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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

US Court of Appeals probes FMC fact-finding in Evergreen detention case

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The case of TCW Trucking versus Evergreen could set a precedent for whether the US Federal Maritime Commission can penalize ocean carriers for charging detention and demurrage fees during weekends and holidays when a port is closed.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsContainer Shipping NewsContainer lines

Export rebound, manufacturing imports keeping Gulf Coast volumes afloat

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Amid a down year overall, Gulf Coast port volumes are holding up thanks to petrochemical exports, as well as growing imports related to energy projects and specialized manufacturing in the region.
North American portsContainer Shipping News

Lawsuit from former CEO prompts Slync bankruptcy filing

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
The company will sell its technology and shut operations, deciding it could not grow its business while paying the legal fees of ousted CEO Chris Kirchner.
Logistics Technology NewsForwarding

Key multipurpose index softens as summer slide continues into fall

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |
Multipurpose owners and operators are growing increasingly wary of the breakbulk market’s downward trend as cargoes remain hard to find and the wind energy market falters.
Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersEnergy projects

Prince Rupert to build large export transload facility to balance cargo mix

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
Construction of the C$750 million, 400,000-TEU facility for Canadian and US agricultural and resin exports will be key to achieving more balanced two-way trade through the Western Canadian port.
MaritimePort NewsNorth American portsNorth-American rail

India-US rates pushed lower amid excess capacity, muted peak season

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent |
After jettisoning previously planned October rate hikes, some India-USEC carriers have published new, modest rate increase plans for November.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American portsInternational ports

Capacity glut, forwarder competition drive Asia-Europe ocean rates lower

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Spot rates are being dragged down by forwarders speculating on an extended period of weak rates on the Asia to Europe trade as capacity is expected to outstrip demand through 2024.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesForwardingAsia-Europe

DSV CEO Andersen to step down in September 2024; COO Lund will take top job

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
In 16 years running DSV, Andersen has presided over the integration of a string of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions and guided the forwarder through significant disruptions to global supply chains.
ForwardingSupply chain

Weak demand signals threatening shipping’s emissions targets

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The window is closing fast on shipping’s goal of having scalable zero-emission fuels account for 5% of international shipping demand by 2030, a conference in Athens was told.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Planned bridge raising opens door to upgrade of North Charleston Terminal

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
SC Ports says the work will allow the terminal to attract growing volumes of cargo moving through the Suez Canal on large ships that are too big to call the facility now.
Port infrastructureContainer Shipping NewsNorth American ports

Hapag-Lloyd enlists India-based vendor to support US digital documentation move

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Ocean carriers are aligning with technology vendors to meet a self-imposed deadline to digitize shipping documentation, with Hapag-Lloyd's use of ODeX in the US the latest example.
Logistics Technology NewsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesSupply chain

Fresh geopolitical stress puts supply chain resilience back in the spotlight: analyst

Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and JOC Analyst |
Existing overcapacity in the container shipping market has provided the resilience required to handle a potential prolonged blockage of the Suez Canal, says analyst Lars Jensen, who wonders if stakeholders are willing to pay higher freight rates to maintain that safety net.
Container linesAsia-EuropeInternational ports

Labor peace drives West Coast rebound in market share of Asian imports

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
Discretionary cargo is returning to the West Coast as the confidence of retailers is boosted by ratification of the longshore labor contract in late August and the ability of the ports to immediately handle more cargo.
MaritimePort NewsLongshore laborNorth American ports

Norfolk continues to drive warehousing boom in Southeast US

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Demand for industrial warehousing is surging along the Southeast US, with Virginia attracting more than 11 million square feet in the last three years.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsIndustrial Real Estate News

US wind industry navigates deep waters to meet ambitious offshore target

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent |
Meeting the Biden administration’s target of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy installed by 2030 will require floating offshore wind, which means building new, specialized port facilities to facilitate development in much deeper waters.
Breakbulk NewsEnergy projectsMarine terminals

Global shippers take lead in drive for green ocean transport

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Encouraging cargo owners to pay more for green ocean services remains a challenge, but carriers are reporting growing momentum from shippers aiming to cut Scope 3 emissions.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

CMA CGM’s NY-NJ ‘home’ offers it Southeast Asia trade growth: Saade

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
CMA CGM chairman Rodolphe Saade said he is seeing more customer demand than ever for Southeast Asia services that will eventually call at the carrier’s two recently acquired terminals at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Marine terminalsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American ports

Forwarders facing margin pressure from smaller shipments, shift of air to ocean

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Shipments are getting smaller over time, driven in part by e-commerce growth, but also by a market that is disentangling cargo previously handled through air or ocean consolidation.
Air CargoForwardingAir Cargo Forwarder NewsLogistics Technology News

Savannah seeks new dredging project to attract larger ships, India cargo

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Deepening Savannah’s shipping channel, which would take about 10 years to complete, would put the port on par with other major Southeast ports such as Charleston and Norfolk.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructure

Deloitte taps asset-tracking provider Nexxiot for cargo risk management product

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Transportation sensor provider Nexxiot and Deloitte are aiming to connect cargo visibility data with the consulting firm’s “know your customer” process to fast-track container movement.
Logistics Technology NewsContainer Shipping NewsPort NewsMarine terminalsSupply chain

New cranes put NY-NJ port on track to handle more ultra-large ships by 2025

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
While more port dredging will also be necessary, New York-New Jersey marine terminals are installing more of the cranes needed to handle 18,000-TEU ships that may eventually call the port.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesMarine terminals

Ocean carriers survey changing market and ponder next course of action

Peter Tirschwell |
As the container shipping industry looks toward 2024, with historic pandemic-driven profits only a memory and expectations for a recovery fading fast, the question of how carriers will react is very much a topic of speculation.
Container Shipping NewsContainer lines

Global MPV indexes diverge amid strength in European short-sea trade

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift |
Toepfer’s multipurpose index has maintained its downward momentum due partly to a delay in the emergence of wind cargoes, while Drewry’s index showed some signs of life following a summer dip.
Breakbulk NewsBreakbulk carriersProject cargoEnergy projects

Overcapacity offers trans-Pacific shippers a familiar — and unreliable — bargain

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Efforts by carriers to mitigate overcapacity via blank sailings amid depressed container spot rates spell sustained deterioration in container service in general for the foreseeable future, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.
Trans-PacificContainer lines

Coming end to European block exemption evokes mixed reaction from analysts

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The European Commission’s announcement that the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation was “no longer fit for purpose” and will not be renewed when it expires next April blindsided most in the container shipping industry who were expecting a revision of the rule rather than its scrapping.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

India-US Indamex 2 service drops Norfolk call as demand pressure persists

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent |
Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM jointly opened the IN2 in September 2021 as a complementary loop to their sought-after Indamex service to capitalize on pandemic-linked demand swings.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesNorth American ports

Supply-demand imbalance drags down Cosco’s nine-month profits

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The normalization of container shipping markets is being accelerated by a surplus of capacity, with predictable results on the profitability of ocean carriers.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificAsia-Europe

Montreal port gets federal funds for mega-terminal after operators balk at risk

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The Montreal Port Authority said the funding will allow it to “implement a new delivery model” for the Contrecoeur terminal project after talks with initial bidders did not lead to a “satisfactory” result.
North American portsContainer Shipping News

US retailers downgrade import forecast through January amid sufficient inventories

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor |
With retailers shipping early this year and showing caution in placing orders with Asian factories for holiday merchandise, a major retail group has lowered its forecast for US imports in the coming months.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsPort NewsNorth American ports

Typhoon leaves vessel delays in its wake as ports in China, Taiwan reopen

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Both Hongkong International Terminals and Modern Terminals confirmed cargo handling operations at their facilities at Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung container port were halted for about 33 hours, gradually resuming late Monday afternoon.
Container Shipping NewsTrans-PacificAsia-EuropeInternational ports

Ex-Tiger Cool executives take second stab at Washington state reefer ramp

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Tri-Cities Intermodal said it will revive plans to refurbish a cold storage warehouse and rail ramp served by Union Pacific’s intermodal service.
Intermodal providersNorth American portsNorth-American rail

Europe to end ocean carrier exemption from EU competition law

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Following a review process launched in August last year, the European Commission reached an emphatic conclusion that the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) “no longer promotes competition in the shipping sector.”
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

OOCL bucks trans-Pac trend with sharp rise in Q3 volume, but revenue slumps

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
The Cosco subsidiary reported mostly positive volume metrics for both the third quarter and nine months through September, although revenues were down sharply.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificTrans-AtlanticAsia-Europe

CMA CGM makes big investment in electric van JV with vehicle makers

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
While light commercial vehicles are not typically used on a large scale by the ocean carrier, it has a significant landside presence where the electric vehicles could be used to lower emissions.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrucking NewsLogistics Technology News

Rail dwells rising along West Coast amid shortage of available rail cars

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor and Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Marine terminal operators in Los Angeles-Long Beach and the Pacific Northwest are dealing with an increase in rail container dwell times owing to an east-west imbalance in rail equipment that has worsened in recent weeks.
Marine terminalsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American ports

Seatrade plays service card in latest container ship order: analyst

Richard Bright, Journal of Commerce analyst |
The Benelux-based reefer owner/operator says its fast, dedicated and direct model trumps the transshipments, transit times and indirect costs of the major carriers.
Cool Cargo NewsContainer Shipping News

Doubts growing over shipping’s readiness for Europe’s ETS carbon tax

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
To comply with the European emissions trading system, ocean carriers will essentially need to become experts in carbon credit trading, on top of monitoring, verifying and reporting CO2 emissions.
MaritimeContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-AtlanticAsia-EuropeLogistics Technology NewsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

Savannah working through unexpected backlog of anchored vessels

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
While shippers say the situation — which could linger through mid-November — is less than ideal, many noted there have been no real impacts yet.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructure

MSC cements North Europe presence with Bremerhaven terminal extension

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
MSC’s move to extend its partnership with Eurogate in the north German gateway port follows a bid by the carrier for a half-stake in Hamburg’s largest terminal operator.
Port NewsContainer Shipping NewsMarine terminalsInternational ports

MSC avoids fine as FMC finds no OSRA-22 violation in charge complaint

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
The Federal Maritime Commission said its enforcement agency does not have a case against the ocean carrier over a congestion surcharge complaint from a shipper.
Container Shipping NewsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News