of our business,” he said, which does not represent the majority of their freight. “We’re starting to see some early indications of industrial starting to turn the corner as well,” Satterfield said, with the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in expansion territory for three consecutive months as of March. As the ISM PMI rises, “We expect to see the weight per shipment continuing to tack higher,” he said. “Right now, we’re at about 1,490 pounds per shipment. In really strong markets, we’ve been more like 1,600 pounds per shipment.” In terms of daily shipment count, “we need to get our numbers back to neutral year over year, and start getting back to what we do best, which is growth,” he said. ‘Constructive’ conditions The improvement ODFL sees in the market is visible in other LTL carrier earnings. TFI International, the parent of national US LTL carrier TForce Freight, saw LTL daily volume drop 10% year over year in January and then go flat in February before rising 8% year over year in March, company executives said during a first-quarter earnings call this week. “We saw notable improvement during the quarter as weather improved, with shipments per day in March considerably stronger than January and February, and this trend continued into April,” TFI CEO Alain Bédard told analysts. “We’re starting to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the demand.” Transportation and logistics provider ArcBest on Tuesday said daily shipment counts at LTL provider ABF Freight System rose 1.8% in the first quarter from a year ago. Tonnage per day rose 6.5% year over year in the quarter, indicating ABF is capturing heavier freight. “While the timing and pace of a broader recovery remains difficult to predict, conditions are becoming more constructive,” said Seth K. Runser, who succeeded Judy McReynolds as CEO of ArcBest in January. “Leading indicators of manufacturing activity have moved into expansion, which is supportive of future freight demand,” Runser told analysts on the company’s earnings call. Privately owned regional carrier Pitt Ohio sees daily shipment counts rising as well. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Surface

ODFL sees signs of growing LTL demand in sequential volume gain

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">DSV CEO Jens Lund, speaking during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Wednesday, said the integration of Schenker has been completed in more than 50 countries, with full integration still on tap by the end of this year.</div>

DSV CEO Jens Lund, speaking during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Wednesday, said the integration of Schenker has been completed in more than 50 countries, with full integration still on tap by the end of this year.

<div class="phx-topic">Some 7,000 full-time employees have been laid off amid the ongoing integration of DB Schenker into forwarding giant DSV, with another 1,000 expected to lose their jobs in the second quarter, DSV CEO Jens Lund said Wednesday. Lund, speaking during DSV’s first-quarter earnings call, said integration of the two companies has been completed in more than 50 countries. Full integration should be completed by the end of this year, he reiterated. Integration will create $1.5 billion in synergies next year, while integration costs are still estimated at $1.7 billion, Lund said. DSV CFO Michael Ebbe, meanwhile, said further acquisitions are likely in the future, but he ruled out any immediate deals while the company continued to digest the Schenker acquisition. “Consolidation is here to stay, and I’m confident we’ll be part of that going forward,” Ebbe told the Journal of Commerce in an interview Wednesday ahead of the results briefing. Ebbe said while DSV is “not looking at anything else,” expansion could come from the acquisition of a large regional player or a large forwarder specializing in specific logistics markets. <h3>Q1 net profit down sharply </h3>DSV’s net profit dropped 42% to $256 million in the first quarter, while revenue climbed 69% to $11 billion. The company didn’t say explicitly why profit fell, but it took a very big hit on costs — direct costs were up to $8 billion from $4.6 billion, staff costs increased to $1.4 billion from $688 million, and other external costs doubled to $382 million. DSV’s air and ocean segment posted a 20% year-over-year increase in gross profit to $1.2 billion, while revenue surged 43% to $5.7 billion. Highlighting the Schenker effect, DSV saw airfreight volumes surge 55% to 518,000 metric tons in the first quarter, while ocean freight volumes increased 50% to 976,000 metric tons. Lund said sea freight volumes last year were buoyed by the frontloading of cargo ahead of the introduction of US tariffs last April. Overall, DSV expected the global air and sea freight markets to grow between 2% and 3% this year, in line or slightly below global GDP forecasts. The Schenker merger also drove a 128% rise in revenue at road logistics to $3.6 billion and a 107% increase in contract logistics revenue to $2 billion. DSV did not give tonnage figures for either division. Meanwhile, inflation and elevated interest rates are dampening the demand outlook for the global logistics sector, while tariff policies and geopolitical uncertainty are also providing headwinds, Lund said. “It’s a volatile environment we’re looking at,” he said. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.</div>

Some 7,000 full-time employees have been laid off amid the ongoing integration of DB Schenker into forwarding giant DSV, with another 1,000 expected to lose their jobs in the second quarter, DSV CEO Jens Lund said Wednesday. Lund, speaking during DSV’s first-quarter earnings call, said integration of the two companies has been completed in more than 50 countries. Full integration should be completed by the end of this year, he reiterated. Integration will create $1.5 billion in synergies next year, while integration costs are still estimated at $1.7 billion, Lund said. DSV CFO Michael Ebbe, meanwhile, said further acquisitions are likely in the future, but he ruled out any immediate deals while the company continued to digest the Schenker acquisition. “Consolidation is here to stay, and I’m confident we’ll be part of that going forward,” Ebbe told the Journal of Commerce in an interview Wednesday ahead of the results briefing. Ebbe said while DSV is “not looking at anything else,” expansion could come from the acquisition of a large regional player or a large forwarder specializing in specific logistics markets. Q1 net profit down sharply DSV’s net profit dropped 42% to $256 million in the first quarter, while revenue climbed 69% to $11 billion. The company didn’t say explicitly why profit fell, but it took a very big hit on costs — direct costs were up to $8 billion from $4.6 billion, staff costs increased to $1.4 billion from $688 million, and other external costs doubled to $382 million. DSV’s air and ocean segment posted a 20% year-over-year increase in gross profit to $1.2 billion, while revenue surged 43% to $5.7 billion. Highlighting the Schenker effect, DSV saw airfreight volumes surge 55% to 518,000 metric tons in the first quarter, while ocean freight volumes increased 50% to 976,000 metric tons. Lund said sea freight volumes last year were buoyed by the frontloading of cargo ahead of the introduction of US tariffs last April. Overall, DSV expected the global air and sea freight markets to grow between 2% and 3% this year, in line or slightly below global GDP forecasts. The Schenker merger also drove a 128% rise in revenue at road logistics to $3.6 billion and a 107% increase in contract logistics revenue to $2 billion. DSV did not give tonnage figures for either division. Meanwhile, inflation and elevated interest rates are dampening the demand outlook for the global logistics sector, while tariff policies and geopolitical uncertainty are also providing headwinds, Lund said. “It’s a volatile environment we’re looking at,” he said. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Maritime

Air Cargo

Supply chain

More job cuts in the works for Q2 as DSV-Schenker integration continues: Lund

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Highlighting the carrier’s Asia focus and volume growth potential, PIL said it will take delivery of at least two 13,064-TEU container ships this year that could be deployed on long-haul Asia-South America and Asia-Middle East services.</div>

Highlighting the carrier’s Asia focus and volume growth potential, PIL said it will take delivery of at least two 13,064-TEU container ships this year that could be deployed on long-haul Asia-South America and Asia-Middle East services.

<div class="phx-topic">Singapore’s Pacific International Lines (PIL) says it’s set to see further growth in container volumes from new vessel deliveries and service launches this year despite difficult market conditions. “While the year ahead remains challenging amid geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruption and new capacity entering the market, Asia continues to be a key engine of global trade growth,” PIL CEO Lars Kastrup said in an earnings statement Wednesday. Highlighting the carrier’s Asia focus and volume growth potential, PIL said it will take delivery of at least two 13,064-TEU container ships this year, part of an order for five 13,000-TEU ships placed in 2024. The ships, which could be deployed on long-haul Asia-South America and Asia-Middle East services, are part of a fleet expansion that will add 20 vessels totaling 232,000 TEUs in the next three years that will increase PIL’s fleet capacity to more than 700,000 TEUs. The carrier, ranked 12th-largest globally by capacity, according to Alphaliner, will also expand its network next month with the planned launch from May 28 of an Asia-southern Africa express service in association with Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine. The carriers will deploy a total of nine ships varying in size between 4,800 and 5,600 TEUs on what PIL calls its Ubuntu Express (UBX) service. “The Ubuntu Express is introduced in response to growing trade demand between Asia and South Africa, driven by rising consumer markets, expanding industrial activity, and increasing flows of agricultural, temperature‑sensitive and manufactured goods,” PIL said in a separate service announcement this week. The move also increases the number of PIL’s Asia-Africa services to seven. The full rotation of the new service is Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Durban, Cape Town, Singapore, Shanghai. <h3>Volumes climbed 17% last year </h3>PIL, meanwhile, said its container volumes last year climbed 17% to 2.6 million TEUs after it strengthened its network in 14 countries, including new intra-Asia and South America services, while adding six ships to its fleet ranging in size from 8,000 to 13,000 TEUs. Overall, group revenue slipped 1% to $4.3 billion last year while net profit fell 23% to $1 billion. PIL’s container shipping division saw earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ease to $1.5 billion last year from almost $1.7 billion the prior year, while revenue was flat at about $3.8 billion. “While cost pressures and freight rate moderation weighed on margins compared with the rate levels recorded in 2024, the business continued to generate healthy earnings,” the carrier said. PIL does not report quarterly earnings. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.</div>

Singapore’s Pacific International Lines (PIL) says it’s set to see further growth in container volumes from new vessel deliveries and service launches this year despite difficult market conditions. “While the year ahead remains challenging amid geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruption and new capacity entering the market, Asia continues to be a key engine of global trade growth,” PIL CEO Lars Kastrup said in an earnings statement Wednesday. Highlighting the carrier’s Asia focus and volume growth potential, PIL said it will take delivery of at least two 13,064-TEU container ships this year, part of an order for five 13,000-TEU ships placed in 2024. The ships, which could be deployed on long-haul Asia-South America and Asia-Middle East services, are part of a fleet expansion that will add 20 vessels totaling 232,000 TEUs in the next three years that will increase PIL’s fleet capacity to more than 700,000 TEUs. The carrier, ranked 12th-largest globally by capacity, according to Alphaliner, will also expand its network next month with the planned launch from May 28 of an Asia-southern Africa express service in association with Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine. The carriers will deploy a total of nine ships varying in size between 4,800 and 5,600 TEUs on what PIL calls its Ubuntu Express (UBX) service. “The Ubuntu Express is introduced in response to growing trade demand between Asia and South Africa, driven by rising consumer markets, expanding industrial activity, and increasing flows of agricultural, temperature‑sensitive and manufactured goods,” PIL said in a separate service announcement this week. The move also increases the number of PIL’s Asia-Africa services to seven. The full rotation of the new service is Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Durban, Cape Town, Singapore, Shanghai. Volumes climbed 17% last year PIL, meanwhile, said its container volumes last year climbed 17% to 2.6 million TEUs after it strengthened its network in 14 countries, including new intra-Asia and South America services, while adding six ships to its fleet ranging in size from 8,000 to 13,000 TEUs. Overall, group revenue slipped 1% to $4.3 billion last year while net profit fell 23% to $1 billion. PIL’s container shipping division saw earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ease to $1.5 billion last year from almost $1.7 billion the prior year, while revenue was flat at about $3.8 billion. “While cost pressures and freight rate moderation weighed on margins compared with the rate levels recorded in 2024, the business continued to generate healthy earnings,” the carrier said. PIL does not report quarterly earnings. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Container Shipping News

Singapore’s PIL bets on volume growth from vessel deliveries, new services

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The ruling ends a six-year saga during which the Federal Maritime Commission had to decide whether it was a prerequisite that a port be open in order for detention or demurrage fees to be levied.</div>

The ruling ends a six-year saga during which the Federal Maritime Commission had to decide whether it was a prerequisite that a port be open in order for detention or demurrage fees to be levied.

<div class="phx-topic">The US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, has ruled that Evergreen Marine improperly charged three days of detention fees to a drayage provider in Savannah six years ago when the port was closed over a holiday weekend. The ruling, announced Tuesday, ends a long process during which the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) had to decide whether it was a prerequisite that a port be open in order for detention or demurrage fees to be levied. “Evergreen suffered no costs as a result of the delayed equipment return,” wrote Judge Harry T. Edwards in the ruling. “These uncontested facts gave the [FMC] adequate grounds to decide that charging detention during the port closure would not have promoted freight fluidity and thus was unreasonable.” The case involved <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmc-upholds-ruling-against-evergreen-in-may-2020-detention-case-5224421">Yamaha Motor Company and its drayage partner TCW Inc.</a> during the early days of the pandemic in May 2020. Yamaha, similar to many businesses, closed its doors in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, Yamaha had an empty Evergreen container at its plant in Newnan, Georgia, when it was shut down. Evergreen granted Yamaha a total of 21 free days on the container, but it was out for 28 days; Evergreen billed Yamaha $1,490 for seven days of detention. TCW said when it tried to return the container to the Port of Savannah, it learned the port was closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for Memorial Day. TCW returned the container on Tuesday, but filed a complaint to the FMC that the charges for the three-day holiday weekend were unreasonable because it cannot be incentivized to return equipment if the port is closed. TCW, as Yamaha’s drayage provider, paid Evergreen $980 of the total invoice but disputed the remaining $510 owed covering May 23–25, 2020. Evergreen countered that the detention fees incentivized TCW to return the containers, so the entire bill was appropriate. The FMC ruled in favor of TCW, but then Evergreen appealed the decision to the US Court of Appeals. In July 2024, the court sided with Evergreen and ordered the FMC to reconsider the case to “analyze the incentive effect of the detention charges at issue.” <h3>Evergreen never disputed TCW’s lack of access to Yamaha plant </h3>In February 2025, the FMC ruled once again that the Evergreen decision was unreasonable, and again Evergreen appealed to the US Court of Appeals. That time, however, the court ruled that the FMC did its job correctly and upheld the ruling. The judge in Tuesday’s ruling said Evergreen never disputed that TCW could not access the empty container while Yamaha’s plant was closed during the lockdown. “Evergreen concedes that it was physically impossible for TCW to have brought the equipment, retrieved from Yamaha’s facility as soon as it was available on May 23, through the port’s gates from May 23–25,” Edwards wrote. “What was happening behind the closed gates is of no moment here because TCW simply could not go through the gates.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, has ruled that Evergreen Marine improperly charged three days of detention fees to a drayage provider in Savannah six years ago when the port was closed over a holiday weekend. The ruling, announced Tuesday, ends a long process during which the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) had to decide whether it was a prerequisite that a port be open in order for detention or demurrage fees to be levied. “Evergreen suffered no costs as a result of the delayed equipment return,” wrote Judge Harry T. Edwards in the ruling. “These uncontested facts gave the [FMC] adequate grounds to decide that charging detention during the port closure would not have promoted freight fluidity and thus was unreasonable.” The case involved Yamaha Motor Company and its drayage partner TCW Inc. during the early days of the pandemic in May 2020. Yamaha, similar to many businesses, closed its doors in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, Yamaha had an empty Evergreen container at its plant in Newnan, Georgia, when it was shut down. Evergreen granted Yamaha a total of 21 free days on the container, but it was out for 28 days; Evergreen billed Yamaha $1,490 for seven days of detention. TCW said when it tried to return the container to the Port of Savannah, it learned the port was closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for Memorial Day. TCW returned the container on Tuesday, but filed a complaint to the FMC that the charges for the three-day holiday weekend were unreasonable because it cannot be incentivized to return equipment if the port is closed. TCW, as Yamaha’s drayage provider, paid Evergreen $980 of the total invoice but disputed the remaining $510 owed covering May 23–25, 2020. Evergreen countered that the detention fees incentivized TCW to return the containers, so the entire bill was appropriate. The FMC ruled in favor of TCW, but then Evergreen appealed the decision to the US Court of Appeals. In July 2024, the court sided with Evergreen and ordered the FMC to reconsider the case to “analyze the incentive effect of the detention charges at issue.” Evergreen never disputed TCW’s lack of access to Yamaha plant In February 2025, the FMC ruled once again that the Evergreen decision was unreasonable, and again Evergreen appealed to the US Court of Appeals. That time, however, the court ruled that the FMC did its job correctly and upheld the ruling. The judge in Tuesday’s ruling said Evergreen never disputed that TCW could not access the empty container while Yamaha’s plant was closed during the lockdown. “Evergreen concedes that it was physically impossible for TCW to have brought the equipment, retrieved from Yamaha’s facility as soon as it was available on May 23, through the port’s gates from May 23–25,” Edwards wrote. “What was happening behind the closed gates is of no moment here because TCW simply could not go through the gates.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Port News

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Drayage

North American ports

Appeals court rules against Evergreen in Savannah detention fee case

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The move comes at a delicate moment — months before dockworker negotiations are set to begin on Canada’s West Coast in November ahead of the expiration of the current contract next March.</div>

The move comes at a delicate moment — months before dockworker negotiations are set to begin on Canada’s West Coast in November ahead of the expiration of the current contract next March.

<div class="phx-topic">The government of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, emboldened by a newly achieved parliamentary majority and with a mandate to diversify exports, is seeking landmark changes to the country’s labor relations law to reduce disruption at seaports and other transport modes. A formal consultation announced on April 17, the first formal review of World War II-era labor relations law in decades, has “traction” in Ottawa, according to one source. It comes at a delicate moment — months before longshore labor negotiations are set to begin on Canada’s West Coast in November ahead of the expiration of the current contract on March 31, 2027. Any changes to labor law would require the approval of Canada’s Parliament. A 13-day Canadian West Coast <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ilwu-canada-contract-ratification-ensures-bc-port-peace-5220992">work stoppage in 2023</a> and a 10-day strike followed by a <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bc-container-ports-set-for-shutdown-after-foremen-begin-strike-5785499">lockout of dockworkers by employers in late 2024</a> were the longest port disruptions seen on the Canadian West Coast since the early 1990s. It sparked a defection of both US- and Canada-bound containerized cargo to US ports that has not returned, a source told the Journal of Commerce. The 2023 strike prompted an inquiry and resulting <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/labour-relations/reports/industrial-inquiry-commission-longshoring-west-coast-ports.html#9.3">recommendations</a> by Canada labor relations guru Vincent Ready last year that will now be formally considered by the Liberal government in Ottawa, which, with a newly secured majority, can enact legislation. “We simply cannot afford the risk of a shutdown in critical supply chains anymore,” Canada’s Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on9x93BO9-Y">said in a speech in March</a>. “We can’t afford a reputation as an unpredictable place to do business.” Sources are cautious about predicting the possibility of disruption at Vancouver and Prince Rupert this fall or early next year tied to the coming negotiations. Some say cooler heads have prevailed since the 2024 lockout, but acknowledge that labor negotiations are inherently unpredictable. Others are skeptical about the talk of cooler heads. “The parties are the same, the issues are the same, and nothing has changed [since the Ready report], so we are very concerned,” said Bruce Rogers, executive director of CIFFA, the group representing Canadian forwarders. “For Canada, we have gone through these issues too often. The threat or hint of labor disruption is going to lead to cargo being diverted and that is problematic for us in Canada.” <h3>‘Growing desire ... to bring stability’ </h3>Among the recommendations in the report authored by Ready and Amanda Rogers, both labor arbitrators, are preserving the right to strike or lock out workers, but at the same time strengthening the role of mediators and formalizing a British Columbia-wide labor bargaining unit, all with the goal of creating greater supply chain certainty following years of disruption of transport networks. In 2024, Canada’s transportation and warehousing sector experienced the greatest number of “person days not worked” due to work stoppages since 1966, according to a <a href="https://www.railcan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/RAC-Work-Stoppages-Report-2025-EN3-1.pdf">report</a> by the Railway Association of Canada. The report noted that Canada has consistently ranked as one of the countries with the highest number of days lost to work stoppages relative to employment levels, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. “There is growing desire in Ottawa to bring stability and see both sides [in the longshore arena] bring differences to closure quicker and with less impact on the GDP,” said a knowledgeable observer of the port sector. The backdrop is a radical course correction led by Carney to reduce dependence on US trade. In response to multiple waves of tariffs imposed on Canada by the Trump administration, Carney set a goal of doubling Canadian exports to countries other than the US within the next decade. The US <a href="https://international.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/corporate/reports/chief-economist/monthly/2025-12">share</a> of Canadian goods exports fell 4.2 percentage points to 71.7% last year compared with 2024, the lowest share since the early 1980s, according to government statistics. That pivot is the backdrop to other key recent developments, including the <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/dp-world-to-build-big-ship-container-terminal-in-montreal-6077326">Contrecoeur container terminal moving forward</a> outside Montreal after years of being stalled, and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/gct-vancouver-port-to-jointly-study-roberts-bank-terminal-project-6207642">a deal announced last week</a> by Global Container Terminals (GCT) and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) to explore joint development and operation of Roberts Bank Terminal 2, a major potential port expansion. And just days ago, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/customs-designation-triggers-qsl-terminal-project-in-quebec-city-6209525">plans were revealed</a> for a 200,000-TEU container terminal along the St. Lawrence in Quebec City. The need to ensure supply chain stability to facilitate the pivot away from US dependence has emerged as a national priority for Canada. Maritime employers are aligning themselves with that priority, which is reflected in the labor law consultation, as they head into negotiations with the Canadian division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) this fall. “When waterfront operations are predictable and reliable, the entire supply chain benefits, from workers and employers to Canadian businesses and global trading partners,” Eric Waltz, GCT president and chair of the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association board, <a href="https://www.bcmaritime.com/bcmea-2025-annual-report-highlights-measured-growth-action-needed-to-protect-port-stability-and-sustain-benefits-for-workers-and-canadians/">said in a statement</a>. Contact Peter Tirschwell at <a href="mailto:peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com">peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, emboldened by a newly achieved parliamentary majority and with a mandate to diversify exports, is seeking landmark changes to the country’s labor relations law to reduce disruption at seaports and other transport modes. A formal consultation announced on April 17, the first formal review of World War II-era labor relations law in decades, has “traction” in Ottawa, according to one source. It comes at a delicate moment — months before longshore labor negotiations are set to begin on Canada’s West Coast in November ahead of the expiration of the current contract on March 31, 2027. Any changes to labor law would require the approval of Canada’s Parliament. A 13-day Canadian West Coast work stoppage in 2023 and a 10-day strike followed by a lockout of dockworkers by employers in late 2024 were the longest port disruptions seen on the Canadian West Coast since the early 1990s. It sparked a defection of both US- and Canada-bound containerized cargo to US ports that has not returned, a source told the Journal of Commerce. The 2023 strike prompted an inquiry and resulting recommendations by Canada labor relations guru Vincent Ready last year that will now be formally considered by the Liberal government in Ottawa, which, with a newly secured majority, can enact legislation. “We simply cannot afford the risk of a shutdown in critical supply chains anymore,” Canada’s Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said in a speech in March . “We can’t afford a reputation as an unpredictable place to do business.” Sources are cautious about predicting the possibility of disruption at Vancouver and Prince Rupert this fall or early next year tied to the coming negotiations. Some say cooler heads have prevailed since the 2024 lockout, but acknowledge that labor negotiations are inherently unpredictable. Others are skeptical about the talk of cooler heads. “The parties are the same, the issues are the same, and nothing has changed [since the Ready report], so we are very concerned,” said Bruce Rogers, executive director of CIFFA, the group representing Canadian forwarders. “For Canada, we have gone through these issues too often. The threat or hint of labor disruption is going to lead to cargo being diverted and that is problematic for us in Canada.” ‘Growing desire ... to bring stability’ Among the recommendations in the report authored by Ready and Amanda Rogers, both labor arbitrators, are preserving the right to strike or lock out workers, but at the same time strengthening the role of mediators and formalizing a British Columbia-wide labor bargaining unit, all with the goal of creating greater supply chain certainty following years of disruption of transport networks. In 2024, Canada’s transportation and warehousing sector experienced the greatest number of “person days not worked” due to work stoppages since 1966, according to a report by the Railway Association of Canada. The report noted that Canada has consistently ranked as one of the countries with the highest number of days lost to work stoppages relative to employment levels, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. “There is growing desire in Ottawa to bring stability and see both sides [in the longshore arena] bring differences to closure quicker and with less impact on the GDP,” said a knowledgeable observer of the port sector. The backdrop is a radical course correction led by Carney to reduce dependence on US trade. In response to multiple waves of tariffs imposed on Canada by the Trump administration, Carney set a goal of doubling Canadian exports to countries other than the US within the next decade. The US share of Canadian goods exports fell 4.2 percentage points to 71.7% last year compared with 2024, the lowest share since the early 1980s, according to government statistics. That pivot is the backdrop to other key recent developments, including the Contrecoeur container terminal moving forward outside Montreal after years of being stalled, and a deal announced last week by Global Container Terminals (GCT) and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) to explore joint development and operation of Roberts Bank Terminal 2, a major potential port expansion. And just days ago, plans were revealed for a 200,000-TEU container terminal along the St. Lawrence in Quebec City. The need to ensure supply chain stability to facilitate the pivot away from US dependence has emerged as a national priority for Canada. Maritime employers are aligning themselves with that priority, which is reflected in the labor law consultation, as they head into negotiations with the Canadian division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) this fall. “When waterfront operations are predictable and reliable, the entire supply chain benefits, from workers and employers to Canadian businesses and global trading partners,” Eric Waltz, GCT president and chair of the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association board, said in a statement . Contact Peter Tirschwell at peter.tirschwell@spglobal.com .

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