<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US intermodal demand continues to increase at a substantial rate, and in response railroads are deploying more equipment, technology, and people. But will that response be able to meet cargo demands this peak season?</div>

US intermodal demand continues to increase at a substantial rate, and in response railroads are deploying more equipment, technology, and people. But will that response be able to meet cargo demands this peak season?

<div><div><img></div>Data show that US demand so far has been strong in all surface transportation modes this year and there are no signs that anything will change in the final four months of 2018. (Above: An intermodal train in the United States.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.The US intermodal peak season is expected to kick into high gear in the coming weeks and shippers hope that service will be better than earlier this year, while forecasts show volume will be greater than a year ago.Data show that demand so far has been strong in all surface transportation modes this year and there are...

Data show that US demand so far has been strong in all surface transportation modes this year and there are no signs that anything will change in the final four months of 2018. (Above: An intermodal train in the United States.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The US intermodal peak season is expected to kick into high gear in the coming weeks and shippers hope that service will be better than earlier this year, while forecasts show volume will be greater than a year ago. Data show that demand so far has been strong in all surface transportation modes this year and there are no signs that anything will change in the final four months of 2018. From a macroeconomic perspective, although many economists believe a recession could occur within the next three years, the short-term forecast is strong. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis and Moody’s Analytics, the US economy is expected to grow 3 percent this year versus 1.5 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, in 2016 and 2017. Transportation economists generally agree 3 percent growth in GDP equates to robust freight demand, a general maxim that bears out in the numbers. The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) reports that overall traffic is 6.8 percent higher through July than last year. Marine container volume rose 6 percent, including a 6.9 increase in 40-foot containers and a 4.5 increase in 20-foot boxes. Domestic intermodal using 53-foot containers grew 6.2 percent year over year through July. American Trucking Associations monthly data show truck tonnage rose 8.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in July on a year-over-year basis, and year-to-date is 8 percent higher than 2017. The Cass Freight Index rose nearly 11 percent in shipments and almost 18 percent in expenditures for July, based on freight invoices processed by banks among multiple modes. “We are confident that the increased spending on equipment, technology, and people will eventually result in increased capacity in most transportation modes. That said, many modes are reporting limited amounts of capacity or even no capacity at any price shippers are willing to pay,” said Donald Broughton of Broughton Capital, author of the report. “That these percentage increases are so strong and strong against tough comparisons, explains why our outlook is so bullish, why capacity is so constrained, and why realized pricing is so strong.” Few regions in the United States show any weakness so far in 2018, or any negative signs to come. Through June, IANA reports double-digit growth in six major intermodal lanes: Northeast-Midwest, Northeast-Southeast, Midwest-Northwest, Midwest-Western Canada, South Central-Midwest, and intra-Canada. The only lane where traffic receded was an 8.2 percent decline between the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. Will China's tariffs disrupt the peak season? Ask different people in the supply chain and you will get varying answers on whether wide-ranging tariffs will alter the peak season. Some non-vessel operating common carriers and freight forwarders have told JOC.com that their customers have loaded up on inventory manufactured in Asia before any announcement from the White House. But Jason Hilsenbeck, founder of intermodal directory LoadMatch and Drayage.com, doesn’t see unusual click activity on his webpage to indicate shippers or logistics providers are searching in earnest for capacity to haul containers. Conversations with Chicago-based drayage providers also indicate that business is strong but not unusual for August or suggesting the typical peak-season calendar has been thrown out. “Consumption [of durable and non-durable goods] has been pretty good over the last six months, but the containerized imports have been below the consumption rates. If there was a lot of inventory building occuring ahead of tariffs, you would expect imports to outpace consumption rates,” said Pat Casey, vice president of TTX Co., during an Aug. 23 webinar hosted by IANA. Forecast looks good for domestic and international intermodal The intermodal group forecasts domestic container volume to grow 5.8 percent for the full year and imports nearly 7 percent. Since 53-foot container volume grew 6.2 percent and 40-foot traffic 6.9 percent through July, expect strong conditions to continue through December, according to IANA. When adding in trailer-on-flatcar service, which has surged 16 percent already this year, domestic business as a whole is up 7.6 percent this year. Trailer-on-flatcar service plummeted 24 percent during the recession and double digits in 2012 and 2016 but rebounded 6.4 percent last year. FTR Associates reports truck utilization is approaching 98 percent, indicating that there are few, if any, seated trucks available without assigned freight, so shippers will pay for a container or a trailer to be placed on a train. “We’re keeping pace with trucking, and when you consider trailer on flatcar, domestic intermodal is picking a little bit of market share from the truckload industry as a whole,” said John Woodcock, director of market development for TTX. Rail service will be a key factor Intermodal service is cheaper than truckload, particularly on long distances, but service is generally considered less predictable or consistent. Some data show that service is not nearly as problematic as earlier in the year and railroads have been publicly outlining their efforts to address the root causes of delays. Intermodal marketing companies, however, still grapple with delays on transcontinental rail trips. One logistics company told JOC.com about an interline haul from Lathrop, California, to Winter Haven, Florida, which was tendered to Union Pacific Railroad on Aug. 8 but will not reach its destination until Aug. 27. The trip to an interchange in New Orleans took two weeks. “It has become impossible for us to please clients and provide expectable ETAs [estimated arrival times],” the intermodal marketing company told JOC.com on the condition of anonymity. UP and its competitors have taken strides to improve service for its customers. One intermodal truck provider even praised CSX Transportation in a recent conversation with JOC. A shipper survey from investment bank Stephens Inc., released Aug. 24, showed the average rail service score was 5.8, on a scale in which 1 equals poor and 10 equals strong. “We typically receive a significant number of service-related complaints when conducting our shipper surveys, and we think it's notable that the negative tone on this front has moderated significantly,” said Stephens Inc. analyst Justin Long. “We think it would be appropriate to define the service environment as adequate. The outlook also seems to be getting more optimistic with 77 pecent of shippers expecting second-half service to be stable or better.” BNSF Railway topped the list with a 6.6 score. UP was second with 6.4, and CSX and Kansas City Southern Railway were tied for third with 6.1. Norfolk Southern Railway received the lowest score of 5.0. Class I railroad executives have also struck an optimistic tone on earnings calls. “Service metrics are starting to rebound and we should continue to see further improvement going forward,” said Cameron Scott, UP’s chief operating officer. “Going forward, we are confident we have ample resources to continue improving service and keep pace with demand. “We expect sequential improvements as we take possession of new locomotives and rail cars, and more employees become qualified to perform work,” said Mike Cory, Canadian National Railway chief operating officer (COO). “With the completion of our capacity projects in [fourth quarter] of this year, we're gonna see the resiliency we've not had in the near past.” “We are committed to enhancing service performance and are confident we are taking the right steps to drive meaningful improvement of our service metrics in the second half of 2018,” added Michael Wheeler, NS COO. Hub Group CEO Dave Yeager also told investors that its customers are seeing positive momentum. “We're seeing better consistency, which is really the key. The speed is not nearly as important as the consistency of the service level,” he said on an Aug. 1 earnings call. “We're seeing it incrementally, and we do believe that it's going continue to improve as both NS and UP continue to invest.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@ihsmarkit.com and follow him on Twitter: @arijashe . ** RELATED STORIES: Analysis: US intermodal interline woes threaten growth UP-CSX interchanged shippers face longer transits or higher costs

North-American rail

US peak season to test intermodal service

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">While linehaul performance has largely returned to normal for US Class I railroads, delays and bottlenecks triggered by the severe winter storm two weeks ago have now moved downstream to terminals in Chicago, Cincinnati and Memphis.</div>

While linehaul performance has largely returned to normal for US Class I railroads, delays and bottlenecks triggered by the severe winter storm two weeks ago have now moved downstream to terminals in Chicago, Cincinnati and Memphis.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Rail terminals at key inland hubs have become congested with containers two weeks after a severe winter storm slammed a large portion of the US, slowing both the handoff of import boxes to trucks and the start of export moves. While port-to-rail service and linehaul performance have largely returned to normal for US Class I railroads, the delays and bottlenecks triggered by the storm have now moved downstream to terminals in Chicago, Cincinnati and Memphis. “We’ve had drivers spending up to five hours just in line, consistently missing deliveries and having containers going into [demurrage],” said one Chicago-based trucker who asked not to be identified. “The customers refuse to pay and are getting frustrated. Drivers are getting frustrated.” Truckers say the terminal delays are eroding productivity and adding costs, particularly as railroads assess fees during extended container dwell times. For drayage providers, profitability depends on delivering cargo, making hours-long delays inside terminals costly. Frustration has been directed at BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Slowdowns are common during frigid temperatures because heavy equipment like overhead cranes and hostler vehicles can malfunction. Outdoor terminal crews also must battle the harsh conditions. In Memphis, drivers have raised concerns after Union Pacific began stacking ocean containers inside the terminal on Feb. 4 because of a chassis shortage, according to a UP advisory circulated to drivers and shared with the Journal of Commerce. A UP spokesperson declined to confirm the advisory’s authenticity, though two independent sources provided copies to the Journal of Commerce. “Union Pacific does not own chassis and works closely with customers and their carriers to ensure availability,” the UP spokesperson said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce. “Following the unprecedented storm, Union Pacific recovered exceptionally well and maintained a fluid rail network.” Truckers object to UP’s decision, prompted by the post-storm conditions, to charge a fee to lift containers out of stacks. The so-called “flip fee” traditionally applies when transferring a container from a perfectly usable pool chassis to a trucker’s privately owned chassis. Other North American Class I railroads do not assess a fee in similar circumstances, and major US ports similarly do not charge simply to lift a container from a stack onto a truck. Cargo owners are not covering the cost, so UP’s decision is a financial hit for truckers, provoking angry e-mails from truckers that were shared with the Journal of Commerce. Data from technology provider E-Dray shows that the average time to unload an ocean container and make it available at UP’s Memphis terminal has increased from 0.7 days before the storm to 2.9 days as of this week. <h3>Frustrations with BNSF, Norfolk Southern </h3>Drivers report similar frustrations at BNSF’s Memphis and Logistics Park Chicago terminals, where E-Dray data shows container availability times have doubled from roughly one day to two days in both locations. The delays are not driven by chassis shortages, but by extended waits for crane availability. “Turn times at both facilities are about 30%, or 20 minutes longer,” Jon Gabriel, BNSF’s group vice president of consumer products, told the Journal of Commerce. “We expect that turn times (will) return back to normal at both facilities next week, likely Memphis a little sooner.” In Chicago, drivers have also voiced concerns about Norfolk Southern terminals, though E-Dray data shows no material deterioration in terminal efficiency metrics there. Norfolk Southern, however, acknowledged congestion in Cincinnati. “We are taking proactive steps to improve the driver experience, reduce dwell, and maintain service reliability,” NS wrote in a Feb. 3 advisory posted online. “Our focus is on restoring smooth terminal flow and improving the driver experience as quickly as possible.” Congestion also remains elevated in Louisville, where a disruption that began more than a month ago persists. <h3>Linehaul performance rebounds </h3>Moving containers into major inland hubs is no longer an issue for the railroads. BNSF’s transit times between Floyd, Miss., and Plaines, Ill., nearly doubled to 19 hours in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but had fallen back to about 10 hours as of Feb. 5, according to rail visibility provider RailState. UP’s transit times between Edwardsville, Kan., and Mazonia, Ill., spiked to nearly 80 hours after the storm before declining to roughly 35 hours this week, RailState data showed. NS’s transit times between Mishawaka, Ind., and East Palestine, Ohio, jumped about 50% during the storm but have since returned to historical norms. (The RailState data used in this report was the 75th percentile of transit times, as calculated by RailState, to better capture “outlier” instances created by the storm.) Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a></div>

Rail terminals at key inland hubs have become congested with containers two weeks after a severe winter storm slammed a large portion of the US, slowing both the handoff of import boxes to trucks and the start of export moves. While port-to-rail service and linehaul performance have largely returned to normal for US Class I railroads, the delays and bottlenecks triggered by the storm have now moved downstream to terminals in Chicago, Cincinnati and Memphis. “We’ve had drivers spending up to five hours just in line, consistently missing deliveries and having containers going into [demurrage],” said one Chicago-based trucker who asked not to be identified. “The customers refuse to pay and are getting frustrated. Drivers are getting frustrated.” Truckers say the terminal delays are eroding productivity and adding costs, particularly as railroads assess fees during extended container dwell times. For drayage providers, profitability depends on delivering cargo, making hours-long delays inside terminals costly. Frustration has been directed at BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Slowdowns are common during frigid temperatures because heavy equipment like overhead cranes and hostler vehicles can malfunction. Outdoor terminal crews also must battle the harsh conditions. In Memphis, drivers have raised concerns after Union Pacific began stacking ocean containers inside the terminal on Feb. 4 because of a chassis shortage, according to a UP advisory circulated to drivers and shared with the Journal of Commerce. A UP spokesperson declined to confirm the advisory’s authenticity, though two independent sources provided copies to the Journal of Commerce. “Union Pacific does not own chassis and works closely with customers and their carriers to ensure availability,” the UP spokesperson said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce. “Following the unprecedented storm, Union Pacific recovered exceptionally well and maintained a fluid rail network.” Truckers object to UP’s decision, prompted by the post-storm conditions, to charge a fee to lift containers out of stacks. The so-called “flip fee” traditionally applies when transferring a container from a perfectly usable pool chassis to a trucker’s privately owned chassis. Other North American Class I railroads do not assess a fee in similar circumstances, and major US ports similarly do not charge simply to lift a container from a stack onto a truck. Cargo owners are not covering the cost, so UP’s decision is a financial hit for truckers, provoking angry e-mails from truckers that were shared with the Journal of Commerce. Data from technology provider E-Dray shows that the average time to unload an ocean container and make it available at UP’s Memphis terminal has increased from 0.7 days before the storm to 2.9 days as of this week. Frustrations with BNSF, Norfolk Southern Drivers report similar frustrations at BNSF’s Memphis and Logistics Park Chicago terminals, where E-Dray data shows container availability times have doubled from roughly one day to two days in both locations. The delays are not driven by chassis shortages, but by extended waits for crane availability. “Turn times at both facilities are about 30%, or 20 minutes longer,” Jon Gabriel, BNSF’s group vice president of consumer products, told the Journal of Commerce. “We expect that turn times (will) return back to normal at both facilities next week, likely Memphis a little sooner.” In Chicago, drivers have also voiced concerns about Norfolk Southern terminals, though E-Dray data shows no material deterioration in terminal efficiency metrics there. Norfolk Southern, however, acknowledged congestion in Cincinnati. “We are taking proactive steps to improve the driver experience, reduce dwell, and maintain service reliability,” NS wrote in a Feb. 3 advisory posted online. “Our focus is on restoring smooth terminal flow and improving the driver experience as quickly as possible.” Congestion also remains elevated in Louisville, where a disruption that began more than a month ago persists. Linehaul performance rebounds Moving containers into major inland hubs is no longer an issue for the railroads. BNSF’s transit times between Floyd, Miss., and Plaines, Ill., nearly doubled to 19 hours in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but had fallen back to about 10 hours as of Feb. 5, according to rail visibility provider RailState. UP’s transit times between Edwardsville, Kan., and Mazonia, Ill., spiked to nearly 80 hours after the storm before declining to roughly 35 hours this week, RailState data showed. NS’s transit times between Mishawaka, Ind., and East Palestine, Ohio, jumped about 50% during the storm but have since returned to historical norms. (The RailState data used in this report was the 75th percentile of transit times, as calculated by RailState, to better capture “outlier” instances created by the storm.) Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com

Rail News

Surface

Key inland rail terminals battle post-storm congestion, driver complaints

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The subsidiary of Manila-headquartered International Container Terminal Services said the agreement extends the lease expiration from 2040 to 2066.</div>

The subsidiary of Manila-headquartered International Container Terminal Services said the agreement extends the lease expiration from 2040 to 2066.

<div class="phx-topic">Australia’s Victoria International Container Terminal has signed a 26-year extension to its existing contract with the Port of Melbourne to operate and manage the port’s Webb Dock East terminal, the company said Friday. VICT, a subsidiary of Manila-headquartered operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), said the agreement extends the lease expiration from 2040 to 2066. VICT is currently midway through a US$165 million expansion of its fully automated terminal that will increase capacity to 1.5 million TEUs when completed late next year. The quay length has already been extended to 2,523 feet, and work is underway to develop two container stacking areas. The lease extension comes as Melbourne is preparing to kick off the development of the Webb Dock North terminal, which VICT is hoping to integrate into its Webb Dock East facility. Talks are already taking place between VICT and the port authorities for the company to develop and operate the $343 million North terminal, which would double VICT’s capacity at the port. The Port of Melbourne is aiming for construction to start on the new terminal in 2028, with phased completion by 2036. VICT is the port’s largest container and general cargo terminal. Melbourne handled 3.1 million TEUs last year, down from 3.4 million TEUs in the prior year. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com.</a></div>

Australia’s Victoria International Container Terminal has signed a 26-year extension to its existing contract with the Port of Melbourne to operate and manage the port’s Webb Dock East terminal, the company said Friday. VICT, a subsidiary of Manila-headquartered operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), said the agreement extends the lease expiration from 2040 to 2066. VICT is currently midway through a US$165 million expansion of its fully automated terminal that will increase capacity to 1.5 million TEUs when completed late next year. The quay length has already been extended to 2,523 feet, and work is underway to develop two container stacking areas. The lease extension comes as Melbourne is preparing to kick off the development of the Webb Dock North terminal, which VICT is hoping to integrate into its Webb Dock East facility. Talks are already taking place between VICT and the port authorities for the company to develop and operate the $343 million North terminal, which would double VICT’s capacity at the port. The Port of Melbourne is aiming for construction to start on the new terminal in 2028, with phased completion by 2036. VICT is the port’s largest container and general cargo terminal. Melbourne handled 3.1 million TEUs last year, down from 3.4 million TEUs in the prior year. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com.

Port News

Marine terminals

International ports

Container Shipping News

Maritime

Australia’s VICT extends terminal concession at Port of Melbourne to 2066

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Inland water transport offers a lower-emission alternative routing for out-of-gauge cargoes, with cost-efficiency, lower energy consumption, and fewer accidents, among other advantages.</div>

Inland water transport offers a lower-emission alternative routing for out-of-gauge cargoes, with cost-efficiency, lower energy consumption, and fewer accidents, among other advantages.

<div class="phx-topic">As demand grows for infrastructure projects including data centers, power plants and mining facilities, inland waterways are emerging as a greener and more efficient alternative for breakbulk and project cargo shippers. Hans Vermij, port hinterland logistics professional for international consultancy Haskoning, told the Journal of Commerce that project cargo is well positioned to expand the role of inland waterways for transport, especially when it comes to moving cargo for energy, mining and construction projects. Along with production of bulk raw materials that require inland water access to ship large volumes, mining companies also transport oversized project cargo such as mining or port handling equipment. “Transport by road [faces] severe restrictions regarding the dimensions of the load,” Vermij said. Vermij cited the Rhine River as a key inland route for regularly transporting project cargo across parts of Europe. The Rhine runs from the Alps in Switzerland to the North Sea in the Netherlands and is regularly used to ship machinery, mining equipment and transport vehicles. “As equipment becomes more specialized and the motorway networks in Western Europe are more and more congested, we expect more shipments of project cargo by inland water,” Vermij said. Sustainability, cost-efficiency, lower energy consumption, and fewer accidents are among the advantages of inland water transport, Vermij said. “However, there are still many cases where these advantages are unexplored or need justification to be demonstrated to convince shippers and cargo owners,” he said. <h3>Inland transport supports mining </h3>In South America, increased mining activity necessitated a landmark heavy-lift operation and inland transport by multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping in December. In its most complex engineering operation to date, AAL transported a fleet of 16 bulk-commodity transport barges on a single heavy-lift vessel from Brazil to Uruguay. According to AAL, the barges will enable South American mining shipments via inland waterways and will be deployed to transport iron and manganese ore for export over 1,500 miles along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway from Brazil to Uruguay. “We’re seeing growing interest in inland waterways as part of mining and bulk supply chains in South America,” Eugene Nutovych, senior chartering manager for AAL Americas, told the Journal of Commerce. Considered southern South America’s equivalent of the US’ Mississippi River, the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway links Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay with the Atlantic Ocean. Nutovych said the use of inland waterways delivers benefits beyond logistics. “Economically it supports industrial activity in Brazil — including the reopening of the Enseada Shipyard in Bahia — and stimulates employment and growth in mining regions and along the waterway corridor,” he said. For mining companies, inland waterway transport can provide greater carrying capacity, reduce logistics costs, and accelerate product flow to market by scaling cargo movement. “It also supports a shift away from road-heavy transportation toward more efficient waterborne solutions, aligning with the broader push for cleaner, more sustainable bulk movement,” Nutovych said. The fleet of barges is expected to increase capacity for more eco-efficient water-bound transport while elevating Brazil’s presence in the global commodities market. Nutovych said AAL anticipates more operations of this kind, particularly as inland corridors develop. According to the Rosario Board of Trade, the large-scale mining development projected in the Cuyo and Northwest Argentine regions will likely require river transport via the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway of processed lithium, copper, silver, gold, zinc, and lead — which often ship as breakbulk cargo — for export, along with the transport of equipment to support production. <h3>Global expansions take shape </h3>Investments in global inland waterways range from targeted projects in the US to massive expansions in Asia and Europe. In the US, inland waterway infrastructure has been expanding in recent months to support supply chains, critical infrastructure, and maritime workforce development. In July, the US Department of Transportation added 848 new miles of navigable waterways to the US Marine Highway Program. The network now covers 27,139 miles across 35 designated routes. On Feb. 5, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma and the inland ports of Benton, Pasco and Walla Walla in Washington signed an agreement to develop an inland logistics hub in the southeastern part of the state. Along with leveraging railroads and major highways with connections to coastal ports, the hub will rely on the region’s Columbia-Snake River system, which stretches from British Columbia, Canada, to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon, and through Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming. One objective of the hub is to ease truck congestion in the Puget Sound metro area and improve supply chain efficiency. The NWSA has been implementing a growth plan since 2020 that includes infrastructure expansion and intermodal enhancements to extend the gateway’s reach into the US interior. In Europe, work is underway on the 66-mile Seine-Nord Europe Canal, touted as Europe’s answer to the Suez Canal and France’s first new waterway to be built since the 1970s. The $6 billion canal will allow super barges weighing up to 4,400 tons — the equivalent of 400 trucks of cargo — to travel between France, Belgium and the Netherlands. David Edwards-May, consultant, publisher and former president of UK nonprofit Inland Waterways International (IWI), told the Journal of Commerce that the canal could serve as a key route for breakbulk and project cargo while helping shift oversized freight off European roadways. “That means you’ve got one-fifth of France — the whole Paris region down to Normandy — that will henceforth be linked to the Rhine [River],” May said. In southern China, construction is nearing completion on the 82-mile Pinglu Canal, one of the world’s largest canal construction projects and the country’s first river-to-sea canal to be built since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The $10 billion canal will cross mountains and plains to connect China’s inland waterways with the South China Sea. The canal is set to open to navigation by the end of 2026. The Pinglu Canal project marks the beginning of China’s larger overall push to expand inland shipping, as the country plans to establish a 15,500-mile network of inland waterways by 2035. “The bet the Chinese are making is that the temporary upheaval involved with developing new waterways for modern inland water transport will be compensated by the long-term benefits of a lower carbon imprint,” May said. <h3>Taking weight off roads </h3>In the UK, inland waterways, particularly the Manchester Ship Channel, are playing an increasing role in reducing road congestion by moving heavy and oversized cargo to waterways. Jamie Gray, senior project director for Haskoning, cited the 2024 transport of a large hydrogen-powered furnace from India to the Port of Liverpool. UK port operator Peel Ports transferred the furnace to a barge and moved the cargo via the Manchester Ship Canal to reduce road miles and public disruption. Gray said Peel Ports is investing heavily in warehousing and logistics hubs along its waterways. “The aim is to process goods closer to the final destination, and thus lower carbon emissions,” he said. May said inland waterway barges will eventually be adapted to run on electric propulsion, making them less reliant on fossil fuels. “Inland water transport could evolve to being carbon-neutral much more quickly than road transport,” he said. Another emerging technology is AI-powered self-steering barges, which could help lower personnel costs and is already being tested in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. “Obviously a lot of caution is required in proceeding on that basis, but it is a trend that I think clearly is on the way and will help to rationalize that mode of transport,” May said. In any case, May said inland transport is able to maintain a low profile, not only because it produces less noise pollution than trucks, but also because it means fewer oversized shipments taking up space on the road. “It is so incredibly discreet,” he said. “People are not even really aware of the service that is rendered to the economy.” Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>.</div>

As demand grows for infrastructure projects including data centers, power plants and mining facilities, inland waterways are emerging as a greener and more efficient alternative for breakbulk and project cargo shippers. Hans Vermij, port hinterland logistics professional for international consultancy Haskoning, told the Journal of Commerce that project cargo is well positioned to expand the role of inland waterways for transport, especially when it comes to moving cargo for energy, mining and construction projects. Along with production of bulk raw materials that require inland water access to ship large volumes, mining companies also transport oversized project cargo such as mining or port handling equipment. “Transport by road [faces] severe restrictions regarding the dimensions of the load,” Vermij said. Vermij cited the Rhine River as a key inland route for regularly transporting project cargo across parts of Europe. The Rhine runs from the Alps in Switzerland to the North Sea in the Netherlands and is regularly used to ship machinery, mining equipment and transport vehicles. “As equipment becomes more specialized and the motorway networks in Western Europe are more and more congested, we expect more shipments of project cargo by inland water,” Vermij said. Sustainability, cost-efficiency, lower energy consumption, and fewer accidents are among the advantages of inland water transport, Vermij said. “However, there are still many cases where these advantages are unexplored or need justification to be demonstrated to convince shippers and cargo owners,” he said. Inland transport supports mining In South America, increased mining activity necessitated a landmark heavy-lift operation and inland transport by multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator AAL Shipping in December. In its most complex engineering operation to date, AAL transported a fleet of 16 bulk-commodity transport barges on a single heavy-lift vessel from Brazil to Uruguay. According to AAL, the barges will enable South American mining shipments via inland waterways and will be deployed to transport iron and manganese ore for export over 1,500 miles along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway from Brazil to Uruguay. “We’re seeing growing interest in inland waterways as part of mining and bulk supply chains in South America,” Eugene Nutovych, senior chartering manager for AAL Americas, told the Journal of Commerce. Considered southern South America’s equivalent of the US’ Mississippi River, the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway links Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay with the Atlantic Ocean. Nutovych said the use of inland waterways delivers benefits beyond logistics. “Economically it supports industrial activity in Brazil — including the reopening of the Enseada Shipyard in Bahia — and stimulates employment and growth in mining regions and along the waterway corridor,” he said. For mining companies, inland waterway transport can provide greater carrying capacity, reduce logistics costs, and accelerate product flow to market by scaling cargo movement. “It also supports a shift away from road-heavy transportation toward more efficient waterborne solutions, aligning with the broader push for cleaner, more sustainable bulk movement,” Nutovych said. The fleet of barges is expected to increase capacity for more eco-efficient water-bound transport while elevating Brazil’s presence in the global commodities market. Nutovych said AAL anticipates more operations of this kind, particularly as inland corridors develop. According to the Rosario Board of Trade, the large-scale mining development projected in the Cuyo and Northwest Argentine regions will likely require river transport via the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway of processed lithium, copper, silver, gold, zinc, and lead — which often ship as breakbulk cargo — for export, along with the transport of equipment to support production. Global expansions take shape Investments in global inland waterways range from targeted projects in the US to massive expansions in Asia and Europe. In the US, inland waterway infrastructure has been expanding in recent months to support supply chains, critical infrastructure, and maritime workforce development. In July, the US Department of Transportation added 848 new miles of navigable waterways to the US Marine Highway Program. The network now covers 27,139 miles across 35 designated routes. On Feb. 5, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma and the inland ports of Benton, Pasco and Walla Walla in Washington signed an agreement to develop an inland logistics hub in the southeastern part of the state. Along with leveraging railroads and major highways with connections to coastal ports, the hub will rely on the region’s Columbia-Snake River system, which stretches from British Columbia, Canada, to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon, and through Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming. One objective of the hub is to ease truck congestion in the Puget Sound metro area and improve supply chain efficiency. The NWSA has been implementing a growth plan since 2020 that includes infrastructure expansion and intermodal enhancements to extend the gateway’s reach into the US interior. In Europe, work is underway on the 66-mile Seine-Nord Europe Canal, touted as Europe’s answer to the Suez Canal and France’s first new waterway to be built since the 1970s. The $6 billion canal will allow super barges weighing up to 4,400 tons — the equivalent of 400 trucks of cargo — to travel between France, Belgium and the Netherlands. David Edwards-May, consultant, publisher and former president of UK nonprofit Inland Waterways International (IWI), told the Journal of Commerce that the canal could serve as a key route for breakbulk and project cargo while helping shift oversized freight off European roadways. “That means you’ve got one-fifth of France — the whole Paris region down to Normandy — that will henceforth be linked to the Rhine [River],” May said. In southern China, construction is nearing completion on the 82-mile Pinglu Canal, one of the world’s largest canal construction projects and the country’s first river-to-sea canal to be built since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The $10 billion canal will cross mountains and plains to connect China’s inland waterways with the South China Sea. The canal is set to open to navigation by the end of 2026. The Pinglu Canal project marks the beginning of China’s larger overall push to expand inland shipping, as the country plans to establish a 15,500-mile network of inland waterways by 2035. “The bet the Chinese are making is that the temporary upheaval involved with developing new waterways for modern inland water transport will be compensated by the long-term benefits of a lower carbon imprint,” May said. Taking weight off roads In the UK, inland waterways, particularly the Manchester Ship Channel, are playing an increasing role in reducing road congestion by moving heavy and oversized cargo to waterways. Jamie Gray, senior project director for Haskoning, cited the 2024 transport of a large hydrogen-powered furnace from India to the Port of Liverpool. UK port operator Peel Ports transferred the furnace to a barge and moved the cargo via the Manchester Ship Canal to reduce road miles and public disruption. Gray said Peel Ports is investing heavily in warehousing and logistics hubs along its waterways. “The aim is to process goods closer to the final destination, and thus lower carbon emissions,” he said. May said inland waterway barges will eventually be adapted to run on electric propulsion, making them less reliant on fossil fuels. “Inland water transport could evolve to being carbon-neutral much more quickly than road transport,” he said. Another emerging technology is AI-powered self-steering barges, which could help lower personnel costs and is already being tested in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. “Obviously a lot of caution is required in proceeding on that basis, but it is a trend that I think clearly is on the way and will help to rationalize that mode of transport,” May said. In any case, May said inland transport is able to maintain a low profile, not only because it produces less noise pollution than trucks, but also because it means fewer oversized shipments taking up space on the road. “It is so incredibly discreet,” he said. “People are not even really aware of the service that is rendered to the economy.” Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Breakbulk carriers

Energy projects

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Project cargo

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Shippers look inland to move swelling project cargo demand

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The digital trade body argues that online sellers outside the EU were able to scale rapidly by exploiting gaps in customs and regulatory enforcement that European businesses could not legally replicate.</div>

The digital trade body argues that online sellers outside the EU were able to scale rapidly by exploiting gaps in customs and regulatory enforcement that European businesses could not legally replicate.

<div class="phx-topic">A Polish digital trade group has warned that Chinese online platforms were distorting competition across the European Union using “unequal rules” to reshape the e-commerce market. The Chamber of Digital Economy in Poland argued in a report prepared with KPMG that non-EU sellers were scaling rapidly by exploiting gaps in customs and regulatory enforcement that European businesses could not legally replicate. “This is not a debate about protectionism,” Patrycja Sass-Staniszewska, president of the Chamber of Digital Economy, said in a statement. “Polish companies compete on price, service and innovation every day. What they cannot compete with are business models built on regulatory loopholes and the absence of effective enforcement.” The report said Chinese platforms now account for 6% to 11% of Poland’s $42 billion e-commerce market, with strong growth in the electronics and household goods sectors where sustained price dumping risks hollowing out domestic production and investment capacity. The threat to businesses extends across Europe, the Polish group warned, saying that without intervention, EU-based companies will struggle to scale, invest and compete globally. Regulatory clampdowns on e-commerce have profound implications for air freight, as evidenced by the US’ removal of the de minimis exemption from duties for low-value goods that went into force last year. Amid a growing outcry across Europe, the European Union will impose a similar regulatory clampdown from mid-2026. The European Commission has adopted measures to remove the €150 ($177) duty-free exemption for low-value goods, targeting a surge in e-commerce imports from China. In 2024, the European Commission estimated that 4.6 billion parcels with a value not exceeding €150 crossed the EU border, twice the number of parcels from the previous year. The EU de minimis exemption not only allows importers of low-value goods to avoid paying duties, but also removes the need for importers to submit a standard customs declaration. A temporary €3 ($3.50) import duty per item is expected to be applied by the European Commission from July 2026, with a full reform of measures scheduled for 2028. <h3>Hollowing out domestic production </h3>Data from rate benchmarking platform Xeneta shows the removal of the US’ de minimis exemption for Chinese imports last May led to a sharp decline in e-commerce on the trans-Pacific that has extended into 2026. China-Europe low-value exports are also slowing as regulatory scrutiny intensifies. For instance, France in November suspended access to Shein’s online platform for three months after discovering illegal items on sale, while it has intensified customs inspections of e-commerce imports. Data from Xeneta shows China-US e-commerce exports were down more than 50% for a third consecutive month in December and fell 28% for the full year. Growth in China-Europe e-commerce volume slowed to 8% in December compared with a 54% growth rate in the first 11 months of 2025, but when excluding Russia, volume to Europe fell 23% for the year. Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer at Xeneta, said after three months of steadily slowing e-commerce demand from China, it appears obvious that the slowdown has now become a trend. “If it remains flat or declines further, it will certainly affect many organizations’ growth plans, including those with commitments to freighter conversions that will be relying on the high level of e-commerce demand we have seen in recent years,” Van de Wouw said in a market update Friday. Xeneta estimated that the air cargo market relies on e-commerce for up to 25% of its total annual volumes globally. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

A Polish digital trade group has warned that Chinese online platforms were distorting competition across the European Union using “unequal rules” to reshape the e-commerce market. The Chamber of Digital Economy in Poland argued in a report prepared with KPMG that non-EU sellers were scaling rapidly by exploiting gaps in customs and regulatory enforcement that European businesses could not legally replicate. “This is not a debate about protectionism,” Patrycja Sass-Staniszewska, president of the Chamber of Digital Economy, said in a statement. “Polish companies compete on price, service and innovation every day. What they cannot compete with are business models built on regulatory loopholes and the absence of effective enforcement.” The report said Chinese platforms now account for 6% to 11% of Poland’s $42 billion e-commerce market, with strong growth in the electronics and household goods sectors where sustained price dumping risks hollowing out domestic production and investment capacity. The threat to businesses extends across Europe, the Polish group warned, saying that without intervention, EU-based companies will struggle to scale, invest and compete globally. Regulatory clampdowns on e-commerce have profound implications for air freight, as evidenced by the US’ removal of the de minimis exemption from duties for low-value goods that went into force last year. Amid a growing outcry across Europe, the European Union will impose a similar regulatory clampdown from mid-2026. The European Commission has adopted measures to remove the €150 ($177) duty-free exemption for low-value goods, targeting a surge in e-commerce imports from China. In 2024, the European Commission estimated that 4.6 billion parcels with a value not exceeding €150 crossed the EU border, twice the number of parcels from the previous year. The EU de minimis exemption not only allows importers of low-value goods to avoid paying duties, but also removes the need for importers to submit a standard customs declaration. A temporary €3 ($3.50) import duty per item is expected to be applied by the European Commission from July 2026, with a full reform of measures scheduled for 2028. Hollowing out domestic production Data from rate benchmarking platform Xeneta shows the removal of the US’ de minimis exemption for Chinese imports last May led to a sharp decline in e-commerce on the trans-Pacific that has extended into 2026. China-Europe low-value exports are also slowing as regulatory scrutiny intensifies. For instance, France in November suspended access to Shein’s online platform for three months after discovering illegal items on sale, while it has intensified customs inspections of e-commerce imports. Data from Xeneta shows China-US e-commerce exports were down more than 50% for a third consecutive month in December and fell 28% for the full year. Growth in China-Europe e-commerce volume slowed to 8% in December compared with a 54% growth rate in the first 11 months of 2025, but when excluding Russia, volume to Europe fell 23% for the year. Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer at Xeneta, said after three months of steadily slowing e-commerce demand from China, it appears obvious that the slowdown has now become a trend. “If it remains flat or declines further, it will certainly affect many organizations’ growth plans, including those with commitments to freighter conversions that will be relying on the high level of e-commerce demand we have seen in recent years,” Van de Wouw said in a market update Friday. Xeneta estimated that the air cargo market relies on e-commerce for up to 25% of its total annual volumes globally. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Asia-Europe

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Polish trade group hits out at ‘unequal rules’ for Chinese e-commerce platforms

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The move to split Logistics and Services into three product segments reflects the sensitivities around a division that underpins the carrier’s integrated end-to-end strategy launched in 2017.</div>

The move to split Logistics and Services into three product segments reflects the sensitivities around a division that underpins the carrier’s integrated end-to-end strategy launched in 2017.

<div class="phx-topic">Maersk will split its Logistics and Services unit into three individual product segments as the division continues to frustrate management efforts to reach the 6% operating margin target set almost five years ago. While the segment’s 4.8% earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin in 2025 was an improvement on the 3.6% reported the previous year, it is not far above the 4.2% margin recorded in 2021 when the target was set. “We are proud of the progress we have made but are [neither] complacent or satisfied with where we are, and improving both our results and growth rates in logistics will remain a priority in 2026,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said during an earnings call after <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/gemini-benefits-face-looming-challenge-from-oversupplied-market-maersk-ceo-6164887">the carrier announced its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results</a> Thursday. With the EBIT margin showing only incremental growth, Clerc outlined plans to transform the Logistics and Services segment to drive more value for customers following feedback from the market. “It will increase comparability and transparency to allow you to better benchmark our performance with peers,” Clerc told analysts on the earnings call. The transformation reflects the sensitivities around a division that underpins the carrier’s integrated end-to-end strategy launched in 2017. Maersk wants to attract a greater share of shipper-direct volume with the aim of providing end-to-end control of customers’ cargo. It is a model <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/tpm24-industry-veteran-sees-little-value-in-ocean-carriers-integrating-logistics-services-5241059">that has drawn criticism from global forwarders</a> who regard their asset-light approach as better suited to the complexities of global trade. “Our priority in 2026 is to continue to improve where we have fallen short in Logistics and Services,” Clerc insisted. <h3>Division split into three new segments </h3>In an organizational change that will take effect on April 1, the Logistics and Services business will be split into three new product segments: landside, forwarding and solutions, with each segment comprising its own set of products. Landside will comprise local and regional products linked to inland transportation: drayage in and out of terminals, ground freight in North America offering mainly expedited less-than-container-load (LCL) road transport, depots, and custom services to assist customers with declarations, tariffs and other regulatory matters. Forwarding will comprise global forwarding and ancillary products such as air freight, LCL for ocean, project logistics and insurance. Solutions will handle supply chain management, e-commerce and warehousing and distribution. While still short of the 6% EBIT margin target, the Logistics and Services segment was able to grow its business in 2025 while broadening its network footprint in strategic locations that should position the portfolio for long-term growth. Full-year revenue was up 1.3% year over year at $15.1 billion and EBIT grew 35% to $728 million. First-mile volume in the logistics segment was up almost 4% year over year at just over 7 million FEUs, while air freight volume was down 2.7% at 318,000 metric tons. “While the [logistics] business is by far not where we want it to be in terms of growth and profitability, 2025 has moved us closer,” Clerc said. “Our priority is to accelerate margin improvement and push harder on growth wherever it makes sense, which we define as the many parts of the portfolio delivering high margins and where higher volumes will increase network utilization and thus, translate also in better margins,” he noted. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Maersk will split its Logistics and Services unit into three individual product segments as the division continues to frustrate management efforts to reach the 6% operating margin target set almost five years ago. While the segment’s 4.8% earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin in 2025 was an improvement on the 3.6% reported the previous year, it is not far above the 4.2% margin recorded in 2021 when the target was set. “We are proud of the progress we have made but are [neither] complacent or satisfied with where we are, and improving both our results and growth rates in logistics will remain a priority in 2026,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said during an earnings call after the carrier announced its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results Thursday. With the EBIT margin showing only incremental growth, Clerc outlined plans to transform the Logistics and Services segment to drive more value for customers following feedback from the market. “It will increase comparability and transparency to allow you to better benchmark our performance with peers,” Clerc told analysts on the earnings call. The transformation reflects the sensitivities around a division that underpins the carrier’s integrated end-to-end strategy launched in 2017. Maersk wants to attract a greater share of shipper-direct volume with the aim of providing end-to-end control of customers’ cargo. It is a model that has drawn criticism from global forwarders who regard their asset-light approach as better suited to the complexities of global trade. “Our priority in 2026 is to continue to improve where we have fallen short in Logistics and Services,” Clerc insisted. Division split into three new segments In an organizational change that will take effect on April 1, the Logistics and Services business will be split into three new product segments: landside, forwarding and solutions, with each segment comprising its own set of products. Landside will comprise local and regional products linked to inland transportation: drayage in and out of terminals, ground freight in North America offering mainly expedited less-than-container-load (LCL) road transport, depots, and custom services to assist customers with declarations, tariffs and other regulatory matters. Forwarding will comprise global forwarding and ancillary products such as air freight, LCL for ocean, project logistics and insurance. Solutions will handle supply chain management, e-commerce and warehousing and distribution. While still short of the 6% EBIT margin target, the Logistics and Services segment was able to grow its business in 2025 while broadening its network footprint in strategic locations that should position the portfolio for long-term growth. Full-year revenue was up 1.3% year over year at $15.1 billion and EBIT grew 35% to $728 million. First-mile volume in the logistics segment was up almost 4% year over year at just over 7 million FEUs, while air freight volume was down 2.7% at 318,000 metric tons. “While the [logistics] business is by far not where we want it to be in terms of growth and profitability, 2025 has moved us closer,” Clerc said. “Our priority is to accelerate margin improvement and push harder on growth wherever it makes sense, which we define as the many parts of the portfolio delivering high margins and where higher volumes will increase network utilization and thus, translate also in better margins,” he noted. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

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Maersk to reorganize logistics segment as profit margins fall short again

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