Container lines

Maersk Line will increase rates in its trade from the Middle East and Indian subcontinent to the U.S. and Canada, effective July 3.

Hamburg Süd will offer a new service from South Africa to Argentina and Brazil, in cooperation with Nile Dutch.

Maersk Line will boost rates in its trade from the Far East, excluding Japan, to the Mediterranean, starting July 1.

OOCL will boost rates on its westbound trade from the Far East, including Japan, to the Mediterranean and Black Sea, starting July 1.

Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores will introduce regular calls at Port Klang, Malaysia; Khalifa in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and Qingdao, China, to its Galex Sling 1 service.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is providing a new weekly direct container service between Houston and Brazil.

Hyundai Merchant Marine is examining how best to restructure its network to tap into growing intra-Asia container volumes.

Cosco will raise rates on all shipments from the Far East, including Japan, and India and Pakistan regions to the Mediterranean and West Africa, beginning July 1.

CMA CGM has closed on the sale of a 49 percent stake in Terminal Link, its global container terminal unit, to China Merchants Holdings.

Ocean carriers likely will secure only half of planned “massive” rate hikes on the Far East-Europe route in July based on current forward market rates, according to industry analyst Alphaliner.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will increase rates for all cargo in its westbound trade from the Far East, including Southeast Asia and Japan, to Europe, starting July 1.

Regional Container Lines has announced that CNC Line will replace OOCL as its partner in the RBC service.

Hapag-Lloyd will hike rates on all shipments from India’s Zone 1 to North Europe and the Mediterranean, beginning July 11.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. has scheduled a rate increase for July 1 for all dry cargo on its trade from North Europe, including the U.K., to the Far East, including Japan.

Shipping lines operating in the westbound trans-Pacific trade are carrying fewer loaded containers to Asia these days, but they’re enjoying it more because average freight rates in the trade are higher.

CMA CGM will replace its existing SEAS services, connecting Asia to South America’s east coast, with three new SEAS fixed-day weekly services.

Ship finance is so scarce that the glut of vessel capacity that’s depressing freight rates in the major east-west trades this year could vanish by 2016 unless shipowners and shipping lines find new ways to finance orders for the fuel-efficient ships they’ll need if they hope to lower their costs.

Global ocean carriers handled more than 4.2 million 20-foot-equivalent units of U.S. containerized imports in the first quarter, and the separation between the Top 2 carriers in the trade came down to two fully laden mega-ships.

The volume of U.S. beef exports in April was 86,433 metric tons, down 9 percent year-over-year, and export value was $434.8 million, down 7 percent compared with the value in April 2012...

A corporate bond issued by Rickmers Holding is trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange after raising 175 million euros ($231 million) for the Hamburg-based shipping company.

The first of Maersk’s 20-strong Triple E vessels is currently undergoing sea trials in Korea.

Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, India’s leading coastal container carrier and multimodal logistics company, posted a consolidated net profit of Rs. 15.40 crore (about $2.75 million) in fiscal year 2012-13, up 175 percent from $1 million a year earlier.

Australia reported its third consecutive monthly trade surplus in April, at $28 million, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

U.S. steel exports in April were 1.0 million tons, declining 5.3 percent from 1.1 million tons in the previous month and 10.7 percent compared with April 2012, according to government reporting.

On July 1, Singapore’s Green Ship Program will be expanded to recognize Singapore-flag ships that adopt approved sulfur oxide scrubber technology that goes beyond existing International Maritime Organization’s emissions requirements.

California’s merchandise export trade in April totaled $13.07 billion, up from $13.03 billion in exports reported in April 2012, according to an analysis by Beacon Economics of foreign trade data released by the U.S. Commerce Department.

Starting July 1, CMA CGM will raise rates on its trade from Asia to North Europe.

Hyundai Merchant Marine will boost rates on its trade from Asia to North Europe, effective July 1.

Jefferies Group has predicted that Maersk Line may report losses at the end of this year, as the container line’s proposed freight rate increases have been failing.

For the first time in years, there are some favorable winds blowing for the Maritime Administration and the U.S.-flag fleet.

Fesco, the Russian shipping and logistics group, said a 5 billion roubles ($156 million) domestic bond issue was more than 2 ½ times oversubscribed.

Maersk Line will add a port call at Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, to its ME2 service.

Canada’s merchandise imports in April rose 1.2 percent month-over-month, while exports edged down 0.2 percent, resulting in a trade deficit of C$567 million, compared with C$3 million in March, according to Statistics Canada.

The gateways of choice for identity-preserved grain shippers are the Pacific Northwest ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Portland. Intermodal rail service from the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin find their natural terminus at the PNW ports.

Evergreen Line has chosen France's Port of Le Havre for its CES Asia-to-Europe service, starting in July.

International sugar production for 2013 to 2014 is forecast at a record 175 million metric tons, with gains in Brazil and Thailand offsetting lower production in India.

For the third straight year, ACX Pacific Northwest has been listed as the No. 1 exporter of alfalfa and grass hay in The Journal of Commerce’s Top 100 U.S. Exporters list.

The Columbus Region in Ohio reported a 138 percent year-over-year increase in the amount of goods admitted to Central Ohio’s Foreign-Trade Zone No. 138 in 2012...