Container lines

The coming month will tell whether carriers can keep capacity discipline beyond the surge ahead of Chinese factory closures.

Spot rates from China to Europe strengthened this week, but the surplus capacity in the trade and the reluctance of carriers to blank sailings will likely limit any sharp increases in the run up to Chinese New Year.

The merger will create a European-wide transportation company with 18 services.

Six months after the merger process started, UASC was integrated with German carrier Hapag-Lloyd.

The service fulfills a company goal of introducing weekly calls at Portland by 2020.

Independent container lines increased their combined market share as well as their total volume of imports in the third quarter.

The new loop is well suited for the booming general consumer goods and garments industry in Bangladesh.

The cash infusion surpassed the company’s initial goal of raising $165 million.

Growth in container shipping this year has been in volume, profitability and capacity, and the industry is heading for record loaded shipments this year.

CMA CGM is the latest carrier to post strong operating results as it announces an adjustment of its top leadership.

The post peak-season slump has continued for trans-Pacific spot rates, while Asia-Europe market prices flattened out this week.

ZIM's profitability turnaround continues as rising rates and volume in the peak season drive up its steadily improving financial results.

The last Mundra call is expected to be on Jan. 8.

Exports to the largest global consumer of wastepaper are in serious trouble.

The violations were centered on the ports of Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Ningbo-Zhoushan.

The competitive service contract market has required major international carriers to make chassis available to many customers, despite carriers' vision to end chassis provision.

Spot rates from Asia to the West Coast this week fell at a clip nearly twice as fast as rates to the East Coast.

“We have seen freight rates remain fairly steady over the past year.”

Maersk Line has appointed the president of its Latin American and Caribbean operations to head its North American division.

Spot rates on Asia-Europe continue their weak season decline despite carrier efforts to raise prices.

Yang Ming and HMM have said it is too early to confirm whether mega-ships will be included on their order books.

Choosing the right startup has more chance of providing a rapid return on investment compared with a long-term commitment to a costly digital solution that may or may not work.

UASC is making its presence felt as the carrier is merged into Hapag-Lloyd operations.

“Log In faces fierce competition in Brazilian cabotage and east coast of South America container services.”

The global container fleet is on track to grow faster than expected demand and scrapping.

Spot rates last week experienced what was probably their last hurrah of peak season 2017.

East and Gulf Coast ports through October grew their import volumes at more than double the pace of West Coast ports.

Rates on Asia-Europe were back in decline this week, and the market fundamentals make it unlikely that prices will increase much before Chinese New Year.

Yang Ming reports a third-quarter profit on higher volume and freight rates, after 10 loss-making quarters.

Last week’s ruling by Judge Rudolph Contreras of the US District Court for the District of Columbia is the latest development in a years-long dispute over pilotage fees.

The trans-Atlantic spot market has barely budged when compared with the yo-yo swings on other trades.

It is the second consecutive quarter that produced a negative performance for the top carrier.

As shipping lines and their customers head into annual Asia-Europe contract talks, carriers continue to undermine their negotiating position by not withdrawing capacity.

The move by MSC and CMA CGM to order 20 new 22,000 TEU ships between them will not be followed by Maersk Line that says it has enough capacity "for now."

The $250 million to $300 million financial impact of Maersk's cyber breach was not enough to offset strong market fundamentals in the third quarter that drove up the freight rate and kept the carrier well in profit.

Maersk is preparing to release its third quarter results that will reflect the heavy impact of a cyber attack that brought the carrier's container handling divisions to a standstill.

The willingness of container carriers to sell capacity to resellers who openly distribute rates to the market is fueling rate volatility.

Analysts continue to highlight the lack of canceled sailings that will leave carriers facing increasingly severe overcapacity as new vessels sail into service and undermine their contract negotiating position.

North Carolina’ port hopes new Central American route will help make up volume loss after collapse of Hanjin Shipping.

“Our China vessel saw record eastbound volume in September and higher rates versus third quarter 2016.”