Container Shipping News

The Cedar Port industrial park and barge port says the construction of a new ship channel could pave the way for potential development of a container terminal at the site.

Indian capacity to the West Coast is in large part confined to extended Asian networks connecting over regional hubs, so space availability remains exposed to demand volatility at origin load ports.

Carriers may find it difficult to bring trans-Pacific capacity back quickly because they repositioned ships into other trades outside of the region amid the tariff-linked demand drop in April and early May.

A calendar quirk is causing consternation for importers of non-Chinese goods with long lead times who believed they had avoided the first salvo of US tariffs by loading their cargo before the prescribed “load-by” date and are now facing unexpected costs.

Hapag-Lloyd is betting it can extract economic value for itself through smart containers in the form of improved fleet utilization, thereby de-risking the uptake — or lack thereof — from customers.

Importers can get a fairly good sense of how to proceed over the next few months based on developments to date, but things will get fuzzy when the separate cooldown periods for tariffs on China and the rest of the world expire this summer, writes Lars Jensen.

The Port of Los Angeles took the top spot for containerized imports in 2024 and edged out Houston and Savannah as the busiest gateway for exports.

Strained relationships between London and Brussels have plagued trade negotiations over the past five years around complex issues including tariffs, regulations, fishing rights and the movement of people.

The Zim Central China Xpress will restart next week, little more than a month after Zim announced its suspension as part of the carrier’s broader 30% to 35% trim in its trans-Pacific network.

Forwarders expect congestion and container shortages to worsen in the next few weeks as carriers redeploy vessels to trans-Pacific services from Asia-Europe trades to meet increased demand from shippers.

MSC plans to provide all of the tonnage in a US Gulf service, with Zim slated to get a lower share of slot space as weaker demand forces service changes.

The carriers want to raise prices by more than 50% in a bid to stem the slide in rates that began at the end of December and is showing no signs of slowing.

With less than half of CMA CGM’s fleet built in China, CFO Ramon Fernandez believes US services can be structured to avoid the incoming tonnage fees.

Caterpillar and Deere are counting the sizable costs of tariff-related expenses, even with the announced 90-day tariff pause between the US and China.

Container lines are looking to capitalize on a ramp-up in Asia-US bookings during the 90-day tariff reduction that followed Monday’s deal between the Trump administration and China.

Industry backlash mitigated the costliest components of the US Trade Representative’s proposed fees, but surcharges from some carriers are still likely on the way, writes Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Rates are climbing quickly amid fresh Chinese volumes headed to the US, with an expected crunch in vessel capacity and the potential for port congestion driving the gains. 

The canal agency highlighted data that refutes Trump administration claims about unfair treatment at the waterway, while the International Chamber of Shipping said freedom of navigation is a global responsibility.

On top of the persistent pressure of overcapacity and muted demand, industry sources have also linked the market softening to the historical seasonal pattern of the Indian export trade.

The predicted rush to get US imports from China on the water has begun as shippers take advantage of the 90-day cut in tariffs, according to CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.

The carrier was commenting after reporting its first-quarter results along with Taiwan’s other two mainline carriers, Evergreen Marine and Wan Hai Lines.

Much of the volume that has been locked up over the past month will come flooding back into the market after Washington and Beijing agreed to significantly slash their respective tariffs for 90 days.

Despite a ceasefire announced over the weekend between India and Pakistan, the combined impact of the recent tensions and enhanced port security protocols has left container supply chains out of India’s west coast corridor in a state of flux.

The National Retail Federation also warned the negative growth will accelerate, with imports through the summer expected to be at least 20% lower than the corresponding month last year. 

There remains no guarantee of safety for ships, crew and cargo passing through the waterway, which means it would likely be out of bounds for the rest of the year, says CEO Vincent Clerc.

Importers in the US are rewiring their supply chains and drawing extra inventory from Canada, Mexico and domestically in a “wait and see” response to the trans-Pacific trade war, according to Vincent Clerc.

Sources anticipate the additional rerouting costs in the region will force other ocean carriers to follow suit on similar surcharges.

The world’s largest shipping company said Wednesday the service suspensions and network changes were “in response to the recent changes in demand for cargo transport from Asia to the US.”

US imports rebounded to a record high in 2024 amid widespread frontloading, while exports expanded slightly for the second straight year.

A divergence from the weakening container sector has seen the MPV trade hold steady, although the potential for a breakbulk cargo grab by container lines cannot be discounted.

PSA BDP acquired a majority stake in Mexico-based forwarder ED International, expanding PSA’s cross-border forwarding network.

The freeing up of vessel capacity that has been diverted around southern Africa for the past 18 months could inject as much as 2 million TEUs of functional capacity into the global container shipping market.

The forwarder offered an unsettled outlook for the trans-Pacific in 2025 as shippers navigate the Trump administration’s 145% tariffs on goods made in China.

While the Jones Act carrier added another service from Vietnam in the first quarter, it says volumes from that country won’t replace what’s lost from China.

Interest in FTZs, where shippers can store goods while deferring the payment of duties, has increased dramatically since President Donald Trump implemented tariffs in April.

A swing from renewables to fossil fuels in the US and new opportunities for wind cargoes internationally could overhaul traditional MPV trade lanes over time.

The restrictions have “effectively” made direct vessel calls to either Karachi or Port Qasim on India services operationally impossible, according to major container lines.

Paper and forest product exports climbed for the first time in more than five years in 2024, but various headwinds will challenge demand in 2025.

The broader goal of NYSHEX’s new container index is to provide rate information that will support the use of hedging tools for shippers, NVOs and carriers against increased volatility.

While ongoing port congestion in North Europe and longer voyages around the Cape of Good Hope will help to absorb incoming vessels, it will also leave the trade lane open to volatile shifts in capacity that cannot be planned for, a Journal of Commerce webinar was told.