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Maritime

The Journal of Commerce is the industry’s source for maritime news and analysis about ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, global shipping ports, shipping technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage tracks the movement of containerized cargo — from origin to destination — handled by marine terminals in the US and abroad, depots, container ports, container lines, drayage, consignees and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and off-dock warehousing providers, as well as pricing, capacity, volume and reliability on the trans-Pacific, Asia-Europe, North America-Caribbean, Central and South American and intra-Asia trades.

Subsections

The latest Maritime News & Analysis

Zim posts record nine-month result, but says negative rate trend accelerating

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Despite a record nine-month result, carrier Zim has downgraded its full-year guidance amid rate declines that are rapidly deepening of late.
Container lines

Maersk inks another methanol production deal for green fleet

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
A new production facility in South Dakota will supply Maersk with 100,000 tons of green methanol a year as the carrier signs yet another deal to lock in the supply of alternative fuels.
Container lines

Prolonged trans-Pacific spot slump has shippers eyeing contract reductions

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Aggressive curtailing of capacity by container lines on the trans-Pacific has done little to prevent shippers from forecasting sizable contract rate reductions next spring.
Container lines

OICT resumes vessel operations after ILWU job action

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
OICT is operated by SSA Marine, the same operator that runs Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle, which has been the site of a inter-union work jurisdictional dispute that has forced the broader West Coast contract talks to be put on hold.
Longshore labor

Shipper says email proves retaliation claim against Hamburg Sud

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
A US furniture importer aims to show that Hamburg Sud’s decision to drop its business following the threat of a lawsuit amounts to retaliation under OSRA-22.
Container lines

Breakbulk reefers positioned to weather downturn

Richard Bright, JOC analyst |
As evidenced over the past chaotic 24 months, dry cargo demand and the supply of reefer equipment are more intimately linked than it might first appear.
Breakbulk News

ILWU halts vessel operations at Oakland’s largest terminal

JOC Staff |
Sources with knowledge of the Port of Oakland’s operations called Monday’s action by the ILWU an obvious attempt to exert pressure on stalled contract negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association.
North American portsTrans-Pacific

Booming heavy transport demand driving new project partnerships

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Engineered transport providers are gearing up for heavy demand as an energy buildout in both renewable and oil and gas sectors gains strength.
Breakbulk News

Pent-up demand to fuel project logistics volumes into 2024

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |
Two years of pandemic-related oil and gas project delays and cutbacks in global supply due to the Russia-Ukraine war are driving demand for project logistics services in the short and long term.
Breakbulk NewsProject cargoEnergy projects

Lack of infrastructure could stymie global, US wind energy targets

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |
Bottlenecks and a lack of needed infrastructure may put the “aspirational” global offshore wind installation schedule out of reach, an analyst says.
Breakbulk NewsEnergy projectsProject cargo

Cargo gains linked to cabotage waiver accelerate at Indian ports: carriers

Bency Mathew, Special India Correspondent |
Under the modified cabotage mechanism, foreign-flag carriers working the India trade face minimal regulations over the movement of export and import containers meant for transshipment.
International ports

Carriers face ‘bumpy ride’ on rates, but no return to 2016 losses: Habben Jansen

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Hapag-Lloyd’s CEO says the slide in ocean rates coupled with weakening demand would likely cause pop-up carriers — mainly intra-Asia lines that entered the trans-Pacific trade when rates hit historic highs — to pull out.
Container linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

MPV rates decline as market chaos unwinds

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |
Confident of project demand ahead, the multipurpose vessel sector sees November’s softening rates as a move toward stability, analysts say.
Breakbulk News

Exporter losses are collateral damage in West Coast port disruption

Peter Tirschwell |
Last week’s work action stirred up bad memories of negotiations in 2014–15, when locally initiated job actions over several months severely disrupted ports up and down the West Coast, resulting in huge losses for exporters.
North American ports

‘Considerable uncertainties’ likely to dampen container demand: HMM

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
The carrier said it aims to tackle the challenging outlook by securing high-yield cargo to maximize profitability and improve operational efficiency to cut costs.
Container linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

Canada port modernization lays groundwork for legislation

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Canada is reconsidering how its port system operates in the wake of disruption tied to the pandemic and amid inland hub congestion putting upstream pressure on its Pacific Coast ports.
Port News

US retailers lower import forecast amid demand decline

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
US containerized imports are expected to decline through the first quarter of 2023 at a faster clip than retailers forecasted just months ago, with consumers concerned over rising prices and interest rates.
Container linesTrans-Pacific

Port of Liverpool reaches pay deal with dockworkers’ union

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The announced wage deal at Liverpool is welcome news after a series of strikes over the past three months severely disrupted container operations at the UK’s key west coast hub.
International ports

M&A in US trucking, logistics cross ‘asset lines’

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
US transportation companies with cash on hand are acquiring asset-based truckers and non-asset freight brokers alike to add services and shipper customers and build network density.
TruckloadDrayageTruck brokers

Demand slowdown overshadows capacity cuts on Asia–Europe

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
There appears to be little that ocean carriers can do to stem an Asia-Europe spot market in free-fall as economic conditions deteriorate and freight volumes continue to soften.
Container linesAsia-Europe

Trans-Pac blank sailings accelerate as demand withers: Sea-Intelligence

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
The accelerated blankings in the eastbound trans-Pacific come after US imports in September and October “can at best be described as a complete collapse in demand growth,” according to Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis.
Container linesTrans-Pacific

Evergreen takes full control of Panama transshipment hub

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Evergreen Marine has purchased the equity shares held by subsidiaries in its transshipment hub in Panama that serves both Asia and South America services into the US East Coast.
Container linesInternational ports

Maersk makes Spanish deal to expand green fuel production

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The availability of green fuels in sufficient quantities and at cost-competitive price levels remains the main challenge for the decarbonization of global shipping, says Maersk.
Maritime

Matson CEO expects more capacity cuts from large trans-Pac carriers

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Matson’s CEO expects to see even more capacity reductions and schedule changes in the next two quarters to meet lower consumer demand in the expedited market, especially as air cargo and conventional ocean market rates continue to fall.
Container linesTrans-Pacific

MSC to pass on costs of complying with Europe’s emissions trading system

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Carriers are trying to work out the additional costs per container of complying with Europe’s ETS, but there is little clarity over how the rule will be applied with less than eight weeks to go before implementation.
Container linesAsia-Europe

Oakland port disruption underpins support for West Coast cargo shift

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
A work stoppage in Oakland only served to further stoke the fears of US cargo interests who have been routing discretionary cargo away from West Coast ports to avoid disruptions linked to ongoing longshore labor talks.
Longshore laborTrans-Pacific

New container orders drop to lowest in three years: Textainer

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Despite a downturn in the container leasing market, IMO regulations next year could prompt carriers to employ more slow steaming, which would boost the need for additional boxes starting in mid-2023.
Maritime

Carrier earnings to slow with rate levels past their peak: Maersk CEO

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Maersk reported a record Q3 result as shippers locked into long-term contracts continued to drive profitability for the carrier despite sharply declining volumes.
Container linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

MSC calls for revision of IMO's ‘penalizing’ carbon rating measure

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
MSC has taken issue with the way the carbon intensity of ships will be calculated under a new IMO rule, which it says does not reflect container shipping’s operational realities.
Container lines

Gulf Coast import share gains to outlast ILWU negotiations: ports

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The Gulf Coast ports of Houston and Mobile are the fastest and third-fastest growing gateways for US imports of Asian goods as shippers look to diversify away from the West Coast, regardless of the outcome of longshore labor talks.
Port News

Demand for heavy-lift air transport outstrips supply

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Sanctions against Russia have sharply reduced available heavy-lift air tonnage even as energy sector demand escalates.
Heavy-haul transportAirport News

Volume, rates will decline through Q1 2023: ONE’s Nixon

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Singapore-based carrier ONE expects to end its fiscal year with profits below the record earnings generated in FY2021 with no short-term improvement likely in container shipping markets.
ForwardingTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

Shipping faces stiff competition for green fuel supply

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Finding an alternative fuel whose production can be scaled up to meet the enormous demands of a wide range of industries makes it a daunting challenge, say industry experts.
Container lines

Cosco Shipping, Orient Overseas order 12 24,000-TEU ships

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
The latest new ship contracts come despite concerns that falling cargo volumes and new vessel deliveries will create a yawning gap between ship supply and demand starting next year.
Container lines

NY-NJ port, terminals take next step in rail track project

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The Port of New York and New Jersey and two of its marine terminals are funding further planning on a track project that would mean fewer delays out of the port.
North American ports

DOT awards $703 million for US port upgrades

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The US Department of Transportation will provide record funding for 41 port projects, including infrastructure upgrades and emissions improvements.
North American ports

Grimaldi Group orders up to 10 vessels to carry electric vehicles

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
The new ships ordered by the Grimaldi Group, designed for carrying electric vehicles, will burn 50 percent less fuel than earlier car carriers.
Ro/ro cargo

Trans-Pac schedule reliability improved again in September

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
Carriers in the eastbound trans-Pacific continue to improve their on-time vessel arrivals at US ports as softer import volumes contributed to reductions in vessel backlogs and marine terminal congestion.
Container linesTrans-Pacific

Houston approves long-dwell box fees to prod shippers

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The move to impose fees on long-dwelling containers comes as the import backlog at Port Houston has created truck queues outside its terminals and increased turn times for drivers.
North American ports

Irreconcilable issues prolonging West Coast longshore labor talks

Peter Tirschwell |
The longer it takes for the ILWU and West Coast longshore employers to agree on a new contract, the threat of disruption grows and more cargo will be diverted elsewhere – some of it permanently.
North American ports