<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">When most people think of Curacao, images of tourists and cruise ships come to mind. But thi</div>

When most people think of Curacao, images of tourists and cruise ships come to mind. But thi

<div>When most people think of Curacao, images of tourists and cruise ships come to mind.But this self-governing Dutch colony, which is the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, also is enjoying rapid growth as a regional shipping center.In recent years, Curacao's containerport has been transformed from a sleepy, inefficient operation into a major port and distribution center for small shipments to Latin America and the Caribbean from the Far East, Europe and South America. Direct shipments from U.S. ports also have increased significantly."The development of the (cargo) facilities marks Curacao's move toward diversifying and strengthening its economy," said Tom Wilde, Netherlands...

When most people think of Curacao, images of tourists and cruise ships come to mind. But this self-governing Dutch colony, which is the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, also is enjoying rapid growth as a regional shipping center.In recent years, Curacao's containerport has been transformed from a sleepy, inefficient operation into a major port and distribution center for small shipments to Latin America and the Caribbean from the Far East, Europe and South America. Direct shipments from U.S. ports also have increased significantly. "The development of the (cargo) facilities marks Curacao's move toward diversifying and strengthening its economy," said Tom Wilde, Netherlands Antilles desk officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington. "Additionally, by facilitating the transport of goods between Central America, the Caribbean and South America, the transshipment service will contribute to the overall growth of the region," he said. Large ocean carriers like Nedlloyd Lines BV, Sea-Land Service Inc., Hapag- Lloyd AG, the Columbus Lines unit of Hamburg-Sud, Calypso Container Line and Harisson Line call at the port weekly from many major ports around the world. "Curacao has made some major improvements. The port's land crane has received proper maintenance, and they have a backup crane, with an additional land crane under consideration, and they have increased their reefer jacks," said Ron Gabbett, vice president and general manager for the Caribbean and Central America at Sea-Land. "They are making progress in the right direction. We've been doing business there for several years and will continue to service this market." Sea-Land's Americas service links Curacao with the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. Some of Sea-Land's cargo is transferred in Curacao to other vessels bound for neighboring islands such as Aruba and St. Maarten, explained Herbert Harms, general manager at Intermodal Container Services NV, Sea-Land's agent in the Antilles. These transshipments have been a major source of new business for the port. Total container traffic at Curacao has grown almost 65 percent since 1985, to 53,920 20-foot containers in 1989, with transshipment accounting for more than 30 percent of total volume. The number of boxes transshipped through Curacao has more than tripled in the past two years. Total box traffic in January was up 20 percent from the January 1989 level, a port official said. Nedlloyd Lines is the major transshipper in the port. The Dutch ship line carries goods from South America, Europe and the Far East via Curacao to Central America and all major Caribbean islands, said Jose Cijntje, general manager of Kroonvlag Curacao NV, a Nedlloyd agent. The fully automated port features an air link via five local trucking companies, one of the world's largest dry docks, a ship registry, a grain- processing plant and a free-trade zone with numerous investment incentives. Although the outlook for the port is good, some of its customers believe that steady growth in trade will make expansion necessary. Theo Hahlen, regional manager for the Caribbean Basin at Nedlloyd, said it is inevitable that traffic will increase in the early 1990s, though volume will be limited by space. Officials at the port "are focusing themselves on the requirements of the market, so good growth is assured," said Mr. Hahlen. "But its physical size will eventually limit its growth." With average annual growth of 10 percent, the port would begin to run out of space as early as 1994, said Karel Jan Aster, managing director of privately owned Curacao Ports Services Inc. "We will have to expand," he concluded. Curacao also needs to develop a teleport system, said Cerilio A.A. Nicastia, assistant managing director of Curacao Ports Authority NV, to improve data access and increase ties with the United States, the Far East and Europe. "These are the most important markets for distribution and development of our community," he said.

Maritime

TRANSSHIPMENT BOOMS AT CURACAO

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">North and South Atlantic loops from Northern European to the US will consolidate to one East Coast-wide service, with a Baltimore call dropped and fewer overall vessels used.</div>

North and South Atlantic loops from Northern European to the US will consolidate to one East Coast-wide service, with a Baltimore call dropped and fewer overall vessels used.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">The Ocean Alliance and Ocean Network Express (ONE) will remove some ships and consolidate US port calls in their jointly operated trans-Atlantic network. The move follows an uneven year in the trade, with US exports to Europe up strongly but Europe’s exports to the US slowing.Ocean Alliance partner CMA CGM said Friday its trans-Atlantic network will change effective in April. The new network, CMA CGM said, will provide the US East Coast with “stronger coverage (and) reinforced frequency” and better leverage CMA CGM’s US and European terminals. The biggest change will be the end of the “Unity Bridge” service between major Northern European ports and the ports of Charleston and Savannah. Unity Bridge, which operates with four ONE ships and one Evergreen Marine vessel, will make its last westbound departure from Le Havre on March 16. The south Atlantic US ports will instead be included on the rotation for the higher-capacity Liberty Bridge service, which currently calls the ports of New York-New Jersey, Norfolk and Baltimore. The new Liberty Bridge service will drop Baltimore as of the first westbound sailing from Southampton on March 27. Charleston and Savannah will be added after the Norfolk call. The new trans-Atlantic network comes after the Ocean Alliance and ONE revised their one-year-old vessel sharing agreement filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Feb. 6 to consolidate their north and south Atlantic networks into a broader North American trans-Atlantic service. The new agreement will see seven ships deployed in the revised trans-Atlantic network, compared to the 11 ships the carriers deployed under the separate north and south Atlantic networks. ONE will go from providing four ships to the soon- expiring south Atlantic network to two ships under the revised trans-Atlantic network. Cosco and OOCL will also remove a ship, providing two to the new network. Evergreen will also remove a ship, providing one to the new network. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="ce24ca8a-5149-4e8e-a00a-5743e4d2abba"></dynamic-object></div><h3>Trade volatility behind capacity swings</h3>Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce the consolidation of trans-Atlantic services and removal of ships represent a 37% drop in weekly nominal capacity for the carriers, going from 16,400 TEUs to 10,386 TEUs. The fourth quarter of 2025 saw overall vessel utilization on the trans-Atlantic slip to just over 80%, down from 87% in the third quarter, according to Xeneta. Sand said weekly vessel capacity in the trans-Atlantic had been volatile during 2025, swinging between 30,700 TEUs and 58,800 TEUs. The unbalanced trans-Atlantic volumes last year also came amid volatile US trade policy. According to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global, westbound shipments from North Europe to the US East Coast grew just 2.1% in 2025 to 1.79 million TEUs, while eastbound shipments from the US rose almost 11% to 916,467 TEUs.”Shippers won’t be particularly pleased knowing that services will be cut, giving them arguably less options,” Sand said. “The move is set to tighten the market. But the market has mainly seen stronger growth on the backhaul.”Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto: michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a> </div>

The Ocean Alliance and Ocean Network Express (ONE) will remove some ships and consolidate US port calls in their jointly operated trans-Atlantic network. The move follows an uneven year in the trade, with US exports to Europe up strongly but Europe’s exports to the US slowing. Ocean Alliance partner CMA CGM said Friday its trans-Atlantic network will change effective in April. The new network, CMA CGM said, will provide the US East Coast with “stronger coverage (and) reinforced frequency” and better leverage CMA CGM’s US and European terminals. The biggest change will be the end of the “Unity Bridge” service between major Northern European ports and the ports of Charleston and Savannah. Unity Bridge, which operates with four ONE ships and one Evergreen Marine vessel, will make its last westbound departure from Le Havre on March 16. The south Atlantic US ports will instead be included on the rotation for the higher-capacity Liberty Bridge service, which currently calls the ports of New York-New Jersey, Norfolk and Baltimore. The new Liberty Bridge service will drop Baltimore as of the first westbound sailing from Southampton on March 27. Charleston and Savannah will be added after the Norfolk call. The new trans-Atlantic network comes after the Ocean Alliance and ONE revised their one-year-old vessel sharing agreement filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Feb. 6 to consolidate their north and south Atlantic networks into a broader North American trans-Atlantic service. The new agreement will see seven ships deployed in the revised trans-Atlantic network, compared to the 11 ships the carriers deployed under the separate north and south Atlantic networks. ONE will go from providing four ships to the soon- expiring south Atlantic network to two ships under the revised trans-Atlantic network. Cosco and OOCL will also remove a ship, providing two to the new network. Evergreen will also remove a ship, providing one to the new network. Trade volatility behind capacity swings Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce the consolidation of trans-Atlantic services and removal of ships represent a 37% drop in weekly nominal capacity for the carriers, going from 16,400 TEUs to 10,386 TEUs. The fourth quarter of 2025 saw overall vessel utilization on the trans-Atlantic slip to just over 80%, down from 87% in the third quarter, according to Xeneta. Sand said weekly vessel capacity in the trans-Atlantic had been volatile during 2025, swinging between 30,700 TEUs and 58,800 TEUs. The unbalanced trans-Atlantic volumes last year also came amid volatile US trade policy. According to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global, westbound shipments from North Europe to the US East Coast grew just 2.1% in 2025 to 1.79 million TEUs, while eastbound shipments from the US rose almost 11% to 916,467 TEUs. ”Shippers won’t be particularly pleased knowing that services will be cut, giving them arguably less options,” Sand said. “The move is set to tighten the market. But the market has mainly seen stronger growth on the backhaul.” Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com

Trans-Atlantic

North American ports

Container lines

Ocean Alliance, ONE rework trans-Atlantic services, remove ships

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Quebec-based investment manager La Caisse earlier this week said it would put its future investments with DP World on hold until the company addressed Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.</div>

Quebec-based investment manager La Caisse earlier this week said it would put its future investments with DP World on hold until the company addressed Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

<div class="phx-topic">The Canadian pension fund that partners with DP World on port projects around the globe said Friday it welcomed the company’s move to sever ties with Chairman and Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem following revelations about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Quebec-based investment manager La Caisse <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/dp-worlds-financial-partner-hits-pause-over-ceos-ties-to-epstein-6168005">earlier this week</a> announced it would put its future investments with DP World on hold until the company addressed Sulayem’s relationship with Epstein, which came to light when US Congressional representatives released millions of additional pages of the so-called Epstein files. La Caisse, which manages C$496 billion in assets, said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce it supported DP World’s action against Sulayem and hopes to finance other DP World projects. Although La Caisse has not made a firm commitment to it, DP World is slated to develop Quebec’s Contrecoeur terminal. “The company took the appropriate measures,” La Caisse said. “We will move quickly to work with DP World’s new leadership to continue our partnership on port projects around the world.” Dubai-based DP World said Friday that effective immediately, its CFO Yuvraj Narayan will also take over as CEO, while Essa Kazim, governor of the country’s International Financial Center and chairman of its stock exchange, will take over the chairman’s role. Officially, DP World said Sulayem “resigned” from the company. He had served as chairman and CEO since 2016. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

The Canadian pension fund that partners with DP World on port projects around the globe said Friday it welcomed the company’s move to sever ties with Chairman and Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem following revelations about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Quebec-based investment manager La Caisse earlier this week announced it would put its future investments with DP World on hold until the company addressed Sulayem’s relationship with Epstein, which came to light when US Congressional representatives released millions of additional pages of the so-called Epstein files. La Caisse, which manages C$496 billion in assets, said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce it supported DP World’s action against Sulayem and hopes to finance other DP World projects. Although La Caisse has not made a firm commitment to it, DP World is slated to develop Quebec’s Contrecoeur terminal. “The company took the appropriate measures,” La Caisse said. “We will move quickly to work with DP World’s new leadership to continue our partnership on port projects around the world.” Dubai-based DP World said Friday that effective immediately, its CFO Yuvraj Narayan will also take over as CEO, while Essa Kazim, governor of the country’s International Financial Center and chairman of its stock exchange, will take over the chairman’s role. Officially, DP World said Sulayem “resigned” from the company. He had served as chairman and CEO since 2016. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Port News

Port infrastructure

Marine terminals

Departure of DP World CEO welcomed by Canadian ports partner

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The investment will strengthen the Gemini hub’s position and increase capacity at the joint venture terminal by more than 30% to 4 million TEUs. </div>

The investment will strengthen the Gemini hub’s position and increase capacity at the joint venture terminal by more than 30% to 4 million TEUs.

<div class="phx-topic">APM Terminals and Eurogate said Friday they will invest €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the modernization of the jointly-controlled North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven in Germany, a strategic hub of partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation network. The investment will increase the capacity of the terminal, a 50/50 joint venture between APMT and Eurogate, from its current 3 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs. The upgrade will also transform Bremerhaven into an automated, zero-emission terminal, APMT owner Maersk said in a statement. “Bremerhaven has unique potential to grow as a strategic hub in the region and to support cargo flows into Germany as well as our ocean network,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said. “Our investments are intended to realize the full potential of the terminal, making [North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven] one of the most competitive terminals in Europe’s North Range,” he added. “We aim to future-proof the terminal over the long term, while strengthening the reliability and resilience of supply chains for the German economy.” No timeline was given for the completion of the modernization project. With the electrification of equipment and use of renewable electricity, the terminal is intended to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, the first of its kind in Germany. The planned upgrades remain subject to approval from German regulators. <h3>Long-term strategic importance of Bremerhaven </h3>Michael Blach, chairman of the management board at Eurogate, said the huge investment illustrated the conviction of both partners that Bremerhaven would hold a long-term position in global maritime trade. “With Maersk’s announced investments in the port’s superstructure, and the state and federal government’s investments in the port infrastructure, Bremerhaven will be well-positioned for the future and its importance in the North Range will be strengthened,” Blach said in the statement. “Now it is up to the federal government to press ahead with the deepening of the Outer Weser and implement it quickly,” he added. The planning process for the deepening of the Outer Weser River is currently underway within the local government. The project is viewed as essential and will increase the depth of the Outer Weser to 13.5 meters, allowing larger and fully laden ships to reach Bremerhaven without tidal restrictions. Bremerhaven is one of the Northern Europe hubs in Gemini’s hub-and-spoke network that calls at ports where Maersk and partner Hapag-Lloyd have operational control of terminals. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

APM Terminals and Eurogate said Friday they will invest €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the modernization of the jointly-controlled North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven in Germany, a strategic hub of partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation network. The investment will increase the capacity of the terminal, a 50/50 joint venture between APMT and Eurogate, from its current 3 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs. The upgrade will also transform Bremerhaven into an automated, zero-emission terminal, APMT owner Maersk said in a statement. “Bremerhaven has unique potential to grow as a strategic hub in the region and to support cargo flows into Germany as well as our ocean network,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said. “Our investments are intended to realize the full potential of the terminal, making [North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven] one of the most competitive terminals in Europe’s North Range,” he added. “We aim to future-proof the terminal over the long term, while strengthening the reliability and resilience of supply chains for the German economy.” No timeline was given for the completion of the modernization project. With the electrification of equipment and use of renewable electricity, the terminal is intended to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, the first of its kind in Germany. The planned upgrades remain subject to approval from German regulators. Long-term strategic importance of Bremerhaven Michael Blach, chairman of the management board at Eurogate, said the huge investment illustrated the conviction of both partners that Bremerhaven would hold a long-term position in global maritime trade. “With Maersk’s announced investments in the port’s superstructure, and the state and federal government’s investments in the port infrastructure, Bremerhaven will be well-positioned for the future and its importance in the North Range will be strengthened,” Blach said in the statement. “Now it is up to the federal government to press ahead with the deepening of the Outer Weser and implement it quickly,” he added. The planning process for the deepening of the Outer Weser River is currently underway within the local government. The project is viewed as essential and will increase the depth of the Outer Weser to 13.5 meters, allowing larger and fully laden ships to reach Bremerhaven without tidal restrictions. Bremerhaven is one of the Northern Europe hubs in Gemini’s hub-and-spoke network that calls at ports where Maersk and partner Hapag-Lloyd have operational control of terminals. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

International ports

Maersk, Eurogate plan $1.2 billion terminal upgrade at Bremerhaven

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Canceled renewable energy projects in the US totaled $35 billion in 2025 as more project funds left the country than came in amid the federal government’s shifting policies to prioritize fossil fuels. </div>

Canceled renewable energy projects in the US totaled $35 billion in 2025 as more project funds left the country than came in amid the federal government’s shifting policies to prioritize fossil fuels.

<div class="phx-topic">Demand for renewable energy project cargo in the US — including components linked to electric vehicle (EV), battery/storage, hydrogen and wind developments — could be setting up for a fall as project losses have begun to far outpace gains. Companies canceled nearly $35 billion in US renewable energy projects in 2025, and for the first time in three years, there were more project investments leaving the US than coming in, according to a report published earlier this month by Washington, DC-based environmental policy research group E2. That comes as the Trump administration has initiated sweeping changes to the US energy landscape, shifting policies and funding to prioritize fossil fuels while downgrading support and resources for renewable energy projects. “Companies abandoned, closed or downsized nearly three dollars in clean energy investment for every one dollar announced, reversing the net flow of capital that had defined the post-2022 clean energy expansion,” the E2 report read, referencing $12.3 billion in new project announcements in 2025. Manufacturing facilities accounted for nearly all of the year’s losses, with $30.2 billion in abandoned projects. The bulk of the year’s cancellations came from EV and battery/storage projects, with over $21 billion lost in each segment. Figures in the analysis do not match the overall totals, as some projects are categorized into multiple sectors. Felix Schoeller, chief commercial officer for multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that there’s been a noticeable shift in renewable energy project cargo activity for the US. AAL is a global transporter of components for wind energy projects, which have experienced widespread downsizing across offshore and onshore developments in the US and accounted for $1.3 billion in project losses in 2025, according to the E2 analysis. “The US government is placing greater emphasis on carbon-based power generation investments and broader oil and gas project developments rather than wind energy,” Scholler said, citing the delay and cancellation of a number of offshore wind projects, including some that were previously approved. “As a result, AAL has observed a significant reduction in wind cargo volumes in North America and an elevated demand for components for large-scale infrastructure and oil and gas projects.” Scholler cited AAL’s recent transport of over 2,500 battery energy storage system (BESS) units to the US from China in response to a surge in demand for high-capacity BESS components. BESS configurations are widely used as onsite power sources for oil and gas facilities. The Trump administration last year cut nearly $8 billion in funding for clean energy projects, issued directives aimed at deregulation and expanded leasing access for fossil fuels, and permanently reinstated a 100% tax write-off for qualifying oil and gas assets. <h3>Projects could shift overseas </h3>Some of the US renewable energy sector’s most consequential cancellations — and one of the largest withdrawal periods on record — came in December, when eight projects totaling $5.1 billion were put on the chopping block, according to the E2 analysis. South Korean manufacturer SK On scrapped a $2.8 billion EV/battery storage project in Tennessee, while Ford called off a $1.5 billion EV manufacturing plant in Ohio as the automaker continues to scale back and restructure its EV facilities. December’s project losses were over 20 times as much as the month’s gains, which totaled $238 million for six new manufacturing projects. Announcements included a $170 million battery project for Desert Mountain Energy in New Mexico, a $26.7 million Toyo Solar facility in Texas and a Ford/Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) battery project for an unspecified dollar amount in Kentucky. US project reversals could usher in an eventual reallocation of clean energy projects and their subsequent cargo demands to other parts of the world. “Investment that does not move forward in the United States does not disappear — it is increasingly redirected to foreign markets and US competitors offering more predictable environments, clearer incentives and greater long-term certainty,” the E2 report stated. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>. </div>

Demand for renewable energy project cargo in the US — including components linked to electric vehicle (EV), battery/storage, hydrogen and wind developments — could be setting up for a fall as project losses have begun to far outpace gains. Companies canceled nearly $35 billion in US renewable energy projects in 2025, and for the first time in three years, there were more project investments leaving the US than coming in, according to a report published earlier this month by Washington, DC-based environmental policy research group E2. That comes as the Trump administration has initiated sweeping changes to the US energy landscape, shifting policies and funding to prioritize fossil fuels while downgrading support and resources for renewable energy projects. “Companies abandoned, closed or downsized nearly three dollars in clean energy investment for every one dollar announced, reversing the net flow of capital that had defined the post-2022 clean energy expansion,” the E2 report read, referencing $12.3 billion in new project announcements in 2025. Manufacturing facilities accounted for nearly all of the year’s losses, with $30.2 billion in abandoned projects. The bulk of the year’s cancellations came from EV and battery/storage projects, with over $21 billion lost in each segment. Figures in the analysis do not match the overall totals, as some projects are categorized into multiple sectors. Felix Schoeller, chief commercial officer for multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping, told the Journal of Commerce that there’s been a noticeable shift in renewable energy project cargo activity for the US. AAL is a global transporter of components for wind energy projects, which have experienced widespread downsizing across offshore and onshore developments in the US and accounted for $1.3 billion in project losses in 2025, according to the E2 analysis. “The US government is placing greater emphasis on carbon-based power generation investments and broader oil and gas project developments rather than wind energy,” Scholler said, citing the delay and cancellation of a number of offshore wind projects, including some that were previously approved. “As a result, AAL has observed a significant reduction in wind cargo volumes in North America and an elevated demand for components for large-scale infrastructure and oil and gas projects.” Scholler cited AAL’s recent transport of over 2,500 battery energy storage system (BESS) units to the US from China in response to a surge in demand for high-capacity BESS components. BESS configurations are widely used as onsite power sources for oil and gas facilities. The Trump administration last year cut nearly $8 billion in funding for clean energy projects, issued directives aimed at deregulation and expanded leasing access for fossil fuels, and permanently reinstated a 100% tax write-off for qualifying oil and gas assets. Projects could shift overseas Some of the US renewable energy sector’s most consequential cancellations — and one of the largest withdrawal periods on record — came in December, when eight projects totaling $5.1 billion were put on the chopping block, according to the E2 analysis. South Korean manufacturer SK On scrapped a $2.8 billion EV/battery storage project in Tennessee, while Ford called off a $1.5 billion EV manufacturing plant in Ohio as the automaker continues to scale back and restructure its EV facilities. December’s project losses were over 20 times as much as the month’s gains, which totaled $238 million for six new manufacturing projects. Announcements included a $170 million battery project for Desert Mountain Energy in New Mexico, a $26.7 million Toyo Solar facility in Texas and a Ford/Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) battery project for an unspecified dollar amount in Kentucky. US project reversals could usher in an eventual reallocation of clean energy projects and their subsequent cargo demands to other parts of the world. “Investment that does not move forward in the United States does not disappear — it is increasingly redirected to foreign markets and US competitors offering more predictable environments, clearer incentives and greater long-term certainty,” the E2 report stated. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Breakbulk carriers

Energy projects

Heavy-haul transport

Project cargo

Breakbulk News

Reversal in US clean energy investment signals shift in project cargo momentum

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Shippers would be wise to offload the pain of building AI proficiency to their logistics providers until the benefits become clearer.</div>

Shippers would be wise to offload the pain of building AI proficiency to their logistics providers until the benefits become clearer.

<div class="phx-topic">While the world braces itself for the true impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), shippers and logistics services providers (LSPs) face a decision on whether to jump in with both feet or wait watchfully from the sidelines. Key to that decision, though, is the reality that it takes less time than ever to build software, which shrinks the disadvantage that a company has playing catching up. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6169078_0.1.jpg"></img></div>“Time is compressing,” a software vendor to the freight brokerage industry told the Journal of Commerce at the Manifest supply chain technology conference in Las Vegas this week. “The development cycles are shortening.” A shipper at the conference wondered whether it needed to be on the bleeding edge of adopting AI in its organization, or whether it could hang back. Practically speaking, the speed of development in the technology world means that shippers, in particular, won’t necessarily face a penalty for feeling overwhelmed when it comes to how and where to adopt AI. They can also, in the meantime, shift some of that AI burden onto their service providers. That’s because LSPs face a different mandate than shippers. The main priorities of LSPs are to work with capacity providers and serve shippers. Any technology investment must touch one of those areas. So there is a clearer imperative for intermediaries to invest in AI because there are fewer priorities to juggle. Shippers, meanwhile, juggle an array of needs inside and outside of logistics and transportation. Other needs in the company may trump the need to build or buy AI capability tied to freight transportation or global trade. Additionally, the pace of change within AI technology circles disincentivizes the ultimate user of the technology from diving headlong into commitments that might be obsolete in months. Take for instance recent developments around coding developments from OpenAI and Anthropic that seem to be rapidly advancing how quickly products can be built. What advantage would a shipper have to be on the bleeding edge right now, when the location of that bleeding edge changes almost weekly? <h3>Playing catch-up faster </h3>The pace of being able to catch up also matters. With software and product development speeding up, the time it takes to adopt and incorporate products will shrink as well. So if a two-year head start in using a traditional software-as-a-service tool historically represented a major edge over a peer, a shipper that waited now can theoretically leapfrog in a way it couldn’t in previous software adoption cycles. This shouldn’t serve as an excuse for shippers, and especially LSPs, to wait things out. Rather, they should be researching and testing in a minimally disruptive way so they understand how things such as AI agents are affecting transportation and trade processes that matter to their businesses. Being informationally proactive but financially conservative is probably the best course to take in a technology environment this fast-moving. It would be hard to understate just how much AI dominated conversations at Manifest. The industry is wrestling with how AI will change the shape of current headcounts and future workforces, how it will be priced, and whether it will do the work of existing software. None of these issues are clear, especially as the large AI developers put the ability to build applications in the hands of non-technical people. That could change how and when software is bought, maintained, updated, and customized. It’s certainly an exciting and daunting future, but one where shippers may want to hang back, with eyes open, and let their LSPs suffer the heavy bruising. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

While the world braces itself for the true impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), shippers and logistics services providers (LSPs) face a decision on whether to jump in with both feet or wait watchfully from the sidelines. Key to that decision, though, is the reality that it takes less time than ever to build software, which shrinks the disadvantage that a company has playing catching up. “Time is compressing,” a software vendor to the freight brokerage industry told the Journal of Commerce at the Manifest supply chain technology conference in Las Vegas this week. “The development cycles are shortening.” A shipper at the conference wondered whether it needed to be on the bleeding edge of adopting AI in its organization, or whether it could hang back. Practically speaking, the speed of development in the technology world means that shippers, in particular, won’t necessarily face a penalty for feeling overwhelmed when it comes to how and where to adopt AI. They can also, in the meantime, shift some of that AI burden onto their service providers. That’s because LSPs face a different mandate than shippers. The main priorities of LSPs are to work with capacity providers and serve shippers. Any technology investment must touch one of those areas. So there is a clearer imperative for intermediaries to invest in AI because there are fewer priorities to juggle. Shippers, meanwhile, juggle an array of needs inside and outside of logistics and transportation. Other needs in the company may trump the need to build or buy AI capability tied to freight transportation or global trade. Additionally, the pace of change within AI technology circles disincentivizes the ultimate user of the technology from diving headlong into commitments that might be obsolete in months. Take for instance recent developments around coding developments from OpenAI and Anthropic that seem to be rapidly advancing how quickly products can be built. What advantage would a shipper have to be on the bleeding edge right now, when the location of that bleeding edge changes almost weekly? Playing catch-up faster The pace of being able to catch up also matters. With software and product development speeding up, the time it takes to adopt and incorporate products will shrink as well. So if a two-year head start in using a traditional software-as-a-service tool historically represented a major edge over a peer, a shipper that waited now can theoretically leapfrog in a way it couldn’t in previous software adoption cycles. This shouldn’t serve as an excuse for shippers, and especially LSPs, to wait things out. Rather, they should be researching and testing in a minimally disruptive way so they understand how things such as AI agents are affecting transportation and trade processes that matter to their businesses. Being informationally proactive but financially conservative is probably the best course to take in a technology environment this fast-moving. It would be hard to understate just how much AI dominated conversations at Manifest. The industry is wrestling with how AI will change the shape of current headcounts and future workforces, how it will be priced, and whether it will do the work of existing software. None of these issues are clear, especially as the large AI developers put the ability to build applications in the hands of non-technical people. That could change how and when software is bought, maintained, updated, and customized. It’s certainly an exciting and daunting future, but one where shippers may want to hang back, with eyes open, and let their LSPs suffer the heavy bruising. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Logistics Technology News

Supply chain

Rapid pace of AI development suggests shippers should be patient

Use code GTW595 at checkout and save $900 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Arm your team with the most trusted information portal for the international container shipping industry.

Group Subscriptions - Wide Box

Get into a group subscription today

Use code FTW25 at checkout to save 25% on a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - FT to S/SP - Wide Box

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25%

Use code GW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid for first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Wide Box

SAVE $900 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION

Choose a subscription plan that works best for you!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to S/SP - Wide Box

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Access Journal of Commerce content for 30 days

Free Trial - Wide Box

START A FREE TRIAL TODAY

Use code GW995 at checkout to save $500 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT to Gold - Wide Box

SAVE $500 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to Gold - Wide Box

START A FREE TRIAL: Access Journal of Commerce content for 30 days

Free Trial - Offer Box

Free Trial

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 25%: Use code FTW25 to save 25% on first year of a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - FT to S/SP - Offer Box

Subscribe and Save

GET INTO A GROUP SUBSCRIPTION: Arm your team with unlimited Journal of Commerce content

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Choose a subscription plan that works best for you!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to S/SP - Offer Box

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTW595 at checkout and save $900 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

Subscribe Now - Anonymous to Gold - Offer Box

SAVE $900 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION: Use code GW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid on first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Offer Box

SAVE $500 ON A GOLD SUBSCRIPTION: Use code GW995 and save $500 on the first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT to Gold - Offer Box

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

Monthly publication providing an editorial deep dive into global supply chain news

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

A premium access index of savings using domestic intermodal vs. OTR 

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Savings Index

An in-depth analysis of transport trends in the multipurpose and heavy-lift fleet segment

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

An extensive dashboard of charts organized by trade lane, mode, and topic

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Gateway

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

The premier conference for the global container shipping and supply chain community

TPM Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend TPM26

The only editorially independent conference for the breakbulk & project cargo industry

Breakbulk Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Breakbulk26

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 (NVOs) 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.

Discover comprehensive trucking news and trends with Journal of Commerce - from trucking LTL to regulation and trucking supply and demand.

Breakbulk News shipping | Journal of Commerce

Container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology and end-to-end connectivity.

Container Shipping News | Journal of Commerce

Container Shipping News

Stay informed on port news worldwide with Journal of Commerce. From decarbonization to labor updates, get insights on global developments.

Port News | Journal of Commerce

News and analysis of ocean containerized cargo movement, logistics, supply chains, technology, and end-to-end connectivity. Maritime news and analysis of containerized ocean cargo movement, breakbulk and roll-on and roll-off shipping from origin to destination.

Latest News

More News & Analysis

Ocean Alliance, ONE rework trans-Atlantic services, remove ships

Departure of DP World CEO welcomed by Canadian ports partner

Maersk, Eurogate plan $1.2 billion terminal upgrade at Bremerhaven