Category: Uncategorized

Car carrier sector slams USTR’s decision for threefold increase in port fees The move would substantially increase costs and reduce capacity for vehicle and equipment makers such as Ford and Caterpillar who rely on vehicle carriers and ro/ro vessels to export their products, stakeholders say.   Go to journal of commerce

White House sanctions threat ups ante ahead of pivotal IMO meeting On the eve of IMO’s London gathering this week, Washington has pledged to retaliate against nations supporting what it says is a “European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations.” Go to journal of commerce

Slide in MPV rates seen as a blip, not a breakdown, as projects keep flowing Breakbulk and project carriers continue to be upbeat for cargo prospects through the end of the year and into 2026. Go to journal of commerce

China’s Dajin Heavy dips toe into MPV ownership for wind farm cargoes The maker of wind energy components has invested in its first heavy cargo deck carrier, one of four such vessels built by Dajin’s own shipbuilding division that the company will take delivery of this year. Go to journal of commerce

Lower US imports tightening truck capacity at key inland hubs Fewer trucks arriving with imports in Las Vegas, Chicago and other inland hubs means tighter capacity and higher transactional costs for outbound shipments. Go to journal of commerce

China returns fire with retaliatory port fees targeting US-affiliated ships At first blush, the fees targeting US entities would affect Matson, Maersk Line and APL, part of the CMA CGM group. Go to journal of commerce

Deep divisions linger as IMO gathers for pivotal decarbonization talks It has taken several years for the IMO to get to this point, but the heavily compromised net-zero framework agreement has polarized the shipping industry. Go to journal of commerce

Roadrunner targets ‘ride share-like’ shipper experience with new pickup platform The LTL carrier has used technology to drive its financial turnaround, with the latest example being a system that has slashed the number of missed pickups for shippers. Go to journal of commerce

Norfolk Southern tweaks international services from West, East coasts The overhaul marks the latest in a series of network shakeups among North American railroads competing for international intermodal freight. Go to journal of commerce

Tumbling rates on trans-Pacific, Asia-Europe drag down OOCL Q3 revenue The carrier’s operational update did not provide profit and loss figures, but the declining revenue is an indication of tough times ahead as liners sail into their financial reporting season. Go to journal of commerce

Project cargo shippers urge shakeup for inconsistent carbon costs A lack of transparency in carbon pricing from carriers is frustrating breakbulk shippers, while the industry must strike a balance that supports environmental goals without undermining the sector’s ability to function. Go to journal of commerce

Connectivity the key to bypassing hurdles in truckload appointment scheduling A range of vendors have emerged in recent years with a singular focus on improving coordination of truckload arrivals, keying on load prioritization and performance metrics. Go to journal of commerce

Fate of future automation at California ports in governor’s hands Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sunday to sign or veto a bill that ocean carriers and terminal operators say would derail current and future attempts to automate cargo-handling operations in the name of reducing stress on the state’s power grid. Go to journal of commerce

Strike action piles new bottlenecks on Europe’s two busiest ports The fresh disruptions come as the Asia-Europe trade lane continues to present shippers with the worst schedule reliability among the major ocean corridors. Go to journal of commerce

Broker liability in the spotlight in ‘Montgomery v Caribe Transport’ The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, and without a clear ruling from the Court, brokers, shippers and manufacturers will face ongoing uncertainty, potentially weakening the national economy, writes trucking expert Matthew Leffler. Go to journal of commerce

North India trade flows tested by rail embargoes at congested Mundra Port Rail authorities have had to restrict or suspend train services into India’s busiest gateway multiple times in recent weeks in an attempt to clear the backlog of import containers trapped in port yards. Go to journal of commerce

Prince Rupert searching for new CEO after Stevenson announces retirement Shaun Stevenson, who guided development of Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal and the port’s intermodal services to Chicago and eastern Canada, is leaving at year’s end after 28 years with the port, including the last seven as CEO. Go to journal of commerce

New automation provider emerges to tackle forwarder quoting inefficiencies Upheaval in global trade is putting more pressure on forwarders to invest in automation to price their services quickly and more effectively, an area that startup Nexcade is targeting. Go to journal of commerce

Current trans-Pacific price plunge lacks the echoes of prior ‘rate wars’ But if current rate competition doesn’t possess the edge it did in prior years, the question is why and whether that matters if the overall effect is to substantially lower rates for shippers in a down market, writes Peter Tirschwell. Go to journal of…

Contract season looms for ocean carriers facing Asia–Europe rate slump Shippers and their forwarders will soon be launching long-term contract tenders for 2026 as the spot market — which heavily influences the contract market — slides closer to pre-Red Sea attack levels. Go to journal of commerce

SC Ports taps former commercial executive to lead Micah Mallace, who served for over a decade at the port, will return to take the reins as chief executive. Go to journal of commerce

Harbor deepening primes Mobile for bigger ships, first US calls The Port of Mobile is now the deepest container port on the Gulf Coast, a region that has been limited on ship capacity because of service rotations through Houston’s shallower depth. Go to journal of commerce

US presses forward on port fees despite China’s warning The onus of calculating new US ports that kick in next week falls on ocean carriers. Go to journal of commerce

Geopolitics, weather delays undermine China-Europe rail viability Severe disruptions have delayed cargo on both the northern and middle corridors over the past year, forcing Europe-based shippers to reassess their continued usage of the overland route. Go to journal of commerce

Importers pump brakes as they tire of ever-changing US tariff policy: analyst The start-and-stop nature of the Trump administration’s tariffs means changes are coming at a pace that exceeds the supply chains’ ability to react, writes Larry Gross. Go to journal of commerce

Shippers disillusioned by project cargo technology “Stone age” thinking on technology to support breakbulk cargo moves has left engineering, procurement and construction companies in a tech void. Go to journal of commerce

Savannah to fund Ocean Terminal improvements as lay berth opens The port will go ahead with the first phase of developing more container handling capability at its second-largest marine terminal, which is also providing temporary parking for big ships. Go to journal of commerce

Cordero to retire at end of 2025 after eight years as Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero has frequently said that his goal as Long Beach’s port director was to grow cargo volumes while promoting environmental sustainability in port operations. Go to journal of commerce

Savannah to fund Ocean Terminal improvements as lay berth opens The port will go ahead with the first phase of developing more container handling capability at its second-largest marine terminal, which is also providing temporary parking for big ships. Go to journal of commerce