North American ports

CMA CGM will begin a rebranded standalone India America Express string from Aug. 15, decoupling from the consortium it had with Hapag-Lloyd.

The gateways say they are well-positioned to take on additional diversions from the East and Gulf coasts should an ILA strike occur after the current labor deal expires at the end of September.

The carrier said the move was a response to “ongoing robust demand” on the trade lane, becoming the second trans-Pacific service MSC has relaunched this year.

The passage of the Water Resources Development Act in the House of Representatives brings Congress one step closer to authorizing major navigational projects at the two ports.

The threat of labor unrest and the increased transit times and costlier voyages on all-water services to the East and Gulf coasts are diverting some discretionary cargo to the West Coast.

The certification that Houston can handle cargoes treated for pests while in transit means more fresh produce such as grapes and berries can move quickly through the port.

Carriers over the past two months have launched or reinstated seven services from Asia to Los Angeles-Long Beach, and three to Vancouver and the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma.

Spot booking prices from West India to the US East and West coasts have seen four- to five-fold gains in the last week or so, according to local freight forwarders.

The president of the International Longshoremen’s Association said maritime employers “are running out of time” to sign a new contract before the current deal’s expiration on Sept. 30.

The liner follows MSC, Cosco and CMA CGM in rolling out new services that cater to the growing container trade between China and Mexico.

The port was able to clear all the recently anchored vessels, helped by a temporary reopening of all Wando Welch’s berths last week amid a 10-day pause in project work.

The revised forecast from the National Retail Federation comes as US consumer spending remains strong despite higher prices for merchandise and various supply chain challenges that have increased shipping costs.

Maritime employers at the Port of Vancouver prevailed at a last minute federal hearing over a strike vote that longshore foremen took against DP World.

The Biden administration’s attempts to build a homegrown crane industry due to cybersecurity concerns drew little interest from the National Association of Waterfront Employers, which doesn’t see a threat from Chinese-made cranes.

The Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions have each approved allocating $12.5 million to help fund the installation of about 200 charging stations to serve battery-powered trucks in the region.

Over 150 groups representing a variety of US businesses called on the White House to bring labor and management together, but it’s not clear if the ILA would welcome outside influence.

The Port of Charleston and the International Longshoremen’s Association are ending a long-running fight over crane jobs at the terminal by allowing operators to decide whether to join the union.

US exporters face unexpected costs and delays due to changes in dates for dropping off containers, which the FMC hopes to address with more consistent data.

Sources are reporting a “sold-out window” for spot bookings on most services connecting the two trade lanes through a large part of July.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is increasing capacity between Asia and the West Coast of Mexico amid surging foreign direct investment by China into Mexico.

Suspending construction work will allow the Port of Charleston to reopen all three berths in the Wando Welch terminal for two weeks and reduce a backlog of anchored vessels, but ocean carriers should anticipate at least two days of waiting to get a berth once work resumes.

Local forwarders say the rate hikes are partly due to worsening delays at key ports in Brazil, with ongoing construction work closing part of Navegantes and vessel diversions from that port overwhelming other gateways.

The February decision from the agency said ocean carriers can mandate which chassis to use for carrier haulage business, but not for merchant haulage.

Hapag-Lloyd will be withdrawing from the Indamex service it has operated in conjunction with CMA CGM for decades and will kick off a standalone loop on the route in early August.

The pointed sentiments expressed recently by the ILA are a departure from the low-key, business-like approach to prior negotiations along the East and Gulf coasts, and thus unfamiliar to shippers trying to weigh the risks of labor strife, writes Peter Tirschwell.

The market share of loads entering or exiting the port’s Garden City Terminal on train has increased from a year ago as the Georgia Ports Authority grows into a relatively new on-dock rail yard.

Forwarder sources believe that the upcoming weeks could prove challenging for bookings to the US East Coast, given that ONE’s WIN service will have two blank sailings out of India in July.

Measures to mitigate the impact of a potential labor disruption at US East and Gulf coast ports could cause the trans-Atlantic market to follow the same path as the heavily disrupted trades out of Asia.

The International Longshoremen’s Association cited the “massive profits” ocean carriers have booked in recent years to highlight the wage proposal it plans to push in contract talks with employers.

With two new services starting up in the past month, the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma anticipates a rebound in imports from Asia this peak season.

The port is the latest inland location in the western US looking to capitalize on strict regulations in California that are driving up costs for trucking companies.

The agency’s detention and demurrage rules are still unclear as to billing those charges to truckers, according to challenges put forth by ocean carriers.

Established long-haul carriers are also launching a raft of new services between Asia and the Americas to take advantage of the buoyant market.

The Global Port Tracker has again increased its forecast for US imports through September, with the National Retail Federation pointing to retailers stocking up to meet the rising demand of consumers.

The International Longshoremen’s Association said it has called off talks for a new six-year labor agreement due to automation efforts at Maersk-operated marine terminals.

The continuing rate softness comes as some carriers prepare to implement peak season surcharges ranging from $500 to $750 per container on Indian loads to the East Coast, mostly from June 15.

The current chaos playing out in the container market globally doesn’t have to last that long to have some big impacts on North American intermodal, writes Larry Gross.

The fourth edition of the Container Port Performance Index shows some changes in the annual list’s middle tier as ports improve and new entrants make their mark.

Evergreen Marine’s neo-Panamax service from Asia will start making regular calls to Baltimore by mid-July, and the port’s container terminal is ready to start receiving imports.

Container ships are anchoring outside both southeast US ports due in part to a project in Charleston that will shut one berth at the Wando Welch Terminal until the fall.