Forwarding

U.S. imports of wooden bedroom furniture by dollar value have increased for four consecutive quarters, driven by an ongoing recovery in the real estate market and falling national unemployment numbers...

In an effort to ease congestion at the Lagos Port Complex, Nigeria is looking into ways to encourage shippers to use the country's underutilized eastern ports more.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in October and November, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Spot rates from Asia to northern Europe in 2014 are nearly half of what they were a year ago, according to the World Container Index.

The idle container ship fleet has shrunk to a three-year low, driven by rising carrier demand for Panamax vessels of 3,000 TEUs to 5,100 TEUs capacity, according to Alphaliner.

Bunker fuel prices in Rotterdam, a global indicator, held steady this week though the charge per metric ton is historically lower than in previous years.

Maersk Line-related stories dominated on JOC.com this past week. The No. 1 container carrier again made news with more 2M developments, plans for new ship orders and comments from its CEO.

Hamburg Sud subsidiary Alianca Navegacao e Logistica has expanded its coverage of the east coast of South America by adding two new vessels into its Brazilian cabotage and Mercosur Gran Cabotage services.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in October, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Thirty nine ships have arrived at U.S. ports with the Asian Gypsy Moth on board, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told JOC.com, as shippers fear the voracious tree eater will continue to delay cargo.

Container lines will continue to expand their share of the refrigerated cargo market, but specialized reefer carriers can survive if they diversify and pick their niches carefully, Drewry Maritime Research says in its annual analysis of the reefer shipping market.

Issues at the Los Angeles-Long Beach were on JOC.com readers’ minds this week, along with mega-alliances and growth in the trucking industry.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in October, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

The sale of investment certificates for the Suez Canal expansion project has netted Egypt $8.5 billion to fund upgrades to one of the country’s largest and most lucrative economic ventures.

In the article titled “MSC announces low-sulfur surcharges in North Europe, North America,” published on Sept. 15, a reference to low-sulfur fuel of 0.1 percent being cheaper than 1.0 percent fuel was incorrect.

Bunker prices have fallen to their lowest level in over a year after a three month slide, and oversupply may keep fuel costs for container lines relatively low throughout the end of the year.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. today unveiled surcharges of up to $165 per 20-foot container on North European and North American routes that will be subject to new low-sulfur limits in 2015.

Fast-growing third-party logistics companies are tuning into and tapping broad trends driving logistics growth in the U.S. and globally, including increased cross-border trade and the expansion of intermodal rail. Here are seven trends picked by XPO Logistics CEO Bradley S. Jacobs.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in September and October...

Shippers and carriers are confident they will overcome the problems that plague their industry such as port congestion, equipment shortages and complexity in logistics...

Looming global requirements for low-sulfur fuel are prodding ocean carriers to consider liquefied natural gas to power container ships on long-haul international routes as well as regional feeder services.

Container lines in coming years will continue to order larger ships and switch membership in vessel-sharing alliances in a desperate game of survival...

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in September and October, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

A long-term shift from air to ocean freight by shippers looking to cut transport costs and willing to tolerate longer transit times may be slowing, according to recent comments from transportation executives.

Container volumes from Asia to its key export destinations were up in July, anchored by growth to both Europe and North America.

Due to lower trade volumes to and from emerging markets in Asia, ports around the world overall saw weak performance in the second quarter of 2014, according to the Shanghai International Shipping Institute.

Monthly revenue at the Suez Canal hit a record $506 million in August, partly reflecting a surge of container volume in the last month.

After weeks of declining prices for both high and low sulfur bunker fuel, prices rebounded last week.

The second-quarter recovery that gave air and ocean cargo such a welcome boost looks set to continue its momentum well into the second half as the latest economic and freight indicators show some positive numbers.

North American vehicle production is on the rise amid strong demand for vehicles in the NAFTA countries and foreign markets.

NYK Line in May took delivery of the first post-Panamax car carrier built in Japan. Dubbed the Aries Leader, the new pure car carrier not only boasts a capacity of 7,000 vehicle units, but also a wide range of energy-saving technologies not found on other such vessels.

Despite the lack of a new West Coast labor contract two months after the expiration of the last agreement, the threat of work stoppages to peak-season merchandise is rapidly receding, according to a retail industry consultant.

Several container lines have planned general rate increases in trade lanes in the next two months, but any gains achieved could be fleeting as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Robert Sappio, former longtime executive at APL, has been named chief operating officer at SeaCube Container Leasing.

The container sale and leasing business is not benefiting from rebounding trade volumes on major east-west routes as low rental yields and falling prices in a lacklustre shipping environment put the squeeze on the global market leaders.

Shipping a container from India can cost nearly double what it costs to ship the same container from China, according to a report from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.

Like a sparkling Ferrari on a showroom floor, the U.S. Southeast ports are sitting pretty when it comes to import and export automobile traffic growth.

Tiny, dirt-like egg clusters are waylaying cargo at ports in the United States, delaying thousands of containers for days at a time.

The world’s largest container manufacturer, China International Marine Containers (CIMC), does not expect the U.S. government’s antidumping and countervailing duty investigation to be resolved before May next year.