Trans-Atlantic

While the logistical hurdles of sending cargo to the region are more of an inconvenience at this point for US exporters rather than a full-blown crisis, shippers see a bigger risk in the war’s longevity and the downstream effect of higher oil prices.

The push to launch futures contracts for container shipping has gained momentum in recent years given the seemingly never-ending volatility and disruption in the market.

Europe’s largest port handled 14.2 million TEUs during what was described by its CEO as “a challenging year” set against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions.

While Gemini Cooperation continues to top the industry’s schedule reliability, even its resilient network was not immune to deteriorating operational factors last month, notably severe weather in the North Atlantic.

The carrier has finalized plans to inject significant incremental westbound capacity into the market on its “MECL” service, multiple industry sources told the Journal of Commerce.

The monthly year-over-year decline in import TEUs landing in Los Angeles and Long Beach over the past half-year isn’t a cargo swoon, but rather a return to normalcy, according to Larry Gross.

The success of container lines in keeping vessel utilization high by removing functional capacity weakens the network and ups volatility in ocean reliability.

The acquisition, if approved, would solidify the Hamburg-based ocean carrier among the five largest container lines by capacity.

North and South Atlantic loops from Northern European to the US will consolidate to one East Coast-wide service, with a Baltimore call dropped and fewer overall vessels used.

Just days after last week’s storm shut terminals and disrupted shipping schedules, Maersk warned that weather in the region has “deteriorated beyond initial expectations.”

The fee — generally in the range of $200 per TEU and $450 per FEU — was introduced by the carrier in January 2024 following the industry-wide rerouting of vessels via the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.

As 2026 begins, US import demand remains uncertain, but the record amounts of capacity container lines plan to deploy in January and February could put further pressure on already weak rates.

Widening global overcapacity and import volume forecasts warning of weak volume growth will embolden cargo owners to attempt to secure more favorable fine print in their contracts on key service issues.

Hapag-Lloyd customers have expressed concerns about liability exposure if a US-India service were to resume transits through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. .

New analysis shows a systematic displacement of tonnage from primary to secondary trade lanes has occurred over the past two years, while a shortage of capacity is looming over the smaller shipping segment.

First-quarter charges will rise across all trade lanes that cover the European Union from Jan. 1, when carriers will be responsible for 100% of their carbon emissions.

The injection of vessels appears to have peaked, but capacity is overtaking market demand with little upward movement in rate levels on the westbound trade lane.

Not enough terminal investment in Europe has left ports unable to handle the rising demand, and there is no quick fix, according to analysts and carriers.

The ocean carrier said it still needs approvals from insurers and others, but the ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding.

The carrier’s first direct service to Halifax comes as Canada looks to pivot its trade networks and as low water levels affect Montreal’s container business.

Europe’s third-largest port offset a sharp drop in US trade with solid increases in imports from China, Malaysia and India, while seeing big gains in intra-Europe volumes.

The carrier’s CEO also confirmed Gemini is mulling a price premium, which he forecast would be a “small three-digit number per TEU” to reflect the inventory cost savings customers achieve through the alliance’s consistent on-time delivery.

The latest Global Port Tracker report warns of double-digit declines in imports for the rest of the year and no growth in early 2026.

Europe’s busiest container port has maintained its growth so far this year despite persistent congestion, intermittent strikes and growing geopolitical tensions.

It would be foolish to extrapolate the road ahead based on one new service, but the fact that MSC brings so many things to bear and can move so quickly implies that others will have to be at the top of their game to compete, writes Jeremy Masters.

The New Jersey-based carrier believes its vessels should be treated as container ships given that 80% of their cargo is containerized, but a USTR designation that would classify the ships as vehicle carriers means the company faces hefty US port fees.

Evergreen’s plan to focus on adding more tonnage between Asia and Latin America over the next five years comes as US import volume growth cools.

Delivery of the fuel will begin immediately and build on a strategic collaboration Hapag-Lloyd established with Shell in 2023 to accelerate the decarbonization of its fleet.

The investment bank said non-Chinese carriers will largely avoid looming and escalating port fees, but Cosco and OOCL will be on the hook unless they adjust networks.

Full ships, a low number of blank sailings and improving schedule reliability have stabilized the westbound trade lane but will do little to raise rate levels, say executives and analysts.

The dismal outlook for the second half of the year is prompting Wall Street analysts to rein in earnings expectations as many carriers also report steep declines in their profit margins amid a mix of overcapacity and “tariff-driven cost escalation.”

The unit cost of moving a container has been pushed higher compared with the prevailing pre-pandemic price structure, according to carrier executives, prompting cost-control measures.

Just over 7,000 TEUs of capacity is scheduled to be withdrawn through blank sailings in September even as carriers increase their deployed capacity by 2%.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is adding new calls to West Africa on its South Africa service as former alliance partner Maersk pulls out of direct services from the continent.

Import volumes for September through December are expected to come in each month about 20% under the comparable 2024 levels, according to the latest Global Port Tracker, with tariff-linked frontloading one of the primary reasons.

But with many details of the framework agreement still to be thrashed out over the coming weeks, it will do little to address the uncertainty hanging over the trade lane.

The European automotive industry has been hammered by Washington’s import tariffs that are imposing a significant financial burden on the continent’s carmakers.

Container volumes handled by North Europe’s busiest port continue to grow, alongside the now critical need for more landside capacity.

The decline came despite a 4.4% increase in total container volumes to 2 million TEUs, the carrier said in a quarterly update Friday.

Easing freight rates and demand suggest a “wait-and-see” approach by US importers as the July 9 end of the temporary reprieve on so-called “reciprocal” tariffs nears.