Container lines

Market uncertainty is seeing Asia-Europe shippers and carriers sitting on the fence rather than at the service contract negotiating table.

2016 was one of the wildest years in container shipping history, and with the industry in such a dynamic state, 2017 will likely hold its own surprises.

Years of unprofitability lie ahead for carriers with excess capacity and low rates likely to drive further consolidation.

As a smaller number of ship lines ply the trans-Pacific, shippers may opt for higher rates to avoid risk.

Ports, terminals, carriers, and shippers are preparing for significant challenges that will come from this spring’s shuffling of vessel-sharing agreements.

After a strong finish to the year, spot market rates on the Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean trades declined slightly this week.

The last time the WCI composite index exceeded $1,700 per 40-foot-equivalent unit was in March 2015.

The idle container ship fleet further retreated from the all-time high reached in October.

From consolidation and alliances to a new president and regulatory environment, 2017 will introduce new challenges and opportunities. In a roundtable discussion with JOC.com, three shippers discuss their biggest concerns in the year ahead.

Hanjin's collapse and the widened Panama Canal has left ship charterers contemplating their worst year ever.

The trans-Pacific is one of the world’s most competitive container trades, with at least six container lines over the last six years having entered the trade lane only to pull out later.

With freight rates hovering around historic lows, liners have tried to find savings wherever possible.

The global container ship fleet is expected to grow faster in 2017 than in 2016.

The "HMM + K2 consortium" will initially facilitate vessel- and slot-sharing.

The sharp increase in freight rates at the end of 2016 will be temporary, with overcapacity dragging prices back down after Chinese New Year, according to industry watchers.

Fierce competition, weak freight rates, and infrastructure shortcomings at many ports across Asia are making life difficult for ocean liners in the world’s largest container trade.

Trans-Pacific spot rates to the United States shot up this week.

Spot rates on Asia-Europe have managed to hold on to gains as 2016 draws to a close, continuing a steady upward trend that began in March.

Since Hanjin Shipping failed, the 2M has increased its share of imports from Asia to the United States.

Industry analyst doubts Hyundai Merchant Marine’s goal of a 5 percent share of the global container market by 2021.

Indian maritime authorities have backed down from their pledge to abolish all shipping surcharges following stiff resistance from container lines.

Container exports from Asia will drop off sharply after Chinese New Year and carriers are blanking sailings in anticipation of the slowdown in demand.

Hanjin Shipping’s US liabilities far exceed its US assets, the company told a New Jersey bankruptcy court Tuesday amid close scrutiny from a host of US creditors.

The Asia-Europe spot rate rose this week.

Trans-Pacific spot rates gave back some of their double-digit surge from last week.

The Atlantic container trade is heading for another year of fine-tuning as major carriers focus on the pivotal Asia-Europe and trans-Pacific routes ahead of the spring launch of two new mega-alliances.

The idle container ship fleet has shrunk slightly over the past two weeks, with the rising number of vessels sent to demolition yards and a pick-up in chartering of smaller vessels helping to trim unemployment.

Matson is adding an Okinawa call and dropping a Chinese port call in response to competition on the US domestic trade and the firming up of eastbound trans-Pacific spot rates.

Hapag-Lloyd says it is confident of closing on the merger with United Arab Shipping Company very soon following reports the deal faces delay over financing issues.

Container shipping is on the dawn of a “new golden age” of profitability driven by the mergers and acquisition “frenzy” of the past two years.

Zim Integrated Shipping Services on Monday announced a restructuring of services on its key liner routes that will take effect next April.

Maersk Line is scrapping eight Panamax container ships and said it expects to demolish a larger number of vessels in the future than in previous year.

Surging trans-Pacific spot rates put the squeeze on US importers moving goods ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations in Asia.

Asia-Europe spot rates showed some slight weakness but kept to levels ocean carriers sought through the Dec. 1 rate hike push.

Danaos, the Greek container shipowner, crashed to a net loss in the third quarter as the collapse of Hanjin Shipping shrank charter revenue.

Asia-Europe and trans-Pacific contract rates are set to rise through 2017.

The fight between the three major shipping alliances on US trades officially starts in April.

US logistics are jockeying in court to ensure they get paid for services provided to Hanjin Shipping in the wake of an auditor’s report that the carrier has little value and is likely headed for liquidation.

It’s not clear just how much of an impact $1 billion in investment had on the top Florida ports gaining a larger share of Asia imports, but the gains are real.

HMM failed to gain membership of the 2M Alliance, but the slot-sharing deal it signed up to will see the Korean carrier paying a heavy price.