Category: Uncategorized

Targeted takeovers drive M&A activity among smaller global forwarders Organic growth in the logistics business is hard to find with the global economy slowing and trade heavily disrupted by US tariffs, so forwarders have moved into acquisition mode. Go to journal of commerce

Carriers ride wave of ‘disruptive’ operating model, but for how long? Liners have enjoyed the higher rates and profits that come from external market shocks, but it’s fair to wonder how sustainable that is, writes Peter Tirschwell. Go to journal of commerce

Panama Canal mulls developing Corozal to allay neutrality fears over Hutchison deal ACP Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales says developing the terminal would help ease the concerns of ocean carriers that the canal’s existing container terminals are concentrated among a handful of operators. Go to journal of commerce

Norfolk Southern will raise container storage fees ahead of expected surge The railroad said the higher fees, which are temporary, are meant to keep terminals fluid amid the higher volume of imports expected to land in the US over the coming weeks. Go to journal of commerce

Asia-USWC spot rates weakening as vessel overcapacity takes hold A widening spread between the West and East coasts comes as carriers have added fresh capacity, especially to Southern California, to take advantage of what had been a sharp jump in demand and rates following the US pause on higher tariffs against China. Go to journal…

Car carrier operators face changes to USTR voyage fee plans In a 10-page notice published Friday, the USTR said it was now proposing a fee of $14 per net ton on foreign-built vehicle carriers, including roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) vessels, arriving in US waters. Go to journal of commerce

Pause on tariffs prompts US retailers to upgrade summer import forecast Cargo landing at the country’s ports in July will be 20% higher than the forecast made just last month by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. Go to journal of commerce

US shippers ride ebb and flow of Mexican cross-border freight demand Data shows the up and down movement of goods in recent months tied to changing US tariff policy. Go to journal of commerce

Robust demand emerges on Asia-Europe ocean trade as peak season begins But all eyes are on the July 9 end to the 90-day pause on US tariffs that forwarders believe will determine the level of demand through the rest of the year. Go to journal of commerce

Cargo sensors present benefits, challenges for regulatory agencies: WCO The lack of interoperability between a wide-ranging set of tracking hardware products presents an obstacle for customs authorities to overcome, a new report has found. Go to journal of commerce

Cross-border truckload marketplace expands into Canada Demand from Cargado’s freight broker customers to add US-Canada carriers to its vetted network led the company to move to the northern border. Go to journal of commerce

US chassis providers getting equipment ready for US import surge TRAC Intermodal, DCLI and FlexiVan Leasing began unstacking chassis shortly after the Trump administration last month announced a 90-day pause on the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. Go to journal of commerce

Cargo origin will determine trade war winners and losers among US coasts Because the West Coast’s share is higher for China-originating freight than any other region, any move away from China by importers can be expected to negatively affect the USWC’s share of inbound cargo, writes Larry Gross. Go to journal of commerce

Truckstop begins ‘strategic realignment,’ names founder as interim CEO The change at the top of the freight-matching platform comes as the truckload sector enters the fourth year of a freight downturn that began in 2022. Go to journal of commerce

APM clearing out New Jersey rail container backlog ahead of a summer surge The terminal operator said it has reduced the inventory of rail-bound containers at its Elizabeth facility to about 1,600, down from about 4,000 in early May. Go to journal of commerce

BC longshore foremen reach deal with port employers on new contract Maritime employers along Canada’s West Coast have a new agreement that will avert the type of labor actions seen late last year. Go to journal of commerce

Tariffs prompt honest talk on costs among project cargo players Client relationships have not been harmed by tariffs because shippers and carriers recognize the need for additional and unexpected costs to be passed through the supply chain. Go to journal of commerce

Signs of air cargo recovery on the trans-Pacific as freighter aircraft return But a rise in demand for general cargo will not be enough to offset the sharp decline in e-commerce shipments that followed the US clampdown in May on low-value imports from China. Go to journal of commerce

BIMCO looks to set contract standard for charging USTR port fees The group that oversees maritime contracts said the complex nature of the USTR’s new port fees needs to be made clear through a standard clause in shipping contracts. Go to journal of commerce

Gemini ‘game changer’ for Wilhelmshaven as volume soars The hub in northern Germany is expecting rapid volume growth for the rest of the year following a record first quarter spurred on by the launch of the carrier alliance. Go to journal of commerce

China-ECSA spot rates climb amid bullish market pressure The shift of some capacity to the Asia-US trade to meet surging demand there is contributing to tighter vessel space in the ECSA market, forwarders tell the Journal of Commerce. Go to journal of commerce

Maersk’s contract logistics business adds New Jersey warehouse The carrier continues to ramp up its non-ocean businesses that were acquired from Performance Team with the lease of a new warehouse located about 10 miles from the Port of Philadelphia. Go to journal of commerce

Growing project cargo scale testing transport limitations, but driving innovation Larger components are pushing handling boundaries with an increasing number of locations too small to accommodate growing cargo sizes. Go to journal of commerce

Weak US industrial activity casts cold light on LTL demand outlook Lower LTL volumes are likely in the coming months, but pricing remains elevated, according to producer price index data. Go to journal of commerce

MSC juggles India-Europe network rotations amid Asia cargo rush Adding to recent capacity cutbacks, the carrier has redeployed vessels serving its premier Himalaya Express service between India, Europe and the Mediterranean onto Asian trades. Go to journal of commerce