Breakbulk News

Up-to-date breakbulk news and analysis about the end-to-end movement of breakbulk cargo and heavy lift and project cargoes. Coverage tracks breakbulk news about premier gateway ports, terminals, carriers and charterers. It also covers wind cargo, roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) newbuildings, storage and processing capacity, inland supply chain connectivity and landside transport for energy, infrastructure, construction and other industries.

The latest Breakbulk News News & Analysis

Great Lakes interests criticize increase in pilotage fees

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |
Three Great Lakes shipping organizations are urging the U.S. Coast Guard to reverse “glaring errors” that will sharply increase pilotage fees during the annual navigation season that started with Monday’s reopening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Container linesLongshore laborBreakbulk News

German KG companies fined in ‘magic pipe’ case

JOC Staff |
Two German shipping companies have been sentenced to pay $1.5 million after pleading guilty to charges arising from use of a “magic pipe” to illegally dump oily bilge water from the general cargo ship BBC Magellan.
Breakbulk News

Bollore revenue slips on weak oil prices

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
Paris-listed Bolloré Group, which holds 21 port concessions worldwide and operates 14 container terminals in Africa, announced a 2 percent drop in revenue for 2015 to $12.2 billion.
Marine terminalsBreakbulk News

Central Africa’s only deep-sea port takes shape at Kribi

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
Construction work is set to commence on the second phase of the only deep-sea port in central Africa at Kribi, Cameroon after a second round of financing was arranged with the Export-Import Bank of China.
International portsBreakbulk News

APMT Pipavav gets new intra-Asia service

India Special Correspondent |
APM Terminals-operated Pipavav Port’s efforts to grow container volumes received a big push earlier this week when the INDFEX, or India-Far East Express, consortium introduced a regular weekly call at the minor facility on India’s west coast.
Container linesBreakbulk News

NileDutch strengthens West Africa presence with acquisition

JOC Staff |
NileDutch, a specialized West Africa container line, has acquired the Europe to West Africa services and operations of independent Maersk Line subsidiary Safmarine.
Container linesBreakbulk News

Rickmers posts higher revenue, earnings — and bottom line loss

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Group posted higher earnings and revenue, driven by the dollar’s rise against the euro, an increase in the number of ships under management, and cost cutting, but a write down in the value of its vessels resulted in a bottom line loss.
Breakbulk carriers

AAL, Peter Dohle launch semi-liner service

JOC Staff |
AAL and Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG will launch a joint semi-liner service using multipurpose vessels with heavy-lift capability between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Breakbulk carriers

Baltimore volume jumps in January after record 2015

Dustin Braden, Shipper Relationship Manager |
Container traffic at the Port of Baltimore jumped 12 percent year-over-year in January, after the Maryland port saw volume rise 8 percent year-over-year last year to a record 523,848 containers.
North American portsBreakbulk News

Russia seeks to develop Arctic shipping route

Eugene Gerden, Russia Special Correspondent |
The poor relations between Turkey and Russia have the latter focusing on the active development of the Northern Sea Route through the melting Arctic during the next several years, according to recent statements of Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
Container linesBreakbulk News

Hapag-Lloyd seeks more oversize cargo

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |
Hapag-Lloyd plans to more aggressively seek shipments too large or heavy to fit into standard containers, and has established teams in Asia and the Americas to focus on oversize cargo.
Breakbulk News

Suez Canal tonnage, ship calls off to weak 2016 start

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports |
Container and bulk ships transiting the Suez Canal fell in both number and tonnage terms in January, continuing a trend of declining traffic that gained momentum in the second half of last year.
Container linesBreakbulk News

IHS economist: Expect weak economic growth and slow trade

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Global economic growth will be stuck in low gear this year at around 2.5 percent, continuing the weak GDP that has put the brakes on trade for the past few years, IHS Chief Economist Nariman Behravesh told the 2016 TPM Conference in Long Beach on Monday.
Container linesBreakbulk News

Rickmers Maritime sinks to loss

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Maritime slumped to a $129.2 million loss in 2015 from a $16 million profit a year earlier on increased write offs on the value of its ships and depressed container charter rates.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers restates 2015 forecast following bond slump

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Group has reiterated its 2015 results forecast in response to the recent slump in its corporate bond.
Breakbulk carriers

Heavy plant investment fuels strong breakbulk import growth in US Gulf

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |
It’s a boom time at U.S. Gulf ports for imports of steel and project cargoes. From Florida to Texas, the region’s ports are enjoying a second year of increased import volumes, driven by a strong dollar and U.S. economic growth.
North American portsBreakbulk News

China’s pulp appetite gives hope to breakbulk, container carriers

Michael Hollmann, Special Correspondent |
China’s rising import demand for wood pulp to feed its paper and packaging industries is expected to create significant opportunities over the coming years both for container lines and specialized open hatch gantry crane (OHGC) vessel operators, a transport conference in Bremen, Germany, heard recently.
Container linesBreakbulk News

Rouen boosts breakbulk focus

Andrew Spurrier, Special Correspondent |
France’s River Seine port of Rouen has for a long time made a specialty of the north-south regular line trades, particularly those between northern Europe and west Africa.
MaritimeBreakbulk News

SSA Marine Exec: Too many terminals still stuck in the time of breakbulk

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
SSA Marine Vice President John DiBernardo says it is no wonder that many container terminals today are struggling to handle the cargo surges generated by big ships. They continue to do business much as they did in the days of breakbulk shipping, acting as storage sheds as they await the arrival of truckers who show up in randomly.
North American portsBreakbulk News

Three former NYK, 'K' Line execs charged in ro-ro price-fixing case

JOC Staff |
Three former “K” Line and NYK executives have been indicted for alleged participation in a scheme to rig bids and fix prices for international shipments of roll-on, roll-off shipments to and from the United States.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers profit rises by double-digits

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Group’s operating profit rose 35 percent in the first half, as its shipping unit returned to the black and a strong dollar boosted revenues.
Breakbulk carriers

Oil project cuts rattle breakbulk

Michael Hollmann, Special Correspondent |
Cutbacks to exploration and production budgets by oil and gas producers are reverberating across the breakbulk and heavy-lift sectors as material and supply shipments slump.
MaritimeBreakbulk News

Rickmers converts from a KG to corporation; possible IPO prelude

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Holding has switched its legal status from limited partnership to stock corporation, paving the way for a potential initial public offering by Germany’s biggest container ship owner and manager, most likely in New York.
Breakbulk carriers

Why breakbulk's recovery failed

Michael Hollmann, Special Correspondent |
After the world financial meltdown and recession of 2008, many hoped that the market balance in multipurpose shipping could be restored by at least 2015.
MaritimeBreakbulk News

Rickmers profit stalls, revenue falls

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Group’s net income stalled and revenue declined in 2014 but Germany’s leading container ship owner and manager continued to grow its fleet and restructured its loans.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Maritime slides into the red in 2014

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Rickmers Maritime sank to a $16 million net loss in 2014 from a $23.5 million profit in the previous year as impairments and lower containership charter rates in the third quarter offset a profitable final three months.
Breakbulk carriers

Breakbulk carriers face critical year as competition builds

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |
So many breakbulk and heavy-lift carriers are losing money that industry analysts expect some smaller carriers to face bankruptcy in 2015 or consolidation with other carriers, at the very least.
ForwardingBreakbulk News

Baltic Reefers acquires NYK’s reefer division

Grace M. Lavigne, Associate Web Editor |
Baltic Reefers will acquire NYKCool from NYK Reefers, the refrigerated shipping segment of Japanese shipping giant NYK Line on Sept. 1.
Breakbulk carriersCool Cargo News

Rickmers-Linie (America) names new president, CEO

Grace M. Lavigne, Associate Web Editor |
Rickmers-Linie has named Waldemar “Val” Poulsen as president and CEO of Houston-based Rickmers-Linie (America), effective July 1.
Breakbulk carriers

Widdows Out as Rickmers Group CEO

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |
Ron Widdows, the high-profile U.S. chief executive officer of Rickmers Group, will step down from his post tomorrow, May 1, the leading German shipowner announced today as it posted its 2013 results.
Breakbulk carriers

Breakbulk, Heavy-Lift Market Poised for Resurgence

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |
The market for breakbulk and heavy-lift ocean cargo is emerging from the doldrums it experienced last year. Although a backlog of global industrial projects carried the heavy-lift sector through 2012 and construction of new pipelines and wind farms in the U.S. filled inbound multipurpose breakbulk vessels that year, demand largely dried up in 2013. But the picture is brightening, and the market is positioned for a significant recovery in 2014 and 2015.
ForwardingBreakbulk News

Rickmers Maritime Trust Sets Up Corporate Bond Program

JOC Staff |
Rickmers Maritime Trust has established a Singapore $300 million (about US$240.5 million) corporate bond program to fund capital expenditure.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Boosts Bond as Profit, Revenue Shrink

JOC Staff |
Rickmers Group is adding €75 million (about US$103.4 million) to its €175 million corporate bond issued in June.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Teams Up With US Investor to Buy Container Ships

JOC Staff |
Rickmers Group, the German shipowner, has established a joint venture with funds linked with U.S.-based Apollo Global Management to buy container ships.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Maritime Rights Issue Oversubscribed

JOC Staff |
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Holding Issues 200 Million Euro Bond

JOC Staff |
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers-Linie Adds 10th Ship to Pearl String Service

JOC Staff |
Rickmers-Linie has added a 10th vessel on its eastbound round-the-world Pearl String Service, which connects Europe, Asia and North America, as part of its continuing investment program.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers-Linie Charters Vessel for Middle East, India Fleet

JOC Staff |
Rickmers-Linie has decided to charter into its fleet the 19,100 deadweight ton, 2012-built Pacific Winter.
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers-Linie Expands Philadelphia Service

JOC Staff |
Rickmers-Linie will expand its service at the Port of Philadelphia with the addition of a westbound service connecting Asia, South America and North America...
Breakbulk carriers

Rickmers Joins With Oaktree to Order Eight Container Ships

JOC Staff |
Breakbulk carriers