<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The issue threatens the hard-won gains from a government initiative to lower logistics costs for domestic shippers.</div>

The issue threatens the hard-won gains from a government initiative to lower logistics costs for domestic shippers.

<div>Container stacking operations at Gateway Rail Freight Ltd.’s yard in JNPT.Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) said lackadaisical operations by private intermodal rail companies are causing import backlogs and longer dwell times, prompting it to consider reducing free storage times for cargo railed to and from inland container depots (ICDs).The issue threatens the hard-won gains from a government initiative to lower logistics costs for domestic shippers through dwell time reductions and other ease-of-doing-business measures such as <a>direct port delivery (DPD) services</a>.Private rail carriers have large backlogs of containers and are taking locomotives out of the port to cater to outside business,...

Container stacking operations at Gateway Rail Freight Ltd.’s yard in JNPT. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) said lackadaisical operations by private intermodal rail companies are causing import backlogs and longer dwell times, prompting it to consider reducing free storage times for cargo railed to and from inland container depots (ICDs). The issue threatens the hard-won gains from a government initiative to lower logistics costs for domestic shippers through dwell time reductions and other ease-of-doing-business measures such as direct port delivery (DPD) services . Private rail carriers have large backlogs of containers and are taking locomotives out of the port to cater to outside business, the port said in a trade notice. “The port has conducted [a] number of meetings with the private carriers for resolving the issue, but there is no improvement and the dwell time has risen to nine days.” As a result, the average backlog is currently hovering around 3,000 TEU from a level of 800 TEU to 1,000 TEU in April, according to the advisory. On the other hand, state-owned Container Corporation of India (Concor) has been proactively clearing ICD containers by operating mixed trains, bringing down dwell time levels for its movements to 2.64 days, the port said. The top port also said as terminals follow the practice of "first-in, first-out" for delivery of containers, older uncleared units generally get stranded in yards because of space constraints. “The increased dwell time adds to cost and delays in delivering the goods to the consignee, who has to face hardships on account of inefficient services provided by the rail operators. This is also impacting India’s ranking in the ‘trading across borders’ index as the World Bank has identified JNPT for the purpose of ranking India among various countries,” the port said. JNPT is now considering a reduction in free storage time for all railed ICD cargo to three days from seven days to get rail operators to supply the needed capacity. The problems with rail service threaten a longstanding JNPT goal to make rail more competitive with trucking . Those efforts seem to be paying off, as JNPT’s share of rail cargo in July increased to 15.3 percent from 14.8 percent in the prior month, despite disruption caused by the Maersk Group cyber attack and weather-related berthing issues. Meanwhile, officials said the fourth container development awarded to PSA International is progressing well and is on schedule to start operations at the end of the year, though there have been some hiccups on hiring waterfront workers from the local project-affected community. Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals’ (BMCT) first phase includes a berth line of 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) and a capacity of 2.4 million TEU per year, and at full build-out, it will have a 6,562-foot quay, a 494-acre storage yard, 24 quay cranes, and an annual capacity of 4.8 million TEU.

International rail

JNPT blames private rail operators for lengthy dwell times

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Asian Development Bank also warned in a note Wednesday that escalating tariffs and further trade friction would further dim intra-Asia growth prospects. </div>

The Asian Development Bank also warned in a note Wednesday that escalating tariffs and further trade friction would further dim intra-Asia growth prospects.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Intra-Asia trade risks being thrown into chaos if the US imposes hefty tariffs on goods from the region should current trade talks break down, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPH Trust) warned Wednesday. While the Singapore-listed port operator, a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, was commenting before the Trump administration announced trade deals with three Asian countries — Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines — late Tuesday in the US, those countries still face significant levies on exports to the US. The Asian Development Bank also warned in a note Wednesday that escalating tariffs and further trade friction would further dim intra-Asia growth prospects. HPH Trust, which controls Hutchison’s Hong Kong and mainland China port interests, said the US government sent letters to several counties in Asia to increase pressure on them to conclude trade negotiations by an Aug. 1 deadline. “If these trade deals fail to materialize, the sudden reinstatement of higher tariffs and possible sectoral tariffs by the US could trigger fresh turmoil in global trade, particularly for intra-Asia trade,” HPH Trust said. The warning was included as part of the company’s first-half results announcement. In the agreements confirmed Wednesday, Japanese exports to the US will be charged a 15% tariff, down from a proposed 25% levy, while a 19% tariff will be added to imports from the Philippines. Indonesia will also have a 19% tariff added to its exports to the US, although that is down from the 32% the US said it would apply without a deal. But other major Asian exporters to the US, including South Korea and Thailand, have yet to agree to trade deals. South Korea and Malaysia both face a 25% tariff, with Thailand and Cambodia each looking at a 36% levy. Myanmar and Laos would have exports to the US taxed at 40%. Officials from the US and China, meanwhile, are due to meet next week in Stockholm to continue talks on a trade deal, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-discuss-tariff-deadline-extension-trump-reaches-philippines-deal-2025-07-22/">Reuters reported</a>. The US has imposed an Aug. 14 deadline for reaching a deal, without which Chinese goods could face a 145% US tariff. “Uneven progress in tariff negotiations and the potential expansion of tariffs to additional products could further disrupt trade activities and weigh on growth for the region,” said Dong He, chief economist at the regional government-backed ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO). AMRO is forecasting economic growth in the intra-Asia region to be 3.8% this year, slipping to 3.6% in 2026. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.</div>

Intra-Asia trade risks being thrown into chaos if the US imposes hefty tariffs on goods from the region should current trade talks break down, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPH Trust) warned Wednesday. While the Singapore-listed port operator, a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, was commenting before the Trump administration announced trade deals with three Asian countries — Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines — late Tuesday in the US, those countries still face significant levies on exports to the US. The Asian Development Bank also warned in a note Wednesday that escalating tariffs and further trade friction would further dim intra-Asia growth prospects. HPH Trust, which controls Hutchison’s Hong Kong and mainland China port interests, said the US government sent letters to several counties in Asia to increase pressure on them to conclude trade negotiations by an Aug. 1 deadline. “If these trade deals fail to materialize, the sudden reinstatement of higher tariffs and possible sectoral tariffs by the US could trigger fresh turmoil in global trade, particularly for intra-Asia trade,” HPH Trust said. The warning was included as part of the company’s first-half results announcement. In the agreements confirmed Wednesday, Japanese exports to the US will be charged a 15% tariff, down from a proposed 25% levy, while a 19% tariff will be added to imports from the Philippines. Indonesia will also have a 19% tariff added to its exports to the US, although that is down from the 32% the US said it would apply without a deal. But other major Asian exporters to the US, including South Korea and Thailand, have yet to agree to trade deals. South Korea and Malaysia both face a 25% tariff, with Thailand and Cambodia each looking at a 36% levy. Myanmar and Laos would have exports to the US taxed at 40%. Officials from the US and China, meanwhile, are due to meet next week in Stockholm to continue talks on a trade deal, Reuters reported . The US has imposed an Aug. 14 deadline for reaching a deal, without which Chinese goods could face a 145% US tariff. “Uneven progress in tariff negotiations and the potential expansion of tariffs to additional products could further disrupt trade activities and weigh on growth for the region,” said Dong He, chief economist at the regional government-backed ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO). AMRO is forecasting economic growth in the intra-Asia region to be 3.8% this year, slipping to 3.6% in 2026. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Maritime

Container Shipping News

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Intra-Asia trade faces fresh turmoil from potential hefty US tariffs: HPH Trust

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">In the wake of several paper mill closures globally so far this year, US pulp importers will be dealt another blow on Aug. 1 when a proposed 50% tariff on cargo from Brazil will go into effect. </div>

In the wake of several paper mill closures globally so far this year, US pulp importers will be dealt another blow on Aug. 1 when a proposed 50% tariff on cargo from Brazil will go into effect.

<div class="phx-topic">After the closure — and announcements of future closures — of more than half a dozen paper mills around the globe this year, the pulp industry will see higher costs and tightened supply when a 50% US tariff on Brazil goes into effect Aug. 1, stakeholders say. As the tariffs are implemented, the US paper pulp market is especially exposed, experts say. According to Chris Rogers, head of supply chain research at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence, the Trump administration’s plan to apply elevated duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) would increase import tariffs on Brazil to 50%, on Canada to 35% and to the European Union to 30%. According to S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence data, those sources together accounted for 93% of US imports of wood pulp between March and May of 2025. S&amp;P Global is the parent company of the Journal of Commerce. “[The plan] carries significant risks for the US paper manufacturing sector,” Rogers wrote in a July 16 analysis. In 2023, North America was only responsible for 10% of global wood pulp demand, according to Fastmarkets’ World Pulp &amp; Recovered Paper forecast. Meanwhile, China had 43%, Europe 24%, 13% went to the rest of Asia, Latin America had 6%, and less than 2% was bound for the rest of the world. <h3>Mill closures </h3>The global pulp industry was already facing challenges before the US tariffs were announced. Falling demand for paper products, increased consolidation across sectors and reduced margins have long impacted the industry, experts say. According to data analytics company ResourceWise, at least nine mills around the world have moved forward with closures since the beginning of 2025, including several in the US. International Paper shut down its Louisiana containerboard mill in April, while Georgia-Pacific announced it would close its Georgia containerboard mill in August. Similarly, Smurfit WestRock this year closed its Minnesota coated recycle board mill and ceased production at its Texas-based containerboard mill, while Greif permanently closed two recycled paperboard mills in California and Massachusetts, ResourceWise shows. “Many chemical pulp mills in USA and Canada [have] shut down due to high cost and low margins,” said a paper pulp logistics market source. “Future capacity growth will come from Brazil, Indonesia, and Chile due to the low cost of wood and production.” A Tako board mill in Finland owned by Metsa Board and a UPM Communication Papers paper mill in Germany also closed this year. Several of the closure announcements, both in North America and internationally, cited weak demand and high operating costs as contributing factors, according to ResourceWise. <h3>Volatility instead of stabilization </h3>According to paper industry consultant EMGE’s Paper and Pulp Industry Outlook 2025, there were expectations for the paper and board sector to stabilize “somewhat” this year, but tariff announcements have only increased volatility. US imports of wood pulp fell 4.7% year over year in May, according to Rogers’ analysis. That figure includes a 19.9% slide in imports from Canada and a 6.3% drop from the EU, reflecting the different tariff rates applied under the IEEPA (deficit) and IEEPA (fentanyl) programs, including the delayed implementation of higher duties until Aug. 1, he wrote. “The US is a key destination for Brazilian pulp, and any shift in trade policy could influence global supply chains,” Fastmarkets pulp analyst Mateus Saraiva said in a July 14 Fastmarkets article. “Other exporters with lower tariff exposure may gain competitive advantage, while downstream industries such as tissue and packaging could face cost pressures. Currency movements and freight rates may further shape the net impact on landed costs.” According to Parsan Chand Mahaveer, a logistics specialist in the paper pulp industry, some shippers frontloaded their cargo to beat the approaching Aug. 1 deadline, although moving cargo earlier than usual bears its own costs. “Frontloading in volumes to the US incurs extra holding costs ranging from $30 to $50 per ton,” Mahaveer told the Journal of Commerce. “Some shippers are also circumventing tariffs by diversifying end markets and changing their supply sources, [if possible.]” Importers who do get hit with the tariff will likely be forced to shoulder the additional costs directly, ultimately positioning importers to pass on price increases to the consumer. “Most of the pulp on long term commercial agreement is being sold on [a cost, insurance, and freight] basis in the US and any impact is being absorbed by importers in the US,” Mahaveer said. “Pulp producers who import their own pulp into [the US] and distribute by themselves, they absorb the tariff impact.” Still, some sectors of the pulp industry are more exposed than others. According to Fastmarkets, more than 82% of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP) imported into the US comes from Brazil. BEKP, largely favored for its short life span and high quality for kraft pulping, is a type of bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp, which accounted for 55% of global pulp demand in 2023, according to Fastmarkets. Meanwhile, bleached softwood kraft (BSK) — which is more commonly available in North America than BHK — accounted for 26% of global pulp demand in 2023. Contact Laura Robb at <a href="mailto:laura.robb@spglobal.com.">laura.robb@spglobal.com</a>.  </div>

After the closure — and announcements of future closures — of more than half a dozen paper mills around the globe this year, the pulp industry will see higher costs and tightened supply when a 50% US tariff on Brazil goes into effect Aug. 1, stakeholders say. As the tariffs are implemented, the US paper pulp market is especially exposed, experts say. According to Chris Rogers, head of supply chain research at S&P Global Market Intelligence, the Trump administration’s plan to apply elevated duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) would increase import tariffs on Brazil to 50%, on Canada to 35% and to the European Union to 30%. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, those sources together accounted for 93% of US imports of wood pulp between March and May of 2025. S&P Global is the parent company of the Journal of Commerce. “[The plan] carries significant risks for the US paper manufacturing sector,” Rogers wrote in a July 16 analysis. In 2023, North America was only responsible for 10% of global wood pulp demand, according to Fastmarkets’ World Pulp & Recovered Paper forecast. Meanwhile, China had 43%, Europe 24%, 13% went to the rest of Asia, Latin America had 6%, and less than 2% was bound for the rest of the world. Mill closures The global pulp industry was already facing challenges before the US tariffs were announced. Falling demand for paper products, increased consolidation across sectors and reduced margins have long impacted the industry, experts say. According to data analytics company ResourceWise, at least nine mills around the world have moved forward with closures since the beginning of 2025, including several in the US. International Paper shut down its Louisiana containerboard mill in April, while Georgia-Pacific announced it would close its Georgia containerboard mill in August. Similarly, Smurfit WestRock this year closed its Minnesota coated recycle board mill and ceased production at its Texas-based containerboard mill, while Greif permanently closed two recycled paperboard mills in California and Massachusetts, ResourceWise shows. “Many chemical pulp mills in USA and Canada [have] shut down due to high cost and low margins,” said a paper pulp logistics market source. “Future capacity growth will come from Brazil, Indonesia, and Chile due to the low cost of wood and production.” A Tako board mill in Finland owned by Metsa Board and a UPM Communication Papers paper mill in Germany also closed this year. Several of the closure announcements, both in North America and internationally, cited weak demand and high operating costs as contributing factors, according to ResourceWise. Volatility instead of stabilization According to paper industry consultant EMGE’s Paper and Pulp Industry Outlook 2025, there were expectations for the paper and board sector to stabilize “somewhat” this year, but tariff announcements have only increased volatility. US imports of wood pulp fell 4.7% year over year in May, according to Rogers’ analysis. That figure includes a 19.9% slide in imports from Canada and a 6.3% drop from the EU, reflecting the different tariff rates applied under the IEEPA (deficit) and IEEPA (fentanyl) programs, including the delayed implementation of higher duties until Aug. 1, he wrote. “The US is a key destination for Brazilian pulp, and any shift in trade policy could influence global supply chains,” Fastmarkets pulp analyst Mateus Saraiva said in a July 14 Fastmarkets article. “Other exporters with lower tariff exposure may gain competitive advantage, while downstream industries such as tissue and packaging could face cost pressures. Currency movements and freight rates may further shape the net impact on landed costs.” According to Parsan Chand Mahaveer, a logistics specialist in the paper pulp industry, some shippers frontloaded their cargo to beat the approaching Aug. 1 deadline, although moving cargo earlier than usual bears its own costs. “Frontloading in volumes to the US incurs extra holding costs ranging from $30 to $50 per ton,” Mahaveer told the Journal of Commerce. “Some shippers are also circumventing tariffs by diversifying end markets and changing their supply sources, [if possible.]” Importers who do get hit with the tariff will likely be forced to shoulder the additional costs directly, ultimately positioning importers to pass on price increases to the consumer. “Most of the pulp on long term commercial agreement is being sold on [a cost, insurance, and freight] basis in the US and any impact is being absorbed by importers in the US,” Mahaveer said. “Pulp producers who import their own pulp into [the US] and distribute by themselves, they absorb the tariff impact.” Still, some sectors of the pulp industry are more exposed than others. According to Fastmarkets, more than 82% of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP) imported into the US comes from Brazil. BEKP, largely favored for its short life span and high quality for kraft pulping, is a type of bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) pulp, which accounted for 55% of global pulp demand in 2023, according to Fastmarkets. Meanwhile, bleached softwood kraft (BSK) — which is more commonly available in North America than BHK — accounted for 26% of global pulp demand in 2023. Contact Laura Robb at laura.robb@spglobal.com . 

Supply chain

Impending Brazil tariffs increase pressure on US pulp industry

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The head of the Transportation Intermediaries Association says that calls for more access to what shippers pay brokers under the guise of protecting truckers from fraud is a ploy to view what should be confidential business information. </div>

The head of the Transportation Intermediaries Association says that calls for more access to what shippers pay brokers under the guise of protecting truckers from fraud is a ploy to view what should be confidential business information.

<div class="phx-topic">The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is warning truck safety regulators in the US that proposed rules to allow trucking companies to review the rates shippers pay their brokers would harm small brokers and eventually lead to higher shipper and consumer prices. The issue of increased broker transparency with truckload carriers emerged last November when the Biden administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking to strengthen regulations around what information a broker must make available to carriers. In February, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-regulator-reopens-truck-broker-transparency-proposal-for-new-comments-5946406">extended the comment period</a> on the rulemaking, a move requested by the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), one of the groups that petitioned the FMCSA for a rulemaking on broker transparency in 2020. That reopened an old wound in the truckload industry, with brokers arguing that allowing carriers to see the rates paid by shippers to intermediaries would <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/fmcsas-overreach-threatens-small-business-free-enterprise-in-freight-5946820">undermine their ability to operate</a>.TIA’s warning this week was prompted by testimony given to the US Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee by Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). Pugh’s testimony this week centered around the idea that increasing rate transparency would help fight the increasing occurrences of freight theft and fraud in the truckload market. “As motor carriers are increasingly victimized by freight fraud, unpaid claims, dubious charges, unpaid loads, double brokered loads, and load-phishing schemes, the current lack of transparency has left them little to no means to defend themselves from fraud,” Pugh told the subcommittee. But TIA CEO Chris Burroughs said in a statement Tuesday that OOIDA’s call for rate disclosure from brokers isn’t “about protecting truckers — it’s about handing private business information to competitors under the guise of transparency.” “If enacted, the rule or statutory provision would set a dangerous precedent not just for the logistics industry, but for all sectors of the American economy,” Burroughs said. “Will General Motors be forced to disclose what it pays for steel? Will Walmart have to publish its vendor contracts? The competitive market depends on private negotiations. This proposal dismantles that.” TIA represents third-party logistics providers, about three-quarters of which make less than $15 million in annual revenue, Burroughs said. “Requiring these firms to disclose negotiated pricing would increase administrative burdens, narrow margins, and risk forcing many to close,” he said. “The effects won’t stop with brokers.” <h3>‘Government interference’ </h3>Existing FMCSA regulations require brokers to keep records of transactions with motor carriers, and each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review the record of the transaction. But small carrier advocates have argued those regulations don’t work in practice, as there are no time limits or digital requirements on those transaction records. They also argue brokers can apply for waivers that constrain the ability of carriers to query transaction information. Among the mandates on the table in the proposed rulemaking, brokers would be required to keep transaction records in an electronic format, provide a detailed breakdown of charges and payments for each shipment, and respond to carrier information requests within 48 hours. OOIDA, which represents approximately 150,000 small business trucking companies, argued in a January comment supporting the new rulemaking that a lack of transparency “leads to a host of issues such as unfair charges, delayed payments, and fraudulent practices ... our members are asking for fairness in the marketplace.” Burroughs, meanwhile, argued that carriers have access to a range of tools that can give clarity on rate levels. “There are load boards, rate benchmarking tools, and widespread technology platforms that already support a real-time, competitive freight marketplace,” he said. “Forcing rate disclosure adds government interference where none is needed.” Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is warning truck safety regulators in the US that proposed rules to allow trucking companies to review the rates shippers pay their brokers would harm small brokers and eventually lead to higher shipper and consumer prices. The issue of increased broker transparency with truckload carriers emerged last November when the Biden administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking to strengthen regulations around what information a broker must make available to carriers. In February, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended the comment period on the rulemaking, a move requested by the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), one of the groups that petitioned the FMCSA for a rulemaking on broker transparency in 2020. That reopened an old wound in the truckload industry, with brokers arguing that allowing carriers to see the rates paid by shippers to intermediaries would undermine their ability to operate . TIA’s warning this week was prompted by testimony given to the US Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee by Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). Pugh’s testimony this week centered around the idea that increasing rate transparency would help fight the increasing occurrences of freight theft and fraud in the truckload market. “As motor carriers are increasingly victimized by freight fraud, unpaid claims, dubious charges, unpaid loads, double brokered loads, and load-phishing schemes, the current lack of transparency has left them little to no means to defend themselves from fraud,” Pugh told the subcommittee. But TIA CEO Chris Burroughs said in a statement Tuesday that OOIDA’s call for rate disclosure from brokers isn’t “about protecting truckers — it’s about handing private business information to competitors under the guise of transparency.” “If enacted, the rule or statutory provision would set a dangerous precedent not just for the logistics industry, but for all sectors of the American economy,” Burroughs said. “Will General Motors be forced to disclose what it pays for steel? Will Walmart have to publish its vendor contracts? The competitive market depends on private negotiations. This proposal dismantles that.” TIA represents third-party logistics providers, about three-quarters of which make less than $15 million in annual revenue, Burroughs said. “Requiring these firms to disclose negotiated pricing would increase administrative burdens, narrow margins, and risk forcing many to close,” he said. “The effects won’t stop with brokers.” ‘Government interference’ Existing FMCSA regulations require brokers to keep records of transactions with motor carriers, and each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review the record of the transaction. But small carrier advocates have argued those regulations don’t work in practice, as there are no time limits or digital requirements on those transaction records. They also argue brokers can apply for waivers that constrain the ability of carriers to query transaction information. Among the mandates on the table in the proposed rulemaking, brokers would be required to keep transaction records in an electronic format, provide a detailed breakdown of charges and payments for each shipment, and respond to carrier information requests within 48 hours. OOIDA, which represents approximately 150,000 small business trucking companies, argued in a January comment supporting the new rulemaking that a lack of transparency “leads to a host of issues such as unfair charges, delayed payments, and fraudulent practices ... our members are asking for fairness in the marketplace.” Burroughs, meanwhile, argued that carriers have access to a range of tools that can give clarity on rate levels. “There are load boards, rate benchmarking tools, and widespread technology platforms that already support a real-time, competitive freight marketplace,” he said. “Forcing rate disclosure adds government interference where none is needed.” Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Truckload

Surface

Broker group warns against increased shipper-3PL rate transparency

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The joint venture is accompanied by a long-term agreement that will lock in the supply of LNG to the ocean carrier’s fast-growing dual-fuel fleet that will increase to 123 vessels by 2029.</div>

The joint venture is accompanied by a long-term agreement that will lock in the supply of LNG to the ocean carrier’s fast-growing dual-fuel fleet that will increase to 123 vessels by 2029.

<div class="phx-topic">CMA CGM and TotalEnergies have formed a joint venture to co-develop and operate a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region. Under a long-term agreement unveiled Wednesday, TotalEnergies will also supply CMA CGM with up to 360,000 tons of LNG per year until 2040. Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, said the deal marks the first time a shipping company and an energy provider have agreed to jointly operate an LNG bunkering vessel. “It is a concrete way to scale up alternative fuels and accelerate the decarbonization of global trade,” Saadé said in a statement. The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval.The 20,000-cubic-meter vessel will be deployed in 2028 and be based in Rotterdam. The 50/50 JV between the two French companies will offer complete logistics service, from LNG reloading and storing access at gate terminal facilities to bunker delivery to both CMA CGM and other carriers operating LNG-powered ships. TotalEnergies has been operating Gas Agility, an 18,600-cubic-meter LNG bunker vessel, in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp area since 2020; the new vessel will be integrated into the LNG network and the established logistics infrastructure in the region. TotalEnergies also operates the LNG bunker vessel Gas Vitality in CMA CGM’s home port, the Port of Marseille. CMA CGM’s long-term supply agreement with TotalEnergies will run from 2028 to 2040 and will lock in the supply of LNG to the carrier’s dual-fuel fleet that will number 123 vessels by 2029. “LNG is today the most mature and immediately available solution to reduce the environmental footprint of maritime transport,” Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said in the statement. <h3>Rising popularity of LNG-powered vessels </h3>LNG cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% compared with conventional marine fuel, with the potential to reduce emissions by 67% using biomethane and by 85% if synthetic LNG is used. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="8d37b682-b951-410d-bd1f-c060a3fe1b8b"></dynamic-object></div>The fuel choice by ocean carriers — at least for now — is increasingly between LNG and methanol that together comprised 70% of the total 1.7 million TEUs in orders made in 2024, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. While methanol led the way in 2023, last year saw a resurgence in LNG-capable ship orders amid growing concerns over the availability of methanol at scale, and that LNG shopping spree has continued in 2025. Just last week, Mediterranean Shipping Co. ordered six 22,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG vessels and upsized another six LNG-fueled container ships from 19,000 TEUs to 22,000 TEUs, while Yang Ming ordered seven 15,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG ships. LNG is produced from fossil fuel, but the intention of dual-fuel shipowners is to gradually replace conventional LNG with more sustainable bio-methane or synthetic e-LNG that is produced using renewable energy and captured carbon. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

CMA CGM and TotalEnergies have formed a joint venture to co-develop and operate a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region. Under a long-term agreement unveiled Wednesday, TotalEnergies will also supply CMA CGM with up to 360,000 tons of LNG per year until 2040. Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, said the deal marks the first time a shipping company and an energy provider have agreed to jointly operate an LNG bunkering vessel. “It is a concrete way to scale up alternative fuels and accelerate the decarbonization of global trade,” Saadé said in a statement. The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval. The 20,000-cubic-meter vessel will be deployed in 2028 and be based in Rotterdam. The 50/50 JV between the two French companies will offer complete logistics service, from LNG reloading and storing access at gate terminal facilities to bunker delivery to both CMA CGM and other carriers operating LNG-powered ships. TotalEnergies has been operating Gas Agility, an 18,600-cubic-meter LNG bunker vessel, in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp area since 2020; the new vessel will be integrated into the LNG network and the established logistics infrastructure in the region. TotalEnergies also operates the LNG bunker vessel Gas Vitality in CMA CGM’s home port, the Port of Marseille. CMA CGM’s long-term supply agreement with TotalEnergies will run from 2028 to 2040 and will lock in the supply of LNG to the carrier’s dual-fuel fleet that will number 123 vessels by 2029. “LNG is today the most mature and immediately available solution to reduce the environmental footprint of maritime transport,” Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said in the statement. Rising popularity of LNG-powered vessels LNG cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% compared with conventional marine fuel, with the potential to reduce emissions by 67% using biomethane and by 85% if synthetic LNG is used. The fuel choice by ocean carriers — at least for now — is increasingly between LNG and methanol that together comprised 70% of the total 1.7 million TEUs in orders made in 2024, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. While methanol led the way in 2023, last year saw a resurgence in LNG-capable ship orders amid growing concerns over the availability of methanol at scale, and that LNG shopping spree has continued in 2025. Just last week, Mediterranean Shipping Co. ordered six 22,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG vessels and upsized another six LNG-fueled container ships from 19,000 TEUs to 22,000 TEUs, while Yang Ming ordered seven 15,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG ships. LNG is produced from fossil fuel, but the intention of dual-fuel shipowners is to gradually replace conventional LNG with more sustainable bio-methane or synthetic e-LNG that is produced using renewable energy and captured carbon. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container lines

Asia-Europe

CMA CGM, TotalEnergies ink deal to jointly operate LNG bunkering vessel

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Canada’s port stakeholders are hopeful the new prime minister and world-renowned economist will fast-track major projects and modernize labor negotiations.</div>

Canada’s port stakeholders are hopeful the new prime minister and world-renowned economist will fast-track major projects and modernize labor negotiations.

<div class="phx-topic">The new government of Prime Minster Mark Carney has created rare sentiment among Canadian shipping stakeholders about action out of Ottawa: overflowing optimism. Carney, an economist who headed both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, brings a hard-charging approach focused on galvanizing the county’s sagging productivity. He rode into office in March thanks to an electorate united in anger and frustration over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and insults over Canada’s sovereignty. The changed relationship with the US has also galvanized efforts to lessen Canada’s trade dependence on its neighbor. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6047895_0.1.jpg"></img></div>Carney’s pledge to streamline the regulatory bureaucracy that has made Canada an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development laggard in completing major infrastructure projects is good news for ports and railroads that have seen regulatory approval timelines stretch past a decade. The former Goldman Sachs executive is the best chance the shipping industry has seen in a decade to reduce the power of organized transportation labor to cripple national supply chains when contract negotiations break down, according to one person tied to port labor policy. More competitive tax policies — along with faster regulatory approvals and more guardrails to keep labor-employer negotiations constructive — will make Canada more attractive to investment, said Eric Harvey, president and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. “We are at a rare moment of opportunity. Government and industry alike seem willing to have a serious conversation about what it takes to keep supply chains moving and competitive,” Harvey told the Journal of Commerce. <h3>Pushing big projects forward </h3>Carney’s Liberal Party on June 20 passed legislation giving the federal government power to fast-track projects deemed of national importance, streamlining the current approval process involving environmental regulators and indigenous parties. Enacting Bill C-5 will benefit projects such as the more than C$3 billion mega-terminal the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has sought for two decades, as well as Montreal’s C$1.57 million Contrecoeur terminal project Both projects will need more federal investment to lure marine terminal operators, with Vancouver needing well over C$1 billion from the federal government, according to two people familiar with the project. The port has yet to request proposals for an operator of the Robert Bank Terminal 2 but in July began its search for a construction company to plan and build the 2.4 million-TEU facility. The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) also plans to announce this year the concessionaire for the builder and operator of its planned terminal. The facility would be located about 43 miles downriver from the city along the St. Lawrence and have an annual capacity of 1.15 million TEUs. The MPA couldn’t attract a partner in its first attempt two years ago after the winning bidder balked. Since then, the Quebec provincial government and Canada’s infrastructure bank have kicked in C$130 million and $C300 million, respectively, potentially making the project more attractive to bidders. In awarding the money to the Contrecoeur terminal project in February, Quebec Premier François Legault stressed the need to “diversify our markets to reduce our dependence on the United States.” Given his corporate background, Carney is loath to look to public coffers for all the funding and instead will turn to large Canadian investors, according to one veteran railroad leader. <h3>Rethinking transport labor negotiations </h3>While Carney hasn’t publicly addressed organized transportation labor, port stakeholders see a new government ready to listen, have a conversation and then act, in stark contrast to his Liberal predecessor Justin Trudeau. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bc-ports-longshore-unions-need-new-bargaining-process-report-6026105">The release of a report by the Labor Ministry</a> in May offers some recommendations on how British Columbia ports can avoid labor unrest that has shaken their image as unexcitingly dependable. <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/labour-relations/reports/industrial-inquiry-commission-longshoring-west-coast-ports/Report-Recommendations-EN.pdf">The report</a>, undertaken after two years of labor disruptions to the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, strongly recommends that unions bargain with employers on a province-wide basis, rather than a port- or employer-specific basis. The report didn’t hold back in its criticism of the current model that “is far from healthy, and is marred by ongoing conflicts, misaligned priorities and a fiercely protectionist stance by the union.” The report’s recommendation of the creation of a “special mediator” to monitor contract negotiations should be adopted by other transportation industries including railroads, the authors argued in the report, released May 8. The last strike involving major railroads Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/canadian-ports-liner-operators-bracing-for-rail-strike-impact-5708554">lasted just 17 hours in August 2024</a> but disrupted cargo transport nonetheless, as both railroads began embargoing cargo a week prior. Because the current model doesn’t allow the federal government to be fully informed and there isn’t a formal process for dispute intervention, unions can challenge back-to-work orders by saying there are other, less drastic steps that can be taken to keep bargaining on track, according to the report. The report notes that the need for Canada’s ports to become more competitive has “only been amplified” by Trump’s then-tariff threats. Trump has already made it slightly less attractive for US importers to ship imports through Canadian ports. In his May executive order seeking to rebuild US shipbuilding, Trump closed the loophole of the Harbor Maintenance Tax, a 0.125% charge on US imports. The attacks by Trump have put a spotlight on years of weakened Canada productivity, giving Carney arguably the strongest mandate in years north of the border to shake up how the country builds port infrastructure and responds to breakdowns in labor-employer negotiations. Contact Mark Szakonyi at <a href="mailto:mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com">mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The new government of Prime Minster Mark Carney has created rare sentiment among Canadian shipping stakeholders about action out of Ottawa: overflowing optimism. Carney, an economist who headed both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, brings a hard-charging approach focused on galvanizing the county’s sagging productivity. He rode into office in March thanks to an electorate united in anger and frustration over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and insults over Canada’s sovereignty. The changed relationship with the US has also galvanized efforts to lessen Canada’s trade dependence on its neighbor. Carney’s pledge to streamline the regulatory bureaucracy that has made Canada an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development laggard in completing major infrastructure projects is good news for ports and railroads that have seen regulatory approval timelines stretch past a decade. The former Goldman Sachs executive is the best chance the shipping industry has seen in a decade to reduce the power of organized transportation labor to cripple national supply chains when contract negotiations break down, according to one person tied to port labor policy. More competitive tax policies — along with faster regulatory approvals and more guardrails to keep labor-employer negotiations constructive — will make Canada more attractive to investment, said Eric Harvey, president and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada. “We are at a rare moment of opportunity. Government and industry alike seem willing to have a serious conversation about what it takes to keep supply chains moving and competitive,” Harvey told the Journal of Commerce. Pushing big projects forward Carney’s Liberal Party on June 20 passed legislation giving the federal government power to fast-track projects deemed of national importance, streamlining the current approval process involving environmental regulators and indigenous parties. Enacting Bill C-5 will benefit projects such as the more than C$3 billion mega-terminal the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has sought for two decades, as well as Montreal’s C$1.57 million Contrecoeur terminal project Both projects will need more federal investment to lure marine terminal operators, with Vancouver needing well over C$1 billion from the federal government, according to two people familiar with the project. The port has yet to request proposals for an operator of the Robert Bank Terminal 2 but in July began its search for a construction company to plan and build the 2.4 million-TEU facility. The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) also plans to announce this year the concessionaire for the builder and operator of its planned terminal. The facility would be located about 43 miles downriver from the city along the St. Lawrence and have an annual capacity of 1.15 million TEUs. The MPA couldn’t attract a partner in its first attempt two years ago after the winning bidder balked. Since then, the Quebec provincial government and Canada’s infrastructure bank have kicked in C$130 million and $C300 million, respectively, potentially making the project more attractive to bidders. In awarding the money to the Contrecoeur terminal project in February, Quebec Premier François Legault stressed the need to “diversify our markets to reduce our dependence on the United States.” Given his corporate background, Carney is loath to look to public coffers for all the funding and instead will turn to large Canadian investors, according to one veteran railroad leader. Rethinking transport labor negotiations While Carney hasn’t publicly addressed organized transportation labor, port stakeholders see a new government ready to listen, have a conversation and then act, in stark contrast to his Liberal predecessor Justin Trudeau. The release of a report by the Labor Ministry in May offers some recommendations on how British Columbia ports can avoid labor unrest that has shaken their image as unexcitingly dependable. The report , undertaken after two years of labor disruptions to the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, strongly recommends that unions bargain with employers on a province-wide basis, rather than a port- or employer-specific basis. The report didn’t hold back in its criticism of the current model that “is far from healthy, and is marred by ongoing conflicts, misaligned priorities and a fiercely protectionist stance by the union.” The report’s recommendation of the creation of a “special mediator” to monitor contract negotiations should be adopted by other transportation industries including railroads, the authors argued in the report, released May 8. The last strike involving major railroads Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways lasted just 17 hours in August 2024 but disrupted cargo transport nonetheless, as both railroads began embargoing cargo a week prior. Because the current model doesn’t allow the federal government to be fully informed and there isn’t a formal process for dispute intervention, unions can challenge back-to-work orders by saying there are other, less drastic steps that can be taken to keep bargaining on track, according to the report. The report notes that the need for Canada’s ports to become more competitive has “only been amplified” by Trump’s then-tariff threats. Trump has already made it slightly less attractive for US importers to ship imports through Canadian ports. In his May executive order seeking to rebuild US shipbuilding, Trump closed the loophole of the Harbor Maintenance Tax, a 0.125% charge on US imports. The attacks by Trump have put a spotlight on years of weakened Canada productivity, giving Carney arguably the strongest mandate in years north of the border to shake up how the country builds port infrastructure and responds to breakdowns in labor-employer negotiations. Contact Mark Szakonyi at mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com .

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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

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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>

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