Tag: journal of commerce

No end to the congestion choking gateway ports in North Europe A range of factors including full yards, labor unrest and carrier network changes are making it difficult for the hubs to clear container bottlenecks. Go to journal of commerce

South Korea’s highest court orders new hearing in carrier rate-fixing saga The country’s trade commission originally fined 11 foreign carriers and 12 domestic lines following a three-year investigation that showed the lines fixed rates 120 times over a 15-year period on South Korea-Southeast Asia services. Go to journal of commerce

DSV embarks on ‘mammoth test’ as DB Schenker integration begins: CEO After getting the year off to a solid start in the first quarter, Jens Lund said the real work begins now to bring the two global forwarders together under the DSV brand. Go to journal of commerce

Container lines warn of congestion threat when Asia imports rebound US ports and support infrastructure such as warehouses and rail connections aren’t better equipped to handle import surges than they were during the pandemic when record volumes drove congestion to historic highs, carrier executives said this week. Go to journal of commerce

CMA CGM expands air cargo fleet with Air Belgium takeover It is the second acquisition this week by a CMA CGM subsidiary following CEVA Logistics’ takeover of Turkish forwarder Borusan Tedarik, with both deals aimed at extending the carrier’s end-to-end supply chain control. Go to journal of commerce

Norfolk Southern to drop international intermodal service on many USEC lanes Insufficient volumes, including on the lane between the Port of Virginia and Memphis, have forced the railroad to reallocate resources to areas where it believes container business will grow in the future. Go to journal of commerce

Cosco reports strong Q1 trans-Pacific volumes amid rush to beat tariffs Container lines saw a first-quarter demand boost from US shippers eager to bring in cargo before the April implementation of the Trump administration’s tariffs. Go to journal of commerce

 Tariffs jeopardize resin volume gains for US Southeast ports Direct services to Asia and the EU have pulled more resin cargoes away from Houston, but the Gulf Coast is still the main route to the South American market. Go to journal of commerce

Air cargo volumes fall on trans-Pacific as US de minimis changes loom Chartered flights from China to the US have been canceled and air freight traffic has declined as Washington prepares to scrap the duty-free exemption for low-value goods shipped from China and Hong Kong. Go to journal of commerce

Breakbulk25: Cost sharing could help breakbulk importers ease tariff burdens Rather than shift sourcing, some shippers are negotiating with suppliers to share the costs of increased US import tariffs, an international trade attorney told the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference. Go to journal of commerce

Trans-Pacific capacity cuts accelerating amid sharp reduction in Chinese cargo With far fewer US-bound goods leaving Chinese docks, carriers have accelerated the raft of blank sailings and service suspensions that began earlier this month, sources tell the Journal of Commerce. Go to journal of commerce

Breakbulk25: Transparency key to navigating complicated LatAm project market The issue of transit time variability in Latin America has downstream impacts for projects, with forwarders often having to get creative to figure out workarounds due to unforeseen delays. Go to journal of commerce

CEVA expands reach in Turkey with $440 million acquisition If regulatory approval is achieved, the deal will nearly double the size of CMA CGM subsidiary CEVA Logistics’ footprint in a rapidly expanding region. Go to journal of commerce

CMA CGM becomes majority shareholder in Santos Brasil terminal operator The flagship of Santos Brasil is Tecon Santos, the largest container terminal in South America with a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs that will soon be expanded to 3 million TEUs. Go to journal of commerce

Breakbulk25: Trade policy headwinds haven’t dampened all optimism Shippers and service providers say much of the project cargo industry dodged a bullet with the latest US fee proposal targeting Chinese-built ships. Go to journal of commerce

Wan Hai orders four 16,000-TEU ships amid expansion of long-haul network The latest deals will increase the total number of methanol-enabled ships Wan Hai has on order to 32, worth a total of almost $5 billion. Go to journal of commerce

Indian air cargo braces for disruptions amid looming upgrade project at Mumbai The closure of freighter slots at the airport beginning in August is expected to last several months because of an estimated $1 billion investment plan launched by port operator Adani Airport Holding. Go to journal of commerce

Breakbulk25: Logistics managers push adaptability amid market turmoil Speakers at the conference in New Orleans agreed that recent volatility has yet to significantly slow projects or investments in the project cargo sector. Go to journal of commerce

Breakbulk25: Capacity-limited MPV operators reconsider fleet expansion The unknowns surrounding US tariffs and proposed fees on Chinese tonnage are forcing shipowners to take a wait-and-see approach to ordering new vessels. Go to journal of commerce

Lack of accurate data a threat to US shippers as LTL reclassification nears Shippers need to collect and share accurate shipment data and even rethink some shipping processes ahead of July 19 changes to LTL classification, experts tell the Journal of Commerce. Go to journal of commerce

Amazon LTL offering is no threat to standalone carriers: ODFL The president of the second-largest US LTL provider sees Amazon’s decision to offer its vendors LTL service as an opportunity for ODFL to move more retail freight. Go to journal of commerce

Fallout from US-China trade war to depress trans-Pacific volumes: Drewry The analyst downgraded its container handling outlook following similar moves on global and US economic growth by the IMF and WTO this week. Go to journal of commerce

Kuehne + Nagel’s financial crystal ball clouded by US tariff disruption US tariffs on China and the 90-day pause on tariffs imposed by Washington on a host of other countries made it difficult to assess how the market would develop this year, according to the forwarder’s CEO. Go to journal of commerce

Tariff uncertainty disrupting timeline for trans-Pacific service contract talks Carriers and importers are dealing with confusion over how tariffs in general, and the trade war between Washington and Beijing specifically, will affect commerce on the US’ busiest trade lane over the next 12 months. Go to journal of commerce

Cosco slams US port fees as other carriers reckon with potential costs Shippers and ocean carriers told the Journal of Commerce they are reviewing the USTR actions to estimate how the fees will flow down to freight costs. Go to journal of commerce

Tariffs threaten rebound in US household goods imports HHG imports rose almost 20% in 2024, fueled in part by home remodeling, but US tariffs on China and Vietnam could reverse that gain. Go to journal of commerce

Rebounding US auto imports caught in tariff crossfire Demand for light vehicles and components began 2025 on a sour note amid rising production costs, tariff uncertainty and projections for slower US economic growth. Go to journal of commerce

US importers turn to Canadian bonded storage to delay payment of tariffs Amid the US-China trade dispute, inquiries for bonded storage north of the border have increased four-fold this month, according to one Canada-based third-party logistics provider. Go to journal of commerce

Asia-US blank sailing forecast for May increasing amid cancellations The increase in blank sailings coincides with the Port of Los Angeles’ expectation that container volumes will plunge 14% month over month in week 18 and 38.6% in week 19. Go to journal of commerce

Tariff-related disruption spreading as US shippers ‘pause’ plans Disruption caused by trade wars will reach deep into global supply chains, depressing an already uncertain outlook for the US freight economy. Go to journal of commerce

Antwerp-Bruges passes Rotterdam to become Europe’s busiest box port But executives at both northern range hubs highlighted the extreme volatility of the first three months and the US tariff-driven uncertainty that lies ahead. Go to journal of commerce

Three air freight majors form global alliance to expand network reach Qatar, IAG and MASkargo plan to get their trilateral partnership off the ground as soon as regulatory approval is secured. Go to journal of commerce

US tariffs threaten a ‘refresh wave’ of US electronics sales, imports US electronics imports are riding a wave of cyclical replacement, but tariffs could bring on an ebb tide. Go to journal of commerce

Questions of need, cost dog US shipbuilding ambitions The very idea of the United States getting back into shipbuilding at scale shows an erosion in acceptance of the concept of global trade, specifically comparative advantage. Go to journal of commerce

US apparel shippers brace for tariff-driven volume decline Apparel importers are concerned that tariffs on China will do harm given more than 4 out of every 10 shipments of the product come from China. Go to journal of commerce

FMC to scrutinize Chipolbrok, citing Chinese government control US maritime regulators’ decision to add the multipurpose vessel operator to the controlled-carrier list comes amid a wider US-China trade dispute. Go to journal of commerce

FMC to scrutinize Chilpolbrok, citing Chinese government control US maritime regulators’ decision to add the multipurpose vessel operator to the controlled-carrier list comes amid a wider US-China trade dispute. Go to journal of commerce

Scaled back USTR port tariff to hit Chinese carriers hardest The US Trade Representative (USTR) laid out actions to counter China’s maritime dominance that could put Cosco Shipping and subsidiary OOCL on the hook for millions when their ships call the US. Go to journal of commerce

Uncertain trade environment especially fraught for US ag shippers In addition to various ongoing supply chain disruptions that US agricultural shippers face, they must now contend with the highly volatile tariff environment that is forcing them to seek new markets for their products. Go to journal of commerce

IMO deal on fuel intensity, pricing hailed as ‘major step forward’ While not ideal, the agreement reached at the IMO’s Maritime Environment Protection Committee at least puts a price on global emissions that will help narrow the yawning cost gap between fossil fuels and greener alternatives. Go to journal of commerce

US LTL carriers see uneven uptick in demand amid trade uncertainty Some – but not all – LTL trucking companies are handling more imports as US tariffs take effect, but the market is otherwise weak, carriers and analysts say. Go to journal of commerce

Project cargo carriers move to shield themselves from US port fee proposal Carriers in the specialized cargo sector are designing contracts that would shift the cost of the US’ possible tax on Chinese tonnage to heavy-lift and project cargo shippers. Go to journal of commerce

Early signs of rising tariff-driven demand emerge on the trans-Atlantic While no surge in volume has been reported on the trade lane, capacity deployment data shows ocean carriers are expecting an increase in demand over the coming weeks as shippers use the 90-day tariff pause to advance US orders. Go to journal of commerce

US-China trade standoff could mean intra-Asia capacity boost for Indian market Multiple sources who spoke with the Journal of Commerce say Chinese exporters facing demand headwinds in the US due to soaring tariffs will likely attempt to dump inventory stocks in other markets, with India widely viewed as a key target. Go to journal of…

Port of Seattle sues city council to halt possible development project A lawsuit filed this month by the port authority claims the council’s recent rezoning of industrial land could eventually lead to the development of residential units and an increase in vehicular traffic in the harbor area. Go to journal of commerce

US exporters see rise in canceled orders from Chinese buyers amid trade war The export decline is already showing up in some data, with bookings for US exports to China for the week of April 8–15 down 5.4% from the prior week. Go to journal of commerce

J.B. Hunt customers waiting for ‘dust to settle’ on tariffs But the largest US intermodal provider said customers have not yet meaningfully adjusted their freight forecasts, and shippers continue to tender the quantity of loads outlined in their contracts. Go to journal of commerce

US exporters see rise in canceled orders from Chinese buyers amid tariff war The export decline is already showing up in some data, with bookings for US exports to China for the week of April 8-15 down 5.4% from the prior week. Go to journal of commerce

Port of Virginia readies more cranes for ultra-large container ships Virginia continues to add infrastructure to its marine terminals as part of the port’s plan to handle mega-max vessels once dredging is finished late in 2025. Go to journal of commerce

In Mexico, global shippers seek new logistics options amid shifting US tariffs US tariffs are forcing shippers in Mexico to rethink global sourcing and logistics strategies as complying with the USMCA becomes more complex. Go to journal of commerce

Europe on alert to track any wave of diverted Chinese imports With the door to US trade effectively slammed shut by tariffs, Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets in which to offload their surplus inventory. Go to journal of commerce

Mega carriers ceding market share to new entrants on India-Med trade Sources at some of the big liners say there’s been a noticeable decline in their traditional India-Mediterranean volumes due to the new competition taking advantage of Red Sea-linked shipping dislocations that have created a “new normal” operating environment. Go to journal of commerce

Last regulatory hurdles cleared for DSV takeover of DB Schenker With the integration now set to begin, DSV has announced a round of executive appointments with candidates promoted from within both DSV and DB Schenker. Go to journal of commerce

Tariff uncertainty pushing up transportation costs at US-Mexico border US importers and their Mexican logistics and customs partners are experiencing longer wait times when northbound shipments arrive at border towns, and that’s inevitably raising transportation costs and leading to supply chain disruptions. Go to journal of commerce

Vessel operators warned not to rely on perceived stability in MPVs indexes Ongoing market uncertainty is expected to upend rates as the breakbulk sector continues to digest tariff ramifications on the specialized sector. Go to journal of commerce

Trans-Pacific blank sailings set to rise after China bookings drop sharply Some ships are leaving China just half-full as the Trump administration’s rush of tariffs sends shippers into contortions about what to do with their freight. Go to journal of commerce

IMO sets out path to decarbonize shipping after ‘contentious’ climate talks Although an agreement was reached on a greenhouse gas pricing measure, the Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting in London exposed deep divisions among member states on the way forward. Go to journal of commerce

On-again, off-again tariffs will disrupt decision-making for importers No matter one’s political viewpoint, the current tariff situation prevents importers and supply chain providers from making any medium- to long-term decisions related to investments or changes in sourcing patterns, writes Lars Jensen. Go to journal of commerce

Congress makes fresh attempt to target cargo theft in US Cargo theft in trucking and on the rails has been a problem for years, but it’s getting harder to combat as criminals become more sophisticated in their tactics. Go to journal of commerce

Gemini Cooperation holds early lead on ocean service reliability: analysts A full evaluation of on-time performance will not be possible until July once the transition to the new deep-sea services has been completed, but data for February and March is positive for the Maersk/Hapag-Lloyd alliance. Go to journal of commerce

Canadian regulators find Vietnamese chassis didn’t circumvent China duties US and Canadian regulators have used different standards to determine whether chassis made by a Vietnamese supplier ran contrary to trade regulations directed at China. Go to journal of commerce

US tariffs could help undo solid start to 2025 for ocean carriers First-quarter carrier earnings are likely to be buoyed by high rates and strong demand that has spilled over from 2024, but tariffs, slowing volume and excess capacity are darkening the outlook for the rest of the year. Go to journal of commerce

USTR port fee proposal would open a ‘second front’ in trade war From an international supply chain perspective, the plan that could hit Chinese-made and -operated ships with fees in excess of $1 million per US port call could have impacts as profound as the current tariff controversy. Go to journal of commerce

Trump signs order for US shipbuilding, but stays mute on port fees The executive order signed Wednesday falls short of providing any details on the proposed port fee plan but directs stricter collection of existing harbor maintenance fees. Go to journal of commerce

Trump tariff chaos restrains US truckload, LTL markets AFS Logistics and TD Cowen are forecasting a decline in truckload pricing and moderation in the LTL market as shippers and carriers alike navigate a new trade reality. Go to journal of commerce

Adani opens Colombo’s fifth box terminal with Maersk trial call for Gemini The ad hoc call was a precursor to the Gemini Cooperation carriers preparing to position two regular services out of the Colombo West International Terminal beginning next month, sources in Colombo told the Journal of Commerce. Go to journal of commerce

US pulls out of IMO climate talks, threatens retaliation for emissions fees Member states voiced determination to continue work this week on essential decarbonization measures despite a strongly worded missive from Washington urging governments to reconsider their support for emissions-cutting regulations. Go to journal of commerce

Heavy-lift ship orders demonstrate expectations for offshore energy growth The expansion of the semi-submersible and deck carrier fleet comes amid a forecast rebound in offshore markets, with $46 billion worth of oil and gas EPC contracts anticipated this year and $52 billion in 2026. Go to journal of commerce

US retailers issue big downgrade in import forecast amid expected tariff pullback The latest Global Port Tracker demonstrates the uncertainty that has overtaken global supply chains since the White House’s announcement on tariffs a week ago. Go to journal of commerce

Vancouver still dealing with extended rail container dwell times Inclement weather, the lingering effects of labor disruptions and a January surge in imports contributed to the fifth consecutive month of excessive rail dwells at Canada’s largest port. Go to journal of commerce

Cosco on course for big jump in first-quarter net profit The parent company of Cosco Shipping and OOCL expects a 72% increase in Q1 net profits, but the rapidly escalating trade war between the US and China is clouding its outlook for the rest of the year. Go to journal of commerce

Near-constant disruption giving new momentum to freight futures Risks in the containerized supply chain are only growing, and futures provide a potentially viable risk mitigation tool, writes Peter Tirschwell. Go to journal of commerce

Tariffs put relationship between vehicle manufacturers, carriers in spotlight Automakers could be hit with compensation claims if they are unable to fulfill seaborne carrier contracts amid an expected downturn in US volumes. Go to journal of commerce

Tariff-linked export push fuels booking boost for India-USEC sailings The rush appears to be linked to shippers scrambling to sidestep a new 26% US import tariff on Indian goods due to kick in April 9, industry sources say. Go to journal of commerce

Prepare for period of ‘panic’ in trans-Pacific air cargo market: Tiaca An initial flurry of activity will be followed by a drop in demand after e-commerce from China and Hong Kong no longer enjoys duty-free treatment, the head of the air cargo group tells the Journal of Commerce. Go to journal of commerce

Mexico potential leads investors to back cross-border load board The $12 million investment in Cargado will be used to expand the load board with other tools for freight brokers to tap into cross-border freight growth. Go to journal of commerce

CSX Q1 service metrics take hit amid storm recovery, tunnel project Damage from last fall’s Hurricane Helene continues to affect CSX’s operations in the Southeast, while the fast-tracking of construction work at Baltimore’s Howard Street Tunnel provides another challenge. Go to journal of commerce

Ocean Alliance rolls out series of blank sailings on Asia-North Europe While strong volume and congestion at both ends of the trade lane are filling the available capacity, the canceled sailings suggest carriers expect demand to falter. Go to journal of commerce

Farm state House members say USTR proposal offers big risks to US ag interests Eighteen Republican members of Congress said the remedies laid out as part of the US’ investigation into China’s maritime dominance are unworkable for farmers, notably a port tax on Chinese vessels and the requirement that an increasing volume of US exports…