International ports

The bottlenecks are rippling through Asia-Europe supply chains, undermining vessel schedule reliability, disrupting inventory positioning, and ultimately influencing freight rates, according to Drewry.

While reefer trade is at the center of carrier booking suspensions because of its time-sensitive nature, many mainline carriers have put a stop to all Middle East shipments until further notice.

As the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran extends into its third day, about 10% of the global container shipping fleet remains stranded inside the Persian Gulf or held up outside.

The move comes as transshipment cargo handling declines are expected at Indian ports following a recent government decision to revoke the cabotage waiver that foreign-flag carriers have enjoyed since 2018.

The new service comes as cargo owners are facing a drop in direct connections between Japan and the main markets of Europe and North America.

Five services are covered by the adjustments, which are being made to give “stronger market coverage and faster products,” on the trades, Hapag-Lloyd said.

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.

APMT and TiL will operate the Balboa and Cristobal terminals, respectively, for 18 months while Panama’s government considers how best to award long-term contracts after nullifying the 28-year concession held by CK Hutchison.

Gold Star has a network of 20 China-centric liner services operated by 40 owned and chartered ships totaling 100,000 TEUs serving Asia, India and South Africa.

The investment will strengthen the Gemini hub’s position and increase capacity at the joint venture terminal by more than 30% to 4 million TEUs.

La Caisse, a major infrastructure fund and co-investor with DP World, said it wants clarity from the ports operator about Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem’s relationship with the convicted sex trafficker after messages between the two men became public this week.

Equipped with 12 quay cranes capable of handling ultra-large container ships, the expansion allows the East Container Terminal to handle 3 million TEUs annually at full speed.

The entire port workforce walked off the job almost two weeks ago to protest a government decision to lease the port’s busiest terminal to DP World.

The subsidiary of Manila-headquartered International Container Terminal Services said the agreement extends the lease expiration from 2040 to 2066.

The decision by the Panama Supreme Court has provoked angry responses from both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, with Beijing warning that Panama would “pay a heavy price both politically and economically.”

Multiple local sources told the Journal of Commerce the escalating unrest that entered its fifth day Wednesday has brought all port operations, including vessel berthing and cargo clearance, to a halt. 

CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd are seeking a general rate increase of $1,000 per FEU starting March 1 to reverse a steady spot rate decline that began in July 2025.

The appointment of Maersk’s terminals arm came just hours after Panama’s Supreme Court nullified the concessions Hutchison had held at the Balboa and Cristobal ports for almost 30 years.

Stonepeak will pay $2.4 billion to take a 25% stake in the United Ports JV while the French carrier will hold 75% and maintain operational control of the terminals involved.

The latest in a series of extreme winter storms is blowing through the region, this one in southwestern Europe that is suspending terminal operations and halting ferry traffic.

The port’s CEO said Antwerp experienced about 25 days of industrial action last year that resulted in the loss of 2.4 million metric tons of cargo, equivalent to 1% of its annual throughput.

Taiwan’s third-largest carrier has said it would expand its network of terminals and storage facilities to obtain competitive tariffs at key ports in Asia.

As shippers realize that threats to service are not periodic but systemic, their focus on reliability will only intensify this year, writes Peter Tirschwell.

New Delhi has invested heavily into freight infrastructure modernization through public-private participation and pushed digital logistics solutions along with sweeping policy reforms to ease trade processes in recent years.  

The weekly loop, known as the ME11 for Maersk and the IMX for partner Hapag-Lloyd, would join Maersk’s MECL service and CMA CGM’s Indamex among major carriers in resuming transits through the Red Sea and Suez.

The move follows the successful trial transits of the Maersk Sebarok in December and the Maersk Denver, which sailed through the waterway this week.

The storm is bringing fierce winds and Arctic conditions to the region, impacting ocean, road and rail freight transport.

The use of real-time cargo status data is expected to make trade finance more efficient, reducing credit costs and processing and payment times, the Hong Kong government said.

Hapag-Lloyd’s investment in the Aracruz terminal project in Brazil is part of a plan announced by CEO Rolf Habben Jansen last March to expand the carrier’s ports network to more than 30 terminals by 2030.

The investment plan was developed amid growing alarm that the country is losing out in the trade stakes due to a lack of investment by South Korean companies in overseas logistics facilities.

For shippers whose priority is low price, the possibility certainly exists that the next few years will serve up a favorable pricing environment, if not highly favorable, writes Peter Tirschwell.

The moves come as capacity from Asia to the East and West coasts of South America has risen sharply this year, and as Mexico plans hefty tariffs against China.

But a spokesperson for ONE would not be drawn on whether the agreement was a precursor to the carrier relaunching its own services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

The Manila-based company is tapping into moves by the governments of Brazil and South Africa to enable their ports to handle steadily rising container volume and calls by larger vessels.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a report Friday that found terminal operators were making “historic” profits while their investment in infrastructure lagged far behind.

The import gateways have faced ongoing congestion this year amid strong demand on the Asia-Europe trade and limited buffer capacity at ports will be quickly overwhelmed.

Ocean carriers and terminal stakeholders at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port are dealing with operational chaos that resulted from a three-day shutdown caused by Cyclone Ditwah, said to be the strongest storm to have struck the country in nearly a decade.

The move is significant as the carrier has high stakes in India’s seasonal grape export trade that typically runs between January and April, moving mainly to Europe.

The French carrier plans to enter the long-crimped trade lane via subsidiary brand CNC Line, with a targeted launch in January, market sources say.

Freight forwarder sources believe ONE will attempt to tap US exports into the Middle East through Jebel Ali calls amid the ongoing slump in westbound volumes out of India.