International ports

The Port of Vancouver is trying to restore cargo fluidity that has been disrupted from punishing rain and snowstorms that have hit British Columbia’s rail and road infrastructure over the past two months.

Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) and Shekou Container Terminal are restricting the number of export containers they will accept in an effort to clear an existing backlog of boxes in advance of the Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 1.

All restrictions have been lifted on operations at the three container terminals in Ningbo’s Beilun district and around 80 percent of the available trucking capacity serving the key port has been restored.

Cargo is being diverted from China’s Ningbo port as shippers continue to grapple with trucker shortages and warehouse closures that have made it impossible to get products to and from factories in areas that are locked down.

While no COVID-19 cases have been reported at any of Beilun’s three container terminals, warehouse and container depot closures and trucking disruptions have made it difficult for manufacturers and suppliers to get goods to and from Ningbo port.

The latest move by intra-Asia regional carriers and feeder operators to add new connections with India comes amid a buoyant export market there and a sourcing shift toward Vietnam.

Samudera has introduced a new shuttle route between India’s busiest public container port and Singapore, with an eye on transshipment cargo as shippers scramble for any capacity available to them.

The coming suspension of feeder services has raised concerns the Pearl River Delta could see the same chaotic cargo situation before and during Chinese New Year as last January.

One shipping executive said China’s limiting of cabotage volumes to domestic operators has hindered ports such as Dalian and Qingdao from developing their own transshipment business.  

After severe weather last weekend caused flooding and mudslides, Vancouver port stakeholders hope that rail service can be restored this weekend to the port, a key entry point for US imports.

The decision to halt further strikes, at least for a month, came after Australia’s competition watchdog highlighted how labor issues have added to supply chain disruption, exacerbating congestion and delays.  

The latest figures from China’s two biggest port groups show a drop in container volumes through the country’s leading ports when power shortages started to bite.

Cosco Shipping Ports saw revenues at Piraeus surge more than 16 percent in the first half of this year, though total throughput dropped slightly.

Shipping and freight industry experts say the supply chain has entered a new normal where volatility and high costs are likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future.

After successful trials at the Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, terminal operator DP World is planning to deploy its innovative Boxbay storage system at up to four of its facilities.

Container terminals in Vancouver are so overwhelmed with inbound loads and empty containers that they cannot open enough appointment slots for truckers.

With the number of ships at anchor growing at Shanghai, Ningbo, and in Southern California, the delays at Chinese origins will ripple through supply chains, raising the risk of another wave of structural blank sailings.

The ever-growing queue of vessels off Southern California, while appearing to be counterproductive at first glance, is perfectly rational behavior on the part of carriers, writes JOC analyst Lars Jensen.

A Drewry analyst sees global port congestion lasting beyond the Lunar New Year of 2022 as retailers decide they do not want to run the risk of stockouts and empty shelves next summer.

Port executives need to adopt best practices for preparing for responding to cybersecurity attacks, according to a new set of guidelines from the International Association of Ports and Harbors.

Shipping sources told JOC.com they expected a steady ramping-up with more cranes operating from Aug. 25 and full operations starting from Sept. 1.

The shortage of boxes has put a big drag on Indian exports, which began to rebound sequentially since the middle of last year and have remained stronger into 2021.

Forwarders say the disruption at Ningbo is significantly less than what occurred during the Yantian COVID-19 outbreak earlier this summer, although carriers still have contingency plans in place pending a reopening.

CMA CGM and Cosco Shipping have begun diverting ships away from a Ningbo marine terminal closed due to a COVID infected worker, raising the specter that congestion will build at other port terminals.

The world’s busiest container port is seeing lengthy queues of ships waiting to load and unload, which is having a knock-on effect on sailing schedules that are already disrupted.

Surging demand from shippers has resulted in stronger pricing for ocean containers, and manufacturers are responding with increased output, according to a Drewry report.

Carriers and forwarders are warning that Vietnam faces a shortage of containers in the coming weeks due to a combination of disrupted sailing schedules, trucking delays, and factory closures.

The reopening of the US and European economies after last year’s COVID-19 lockdowns spurred a resurgence in the trans-Atlantic container trade as business activity in two of the world’s largest economies showed better than expected growth in May, with increases concentrated at US ports that have undergone major expansions.

The waiver for LNG-powered ships builds on Adani’s pre-stated goal to transform itself into a carbon-neutral port entity by 2025, with entire cargo activity aided by renewable energy solutions.

The waiver for LNG-powered ships builds on Adani’s pre-stated goal to transform itself into a carbon-neutral port entity by 2025, with entire cargo activity aided by renewable energy solutions.

While vessel space remains tight across Indian trades, shorter export wait times are seen as an indication that shipper cargo carting activity is now better aligned with carrier stowage plans.

While vessel space remains tight across Indian trades, shorter export wait times are seen as an indication that shipper cargo carting activity is now better aligned with carrier stowage plans.

The shipping industry is closely watching COVID-19 developments in Vietnam that have closed factories there, given the recent Yantian outbreak that spiraled into months of congestion in South China.

The shipping industry is closely watching COVID developments in Vietnam that have closed factories there, given the recent Yantian outbreak that spiraled into months of congestion in Southern China.

Canadian National Railway services to Vancouver are sporadic as wildfires slow trains and imports pile up at Port of Vancouver docks. Three out of the four marine terminals are reporting container dwell times that are on average 10 days or more.

Maersk’s moves in India are a clear sign it is aggressively pursuing strategies to retain and grow its market leadership there amid resurgent export trends.

Intermodal service through Vancouver dropped by nearly 20 percent after a wildfire forced Canada’s two Class 1 railroads to divert all freight service to one track.

Prolonged congestion at transshipment ports and destinations, as well as berthing delays in Chittagong, have forced some carriers to halt or slow bookings from Bangladesh.

JNPT’s new coastal berth has been designed to encourage a larger modal shift from land to sea for local cargo distribution and transshipment movement.

Jebel Ali port authorities said the explosion occurred on a vessel berthed at Terminal 1, an older terminal that handles smaller ships.