Latest news

U.S. containerized footwear imports plunged 22.4 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2014, according to statistics compiled by PIERS, the data division of the JOC Group.

Maher Terminals has failed to convince a Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey violated the Shipping Act by granting a more favorable lease to competitor APM Terminals.

Continuing improvement in the Hawaiian economy should lead to modest growth in the Hawaii trade this year, according to a container carrier serving the islands.

Rising U.S. chemical output and strong shipping demand mean higher pay for tank-truck operators at Schneider National, the second-largest U.S. truckload carrier.

Danaos Corp. is optimistic on prospects for the ship charter market as ocean carriers look to mergers and acquisitions and alliances to manage their costs and gain economies of scale.

Lufthansa Cargo said it will expand its “lucrative “express products business in 2014 as first quarter profit declined 25 percent year-on-year in a stalling global air freight market.

In anticipation of stronger exports to Asia and limited refrigerated capacity, carriers in the westbound Pacific intend to increase their rates on beef, pork and poultry shipments $700 per 40-foot container effective July 1.

Hapag-Lloyd at the weekend informed its customers that it will be prepared to levy what could be large congestion surcharges on shipments to and from the United States in the event that work stoppages occur during West Coast longshore contract negotiations this summer.

Amazon has entered the French market with new investment in a parcel delivery company, another sign the e-commerce giant wants to take greater control of last-mile shipping to customers.

Hapag-Lloyd is offering two new feeder services to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, effective this month.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. said it will launch a direct service connecting India, the Middle East, the Red Sea and the United States.

Attorneys for Thomas Farmer claim the former Crowley Liner Services vice president’s antitrust conspiracy indictment is invalid because Puerto Rico is neither a state nor a nation.

The global air cargo market has stalled but could start to grow again in the coming months due to rising export orders in the U.S. and Europe, according to the International Air Transport Association. But the stalled market is increasing the pressure on air cargo to deliver a stronger value proposition.

WASHINGTON — The largest U.S. shipper group doesn’t expect a strike or lockout at the nation’s West Coast ports but is telling members to expect picketing and even labor slowdowns.

After suffering through the longest recession in the crisis-ridden eurozone since World War II, roll-on, roll-off carriers could use an injection of good news.

London Gateway has landed its first east-west liner service after the G6 Alliance announced it would call at the United Kingdom’s newest container port.

Major Japanese international freight forwarder Yusen Logistics Co. said that its group net profit surged 17.5 percent in fiscal 2013, which ended on March 31, from a year earlier to ¥1.32 billion ($12.9 million).

Japan’s leading air carriers saw their profits drop in fiscal year 2013, which ended on March 31, despite rising cargo revenue, as fuel costs surged thanks to a weakening of the yen.

Gateway Distriparks Ltd., India’s leading port-based logistics provider, reported its consolidated net income in fiscal year 2013-14, from April 2013 to March 2014, was $22.5 million, climbing 7 percent year-over-year from $21 million.

Yang Ming Marine Transport has revamped its intra-Asia service network by forming new vessel-sharing and slot exchange arrangements with other ocean carriers on the routes.

Several carriers have planned general rate increases in multiple trade lanes in May and June, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

China’s relentless urbanization will likely keep imports of U.S. containerized logs and lumber brisk in the coming year.

The International Longshoremen’s Association is claiming jurisdiction over operation of a safety device for truckers picking up containers from rail-mounted gantry cranes at Global Terminal’s new semi-automated facility in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The International Maritime Bureau reported the lowest first-quarter level of global piracy attacks this year since 2007, although the agency warned that the threat of piracy is still present.

International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) will invest $500 million in the port of Melbourne’s third container terminal after holding off stiff competition for the 26-year contract.

Cargolux swung to an $8.4 million net profit in 2013 from a $35.1 million loss a year earlier as freight volume hit an all-time high, but the all-cargo carrier cautioned market conditions are unlikely to improve this year.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has signed a joint venture with a Brazilian consortium to develop a new deep-sea multi-purpose port in South America’s largest nation.

The number of truck drivers in the U.S. increased 1.9 percent in 2013, the slowest annual growth rate since driver numbers began rising after the recession, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show.

CHICAGO — Chicago is living up to its reputation as the nation’s transportation bottleneck.

Think driverless trucks are a futuristic fantasy? Plenty of truckload carriers would tell you they have too many driverless trucks today — all parked against the fence for lack of drivers.

A temporary space shortage on the trans-Atlantic is looming thanks to implementation of the G6 Alliance in that trade lane.

Costamare posted higher revenue and earnings in the first quarter, as the Greek charter shipowner expanded its container fleet.

Greece has received expressions of interest from six companies seeking to bid for a majority stake in the port of Piraeus, its largest container port and an emerging Mediterranean transshipment hub.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust will close all its marine terminals for nearly two days.

Encouraged by growing cargo volumes and relatively high vessel utilization rates, shipping lines in the eastbound Pacific announced their intention to implement a peak-season surcharge of $400 per 40-foot container effective June 15.

Port Newark Container Terminal in May will take delivery of three super-post-Panamax cranes that will span 22 rows of containers, have capacity to lift 65 tons, and handle ships with capacities up to 14,000 20-foot-equivalent units.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told a maritime industry group today he has no intention of diverting to the city’s coffers harbor department revenues that are needed to make marine terminals and intermodal connectors big ship-ready.

Similar to how airline ticket aggregator sites find passengers the cheapest airfare, a new deal between e-shipping platform INTTRA and multimodal rate provider Catapult International will allow shippers and freight forwarders to find carrier rates online before they book shipments through INTTRA.

Hanjin Group took a major step towards shoring up its financially shaky foundation yesterday with a shakeup of the group’s shareholding structure and the appointment of chairman Cho Yang-ho as the CEO of South Korea’s largest shipping line.