International ports

An analysis of new Indian container data shows importers and exporters are increasingly shifting cargo to private, minor terminals, and Adani Group is the beneficiary of much of that diversion.

A 30-year shipping industry veteran who heads up Modern Terminals in the Port of Hong Kong will become president of Ports America in February.

The Port of Halifax will meet its self-imposed deadline to handle two mega vessels simultaneously by March, when the extension of a berth at one of the port’s two container terminals is completed.

Mexico is moving ahead with a plan to create a cabotage program in the first quarter of 2020 to enable shippers to move cargo over water within the country’s borders, providing an alternative to trucking.

Abu Dhabi Ports officials will initiate talks with Indian counterparts to draw up a roadmap for establishing integration links between their respective digital logistics portals.

The Indian government shows it is taking a long-term view in implementing regulatory reforms for supply chain logistics by agreeing to modify one controversial proposal.

Shippers in Bangladesh fear a cut in profit margins following a cyclone that temporarily closed Chittagong port, creating a queue of vessels that will take at least a week to clear.

Australia’s competition watchdog says terminal infrastructure charges have surged more than 60 percent in the past year, prompting shippers to press for government intervention.

The container growth rate at Indian ports during the first seven months of the fiscal year shrunk to 3 percent, down from 8.4 percent in the same period a year ago.

While India’s supply chain reforms move forward, stakeholders say they need more clarity on the changes in order to allow for a smooth implementation.

The Hong Kong Seaport Alliance (HKSPA) — consisting of Hongkong International Terminals, Modern Terminals, COSCO-HIT Terminals and Asia Container Terminals — said last month it standardized operation policies for the 12 dedicated barge berths.

The Indian government has been forced to offer incentives to encourage trade activity on the low-volume shipping corridor linking Afghanistan via Chabahar port in Iran.

India’s transshipment business is showing signs of growth, thanks to the country’s recent cabotage liberalization.

Cargo volumes at the busiest container gateways in China continued to grow in the first nine months of 2019, but at a slower rate than last year due in large part to a cooling European economy the country’s ongoing trade war with the United States.

The third blockage this year of the main rail line into the Mexican Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, which is operated by Kansas City Southern of Mexico (KCSM) will likely add to shipper fears that moving cargo by rail is unreliable.

Mexican auto production, domestic vehicle sales, and imports of autos through the country’s ports have all fallen this year, and IHS Markit predicts sales and production will be flat next year, likely limiting growth in auto-related supply chains.

India’s port development efforts include reinvigorating dozens of minor coastal harbors in order to enhance their freight handling capability.

Slowing economies at both ends of the Asia-Europe trade have had little effect on the container volume being handled by the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Dockworkers involved in contract negotiations at the Port of Montreal received support this week from an international union that attended a hearing on whether the ports are so important to public health and safety that they can’t be subject to a strike or a lockout.

Faced with massive truck congestion daily, officials at Bangladesh’s main port are studying the feasibility of building an automated overhead conveyor system to move containers more efficiently.

Mexico’s fourth-largest port by volume is bucking the trend of slower cargo growth by posting solid gains in volume this year that far outpace the rise in cargo through all Mexican ports combined.

Bangladeshi shippers are relieved after the local customs agent that handles Cosco Shipping’s business in the country had its license reinstated.

DP World Nhava Sheva, which has two terminals at India’s JNPT, has set up a “paperless system” for the clearance of import cargo in an effort to further reduce truck wait times and accelerate cargo flow.

Truck owners agreed to resume freight hauling after a meeting with JNPT port leaders and local traffic regulatory officials in which authorities promised to more expeditiously resolve the truckers’ concerns regarding road infrastructure and new regulatory measures.

A trucker protest at India’s JNPT has cut into cargo lifts for vessels at berth or waiting in line to call at the country’s busiest port for container shipping.

Indian port stakeholders agree that pricing changes are needed if key domestic ports want to become competitive against foreign counterparts.

India’s container volumes are facing headwinds due in part to geopolitical factors, according to Maersk, though “immense opportunity” exists if the country positions itself appropriately.

A hearing into whether a strike or lockout would be so disruptive to the Port of Montreal that it should be prohibited will continue after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) rejected a claim by employers that a board member had shown a pro-union bias.

Key freight stakeholders in India are pressing the government to do more to force compliance among those who have lagged behind in accepting new regulatory guidelines meant to ease trade bottlenecks.

Bangladesh’s second port has launched a test case to export apparel to determine if it’s a viable alternative to bypass heavily congested Chittagong.

Terminal operators in India’s southeast are pushing efficiency efforts in a bid to capture greater market share.

Brazilian cotton exports to China are booming amid the US-China trade war, but stakeholders say the boost is highlighting carrier capacity shortages and sub-par infrastructure in the South American country.

The US East Coast service, branded TP17 by Maersk and America by MSC, adds to the port of Nansha’s four weekly services to the US West Coast.

The Indian government wants JNPT stakeholders to substantially scale up cargo movements via direct port delivery and direct port entry modes ahead of new global trade rankings published by the World Bank.

With barge and rail congestion at Northern European ports mounting, Contship, an asset-based, integrated, ocean-rail transportation provider, offers cargo interests in Central Europe and northern Italy an alternative gateway through the Port of La Spezia.

Volumes at India’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals are on the rise following the implementation of a broader, more collaborative rail arrangement at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.

The second-largest terminal at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo will complete an expansion project next year as the ports fends off complaints it has problems dealing with peak season volumes.

The president of Mexico said work is continuing on a project to create a modern, efficient freight-moving operation by rail across the narrowest stretch of Mexico, which links ports on the Pacific and Gulf coasts.

Despite some progress in streamlining procedures and improving supply chain flow, stakeholders say there is more work India needs to do in order to alleviate trade bottlenecks and lower logistics costs, particularly on inland trade.

Shippers who find Mexico’s customs system slow, unwieldy, and unpredictable might find hope in a project the Port of Veracruz is about to launch that uses blockchain technology to create transparency for cargo moving through the customs process.