Container lines

News and analysis of container lines, services, capacity, volume, revenue, rates, reliability, landside operations, alliances

 

The latest Container lines News & Analysis

Green rules, tighter capacity make case for 2024 rate boost: Hapag-Lloyd CEO

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Rolf Habben Jansen said current rates are “not sustainable” given higher overall operating costs and the potential that excess ship capacity will be absorbed due to Panama Canal diversions and greenhouse gas rules.
Container linesContainer Shipping News

Carriers adjust to rules requiring ETS surcharge to be included in China exports base rate

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
While the preferred approach by carriers is to calculate exposure to the ETS and recover costs per container in a separate surcharge, that will not be possible for Chinese exports to Europe under Shanghai Shipping Exchange regulations.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-AtlanticAsia-Europe

Nestlé inks deals with carriers to move volume via green transport services

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The world’s largest food and beverage company is the latest shipper to sign on to emissions-cutting services, committing half its global shipping volume to premium green products offered by Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and CMA CGM.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

MSC bid for French forwarder extends carrier’s recent buying spree

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
There has been no sign of a slowdown in the carrier’s acquisition activities as it uses its cash-rich position to expand its footprint in key port and logistics markets.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesForwardingAsia-Europe

Shippers weigh costly routing changes against possibility of East Coast strike

Peter Tirschwell |
Shippers who have built East and Gulf coast routings into their supply chains are taking no chances, raising the need for contingency plans in discussions with carriers and NVOs ahead of 2024 contract renewals.
Longshore laborContainer linesMarine terminalsNorth American ports

Maersk to invest $500 million in Southeast Asia logistics even as integrator model struggles

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
The spending program will target the company’s logistics and services arm with a “substantial amount of investment” earmarked for its ocean and terminals infrastructure in the region.
Container linesMarine terminalsInternational portsAirport News

Europe’s ocean trades may see overlapping CO2 charges: DNV

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The IMO’s global market-based emissions-cutting measure will be introduced in 2027 when it will clash with Europe’s ETS and could force shippers to comply — and pay for — two CO2-reducing systems at the same time, classification societies believe.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Carriers weigh options after Red Sea route threatened by missile attacks

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Three commercial ships were hit by rockets fired from Yemen over the weekend in a deteriorating security situation that has seen at least two ocean carriers introduce war risk surcharges on routes to and from Israel.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesAsia-Europe

Fast-approaching green goals pose uncomfortable question for shipping: analyst

Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and Journal of Commerce analyst |
Given shipping’s relatively poor track record on implementing anything not rigorously enforced, and a preference to delay action to the last possible minute, there seems to be a high risk that decarbonization milestones will not be met, writes analyst Lars Jensen.
Container linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

THE Alliance diverts ships through Suez ahead of Panama Canal transit cuts

Michael Angell, Associate Editor, and Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Liner operators in THE Alliance will switch transits on three services as low water levels on the Panama Canal reduce the number of ships that can use the main artery for container trade between the US East Coast and Asia.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American ports

Carrier CEOs issue COP28-linked statement urging action on energy transition

Peter Tirschwell |
The rare joint statement reiterates earlier comments by container lines that a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism is needed to make green fuel competitive with traditional bunkers during the phase when both fuels will be in use.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Global liner performance unchanged in October, but USWC ticked higher

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
While container volumes have largely returned to normal historical levels, ocean carriers still have not been able to restore performance to pre-pandemic levels.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American ports

Order book more ‘manageable’ if measured in ship numbers, not TEUs: analyst

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Although the incoming capacity will outstrip demand on the major trades over the next two years, the capacity overhang that has been touted in many corners of the shipping sector is being overstated, says an industry analyst.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

Oversupplied Asia-Europe ocean trade readies for two December rate hikes

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The westbound trades out of Asia are heading into tender season with carriers attempting to lift rate levels before locking in long-term contracts being eroded by surplus capacity.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesAsia-Europe

New CMA CGM service adds to intra-Asia capacity boost for Indian shippers

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent |
The move complements a flurry of Asia-India service additions by niche regional carriers and newer feeder operators in recent months.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesInternational ports

FMC judge rules in favor of HMM in rolled cargo complaint

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Despite initially failing to meet capacity commitments, the carrier extended the contract for three months at the original rate, saving the shipper $180,000.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer lines

End of EU block exemption a ‘missed opportunity’ for regulators: ITF’s Merk

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
European regulators have never had enough information to effectively monitor the container shipping industry since the consortia block exemption rule was introduced in 2009, according to Olaf Merk.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Busy intra-Asia market bucks trend in driving container demand growth: analyst

Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and Journal of Commerce analyst |
The intra-Asian region is expected to be a hotbed of mergers and acquisitions in container shipping because that is where the growth in container demand is centered, writes analyst Lars Jensen.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesInternational ports

India-US contract rates hit fresh lows despite lower capacity from sailing cuts

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent |
Given the persistent downward pressure on demand, it remains to be seen if India-US carriers will be able to push through a new round of modest rate hikes planned for December.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American portsInternational ports

ONE readies India-US East Coast service as part of 2024 network rollout

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The carrier is looking to expand beyond its two current services jointly offered with other liners with a standalone service meant to take advantage of the growing shift in sourcing from India.
Container linesContainer Shipping NewsNorth American ports

Sharp rise in Asia-Europe Q3 volumes discounted by last year’s import slump

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
On its own, the growth in container volumes on Asia to Europe trade lanes in the third quarter was impressive, but it compares with the steep slowdown in imports last year by overstocked retailers.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesAsia-Europe

Soft US import volumes crimping container availability for agricultural exports

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
With peak season at hand for ag exports, shippers say weak US import volumes have constrained the supply of repositioned containers they need to send goods overseas, risking disruption to their supply chains.
MaritimeContainer linesNorth American portsNorth-American rail

Maersk inks new methanol sourcing deal with Chinese supplier

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The carrier’s largest alternative fuel deal to date will be enough to drive half the methanol-powered ships on its orderbook.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Carriers weigh options as Panama Canal restrictions become a fact of life

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
The soonest the Panama Canal Authority says it could see significant relief is 2028, raising the possibility of persistent drought restrictions and reduced container capacity and transits until then, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.
Container linesMaritimeContainer Shipping NewsTrans-Pacific

UN climate conference comes amid shipping’s choppy path to decarbonization

Peter Tirschwell |
Despite some pockets of progress, exactly how container shipping achieves decarbonization will likely remain an unanswered question until new zero-emission fuel standards are adopted, writes Peter Tirschwell.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

 Congress steps into debate over jurisdiction of rail fees for ocean containers

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Draft legislation would also seek to codify that rail demurrage fees be billed to the ocean carrier, which would then pass along the charge to the responsible shipper or BCO. .
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesIntermodal providersNorth-American rail

UK watchdog calls for end to ocean carrier antitrust immunity

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Just a month after the European Commission announced that the block exemption regulation for carriers would not be renewed next April, the UK competition authority has also called for it to lapse upon expiry.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

CMA CGM commits €100 million to new Paris-based AI research lab

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
CMA CGM is moving beyond funding and supporting startups with a hefty investment into a non-profit lab designed to improve data models that feed into artificial intelligence products.
Container linesContainer Shipping NewsLogistics Technology News

November rate plunge negates carrier pricing activity on India-Europe trade

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent |
Still, the latest Indian trade data presents some hopeful signs for supply chain stakeholders, as the country's merchandise exports grew 6.3% by value year over year in October, the fastest rate of expansion in a year.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesInternational ports

No easy fix on horizon for Panama Canal woes as shipping sector scrambles

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Carriers, shippers and logistics executives may have to get accustomed to drought-related restrictions along the critically important waterway, with costly water-saving infrastructure improvements years away.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-Pacific

Grim 2024 outlook drives Zim to take huge Q3 impairment loss

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The carrier is expecting next year to be dominated by significant overcapacity and weak demand, and with its balance sheet awash with expensive time charter capacity, it decided to factor in expected losses early.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Shippers remain slow to embrace more expensive green shipping services

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Carriers are reporting some successes in convincing shippers to use their emissions-reduction services, but acceptance of premium — and costly — green products remains a hard sell in a market where rate levels are at record lows.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-AtlanticAsia-Europe

Rate spread between US East-West coasts erodes amid shifts in volume, sourcing

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The long-standing spread, typically about $1,000, is now half that as volume growth returns to West Coast ports and shippers increasingly tap into Southeast Asia manufacturing.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American ports

Deadline looming for IMO’s ‘single window’ data-sharing platform

Peter Shaw-Smith, Middle East contributor |
The International Maritime Organization voted in May 2022 to implement the so-called Maritime Single Window from the start of 2024 in a bid to accelerate digitalization in shipping.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesInternational portsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Taiwan's major container lines see nine-month profits plunge amid market downturn

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Yang Ming said the imbalance between vessel supply and cargo demand, high inflation and geopolitical risks will be among the factors pressuring the ocean market into 2024.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

Cargo operations partially resume after cyberattack hits DP World Australia

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
The incident comes as dockworkers announced a further series of strikes this week at DP World's four Australian terminals in an ongoing row over new rostering arrangements.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesMarine terminalsLongshore laborInternational ports

Deteriorating ocean market hits CMA CGM’s third-quarter earnings

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The carrier remains profitable, but rate levels maintained their downward trend as the global economic slowdown continued to weigh on the container shipping industry.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Carbon tax needed to spur real action on maritime emissions

Peter Tirschwell |
Despite public commitments by some 4,000 companies globally to reduce Scope 3 emissions, ocean shippers have thus far been unwilling to pay higher-than-market freight rates to achieve those goals.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Container market shows ‘no encouraging signs’ of recovery: HMM

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The South Korean carrier ‘s financial results followed the industry’s downward trend and although HMM remains profitable, it is not far above the loss-making line.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Crashing trans-Atlantic spot rates delay long-term contract signing

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Carriers and shippers, however, believe there is little room left to fall for spot rates that are already below pre-pandemic levels.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-Atlantic