Container lines

Spot rates in the eastbound Pacific edged lower this week, but another modest spike in freight rates is anticipated later this month.

The trustee-manager canceled a Nov. 9 vote on restructuring a bond because there were insufficient bondholders to form a quorum.

Container lines and shippers can fix what some consider to be a broken industry if they concentrate more on accelerating the flow of data and cargo and less on freight rates and cost-cutting measures.

Rising spot rates as 2016 winds down will not be enough to lift carrier margins back into profitability, but the upwards trend will be a welcome relief after a year to forget.

US regulators are reviewing a proposed agreement between two marine terminal operators at the Port of Miami that would allow the terminals to jointly negotiate terms and conditions with container lines — a first for the United States.

As the Brazilian currency, the real, has weakened, international demand for Brazilian meat has surged, with pork being the biggest beneficiary.

Global container lines found guilty of cartel practices in the Russian market are seeking a settlement with Russian authorities in an attempt to avoid multi-million dollar fines.

A broad range of US shippers, truckers, and transportation intermediaries are asking federal maritime regulators to consider creating a rule to prevent marine terminals and container lines from charging demurrage and detention fees.

Consolidation of container lines could spur them to finally make a clean break from control of intermodal chassis.

The members of THE Alliance on Wednesday announced a revamped Mediterranean-East Coast North America service via a link with Israeli ocean carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Service.

APL will drop its regular general rate increases and adopt the inclusive rate format that was agreed with the EU Commission in July by a host of carriers to resolve a long-running anti-trust probe.

APL has expanded its China-New Zealand network as trade between the two countries almost tripled in the past decade.

The original language would have expanded the antitrust immunity of container shipping alliances.

Indian shippers who have been reeling from unpredictable demand may have some cost relief on the way after the Directorate General of Shipping and stakeholders moved a step closer to reaching an agreement over abolition of shipping surcharges.

Higher costs for operating ships will only increase the financial pressure on container lines already struggling to keep their heads above red ink.

The idle container shipping fleet has soared to 1.7 million twenty-foot-equivalent units this year.

Unless something changes dramatically, container lines risk a repeat of the brutal 2015 to 2016 contracting season; deepening industry losses are set to approach $10 billion this year alone.

Eastbound trans-Pacific spot rates are sliding on the wind down of the peak season.

Container shipping lines are “playing poker” with ports as their push for lower handling charges puts future terminal investments at risk, Drewry Shipping Consultants said.

Maersk Line thinks Brazil’s shipping industry is in store for some Christmas cheer.

Spot rates on the Asia-Europe trade have taken a sharp turn upwards, rising by 20 percent over the previous week.

As shippers scrutinize carriers’ financial stability ahead of the 2016 to 2017 bidding season, the safeguards could provide those that deal with the THE Alliance some reassurances — and give alliance members a contracting edge.

Maersk Line ended weeks of speculation with an announcement that it had reached an agreement to buy Hamburg Süd.

Fitch Ratings said Wednesday it expects Maersk Line to fulfill a long-anticipated takeover of a rival.

US federal safety investigators in mid-December will make public key information pertaining to the 2015 sinking of TOTE Maritime’s El Faro.

Fesco’s revenue and profit is still collapsing.

Shippers on Asia-Europe are struggling to predict the market as they engage with container lines in annual contract discussions.

A sale of Hambürg Sud would end a year of intense consolidation in the liner shipping industry, with Maersk Line and now CMA CGM reportedly interested in buying the German carrier.

US Federal Maritime Commission member William Doyle said the FMC should be “very cautious” about allowing container lines to use their alliances’ antitrust immunity to deal collectively with US service providers.

A sale of the German liner by the Oetker conglomerate would accelerate the consolidation that has significantly reshaped the financially troubled industry this year.

The vessel's scrapping would beat the previous record for the youngest vessel sent to a demolition yard by three years.

Taiwanese government last week approved a $1.9 billion aid package for domestic carriers.

Merger will create the world's fifth-largest container line.

IICL says collective buying of containers, chassis would give alliance an unfair edge.

The idle container ship fleet has retreated from a recent record high on accelerated scrapping of older tonnage and revived chartering of smaller ships, Alphaliner says.

A Hanjin Shipping attorney told a federal court Tuesday that it has virtually no assets in the United States to compensate claimants who are fighting to preserve their claim rights if the court recognizes the carriers’ South Korean bankruptcy case.

Pennsylvania’s state government plans to provide about $300 million during the next four years to double capacity of the port’s main container terminal and to expand and improve vehicle-handling and breakbulk terminals.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. said Tuesday that it’s still discussing allowing Hyundai Merchant Marine into the 2M Alliance, in direct contrast to its alliance partner, Maersk Line, telling the market Friday that a formal membership is off the table.

The Panama Canal has overtaken the Suez Canal as the favored transit route for carriers operating services between Asia and the US East Coast following the widening of the Central American waterway.

The merger would create the fifth-largest container line.