<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Shippers will have to pay more to ship their products around the world when the International Maritime Organization’s new container weight verification requirements take effect on July 1. </div>

Shippers will have to pay more to ship their products around the world when the International Maritime Organization’s new container weight verification requirements take effect on July 1.

<div>Shippers will have to pay more to ship their products around the world when the International Maritime Organization’s new container weight verification requirements take effect on July 1. Under an amendment to the IMO’s Safety of Life at Sea convention approved in 2014, the shipper on the bill of lading has two options to certify the verified gross mass of their containers, but both will incur additional expense.Someone in a <a>shipper’s global supply chain</a> will have to provide to an ocean carrier a verified gross mass for every container in advance of sailing or it won’t get loaded. Whether a...

Shippers will have to pay more to ship their products around the world when the International Maritime Organization’s new container weight verification requirements take effect on July 1. Under an amendment to the IMO’s Safety of Life at Sea convention approved in 2014, the shipper on the bill of lading has two options to certify the verified gross mass of their containers, but both will incur additional expense. Someone in a shipper’s global supply chain will have to provide to an ocean carrier a verified gross mass for every container in advance of sailing or it won’t get loaded. Whether a shipper chooses to have a container and its contents weighed as a single unit under Method 1 or weighs every item and packaging in the container and adds it to the tare weight of the box stenciled on the door, under Method 2, there will be additional cost, although Method 2 will probably cost less than under Method 1. With implementation less than three months away, shippers are scrambling to figure out how to comply with the new requirements and looking to their freight forwarders for solutions. Many U.S. exporters will have to weigh every container and its contents as a unit under Method 1 to obtain the VGM for their containers because the weight of such primary U.S. containerized exports as grain, wastepaper and scrap metal vary from one container to another. U.S. retail importers, however, can mostly use Method 2 because their products come in definable SKUs that don’t vary in weight from shipment to shipment. “You’ll see shippers using a combination of both methods, but the challenge is that shippers don’t often have the scales to do either one,” said Keith Andrey, vice president of global ocean freight transportation services at UPS. “This is where there is an opportunity for an intermediary to assist.” UPS won’t weigh full containers but will be able to weigh individual units before they’re packed into containers at facilities where it has scales. “It would be full containerloads or less-than-containerloads or anything we would load for our customers,” Andrey said. UPS would add the container weight to the weight of the contents to get the VGM, “but we would need to have confirmation that this method is acceptable to all the countries that are enforcing the policies.” UPS is talking to all the countries it serves to find out how they plan to enforce the regulations and how they plan to hold shippers accountable. The new IMO requirements are designed to protect container ships against overloaded containers that can create unbalanced stowage and endanger vessels, a result cited as possible causes when the MSC Napoli foundered and was beached in the English Channel in 2007 and when the MOL Comfort broke in half in 2013. “There is an expense associated with this,” Andrey said. “There is not a steamship line out there that can afford to absorb costs related to supporting this initiative.” Those costs, he said, must be passed back to forwarders or shippers until the lines are healthy enough to take on the additional labor costs and all the other things necessary to comply with the new rules. As a result, terminals and container lines are trying to figure out how to monetize the SOLAS requirements. Shippers, however, have criticized the rule, saying that while some shippers may be perennially guilty of overstuffing containers, shippers of lighter goods such as electronics or apparel typically “cube out” — that is, use all of the available space in a container — before they “weigh out,” or hit the maximum weight limit. Still, the SOLAS requirements could increase the costs of ocean freight transportation by more than 10 percent for everyone, according to a report by investment banking and research firm Cowen & Co., which said forwarders stand to gain a new revenue stream by weighing their customers’ containers for a fee. It estimated the total cost of shipping a container from Los Angeles to Shanghai would increase by 14 percent. “We estimate that the extra charge for weighing and drayage will be anywhere from $100 to $150 per box to the shipper,” said Jason Seidl, a Cowen managing director who co-wrote the report. His team arrived at this figure by calling shippers, drayage truckers and forwarders to get estimates of the costs. “What we are assuming is the extra cost for the shipper who does not currently provide container weights to his carriers but now has to get a certified scale to get his weight sent before export,” he said. Implementation of the SOLAS rule may cause disruption that will force some retailers to switch from ocean to air freight, which will add to their immediate cost of SOLAS, Seidl said. “It will definitely have an effect across the supply chain,” he said. If the rule causes any disruption in the U.S. retail import supply chain, it could exacerbate the overhang of excess inventory just as retailers prepare for back-to-school deliveries and fall sales of branded apparel and footwear, according to the report. “The last thing the industry wants is for SOLAS to create additional costs of trucking, terminal handling and waiting,” said Sri Laxmana, director of global forwarding for third-party logistics provider C.H. Robinson. As defined under SOLAS, the shipper is responsible for submitting the VGM, but the ocean carriers consider C.H. Robinson or other forwarders as the shipper, which means they become responsible for providing the VGM, he said. “While we understand the VGM needs to be submitted prior to stowage plans being worked by the carriers, there needs to be a better standardization on when the VGM must be transmitted,” Laxmana said. “One possibility may be that the VGM could be submitted at the same time shipping instructions are sent.” Consumer electronics manufacturer and supplier VOXX International plans to use Method 2. Its long-time freight forwarder in China, Air City, will weigh the packaged electronics products from Chinese suppliers and add it to the tare weight of the container to certify the VGM of every box before it’s loaded on ships for export to the U.S., according to Pat Moffett, VOXX’s vice president of global logistics. VOXX could have asked each one of its 150 Chinese suppliers to provide the weight of each product shipped and its packaging and then have the forwarder add it to the container’s tare weight, but the suppliers would have charged for this, and that could create problems. “If our suppliers are going to be tasked with this, they are going to charge us, and I am not sure they won’t rush things a bit if they are late getting it out and make a mistake, so I’m going to bring it over to my freight forwarder and have it done there and that’s where we will register it,” Moffett said. “Give us the documents and the weight, and we’ll take it from there.” Moffett estimates that meeting the SOLAS requirements will cost VOXX an additional $50 to $75 per 40-foot-equivalent container unit to get it weighed and drayed to the port of departure in China, which would amount to 7 to 10 percent of the early-April spot rate of $718 for shipping a container from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, as tracked by London-based research analyst Drewry. As a result, VOXX’s suppliers will continue to ship products free-on-board, or f.o.b., to Chinese ports of departure, where Air City will weigh the containers and deliver them to the terminal of departure with the VGM attached to the bill of lading that already will have been dispatched electronically to the carrier that will load the containers. Other U.S. shippers also plan to use Method 2 to obtain the VGM for their shipments, which will enable them to avoid weighing every container and its contents and packaging. “There are not enough certified scales on the planet to manage all of this in a timely manner,” said the logistics manager at a large U.S. importer and exporter who requested anonymity. His company plans to use the master data provided by its suppliers, which lists the weight per SKU of each product and the number of products in each carton and the weight of the packaging on a pallet. “That way we can print out the packing list or the invoice and it has the weight,” he said. The weight data for the contents of each container is totaled by the company’s IT systems and added to the tare weight of the container to provide the VGM for each container. “You get the weight without weighing it, because if you weigh it as you put it in the container, it is actually prone to a lot of mistakes when you have a thousand boxes in there and have to weigh each one or each pallet,” the logistics manager said. “We haven’t weighed that box, but we’ve weighed that kind of box before and we know how much each subsequent box weighs because our specs are so tight that they don’t vary. We know how much the cardboard weighs, and we know how much each widget weighs because it’s clearly marked on the box, so we just multiply it by the number of boxes.” There is an expense to this method of providing a VGM for each container, but he said it’s minimal and would amount to a fixed cost rather than a variable cost. “We’re going to have to audit the process and make sure the weights are correct, and according to the U.K. provision, there has to be some sort of quality certified by the ISO certification that the master data is accurate by a universal standard,” he said. Other U.S. importers are waiting for China to issue regulations on how it will implement the SOLAS requirements, but are leaving it up to their Chinese suppliers to fulfill those requirements. One U.S. importer of household furnishings from China likened the implementation of the SOLAS requirements to the process U.S. importers had to go through in 2009 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection required importers to file documents about the contents of their shipments no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded aboard a vessel. “Like 10 + 2, it will probably be a matter of trial and error,” he said. “If one way works very well, that will become the standard, and that’s how we’ll know.” Contact Peter T. Leach at peter.leach@ihs.com and follow him on Twitter: @petertleach .

Container lines

Forwarding

Container weight compliance to boost costs for shippers

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Cedar Port industrial park and barge port says the construction of a new ship channel could pave the way for potential development of a container terminal at the site.</div>

The Cedar Port industrial park and barge port says the construction of a new ship channel could pave the way for potential development of a container terminal at the site.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">A Houston-area industrial park and barge port is moving ahead with early plans to develop a $1 billion container terminal at the site that, if built, would double the area’s existing container capacity. The next step for operators of the park and port, known as Cedar Port, is to provide the appropriate state and federal environmental agencies with the findings of a feasibility study that was undertaken to map out the logistics of dredging a new shipping channel between the existing Houston Ship Channel and Cedar Port. ”We are literally drafting the final [feasibility and environmental] findings, and that’s what will get published in June in the final Federal Register,” Clayton Henderson, Cedar Port’s director of port development, told the Journal of Commerce. If the dredging project is granted Congressional approval next year and the container terminal project receives all necessary permitting, it could be completed as early as 2032, Cedar Port officials said. Cedar Port Industrial Park consists of 15,000 acres, about 10,000 of which are still undeveloped. The proposed $500-million Cedar Port Terminal Channel Deepening Project — which would be executed under the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers — would enable a potential Cedar Port container terminal to host vessels up to roughly 15,000 TEUs in size. The new ship channel would be dredged to a depth of 50 feet, matching the nearby Port Houston. Still, key facets of the proposed project remain unclear, including funding sources and who would ultimately operate the port. One potential partner would be Port Houston, which has been considering its own growth plans. “Port Houston has been investigating alternatives for future expansion of Port Houston container operations, including further optimization of our existing terminals and a potential third container terminal complex,” the port told the Journal of Commerce. “As part of this long-range planning, Cedar Port is one potential option that the Port Houston team has been examining.” If the Cedar Port container terminal comes to fruition independently of Port Houston, Cedar Port’s additional container capacity would effectively compete with Port Houston for volumes. Either way, Henderson said expected container volume growth in the region over the next decade will require capacity expansion. “There is so much between now and then,” Henderson said, referring to the timeline for the terminal. “We anticipate 2032 (to open) would be about the earliest, to 2035. This is the timeframe we estimate a terminal could be operational, and that seems to correlate with when the market will need an extra 5 million TEUs — to use round numbers — that will need a home somewhere based on current capabilities.” Contact Laura Robb at <a href="mailto:Laura.Robb@spglobal.com">laura.robb@spglobal.com</a>.  </div>

A Houston-area industrial park and barge port is moving ahead with early plans to develop a $1 billion container terminal at the site that, if built, would double the area’s existing container capacity. The next step for operators of the park and port, known as Cedar Port, is to provide the appropriate state and federal environmental agencies with the findings of a feasibility study that was undertaken to map out the logistics of dredging a new shipping channel between the existing Houston Ship Channel and Cedar Port. ”We are literally drafting the final [feasibility and environmental] findings, and that’s what will get published in June in the final Federal Register,” Clayton Henderson, Cedar Port’s director of port development, told the Journal of Commerce. If the dredging project is granted Congressional approval next year and the container terminal project receives all necessary permitting, it could be completed as early as 2032, Cedar Port officials said. Cedar Port Industrial Park consists of 15,000 acres, about 10,000 of which are still undeveloped. The proposed $500-million Cedar Port Terminal Channel Deepening Project — which would be executed under the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers — would enable a potential Cedar Port container terminal to host vessels up to roughly 15,000 TEUs in size. The new ship channel would be dredged to a depth of 50 feet, matching the nearby Port Houston. Still, key facets of the proposed project remain unclear, including funding sources and who would ultimately operate the port. One potential partner would be Port Houston, which has been considering its own growth plans. “Port Houston has been investigating alternatives for future expansion of Port Houston container operations, including further optimization of our existing terminals and a potential third container terminal complex,” the port told the Journal of Commerce. “As part of this long-range planning, Cedar Port is one potential option that the Port Houston team has been examining.” If the Cedar Port container terminal comes to fruition independently of Port Houston, Cedar Port’s additional container capacity would effectively compete with Port Houston for volumes. Either way, Henderson said expected container volume growth in the region over the next decade will require capacity expansion. “There is so much between now and then,” Henderson said, referring to the timeline for the terminal. “We anticipate 2032 (to open) would be about the earliest, to 2035. This is the timeframe we estimate a terminal could be operational, and that seems to correlate with when the market will need an extra 5 million TEUs — to use round numbers — that will need a home somewhere based on current capabilities.” Contact Laura Robb at laura.robb@spglobal.com . 

Container Shipping News

North American ports

Port News

Stakeholders look to advance possible Houston-area dredging project

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The railroad says it acted fast to resolve issues at its Dallas-area terminal and denies there have been any significant problems in Calgary and the Toronto area. </div>

The railroad says it acted fast to resolve issues at its Dallas-area terminal and denies there have been any significant problems in Calgary and the Toronto area.

<div class="phx-topic">A series of operational challenges at intermodal terminals owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) over the past 30 days has triggered rail delays and rising container dwell times, leading to frustration among some of the railroad’s customers, sources say. But the severity of the impact appears to vary, with other logistics providers reporting stable service and timely communication from CPKC. While the most significant delays have occurred in Wylie, Texas, outside of Dallas, issues have also been raised in Calgary and the Toronto suburb of Vaughan, Ontario. The issues in Wylie stem from technical glitches linked to the early May switch from legacy Kansas City Southern operating systems to CPKC systems. The rollout on May 3 caused problems with driver registration and container notifications, prompting CPKC to fly staff from Canada to Texas and deploy terminal employees to sit at the gates in Wylie to handwrite receipts to enter and exit the premises. Three CPKC customers — two intermodal providers and one trucking company — told the Journal of Commerce that truck drivers have sat in traffic for more than five hours since the switchover. One of the intermodal providers said delays are still rampant at the Wiley terminal, with some of its containers stuck for more than nine days as of May 21. The three companies asked not to be identified because of their ongoing business relationship with CPKC. “The last several weeks of grounding containers [at Wylie] has been horrid,” said the trucking executive. “[CPKC has] fallen flat on their face.” CPKC, meanwhile, acknowledged delays in Wylie but denied there were any disruptions in Calgary or Vaughan.“We had a very large systems change from legacy Kansas City Southern to CPKC systems,” said Jonathan Wahba, senior vice president of sales at CPKC. “Where we fell down was around driver training in the Wylie market about the switch.” Wahba noted the railroad brought staff in from Canada to help steady operations at the terminal. “We took it seriously and corrected it,” he said. Schneider National, CPKC’s top partner in the US, characterized the Wylie disruption as a minor setback, saying its drivers were prepared for the systems switchover at Wylie and that CPKC worked quickly to resolve any issues.<h3>Dispute over Canadian service </h3>Amid the Texas disruption, two CPKC partners in Canada have complained about delays inside the Calgary and Vaughan (Toronto) terminals. Both partners said while train departures remained on schedule, there have been delays in the time between when containers are in-gated at the terminals and when they depart, known as origin dwell. The Canadian partners asked not to be identified because of their ongoing relationship with CPKC. The first partner showed the Journal of Commerce a list of nearly two dozen empty containers in Calgary that have dwelled for more than a week and another 20 loaded boxes in Vaughan dwelling between four and five days. The second CPKC partner confirmed its dwell in Calgary has exceeded seven days in recent weeks compared with the normal two-day dwell to reposition empty boxes. “I can’t satisfy my outbound demand [in eastern Canada] when I’ve got those delays,” said the first CPKC partner. Wahba disputed that there are major disruptions in Calgary or Vaughan. Any delays were confined to a small number of containers shipped under CPKC’s lowest-tier offering, known as the “Flex” service, he said, adding that customers using the railroad’s “Premium” or “Standard” services have not seen delays. “Flex is the lowest-cost service we offer. It gives us the discretion to move containers at our convenience,” Wahba said. “If someone says their box waited five days but they bought Flex, that’s not a failure; that’s what was purchased.” But the two Canadian partners say they have also experienced delays for containers booked under CPKC’s Premium and Standard tiers. Ron Tepper, CEO of Fastfrate Group, said his company has not experienced service issues in Canada, where Fastfrate is CPKC’s highest-volume intermodal marketing company. Fastfrate books containers with CPKC through a mix of all three service levels, although a majority of its business is not moved via Flex. “We’re doing just fine. Calgary’s running great, Vaughan is fine,” Tepper told the Journal of Commerce. “From our perspective, CPKC is running well. We don’t have any issues. If we have an issue, we raise our hand, and they fix it.” CPKC said longer dwells are not unusual under the Flex tier, especially with its intermodal volume being up 11% year over year in the second quarter through last week, according to data submitted to the Association of American Railroads. “We’re handling record volumes right now, double-digit growth, and we’re doing it with high service levels,” Wahba said. “We’re not perfect. We know that. But I do believe a lot of the experience customers are having is dependent on what product they’re buying and how they’re set up to execute with us.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

A series of operational challenges at intermodal terminals owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) over the past 30 days has triggered rail delays and rising container dwell times, leading to frustration among some of the railroad’s customers, sources say. But the severity of the impact appears to vary, with other logistics providers reporting stable service and timely communication from CPKC. While the most significant delays have occurred in Wylie, Texas, outside of Dallas, issues have also been raised in Calgary and the Toronto suburb of Vaughan, Ontario. The issues in Wylie stem from technical glitches linked to the early May switch from legacy Kansas City Southern operating systems to CPKC systems. The rollout on May 3 caused problems with driver registration and container notifications, prompting CPKC to fly staff from Canada to Texas and deploy terminal employees to sit at the gates in Wylie to handwrite receipts to enter and exit the premises. Three CPKC customers — two intermodal providers and one trucking company — told the Journal of Commerce that truck drivers have sat in traffic for more than five hours since the switchover. One of the intermodal providers said delays are still rampant at the Wiley terminal, with some of its containers stuck for more than nine days as of May 21. The three companies asked not to be identified because of their ongoing business relationship with CPKC. “The last several weeks of grounding containers [at Wylie] has been horrid,” said the trucking executive. “[CPKC has] fallen flat on their face.” CPKC, meanwhile, acknowledged delays in Wylie but denied there were any disruptions in Calgary or Vaughan. “We had a very large systems change from legacy Kansas City Southern to CPKC systems,” said Jonathan Wahba, senior vice president of sales at CPKC. “Where we fell down was around driver training in the Wylie market about the switch.” Wahba noted the railroad brought staff in from Canada to help steady operations at the terminal. “We took it seriously and corrected it,” he said. Schneider National, CPKC’s top partner in the US, characterized the Wylie disruption as a minor setback, saying its drivers were prepared for the systems switchover at Wylie and that CPKC worked quickly to resolve any issues. Dispute over Canadian service Amid the Texas disruption, two CPKC partners in Canada have complained about delays inside the Calgary and Vaughan (Toronto) terminals. Both partners said while train departures remained on schedule, there have been delays in the time between when containers are in-gated at the terminals and when they depart, known as origin dwell. The Canadian partners asked not to be identified because of their ongoing relationship with CPKC. The first partner showed the Journal of Commerce a list of nearly two dozen empty containers in Calgary that have dwelled for more than a week and another 20 loaded boxes in Vaughan dwelling between four and five days. The second CPKC partner confirmed its dwell in Calgary has exceeded seven days in recent weeks compared with the normal two-day dwell to reposition empty boxes. “I can’t satisfy my outbound demand [in eastern Canada] when I’ve got those delays,” said the first CPKC partner. Wahba disputed that there are major disruptions in Calgary or Vaughan. Any delays were confined to a small number of containers shipped under CPKC’s lowest-tier offering, known as the “Flex” service, he said, adding that customers using the railroad’s “Premium” or “Standard” services have not seen delays. “Flex is the lowest-cost service we offer. It gives us the discretion to move containers at our convenience,” Wahba said. “If someone says their box waited five days but they bought Flex, that’s not a failure; that’s what was purchased.” But the two Canadian partners say they have also experienced delays for containers booked under CPKC’s Premium and Standard tiers. Ron Tepper, CEO of Fastfrate Group, said his company has not experienced service issues in Canada, where Fastfrate is CPKC’s highest-volume intermodal marketing company. Fastfrate books containers with CPKC through a mix of all three service levels, although a majority of its business is not moved via Flex. “We’re doing just fine. Calgary’s running great, Vaughan is fine,” Tepper told the Journal of Commerce. “From our perspective, CPKC is running well. We don’t have any issues. If we have an issue, we raise our hand, and they fix it.” CPKC said longer dwells are not unusual under the Flex tier, especially with its intermodal volume being up 11% year over year in the second quarter through last week, according to data submitted to the Association of American Railroads. “We’re handling record volumes right now, double-digit growth, and we’re doing it with high service levels,” Wahba said. “We’re not perfect. We know that. But I do believe a lot of the experience customers are having is dependent on what product they’re buying and how they’re set up to execute with us.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

Intermodal providers

North-American rail

CPKC grapples with complaints over US, Canada terminal operations

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Indian capacity to the West Coast is in large part confined to extended Asian networks connecting over regional hubs, so space availability remains exposed to demand volatility at origin load ports. </div>

Indian capacity to the West Coast is in large part confined to extended Asian networks connecting over regional hubs, so space availability remains exposed to demand volatility at origin load ports.

<div class="phx-topic">Indian freight forwarders have reported a sharp upswing in ocean rates for loads to the US West Coast (USWC) — as high as 60% over the past two weeks — amid capacity pressures linked to the now-heated eastbound trans-Pacific trade. Indian capacity to the West Coast is in large part confined to extended Asian networks connecting over regional hubs, so space availability remains exposed to demand volatility at origin load ports. Bookings from China to the US have jumped sharply over the past two weeks given the 90-day tariff cooldown period between Washington and Beijing. “With China volumes now peaking, we are noticing a cutback in allocations for India loading,” an executive at an Asian carrier who didn’t want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce. “We expect this crunch to tighten further in the coming weeks.” Average spot rates on the India-USWC trade lane have climbed 50% to 60% over the last two weeks, according to data obtained by the Journal of Commerce from forwarders. Booking rates from Nhava Sheva to Los Angeles on sailings through early June now stand at $3,000 per TEU and $3,500 per FEU, although varying from carrier to carrier. Sources put port-to-port rate quotes by carrier at: CMA CGM — $3,186 per TEU and $3,646 per FEU; Maersk — $4,141 and $4,000; and Hapag-Lloyd — $2,734 and $2,784. Forwarders who spoke with the Journal of Commerce noted somewhat similar rate indications for other active carriers. And significant increase plans are in the offing, including $3,600 per TEU and $4,000 per FEU announced by CMA CGM from June 15; $1,800 and $2,000 in two rounds by Mediterranean Shipping Co. from June 1 and June 15; and $3,200 and $4,000 in two attempts by Wan Hai Lines beginning July 1 and July 15. “We could very well see rates for India-USWC bookings go up to $7,000 per container over the next month,” a forwarder said. Asian carriers are more aggressive than their European peers for India-USWC coverage. Notably, Ocean Network Express’ Pacific South 3 (PS3) service is the only direct routing for Indian shippers, linking Nhava Sheva and Pipavav to Los Angeles and Oakland. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com</a>. </div>

Indian freight forwarders have reported a sharp upswing in ocean rates for loads to the US West Coast (USWC) — as high as 60% over the past two weeks — amid capacity pressures linked to the now-heated eastbound trans-Pacific trade. Indian capacity to the West Coast is in large part confined to extended Asian networks connecting over regional hubs, so space availability remains exposed to demand volatility at origin load ports. Bookings from China to the US have jumped sharply over the past two weeks given the 90-day tariff cooldown period between Washington and Beijing. “With China volumes now peaking, we are noticing a cutback in allocations for India loading,” an executive at an Asian carrier who didn’t want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce. “We expect this crunch to tighten further in the coming weeks.” Average spot rates on the India-USWC trade lane have climbed 50% to 60% over the last two weeks, according to data obtained by the Journal of Commerce from forwarders. Booking rates from Nhava Sheva to Los Angeles on sailings through early June now stand at $3,000 per TEU and $3,500 per FEU, although varying from carrier to carrier. Sources put port-to-port rate quotes by carrier at: CMA CGM — $3,186 per TEU and $3,646 per FEU; Maersk — $4,141 and $4,000; and Hapag-Lloyd — $2,734 and $2,784. Forwarders who spoke with the Journal of Commerce noted somewhat similar rate indications for other active carriers. And significant increase plans are in the offing, including $3,600 per TEU and $4,000 per FEU announced by CMA CGM from June 15; $1,800 and $2,000 in two rounds by Mediterranean Shipping Co. from June 1 and June 15; and $3,200 and $4,000 in two attempts by Wan Hai Lines beginning July 1 and July 15. “We could very well see rates for India-USWC bookings go up to $7,000 per container over the next month,” a forwarder said. Asian carriers are more aggressive than their European peers for India-USWC coverage. Notably, Ocean Network Express’ Pacific South 3 (PS3) service is the only direct routing for Indian shippers, linking Nhava Sheva and Pipavav to Los Angeles and Oakland. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Maritime

Supply chain

Trans-Pacific

India-US West Coast rates jump as capacity suffers from Asia cargo rush

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The move to ensure commercial drivers comply with US law requiring English-language proficiency will have ramifications for shippers, carriers and drivers. </div>

The move to ensure commercial drivers comply with US law requiring English-language proficiency will have ramifications for shippers, carriers and drivers.

<div class="phx-topic">Truck drivers in the US who can’t speak English are facing a crackdown, with the Department of Transportation (DOT) promising to take them off the road. The step to ensure commercial drivers comply with US law requiring English-language proficiency (ELP) will have ramifications for shippers, carriers and drivers. Loads could be delayed, driver hours of service affected, and truck capacity may get tighter. But supporters of the move claim US highways will be safer and point out that ELP is the law. Starting June 25, truck drivers who cannot communicate with law enforcement during roadside inspections or at weigh stations will be placed out of service, meaning they will not be permitted to drive, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday. “We are issuing new guidance that ensures a driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country,” Duffy said at a press conference in Austin, Texas, that was livestreamed by DOT. Duffy signed an order replacing guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2016. That guidance removed the requirement to place drivers out of service for an ELP violation if they could communicate with inspectors or police by other means. “[If] someone is pulled over and can’t speak the language, they’ll be pulled out of service,” Duffy said. “Before, they’d be given a slap on the wrist and allowed to go on.” The new guidance will make employing non-English speaking drivers “very costly,” he said. <h3>DOT says safety at risk </h3>ELP enforcement is primarily a safety issue, Duffy said, adding that “allowing drivers who cannot read stop signs threatens the safety of every American on our roadways.” But other issues are contributing to calls for tighter ELP enforcement, especially from US trucking organizations. One is the allegation that some carriers are using non-English speakers as “cheap labor,” and thus denying work to qualified US truck drivers. “There are far too many unqualified drivers driving on the road today, too many loopholes that result in drivers who lack the basic skills,” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), said at the Austin event. The DOT will review how states issue commercial driver’s licenses and review the security of licenses issued by states to drivers outside their jurisdiction, or non-domiciled licenses. “It feels like the trucking industry has become the Wild West with a lot of bad actors who have been allowed to play in this space,” said Duffy. “We’re going to improve verification protocols for both domestic and international credentials to ensure that only qualified drivers are behind the wheel on American roads,” he added. Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Truck drivers in the US who can’t speak English are facing a crackdown, with the Department of Transportation (DOT) promising to take them off the road. The step to ensure commercial drivers comply with US law requiring English-language proficiency (ELP) will have ramifications for shippers, carriers and drivers. Loads could be delayed, driver hours of service affected, and truck capacity may get tighter. But supporters of the move claim US highways will be safer and point out that ELP is the law. Starting June 25, truck drivers who cannot communicate with law enforcement during roadside inspections or at weigh stations will be placed out of service, meaning they will not be permitted to drive, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday. “We are issuing new guidance that ensures a driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country,” Duffy said at a press conference in Austin, Texas, that was livestreamed by DOT. Duffy signed an order replacing guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2016. That guidance removed the requirement to place drivers out of service for an ELP violation if they could communicate with inspectors or police by other means. “[If] someone is pulled over and can’t speak the language, they’ll be pulled out of service,” Duffy said. “Before, they’d be given a slap on the wrist and allowed to go on.” The new guidance will make employing non-English speaking drivers “very costly,” he said. DOT says safety at risk ELP enforcement is primarily a safety issue, Duffy said, adding that “allowing drivers who cannot read stop signs threatens the safety of every American on our roadways.” But other issues are contributing to calls for tighter ELP enforcement, especially from US trucking organizations. One is the allegation that some carriers are using non-English speakers as “cheap labor,” and thus denying work to qualified US truck drivers. “There are far too many unqualified drivers driving on the road today, too many loopholes that result in drivers who lack the basic skills,” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), said at the Austin event. The DOT will review how states issue commercial driver’s licenses and review the security of licenses issued by states to drivers outside their jurisdiction, or non-domiciled licenses. “It feels like the trucking industry has become the Wild West with a lot of bad actors who have been allowed to play in this space,” said Duffy. “We’re going to improve verification protocols for both domestic and international credentials to ensure that only qualified drivers are behind the wheel on American roads,” he added. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Surface

US DOT initiates crackdown on non-English-speaking truckers

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Carriers may find it difficult to bring trans-Pacific capacity back quickly because they repositioned ships into other trades outside of the region amid the tariff-linked demand drop in April and early May. </div>

Carriers may find it difficult to bring trans-Pacific capacity back quickly because they repositioned ships into other trades outside of the region amid the tariff-linked demand drop in April and early May.

<div class="phx-topic">Ocean carriers are bringing suspended container services back to the trans-Pacific next month due to heavy import demand from China. Even so, capacity remains tight in the near term as some ships that once served the trans-Pacific have been redeployed to other lanes. President Donald Trump’s temporary reprieve on reciprocal tariffs against China has meant the resumption of previously canceled ocean freight bookings, as well as likely frontloading of imports during the 90-day reprieve period, which ends Aug. 14. That means container capacity from China is “tight” through the first week of July, Hong Kong-based logistics provider Honour Lane Shipping said in its most recent trans-Pacific market update, adding that cargo may likely be rolled to later voyages due to space constraints. “All carriers are facing serious space shortages as they’ve cut a large percentage of their capacities by service suspension and blank sailings in the previous two months,” Honour Lane said. “Most vessels are very full by the end of the month, and many of them have overbooking.” Zim Integrated Shipping Service was one of the first out of the gate to announce <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/zim-restarts-china-los-angeles-service-to-capture-fresh-import-demand-6007601">it will restart an express service</a> from China to the Port of Los Angeles, and now other carriers are following suit. After <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/april-blank-sailings-ramp-up-amid-push-to-finalize-long-term-contracts-5974802">a slate of blank sailings</a>, Mediterranean Shipping Co. is resuming regular weekly sailings on its Orient service between China and the Port of Long Beach starting with the June 9 departure from Shanghai of the 8,500-TEU MSC Tianshan, according to MSC’s vessel schedule. The Premier Alliance also appears to be planning a restart of its PS5 service from China to the ports of Long Beach and Oakland. Alliance member Ocean Network Express (ONE) shows four vessels already nominated to the string, with the first voyage from Qingdao on June 6 on the 6,589-TEU YM Mobility. The resumption of the PS5, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trans-pacific-capacity-cuts-accelerating-amid-sharp-reduction-in-chinese-cargo-5992769">originally planned for May</a>, was delayed due to the downturn in import demand. <h3>‘Takes time to resume services’ </h3>Other carriers, though, may find it more difficult to bring trans-Pacific capacity back quickly because they have repositioned ships into other trades outside of the region, Honour Lane’s report said. “Despite the demand spikes, carriers have yet to return capacity to China,” Honour Lane said. “It takes time to resume services or cancel blank sailings which have been announced months ago.” Cosco Shipping’s AAC4 service from central China to Long Beach went to a biweekly schedule, instead of weekly, through May due to the post-tariff demand downturn. While the service is set to resume weekly voyages in June, Cosco redeployed two vessels in the AAC4 service to other markets. The 14,568-TEU Cosco Shipping Alps, which had called Long Beach regularly since 2023 as part of the AAC4 service, is now destined for the Port of Rotterdam with a May 24 estimated arrival, according to data from Sea-web, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. Likewise, the 13,386-TEU Cosco Portugal, which had been in the AAC4 rotation since 2021, is also scheduled to call Rotterdam in June. Evergreen Marine may also have to reposition ships to the trans-Pacific to meet the renewed demand. After its CPS service to Los Angeles blanked five weekly voyages through April and May, two vessels in that service went to other trades. Evergreen’s 11,888-TEU Ever Fame had been in the rotation for the carrier’s CPS service since this year, port call data shows. However, since the CPS started blanking its weekly calls, the Ever Fame is now en route to Rio De Janeiro as part of Evergreen’s Far East-South America service. The 12,118-TEU Ever Frank, which was also put into the CPS rotation at the start of 2025, is now en route to Southampton, England, as part of Evergreen’s China-Europe Shuttle service. Evergreen is now looking to backfill capacity in the wake of the schedule changes. The carrier scheduled two ad hoc calls to Los Angeles in May on its Asia-Northwest Pacific service. Evergreen’s HTW service also made ad hoc calls to Shanghai and Ningbo after service from those ports was curtailed. Other Ocean Alliance members are resuming regular trans-Pacific services. CMA CGM’s Pearl River Express service to Los Angeles, which canceled nearly all its sailings from April through May, plans to return to a regular weekly cadence in June, as does OOCL’s Pacific South China Express service. Cosco Shipping is set to deploy two extra loaders from China to Long Beach this week to handle the sudden demand surge, but it’s “not sure whether it would be enough to mitigate the short supply,” Honour Lane said in its advisory. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Ocean carriers are bringing suspended container services back to the trans-Pacific next month due to heavy import demand from China. Even so, capacity remains tight in the near term as some ships that once served the trans-Pacific have been redeployed to other lanes. President Donald Trump’s temporary reprieve on reciprocal tariffs against China has meant the resumption of previously canceled ocean freight bookings, as well as likely frontloading of imports during the 90-day reprieve period, which ends Aug. 14. That means container capacity from China is “tight” through the first week of July, Hong Kong-based logistics provider Honour Lane Shipping said in its most recent trans-Pacific market update, adding that cargo may likely be rolled to later voyages due to space constraints. “All carriers are facing serious space shortages as they’ve cut a large percentage of their capacities by service suspension and blank sailings in the previous two months,” Honour Lane said. “Most vessels are very full by the end of the month, and many of them have overbooking.” Zim Integrated Shipping Service was one of the first out of the gate to announce it will restart an express service from China to the Port of Los Angeles, and now other carriers are following suit. After a slate of blank sailings , Mediterranean Shipping Co. is resuming regular weekly sailings on its Orient service between China and the Port of Long Beach starting with the June 9 departure from Shanghai of the 8,500-TEU MSC Tianshan, according to MSC’s vessel schedule. The Premier Alliance also appears to be planning a restart of its PS5 service from China to the ports of Long Beach and Oakland. Alliance member Ocean Network Express (ONE) shows four vessels already nominated to the string, with the first voyage from Qingdao on June 6 on the 6,589-TEU YM Mobility. The resumption of the PS5, originally planned for May , was delayed due to the downturn in import demand. ‘Takes time to resume services’ Other carriers, though, may find it more difficult to bring trans-Pacific capacity back quickly because they have repositioned ships into other trades outside of the region, Honour Lane’s report said. “Despite the demand spikes, carriers have yet to return capacity to China,” Honour Lane said. “It takes time to resume services or cancel blank sailings which have been announced months ago.” Cosco Shipping’s AAC4 service from central China to Long Beach went to a biweekly schedule, instead of weekly, through May due to the post-tariff demand downturn. While the service is set to resume weekly voyages in June, Cosco redeployed two vessels in the AAC4 service to other markets. The 14,568-TEU Cosco Shipping Alps, which had called Long Beach regularly since 2023 as part of the AAC4 service, is now destined for the Port of Rotterdam with a May 24 estimated arrival, according to data from Sea-web, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Likewise, the 13,386-TEU Cosco Portugal, which had been in the AAC4 rotation since 2021, is also scheduled to call Rotterdam in June. Evergreen Marine may also have to reposition ships to the trans-Pacific to meet the renewed demand. After its CPS service to Los Angeles blanked five weekly voyages through April and May, two vessels in that service went to other trades. Evergreen’s 11,888-TEU Ever Fame had been in the rotation for the carrier’s CPS service since this year, port call data shows. However, since the CPS started blanking its weekly calls, the Ever Fame is now en route to Rio De Janeiro as part of Evergreen’s Far East-South America service. The 12,118-TEU Ever Frank, which was also put into the CPS rotation at the start of 2025, is now en route to Southampton, England, as part of Evergreen’s China-Europe Shuttle service. Evergreen is now looking to backfill capacity in the wake of the schedule changes. The carrier scheduled two ad hoc calls to Los Angeles in May on its Asia-Northwest Pacific service. Evergreen’s HTW service also made ad hoc calls to Shanghai and Ningbo after service from those ports was curtailed. Other Ocean Alliance members are resuming regular trans-Pacific services. CMA CGM’s Pearl River Express service to Los Angeles, which canceled nearly all its sailings from April through May, plans to return to a regular weekly cadence in June, as does OOCL’s Pacific South China Express service. Cosco Shipping is set to deploy two extra loaders from China to Long Beach this week to handle the sudden demand surge, but it’s “not sure whether it would be enough to mitigate the short supply,” Honour Lane said in its advisory. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Trans-Pacific services set for restart as carriers scramble to restore capacity

Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Wide Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE

Arm your team with the most trusted information portal for the international container shipping industry.

Group Subscriptions - Wide Box

Get into a group subscription today

Use code MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on the first year of any annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Wide Box

Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - Wide Box

The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046.jpg

Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046 (1).jpg

Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on first year of any annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Offer Box

Subscribe Today

GET INTO A GROUP SUBSCRIPTION: Arm your team with unlimited Journal of Commerce content

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - Offer Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription! 

Upgrade Subscription - Offer Box

Monthly publication providing an editorial deep dive into global supply chain news

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

An in-depth analysis of transport trends in the multipurpose and heavy-lift fleet segment

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A must-attend conference for shippers & logistics providers moving goods inland

Inland Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Inland25

A premium access index of savings using domestic intermodal vs. OTR 

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Savings Index

An extensive dashboard of charts organized by trade lane, mode, and topic

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Gateway

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

The latest container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage includes the movement of containerized cargo handled by marine terminals and container ports, depots, container lines, drayage, consignees, importers and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs) and off-dock warehousing providers. The Journal of Commerce's container shipping news includes news from the trans-Pacific, Asia–Europe, North America–Caribbean, Central and South America trades, and intra-Asia trades.

Trans-Atlantic

Asia-Europe

Container shipping news and analysis of ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, technology and end-to-end connectivity.

Container Shipping News | Journal of Commerce

Breakbulk News shipping | Journal of Commerce

Breakbulk News

Stay informed on port news worldwide with Journal of Commerce. From decarbonization to labor updates, get insights on global developments.

Port News | Journal of Commerce

News and analysis of ocean containerized cargo movement, logistics, supply chains, technology, and end-to-end connectivity. Maritime news and analysis of containerized ocean cargo movement, breakbulk and roll-on and roll-off shipping from origin to destination.

Latest News

Attend Inland25

Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

More News & Analysis

Stakeholders look to advance possible Houston-area dredging project

CPKC grapples with complaints over US, Canada terminal operations

India-US West Coast rates jump as capacity suffers from Asia cargo rush