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Ports

News and analysis of ports, terminals, dredging, expansion, hinterland connectivity, labor, disruption, congestion, cargo flow

The latest Ports News & Analysis

Shipping interests urge White House intervention in West Coast labor talks

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Mar 24, 2023, 11:23 AM EDT

The plea to the Biden administration comes just days after the Pacific Maritime Association said the latest job action by dockworkers caused “significant delays” at some marine terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
MaritimePortsLongshore laborNorth American ports

Ports America strikes deal to develop Gulfport container terminal

Michael Angell, Associate Editor | Mar 23, 2023, 4:01 PM EDT

Mississippi’s Gulfport is looking to add more container handling capability with Ports America planning to redevelop a shuttered terminal for cargo handling.
North American portsContainer shipping

FMC querying carriers, terminals on free time billing practices

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Mar 23, 2023, 2:44 PM EDT

Ahead of a June deadline to issue new rulemaking on detention and demurrage billing, the Federal Maritime Commission is seeking clarity from carriers and terminals about billing shippers when container pickups and drop-offs are not possible.
Container shippingPortsNorth American portsTransport, trade and regulation

Ocean carriers delay GRI attempts on India-US trades as rate slide continues

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent | Mar 23, 2023, 12:33 PM EDT

Local freight forwarder sources in India say they view GRIs more as a tool to slow the erosion in rates rather than effectively trying to increase prices.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesNorth American portsInternational ports

Hamburg strike action closes vital waterway to container shipping

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Mar 23, 2023, 10:50 AM EDT

The Port of Hamburg is once again being disrupted by strike action that is causing significant disruption to vessel schedules at Europe’s third-largest container hub.
PortsContainer shippingContainer linesMarine terminalsInternational ports

MSC adds Jaxport stop on trans-Atlantic service

Teri Errico Griffis | Mar 22, 2023, 4:09 PM EDT

The Scan Baltic to USA service, which will begin calling Jaxport in late April, marks the port's second trans-Atlantic service and fifth container service.
Container shippingContainer linesTrans-AtlanticNorth American ports

Charleston gets expedited hearing in appeal over ILA’s Leatherman lawsuit

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor, Michael Angell, Associate Editor, and Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Mar 22, 2023, 2:32 PM EDT

The fast-track hearing schedule came after the South Carolina State Port Authority told the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals the port could become “bottlenecked” if ships can’t call the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal.
Longshore laborContainer shippingNorth American ports

Maersk going it alone, so far, on policy changes to free time billing

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Mar 22, 2023, 11:31 AM EDT

Maersk in April will stop collecting detention and demurrage fees on days terminals are closed and shippers can’t pick up or drop off containers, a move yet to be followed by competing ocean carriers.
Container shippingContainer linesPortsNorth American portsTransport, trade and regulation

ILWU Canada triggers federal intervention in contract talks with employers

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Mar 22, 2023, 3:57 AM EDT

ILWU Canada is seeking significant wage increases, while automation of cargo-handling equipment, a source of tension in past contract negotiations, will likely once again be a prominent issue.
Longshore laborContainer shippingMarine terminalsNorth American ports

Disruptions always lurking in container shipping: analyst

Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and JOC Analyst | Mar 21, 2023, 10:52 AM EDT

While the ocean shipping market has largely normalized after COVID-19, stakeholders would be wise to pursue a business strategy that takes operationally disruptive events into account, writes analyst Lars Jensen.
Container shippingContainer linesMarine terminalsLongshore laborNorth American portsInternational ports

Proactive approach to ISPM 15 progressing despite roadblocks

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Mar 21, 2023, 9:10 AM EDT

Breakbulk shippers and logistics providers have several proposals for changes to ISPM 15 mitigation and enforcement measures pending approval from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk portsTransport, trade and regulation

ILWU job action causing terminal gate delays in Los Angeles-Long Beach: PMA

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Mar 20, 2023, 3:24 PM EDT

Longshore workers represented by ILWU Local 13 are refusing to stagger their meal breaks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, resulting in periods when no work is being done on the docks, says the Pacific Maritime Association.
Longshore laborContainer shippingMarine terminalsNorth American ports

Not all recent import share loss on West Coast is permanent: analyst

Larry Gross, president and founder, Gross Transportation Consulting; and JOC analyst | Mar 20, 2023, 10:03 AM EDT

As the US West Coast’s share of import TEU has fallen in recent years, analyst Larry Gross notes there is an important difference between declines due to sourcing location changes and declines due to loss of share by region.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American ports

IEPs file brief siding with ocean carriers in FMC chassis dispute

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Mar 17, 2023, 2:14 PM EDT

The independent equipment providers say upending the current business model would create additional chassis shortages and invoicing problems that would inconvenience cargo owners.
Transport, trade and regulationContainer linesDrayage

US imports from Asia hit three-year low in February: data

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Mar 17, 2023, 9:07 AM EDT

February marked the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year declines in Asian imports, but those declines are being compared with the record or near-record import volumes that were posted in late 2021 and early 2022.
Container shippingContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American ports

Berth upgrade work sparks vessel bunching, truck buildups at India’s JNPT

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent | Mar 17, 2023, 8:15 AM EDT

Delays began to build after an equipment upgrade project to enhance productivity and capacity at APM Terminals Mumbai put one of its berths out of commission for six months.
International portsContainer shippingContainer lines

US draft legislation seeks to update OSRA-22, boost China scrutiny

Teri Griffis, Associate Editor | Mar 16, 2023, 5:19 PM EDT

The bill would heighten transparency into regulatory penalties levied against ocean carriers and marine terminal operators and draw a sharp line on the involvement of China-based entities in US shipping.
Transport, trade and regulationContainer shippingContainer linesPortsNorth American ports

Wan Hai consolidates USEC services as market takes ‘breather’

Michael Angell, Associate Editor | Mar 15, 2023, 3:11 PM EDT

Wan Hai’s two pandemic-era US East Coast services will be merged in a move designed to provide more regular capacity.
Container linesNorth American ports

US regulators approve CP-KCS merger to form first US-Canada-Mexico rail

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Mar 15, 2023, 2:31 PM EDT

In approving the $31 billion merger, the Surface Transportation Board rejected arguments from the FMC and competing railroads that the deal would harm US ports and shippers.
North-American railNorth American portsSurfaceTransport, trade and regulation

North American longshore labor talks span coast to coast

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Mar 15, 2023, 2:15 PM EDT

The rare occurrence – in which multiple longshore labor negotiations across North America are taking place either simultaneously or nearly so — is enough to make shippers nervous, or at least wary, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.
Longshore laborMaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesTrans-PacificTrans-AtlanticNorth American ports