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

Shift to Ocean Erodes Air Cargo Market Share

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |

The global air cargo business has been losing market share to ocean freight over the past 13 years as shippers seek less costly transport solutions in ocean freight.

Air Cargo Forwarder NewsForwarding

Hong Kong’s Container Traffic Faces Further Decline

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

The port of Hong Kong, which is already losing container market share to rival Chinese ports, faces further “significant” decline in volume following the launch of the P3 Network alliance...

International ports

Japan’s Trade Surplus With US Shrinks

Hisane Masaki |

Japan’s trade surplus with the U.S. narrowed for the first time in 14 months in February on a year-over-year basis, as imports grew at a much faster pace than exports...

Container lines

US Customs Issues Guidelines for Vancouver Diversions

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says cargo diverted to U.S. Pacific Northwest ports because of the truck driver strike in Vancouver, British Columbia...

Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American portsTrucking laborLongshore laborDrayage

Vancouver Port Community Grasping for Strike Solution

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Port Metro Vancouver edged closer today to suspending and possibly revoking the licenses of the striking truck drivers who are crippling commerce at Canada’s largest port.

International portsLongshore laborTrucking laborDrayage

LA-LB Container Volume Down in February

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Containerized imports at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex declined 7 percent in February in line with normal seasonal trends associated with the Chinese New Year celebrations in Asia.

North American ports

Drewry: India’s Port Congestion Likely to Ease

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |

Trade with India, which has been crimped by chronic port congestion at its public ports, may accelerate in the future as a result of the easing of congestion at major container ports...

International ports

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Fined $34.6 Million

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics today was fined ¥3.5 billion (about US$34.6 million) by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission for participating in a cartel...

Port of Nagoya's Container Volume Rises

Hisane Masaki |

The number of foreign trade containers handled by the Port of Nagoya in central Japan rose 1.5 percent in 2013 from a year earlier to 2.530 million TEUs...

International ports

Crowley to Carry LNG in Containers

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |

Liquefied natural gas soon will become a cargo as well as a fuel for Crowley Maritime.

Container lines

Vancouver Truckers’ Strike Hits Shippers

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

The delivery of local imported cargo at Port Metro Vancouver is being interrupted as the standoff between striking truckers and the Canadian government showed no signs of ending today.

International portsTrucking laborLongshore laborDrayage

Fiercer Enforcement of China Forwarding Rules Could Force Carriers to Turn Away Cargo

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |

The stricter enforcement of Chinese forwarding regulations could force container lines to turn away business and force forwarders out of the market.

Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer lines

Russia’s Global Ports Posts Mixed Results

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

Global Ports, Russia’s biggest container terminal operator, boosted profit by 6 percent in 2013, even as revenue declined due to lower oil exports.

International ports

Vancouver Truckers Review 14-Point Action Plan

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Union and non-union truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver today were reviewing the 14-point action plan...

International portsTrucking laborLongshore laborDrayage

CN Obtains Injunction Against Striking Vancouver Truckers

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |

Canadian National Railway today obtained an injunction against striking union and non-union truck groups that will prevent their drivers from blocking access...

North-American railLongshore laborTrucking laborDrayage

Truck Driver Turnover Rate Drops, But Not Much

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |

Truckload carriers kept more of their drivers on payroll in the fourth quarter, but driver turnover at large truckload carriers remains high, according to the American Trucking Associations.

TruckloadLTLLongshore labor

Snow Storms Hit Port of Virginia’s Container Volume

The Port of Virginia said repeated snow storms and the subsequent congestion and lost work days in February resulted in continued operating losses and affected container traffic...

North American ports

Officials Announce Plan to End Vancouver Truck Strike

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

The Canadian federal government, the provincial government of British Columbia and Port Metro Vancouver have announced a 14-point action plan...

International portsDrayageTrucking laborLongshore labor

Nicaraguan Official Discusses Possible Canal Routes

Grace M. Lavigne, Associate Web Editor |

Manuel Coronel Kautz, the president of the Nicaraguan Canal Commission, has announced that the traditionally proposed Nicaragua canal route up the San Juan River...

ForwardingInternational ports

Toy Shippers Urged: Prepare for Port Shutdown

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

The Toy Industry Association is advising its members to make contingency plans for their summer-fall shipments...

Container lines

Orbcomm Buys Euroscan, Expands Reefer Business

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |

Orbcomm, a global wireless asset-tracking company, has acquired Euroscan, expanding its product line and ability to track refrigerated containers and trailers worldwide.

Logistics Technology NewsTrucking NewsMaritimeCool Cargo News

‘K’ Line Diverts Vancouver Local Cargo

“K” Line said a trucker strike at Port Metro Vancouver has forced the carrier to declare force majeure and to divert import containers for local Vancouver delivery to Tacoma, Wash.

International portsDrayageTrucking laborLongshore labor

The Bigger the Ship, the Worse the Loss Risk

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |

As container ships grow ever-bigger, the potential of catastrophic losses is also growing.

ForwardingContainer lines

INTTRA CEO Ken Bloom Stepping Down

Peter T. Leach, Editor-at-Large |

In the 14-year growth of INTTRA, it has evolved from a startup launched by several carriers as an online cargo-booking service for their customers into a portal where shippers can see where...

ForwardingContainer lines

Hong Kong JV Paves Way for Mega-Ship Handling

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |

The Port of Hong Kong got a much needed boost in its capacity to handle container mega-ships...

International ports

US Red Meat Exports Could Face ‘Challenges’ in 2014

Grace M. Lavigne, Associate Web Editor |

U.S. red meat exports kicked off 2014 on a “positive note,” although market conditions suggest the year ahead could be “challenging,” according to statistics...

Container linesCool Cargo News

US Footwear Importers to Diversify Sourcing as China Faces Labor Challenges

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Rising labor costs and a shortage of workers in coastal China are two of the most serious problems footwear producers in that country face...

International ports

TRAC: Drayage Service a ‘First Step’

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |

TRAC Intermodal’s planned move into drayage is the first step in the company’s effort to expand its portfolio to provide “a broad suite of logistics services,” CEO Keith Lovetro said.

TruckloadDrayage

Box Ships Scraps Dividend as Container Charter Market Slumps

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

Box Ships posted its 11th consecutive quarterly profit, but the Greek container shipowner skipped a dividend payment to help it survive a slumping charter market.

Container lines

Trans-Pacific Vessels From Shanghai Post Worst Reliability Levels

Grace M. Lavigne, Associate Web Editor |

Carriers’ schedule reliability from Shanghai to Oakland, Calif., showed the greatest variation in eastbound Asia-to-Southern California route performances...

Container lines

Diversions, Violence as Vancouver Trucker Strike Continues

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

The trucking environment in Vancouver is turning uglier by the day, with drivers who dare to work at the Canadian port facing retribution from striking drivers, and cargo diversion already becoming a reality.

International portsDrayageTrucking labor

NY-NJ Truckers’ Complaint: No Chassis

Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor |

Congestion at New York-New Jersey port terminals has begun to ease with improved weather and the post-Chinese New Year lull in imports, but motor carriers say operations remain hampered by a shortage of chassis.

Ship Finance International Buys More Container Ships

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

Ship Finance International today announced the acquisition of two 5,800-TEU post-Panamax container ships from a German KG fund just a week after the NYSE-listed company bought seven 4,100-TEU vessels from a German charter shipowner.

Container lines

Seattle, Tacoma Ports Get FMC Blessing to Share Information

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |

The ports of Seattle and Tacoma can each gather information on their operations, facilities and rates, and share the data with the other after the Federal Maritime Commission unanimously approved the discussion agreement last week.

North American ports

UASC Ups Competitive Pressure With Sixth 18,000-TEU Ship

Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent |

United Arab Shipping Company’s decision to exercise an option for a sixth 18,000-TEU vessel simultaneously highlighted the growing importance of size as ocean carriers seek to cut unit costs and increased the pressure on rivals to scale up to mega ships.

Container lines

Global Ship Lease Relaunches $400 Million Note Issue

Global Ship Lease is relaunching its offer of $400 million of first priority secured notes in a private placement which the NYSE-listed container ship charter owner pulled in December.

Container lines

Truck Drivers Go On Strike in Vancouver

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver carried out their threat to go on strike to protest extensive delays at marine terminals that the truckers say are making their economic situation intolerable.

International portsDrayageTrucking labor

US Containerized Imports Expected to Rebound in March

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

U.S. container ports will enjoy a big increase in containerized imports this month now that factories in Asia are back in full operation following the Chinese New Year celebration.

Container linesNorth American ports

Hanjin Staying in Portland

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

Despite productivity declines at Terminal 6 that have lingered for months, Hanjin Shipping Co. informed the Port of Portland today that it will continue to operate its weekly trans-Pacific service.

North American ports

From TPM: Panama Canal Expansion No Game-Changer

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Retailers and other beneficial cargo owners that import merchandise from Asia make their routing decisions based on where the goods are produced, the U.S. destination, the cost of transportation, the value of the cargo and its sensitivity to transit time.

Container linesInternational ports