Breakbulk News | Journal of Commerce

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The latest Breakbulk News News & Analysis

Diverse players eyeing project forwarding space

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

Changes at Maersk and Combi-Lift reveal interest in capturing a larger share of the project forwarding market.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projects

New FMC complaint challenges ‘unlawful’ stevedoring fees in Baltimore

Teri Errico Griffis |

Two stevedoring companies are looking to the Federal Maritime Commission to stop what they say is an unlawful access fee at the Port of Baltimore after one of them was invoiced $1.2 million.

Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsRo/ro cargoPort NewsNorth American ports

Norden aims to diversify cargo base with MPV acquisition

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Norden is looking to capitalize on an expected strong project and breakbulk market with the purchase of Denmark-based multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator Thorco Projects.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

First massive offshore wind tower sections delivered to Massachusetts port

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor |

Vineyard Wind is one of the first commercial-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the US and at completion will generate some 800 megawatts of power.

Breakbulk NewsEnergy projectsPort News

Hydrogen-driven barge debuts on Europe’s inland network

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |

The drive to decarbonize European inland transport by switching freight from the road to greener alternatives took a step forward this week.

MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsEnergy projects

Shipping icon Bertram Rickmers, 71, succumbs to injuries from fall

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor |

Visionary shipping legend Bertram Rickmers created the Pearl String, the only round-the-world breakbulk liner service, which operated from 2003 until the fall of Zeamarine in 2020.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

deugro orders customized ro/ro newbuildings for wind turbine transport

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

deugro and partners Siemens and Amasus will build and deploy two specialized offshore wind ro/ro vessels able to accommodate increasingly large wind turbine components.

Breakbulk NewsRo/ro cargo

Hopeful wind OEMs look for rebound after emerging from pandemic

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

Quarterly earnings reports reveal that wind turbine manufacturers are slowly recovering from a pandemic market battering as orders and revenues ramp up.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projects

Top US Shippers: Component shortages putting brakes on auto export growth

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |

Global vehicle manufacturers are still recovering from widespread semiconductor shortages, while domestic automakers and body shops face ongoing delays in components ranging from rear suspensions to front bumpers.

Supply chainRo/ro cargoNorth American ports

CEVA Logistics shifts into vessel operations with ro-ro newbuildings

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Traditional 3PL provider CEVA plans to lease four new hybrid ro-ro vessels chartered by parent company CMA CGM.

MaritimeBreakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersRo/ro cargo

Softer rates, long-term confidence provide mixed signals for MPV carriers

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, and Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo |

Multipurpose and heavy-lift carriers expect short-term rate pain but a rising market further out, analysts say.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Boost in container ship capacity puts end to MPV spillover market

Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo, and Eric Johnson, Senior Editor |

Cargoes “unboxed” during the pandemic market are sliding back to container carriers on the hunt for volumes to fill their ships, while excess containers on MPV ships have disappeared.

Breakbulk NewsContainer Shipping NewsTrans-PacificBreakbulk carriers

Changing of the guard in the works at BBC Chartering USA

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Tim Kopfensteiner will become president of MPV carrier BBC Chartering’s US operations following Per Petersen’s retirement later this year.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Breakbulk23: AI will infiltrate day-to-day breakbulk shipping: experts

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

Human intervention is necessary to ensure that AI is adapted into shipping in a measured way, as quality decisions are dependent on quality data, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference were told.

Breakbulk NewsMaritimeLogistics Technology News

Breakbulk23: Disruptive ‘trilemma’ shaping global energy investment

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

As funding opportunities expand, energy security concerns force investors to reevaluate their priorities, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference were told.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projects

Breakbulk23: Methanol has head start in MPV green fuel race

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |

Breakbulk and project cargo carriers are likely to take their cue from container carriers before committing to building alternative fuel ships to meet aggressive carbon reduction mandates, experts say.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Breakbulk23: BIMCO executive wants cargo data added to CII carbon ratings

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |

BIMCO’s head of Americas called for changes to the Carbon Intensity Indicator that would make the new regulation from the International Maritime Organization “fit for purpose.”

Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer Shipping NewsBreakbulk News

Breakbulk23: Changing trade, political dynamics demand ‘new pragmatism’

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |

An advanced sense of “pragmatism” is needed for shippers and nations to cope with changes wrought by war and climate change, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk & Project Cargo Conference were told.

Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer Shipping NewsBreakbulk NewsSupply chain

MPV sentiment improves even as short-term demand softens

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, and Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo |

Multipurpose carrier analysts report short-term rate softening and a looser spot market, but there is confidence in longer-term energy and renewables demand.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Breakbulk volumes down sharply at Port Houston after 2022 ‘anomaly’

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

Breakbulk volumes are normalizing at Houston after the market surge of 2022, while “spillover” containers have disappeared.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoPort News

Global car carriers see mixed outlook after stellar 2022

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Vehicle demand is expected to offset declining high-and-heavy volumes in 2023, according to car carriers.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersRo/ro cargo

Owner puts heavy-lift giant Mammoet up for sale

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Dutch conglomerate SHV’s planned divestment of Mammoet, the world’s largest heavy-lift and engineered transport company, could have a “very important impact” on the sector, according to one consultant.

Breakbulk NewsHeavy-haul transport

MPV carrier Swire Projects eyes growth in Australian project market

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

New operator Swire is growing its fleet and gearing up to move cargo for the busy Australian minerals and energy markets.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

New IMO rules muddying vessel strategy for MPV, heavy-lift owners

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

MPV and heavy-lift vessel owners need clarity on emissions, alternative fuels, and regulations before committing to new vessel schemes.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Proactive approach to ISPM 15 progressing despite roadblocks

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

Breakbulk shippers and logistics providers have several proposals for changes to ISPM 15 mitigation and enforcement measures pending approval from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk portsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Heavy-deck demand faltering, but long-term outlook remains strong

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Despite a temporary lull, heavy-deck carriers and industry analysts see a “mind-boggling” outlook for global offshore wind demand.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargoEnergy projects

New IMO rule at odds with practical realities: breakbulk executives

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift, and Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Breakbulk industry executives warn new rules aimed at reducing vessel emissions could incentivize vessel operators to implement measures that increase emissions in other areas of the supply chain.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Multipurpose vessel rates may be at post-COVID bottom: Toepfer

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

The MPV sector’s market correction appears to have bottomed at rates still healthy for owners and carriers, even as the sector feels pressure from minor bulk carriers hunting for cargo.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriers

Breakbulk sector ‘sitting on structural overcapacity’: Dynamar

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

While market indicators such as relatively high charter rates and a strong demand outlook are promising, the Netherlands-based maritime consultancy says the stability of the breakbulk market is by no means guaranteed.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriers

EPCs look beyond traditional oil and gas for growth opportunities

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

EPC projects drive much of the global demand for project and breakbulk logistics services from carriers, forwarders, and other suppliers.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projectsHeavy-haul transport

US flatbed trucking activity sees early regional revival: DAT

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |

Demand for flatbed tractor-trailers is rising along the Gulf Coast and Southeast, buoyed by project cargo, shifting freight patterns, and a warmer-than-normal winter, DAT Freight & Analytics says.

SurfaceProject cargoTrucking NewsFlatbed

MPV sector slows as rebalancing under way after ‘rush’ of pandemic market

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

Short-term uncertainty and longer-term confidence are the multipurpose sector’s new normal, analysts say, after the extreme volatility of the COVID-driven market.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Ro/ro executive Batista joins GPA as port gears up for expansion

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

A long-time ro/ro executive with Wallenius Wilhelmsen will shift his focus to container BCOs in a new position with the Georgia Ports Authority.

Breakbulk NewsRo/ro cargo

Project cargo outlook brightening for Port of New Orleans

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

Even as breakbulk volumes ebb from their pandemic highs, several mega-projects planned for South Louisiana are expected to keep project cargo moving at the Port of New Orleans.

North American portsBreakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projects

Port of South Louisiana buys Avondale terminal as wind cargo boost looms

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |

The acquisition of Avondale by the port comes just as the state of Louisiana readies to auction its first round of offshore wind leases.

Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projectsNorth American portsBreakbulk ports

Lack of space costing Zeebrugge new ro/ro clients: port

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |

Zeebrugge’s ro/ro traffic rose 6.5 percent in 2022, even as congestion and tight capacity constrained potential growth.

Breakbulk NewsRo/ro cargo

MPV rates slump as breakbulk moves back to container sector

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor |

Despite a decline in daily charter rates, the longer-term MPV outlook remains strong due to increased investments in oil and gas and renewables projects.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriers

Plenty of work in the pipeline for breakbulk carriers, but rates uncertain

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |

Project and breakbulk carriers and logistics service providers have a healthy to-do list of energy-related cargo projects ahead of them; now the question is whether rates and availability will return to pre-pandemic levels.

Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargoEnergy projects

Regulatory support missing in drive to scale up green fuel: Ørsted

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |

Danish power company Ørsted says policymakers must provide a regulatory environment that allows companies to commit to the huge investment required in developing shipping’s fuel of the future.

Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificAsia-EuropeEnergy projects

Car carriers enjoying ‘exceptional conditions’: Clarksons

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor |

Longer voyages, high demand, and tight capacity are boosting earnings and charter rates in the global car carrier segment.

Breakbulk NewsRo/ro cargo

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