Container Shipping News

Major retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Target say they successfully mitigated disruptions from the early October port strike and are ready for the next labor threat and the fallout from likely higher tariffs on Chinese goods.

Converting an existing vessel to be able to operate on methanol requires major engineering work and could cost more than building a new ship with a shorter time to depreciate the investment, according to the carrier.

Frontloading and Red Sea diversions pushed volume and rates higher in the third quarter, and ongoing geopolitical disruption will allow carriers to extend their robust financial health into next year, according to the founder of the global equity firm.

A dearth of consolidation means there are still plenty of visibility vendors for shippers to choose from, but it also means the market as a whole is on somewhat unsteady ground.

While there is some frontloading of US imports from China to get ahead of expected tariffs in the coming Trump administration, most cargo owners appear to be holding their fire, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

The carrier’s CFO pointed to the rising ratio of US retail sales to inventories as a sign that retailers are still bringing in new inventory.

NVOs will enter 2025 hoping that their experience this year with carriers taking a get-tough approach to their business dealings was merely cyclical, a product of an unusual market following the Red Sea diversions and an early peak season.

The New York Shipping Exchange’s plan to introduce indexes to support long-term contracts adds to an already crowded field of providers.

The urgent creation of new e-fuel markets for the most scalable net-zero solutions is essential if global cargo owners are to achieve their 2030 and 2040 climate goals, according to ZEMBA.

A lack of action at the government level is now the number one bottleneck facing green corridor projects, according to a new report.

Forwarders and industry analysts forecast strong import volumes through the early Lunar New Year that begins Jan. 29 as importers of time-sensitive merchandise and manufacturing components route shipments through the country’s busiest gateway.

The move comes as the DP World-operated hub is making large investments in berths and supporting infrastructure with a plan to grow its throughput and attract volumes from other UK ports, including top rival Felixstowe.

Mounting congestion brought on by peak season volumes and port construction is making it difficult for exporters in Brazil to secure empty boxes.

The order for the 14,000-TEU ships continues the tussle between methanol and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the preferred fuel for the next generation of container ships.

The carrier, which reported $1 billion in net profit for the third quarter, says the potential boost in volumes could come as US importers seek to beat the possible implementation of new tariffs on Chinese goods by the incoming Trump administration.

While the presidential campaign is no longer a factor, the new Trump administration will likely be similarly disinterested in a strike of any significant length and, it can be assumed, will get directly involved in talks.

Dockworkers in British Columbia, as well as Montreal, say Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon’s order to accept binding arbitration goes against their rights under Canada’s constitution.

Developing an over-the-road network to handle containers carried on ships too large to traverse the waterway could increase the canal’s annual throughput by over 60%, officials say, although funding concerns exist.

The strong quarterly results mirror those of other carriers, including CMA CGM, Yang Ming Marine and Wan Hai Lines, which have also recently reported stellar third-quarter financials.

The union representing about 45,000 dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports says employers want to eliminate jobs by implementing semi-automated technology at marine terminals.

Canada’s Labor Minister requires management and unions to submit to binding arbitration and orders that ports reopen after a series of strikes and lockouts effectively halted container operations across the country.

Both carriers generated more in net income between July and September than the first two quarters combined, filings to the Taiwan stock exchange showed.

While there was no official word as to what caused the flip-flop on the part of the carrier, sources believe the security situation in the Red Sea remains too volatile for carriers to consider returning to the Suez route.

CMA CGM’s group net profit rocketed to $2.7 billion in the third quarter, thanks to stronger pricing power and earlier peak seasons for North American and European importers.

US retailers plan to significantly increase imports in November and December compared with projections from just one month ago following Donald Trump’s election to a second term.

Coast-to-coast work stoppages at Canadian ports have ground container operations to a halt, with port employers saying their best offers for new dockworker contracts are on the table.

Among the major container lines, CMA CGM has taken the lead in reinstating shorter Suez Canal routings, offering India exporters to North America shorter transits than the majority of other services sailing around southern Africa.

The bullish fundamentals are expected to keep US imports healthy as the year ends and put a floor under rates, according to participants at this year’s CONECT conference.

Sources also noted that some recent sailings on the trade lane have had difficulty filling space at Nhava Sheva and Mundra in line with declared allocation plans.

There are no signs of any rush to frontload ahead of potential tariff increases on European imports by the new US administration or to get cargo moving before a possible second strike by the ILA.

The disruptions coming out of disagreements during port work contract negotiations in North America have intensified, as seen currently in Western Canada and Montreal, and possibly again on the US East and Gulf coasts come mid-January.

The carrier has been restrained with its order book up to now, but the order for 312,000 TEUs of capacity comes as pressure to meet 2030 interim decarbonization targets intensifies.

Volume and rates on the Asian export corridors to the US and Europe have been high all year and online shopping promotions in November are further stoking the market.

Advisors to beneficial cargo owners say mitigating future supply chain disruptions requires BCOs to proactively engage with ocean carriers and forwarders, seeking to build partnerships even if past experience suggests they end in disappointment.

The work stoppage along Canada’s West Coast has also shut down rail operations, with CN suspending westbound rail service to British Columbia ports and CPKC halting acceptance of export and empty containers for the province.

The major Chinese ports of Shanghai and Ningbo are currently experiencing delays of two to three days due to the lingering impacts of the storm that hit the region late last week.

CMA CGM and Maersk are reshuffling their Mexico-Central America services beginning this month in response to chronic port congestion and berthing delays at key ports in the region.

Maritime employers say they will commence a lockout of the longshore foremen after their union began a threatened strike Monday morning, a move that will force marine terminals in the province to close.

A series of factors are bending the capacity curve back in favor of carriers and could lead to an improved supply-demand balance next year despite a large capacity overhang, believes the Maersk CEO.

Shippers once saw small variances on freight bills as a nuisance too insignificant to dispute, but technology is enabling more efficient scrutiny across transportation modes.