<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">'MIXED CREWING' DESERVES REVIEWEarlier this week a journalist unfamiliar with maritime matte</div>

'MIXED CREWING' DESERVES REVIEWEarlier this week a journalist unfamiliar with maritime matte

<div>'MIXED CREWING'DESERVES REVIEWEarlier this week a journalist unfamiliar with maritime matters asked me why U.S. maritime policy consistently has failed to respond to the need to enhance the international competitiveness of U.S.-flag vessels.I suggested that one of the underlying reasons has been the unwillingness of entrenched interests to face up to economic reality. I also cited Talmage Simpkins' Aug. 6 letter to the editor ("FMC's Quartel Spoke Out of Turn") as the quintessential example of a "shoot the messenger" mentality.His letter was written in reply to a July 10 letter by Federal Maritime Commissioner Rob Quartel, who expressed support for...

'MIXED CREWING' DESERVES REVIEWEarlier this week a journalist unfamiliar with maritime matters asked me why U.S. maritime policy consistently has failed to respond to the need to enhance the international competitiveness of U.S.-flag vessels. I suggested that one of the underlying reasons has been the unwillingness of entrenched interests to face up to economic reality. I also cited Talmage Simpkins' Aug. 6 letter to the editor ("FMC's Quartel Spoke Out of Turn") as the quintessential example of a "shoot the messenger" mentality. His letter was written in reply to a July 10 letter by Federal Maritime Commissioner Rob Quartel, who expressed support for the suggestion in a July 3 column by Don Becker, the Journal's publisher, that the time was ripe for a public discussion of "mixed crewing" using some foreign seaman on U.S.-flag ships with respect to vessels no longer eligible for operating subsidies from the government. Mr. Quartel's letter cited some potential economic benefits that partial use of foreign seafarers could provide and encouraged a public airing of the matter. In contrast, Mr. Simpkins showed little or no interest in addressing the merits. He criticized Mr. Quartel for passing judgment on issues which, in Mr. Simpkins view, were "none of his business" and "of which he knows so little." He concluded by asking some rhetorical questions, including, "What does Mr. Quartel think is the magic in mixed crews?" and "How does mixed crewing contribute in any way whatsoever to the national interest?" It would have been much more constructive had Mr. Simpkins substituted some substantive arguments directed at the competitiveness issue in place of his rhetoric. He has, after all, been active in Washington for many years on behalf of the National Maritime Union (now part of Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 1) and also some months ago was elected vice president of a Cayman Islands union formed to represent foreign seaman on foreign-flag vessels. So he should be knowledgeable about the relative economics of both U.S. and foreign crews. On the other hand, in view of the NMC's downward spiral and the fact that the Cayman Island union recently closed its doors and became a footnote in maritime history, it may well be that he, more than most, could benefit from a public discussion of crewing issues related to international competitiveness. Philip J. Loree Chairman Federation of American Controlled Shipping New York, N.Y. SHIPPING CARS IS A DIFFICULT BUSINESS We read with interest your Aug. 15 article ("In the Land of Mercedes, Some Prefer Cadillac Convertibles," Page 1A) regarding automobile shipments to Europe, a business in which we are involved. We would like to point out that moving large numbers of automobiles does not necessarily mean large profits for freight forwarders. A competitor of ours, G. Heinrichs Internationale Spedition of Bremen, mentioned in your article as shipping cars with ocean carriers that are members of liner conferences, filed for bankruptcy in German court on July 31. An in-depth investigation would not only show the price-elastic thinking of auto buyers, which was noted in your article, but the price-elastic responses from steamship lines, consolidators and freight forwarders. Large numbers of automobiles are moved at a ridiculously small profit margin. With volume declining after five years of continuous growth, we now expect more companies to go out of business. Bernd Haase Manager - Forwarding Services A. Hardrodt (U.S.A) Inc. San Pedro, Calif. DON'T SHORTCHANGE ITALY'S PROGRESS I was very disturbed to ready your July 26 article, "High Technology, Italian Style" (Opinion, Page 4A). I do not intend to judge the writer's comments on the Italian postal and telecommunication systems, since I could almost share some of her views. But it always annoys me when foreign correspondents use a subject they are comfortable with to criticize a country as a whole. If Italy is indeed the world's sixth-largest industrial power - as the author points out - it means something must be working right in that country. There is so much most foreign correspondents have not discovered about Italy. If they knew more about the country, they would not spend their time writing about those negative aspects that might be common to other large industrial powers as well. Maurizio De Pellegrini Washington, D.C.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Current plans call for the development of a 600-meter quay and a 49-acre backup ecosystem able to handle 800,000 TEUs annually.</div>

Current plans call for the development of a 600-meter quay and a 49-acre backup ecosystem able to handle 800,000 TEUs annually.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Bangladeshi shippers long battling supply chain pressures due to creaky port infrastructure and operational inefficiencies could soon find some relief. APM Terminals has been selected to build and operate a $550 million container terminal — named the Laldia Container Terminal — at Chittagong Port, Bangladesh's main cargo gateway, on a 30-year concession, with a provision to extend it further based on performance metrics. Current plans call for the development of a 600-meter quay and a 49-acre backup ecosystem able to handle 800,000 TEUs annually. “This greenfield project enables us to play an active role in supporting the growth of the local manufacturers, exporters, importers and the broader Bangladeshi economy,” AP Moller-Maersk said in a statement. “We are strengthening our commitment to the country with an aim of creating a safe and efficient terminal as well as creating skilled jobs for the future prosperity of the region.” The terminal giant is expected to hold an undisclosed controlling stake in the terminal entity set up with local partner QNS Container Services. Targeted to be operational in 2030, APMT said the new terminal will progressively allow the port to handle ships of up to 6,000-TEU capacity compared with the current 2,800-TEU tonnage limit. Maersk commands about 30% of Bangladeshi containerized trade, aided by an expansive warehousing footprint that includes a 210,000-square-foot facility it opened in Chittagong in May 2023. “The Laldia Container Terminal will usher in a new chapter in our port ecosystem,” said S.M. Moniruzzaman, the Chittagong port chairman. “Through this project, the capacity and efficiency of Chittagong Port will increase significantly, which will make the country’s trade flows more dynamic.” <h3>Shift to landlord model in terminal operations </h3>The public-private-partnership is seemingly a progression of Chittagong's ongoing shift towards a landlord model of operations. While Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) recently inked a deal to modernize and operate the port’s Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) on a 22-year concession, negotiations are said to be in an advanced stage on a plan to hand over the operation of Chittagong's New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to DP World. Bangladesh's mainstay apparel export trade has had to deal with multiple supply chain challenges in recent years <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joc.com%2Farticle%2Fbangladeshs-supply-chains-grind-to-a-halt-amid-political-upheaval-5703092&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckevin.saville2%40spglobal.com%7C896b1f0b94b84a4faef808de25eec1da%7C8f3e36ea80394b4081a77dc0599e8645%7C1%7C0%7C638989904550731846%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nw%2F%2BjUIyxG7YsOJN%2BbH%2FYNI5zT0YrtlLNa7sLSgV03s%3D&amp;reserved=0">due to lingering political unrest and strained bilateral relations with India</a>, putting cross-border transshipment flows in disarray. A steep upward revision in service rates at Chittagong and across inland container depots following recent government tariff policy changes has added to those trade concerns. Chittagong handled 3.2 million TEUs in 2024, up 7.5% year over year, industry data shows. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com</a>. </div>

Bangladeshi shippers long battling supply chain pressures due to creaky port infrastructure and operational inefficiencies could soon find some relief. APM Terminals has been selected to build and operate a $550 million container terminal — named the Laldia Container Terminal — at Chittagong Port, Bangladesh's main cargo gateway, on a 30-year concession, with a provision to extend it further based on performance metrics. Current plans call for the development of a 600-meter quay and a 49-acre backup ecosystem able to handle 800,000 TEUs annually. “This greenfield project enables us to play an active role in supporting the growth of the local manufacturers, exporters, importers and the broader Bangladeshi economy,” AP Moller-Maersk said in a statement. “We are strengthening our commitment to the country with an aim of creating a safe and efficient terminal as well as creating skilled jobs for the future prosperity of the region.” The terminal giant is expected to hold an undisclosed controlling stake in the terminal entity set up with local partner QNS Container Services. Targeted to be operational in 2030, APMT said the new terminal will progressively allow the port to handle ships of up to 6,000-TEU capacity compared with the current 2,800-TEU tonnage limit. Maersk commands about 30% of Bangladeshi containerized trade, aided by an expansive warehousing footprint that includes a 210,000-square-foot facility it opened in Chittagong in May 2023. “The Laldia Container Terminal will usher in a new chapter in our port ecosystem,” said S.M. Moniruzzaman, the Chittagong port chairman. “Through this project, the capacity and efficiency of Chittagong Port will increase significantly, which will make the country’s trade flows more dynamic.” Shift to landlord model in terminal operations The public-private-partnership is seemingly a progression of Chittagong's ongoing shift towards a landlord model of operations. While Saudi Arabia-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) recently inked a deal to modernize and operate the port’s Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) on a 22-year concession, negotiations are said to be in an advanced stage on a plan to hand over the operation of Chittagong's New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to DP World. Bangladesh's mainstay apparel export trade has had to deal with multiple supply chain challenges in recent years due to lingering political unrest and strained bilateral relations with India , putting cross-border transshipment flows in disarray. A steep upward revision in service rates at Chittagong and across inland container depots following recent government tariff policy changes has added to those trade concerns. Chittagong handled 3.2 million TEUs in 2024, up 7.5% year over year, industry data shows. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Port News

Port infrastructure

Marine terminals

International ports

Maritime

APM Terminals to build Bangladesh's deepest container terminal at Chittagong

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Europe’s third-largest port offset a sharp drop in US trade with solid increases in imports from China, Malaysia and India, while seeing big gains in intra-Europe volumes. </div>

Europe’s third-largest port offset a sharp drop in US trade with solid increases in imports from China, Malaysia and India, while seeing big gains in intra-Europe volumes.

<div class="phx-topic">The Port of Hamburg Monday reported an 8.4% increase in container volume from January through September as booming Asian imports and intra-Europe shipments brushed off a sharp tariff-hit drop in trade with the US. Europe’s third-largest container port handled 6.3 million TEUs in the first nine months of 2025, with Asian trade rising 11% year over year and trade with Europe up 14%, according to a Port of Hamburg statement. In the same period, container traffic with the US was “affected by complications in trade,” the German hub said, reflected by volumes that declined 23.9% to 395,000 TEUs. “Throughput at the Port of Hamburg remains on a robust course after the third quarter of 2025,” the port said. “While US container transport continued to decline, the trade areas Asia and Europe continued their positive development.” Trade with China has risen steadily through the year; the nine-month volume of 1.8 million TEUs was up 7.9% year over year. Malaysia trade grew 89.8% to 273,000 TEUs, while trade with India was up 45.5% at 214,000 TEUs. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="55fd340f-6c0a-4a5d-8bf6-4edc81a3d6ca"></dynamic-object></div>The robust demand can be seen in data from Container Trades Statistics (CTS) that shows Asia-Europe volumes from January through September were up 9.8% year over year. In Hamburg’s intra-Europe trade from January through September, Denmark volumes increased 37.1% to 147,000 TEUs, Finland was up 26.5% at 195,000 TEUs and Poland volumes increased 18.9% to 276,000 TEUs. <h3>Slow growth at European rivals </h3>The strong performance of Hamburg contrasted with slower growth at its two larger European rivals, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges. Rotterdam reported <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/asia-europe-ocean-imports-drive-up-rotterdams-nine-month-volume-6105135">a 3% increase in nine-month volume to 10.7 million TEUs</a>, while Antwerp-Bruges saw its volume rise just 1.6% to 10.3 million TEUs in the period. After a solid first half-year, container throughput at Antwerp-Bruges declined 2.4% in the third quarter year over year, with the drop in throughput linked to the normalization of container shipping alliances, the Belgian port noted in a recent operational statement. The port’s market share in the Hamburg–Le Havre range dropped 0.7 percentage points to 29.8% in the first half of 2025, largely because of lack of terminal capacity. Other factors that affected container handling and operations were low container shipping schedule reliability and a series of strikes. Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the decline in market share was mostly a result of congestion in the first half that was driven by a range of factors. “Volumes were sufficient, but available terminal capacity was inadequate,” Vandermeiren said in the port statement. “Rearrangements within shipping alliances also had a temporary impact on the distribution of traffic between ports. We anticipate that our market share will recover as soon as additional capacity becomes available.” Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The Port of Hamburg Monday reported an 8.4% increase in container volume from January through September as booming Asian imports and intra-Europe shipments brushed off a sharp tariff-hit drop in trade with the US. Europe’s third-largest container port handled 6.3 million TEUs in the first nine months of 2025, with Asian trade rising 11% year over year and trade with Europe up 14%, according to a Port of Hamburg statement. In the same period, container traffic with the US was “affected by complications in trade,” the German hub said, reflected by volumes that declined 23.9% to 395,000 TEUs. “Throughput at the Port of Hamburg remains on a robust course after the third quarter of 2025,” the port said. “While US container transport continued to decline, the trade areas Asia and Europe continued their positive development.” Trade with China has risen steadily through the year; the nine-month volume of 1.8 million TEUs was up 7.9% year over year. Malaysia trade grew 89.8% to 273,000 TEUs, while trade with India was up 45.5% at 214,000 TEUs. The robust demand can be seen in data from Container Trades Statistics (CTS) that shows Asia-Europe volumes from January through September were up 9.8% year over year. In Hamburg’s intra-Europe trade from January through September, Denmark volumes increased 37.1% to 147,000 TEUs, Finland was up 26.5% at 195,000 TEUs and Poland volumes increased 18.9% to 276,000 TEUs. Slow growth at European rivals The strong performance of Hamburg contrasted with slower growth at its two larger European rivals, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges. Rotterdam reported a 3% increase in nine-month volume to 10.7 million TEUs , while Antwerp-Bruges saw its volume rise just 1.6% to 10.3 million TEUs in the period. After a solid first half-year, container throughput at Antwerp-Bruges declined 2.4% in the third quarter year over year, with the drop in throughput linked to the normalization of container shipping alliances, the Belgian port noted in a recent operational statement. The port’s market share in the Hamburg–Le Havre range dropped 0.7 percentage points to 29.8% in the first half of 2025, largely because of lack of terminal capacity. Other factors that affected container handling and operations were low container shipping schedule reliability and a series of strikes. Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the decline in market share was mostly a result of congestion in the first half that was driven by a range of factors. “Volumes were sufficient, but available terminal capacity was inadequate,” Vandermeiren said in the port statement. “Rearrangements within shipping alliances also had a temporary impact on the distribution of traffic between ports. We anticipate that our market share will recover as soon as additional capacity becomes available.” Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Trans-Atlantic

Asia-Europe

Container Shipping News

Robust Asia, Europe trade drives up Hamburg's container volumes

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The move comes less than two weeks after Democrats were overwhelmingly successful on Election Day, winning a number of key state and local races where affordability and the rising cost of every day products were key issues.</div>

The move comes less than two weeks after Democrats were overwhelmingly successful on Election Day, winning a number of key state and local races where affordability and the rising cost of every day products were key issues.

<div class="phx-topic">The Trump administration late Friday exempted a wide-ranging list of food and agriculture imports from previously imposed tariffs as concerns grow that US consumers are seeing grocery costs rise. The move came via an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that ends the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs first announced in a separate executive order in April. At the time, Trump said those tariffs were required to redress trade imbalances that threatened US national security. The broad exemptions, effective retroactively to Thursday (Nov. 13), cover common products like beef, coffee, bananas and dozens of other agricultural and food products. Trump said he has been advised by officials to ease tariffs on those products, particularly on products not produced in the US. The White House couched the significant rollbacks as an appropriate move in the aftermath of several trade deals with key partners. But the about-face comes less than two weeks after Democrats were overwhelmingly successful on Election Day, winning a number of key state and local races where affordability and the rising cost of every day products were key issues, with opponents of the Trump administration pinning the hikes on tariffs. Separately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier Friday that the administration had negotiated the framework for a deal with Switzerland that would reduce duties on imports from that country to 15%, down from the previous level of 39%. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com.</a></div>

The Trump administration late Friday exempted a wide-ranging list of food and agriculture imports from previously imposed tariffs as concerns grow that US consumers are seeing grocery costs rise. The move came via an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that ends the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs first announced in a separate executive order in April. At the time, Trump said those tariffs were required to redress trade imbalances that threatened US national security. The broad exemptions, effective retroactively to Thursday (Nov. 13), cover common products like beef, coffee, bananas and dozens of other agricultural and food products. Trump said he has been advised by officials to ease tariffs on those products, particularly on products not produced in the US. The White House couched the significant rollbacks as an appropriate move in the aftermath of several trade deals with key partners. But the about-face comes less than two weeks after Democrats were overwhelmingly successful on Election Day, winning a number of key state and local races where affordability and the rising cost of every day products were key issues, with opponents of the Trump administration pinning the hikes on tariffs. Separately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier Friday that the administration had negotiated the framework for a deal with Switzerland that would reduce duties on imports from that country to 15%, down from the previous level of 39%. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com.

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Supply chain

White House rolls back tariffs on broad list of food and ag imports

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">As contract tendering season on the European trades gets underway, carriers are stepping up capacity management efforts to elevate spot rates and better match supply with demand.</div>

As contract tendering season on the European trades gets underway, carriers are stepping up capacity management efforts to elevate spot rates and better match supply with demand.

<div class="phx-topic">The spot market from Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean is holding on to rate gains made through a series of carrier price increases that have been levied on the trade lanes every two weeks since the beginning of October. With tendering season for long-term rates on the European trades getting underway, the higher prices are being supported by significant capacity withdrawals in the form of blank sailings. “We have seen many times before that successfully implemented rate increases in Q4 have stuck around until year-end, but the impact it has had on contract negotiations is not uniform,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst at rate benchmarking platform Xeneta. He said the short-term market may favor carriers now, but in the coming contract talks there was a 50/50 chance that the long-term rates would also be elevated. “This time around, Xeneta doesn’t expect to see a very strong impact,” Sand added. “The global market conditions are quite simply too weak.” On Asia-North Europe, the four-week weekly capacity rolling average of 320,000 TEUs in the first half of September fell to 266,300 TEUs in the first week of November, a drop of 16.8%, Xeneta data shows. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="b07fd015-2b73-4e9d-a61e-e44aaa45715e"></dynamic-object></div>In October, carriers blanked sailings that removed 230,000 TEUs of capacity from the Asia-North Europe trade lane, about 23% of the total capacity, according to Xeneta. November blanks announced so far are already at 110,000 TEUs, with more canceled sailings expected. So far, the capacity management approach pushed by carriers is paying off. Rates increased for the fifth consecutive week as carriers implemented another freight-all-kinds (FAK) price hike this week. The Asia-North Europe spot rate is currently at $2,075 per FEU, up $775 since the beginning of October, while the Asia-Mediterranean rate of $2,550/FEU is up $950 compared with Oct. 1, according to Platts, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. <h3>Signs of rising demand </h3>There are also signs of a pickup in demand through the fourth quarter as shippers build inventories ahead of a late Chinese New Year that will fall in mid-February. “We are hearing that Gemini [Cooperation] is filling all its ships and a lot of space out of Asia is sold out already,” said Antonios Rigalos, managing partner of shipper network ShiftX, at the organization’s beneficial cargo owner (BCO) conference in Hamburg this week. James Huang, head of Unitrans Agency in Shanghai, said at the Hamburg event that the overall Asia-Europe market is “reasonably strong,” and he expected that situation to prevail ahead of Chinese New Year. “Rates will be under pressure because of the capacity coming into the market but carriers are canceling sailings to hold up rates,” Huang said. Reports of recent strong volume are not yet backed up by data for October. The latest volume numbers from Container Trades Statistics showed that demand on Asia-Europe from January through September was up 9.8% year over year. Still, even as carriers try to match supply with demand, they are also contending with continued fleet growth and steadily rising overcapacity. Jan Tiedemann, senior analyst at Alphaliner, said there have been three years of record ship deliveries that have seen net growth in the fleet of more than 2 million TEUs with scrapping virtually non-existent over the past five years. “Next year there will be a slowdown but then in 2027 and 2028 we will once again have record deliveries,” Tiedemann told the Hamburg BCO conference. “It’s going crazy again, and all these ships ordered this year will create a second [delivery] wave in 2028 and 2029.” The order book is currently above 10 million TEUs in capacity, which represents almost one-third of the in-service fleet, according to Alphaliner. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The spot market from Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean is holding on to rate gains made through a series of carrier price increases that have been levied on the trade lanes every two weeks since the beginning of October. With tendering season for long-term rates on the European trades getting underway, the higher prices are being supported by significant capacity withdrawals in the form of blank sailings. “We have seen many times before that successfully implemented rate increases in Q4 have stuck around until year-end, but the impact it has had on contract negotiations is not uniform,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst at rate benchmarking platform Xeneta. He said the short-term market may favor carriers now, but in the coming contract talks there was a 50/50 chance that the long-term rates would also be elevated. “This time around, Xeneta doesn’t expect to see a very strong impact,” Sand added. “The global market conditions are quite simply too weak.” On Asia-North Europe, the four-week weekly capacity rolling average of 320,000 TEUs in the first half of September fell to 266,300 TEUs in the first week of November, a drop of 16.8%, Xeneta data shows. In October, carriers blanked sailings that removed 230,000 TEUs of capacity from the Asia-North Europe trade lane, about 23% of the total capacity, according to Xeneta. November blanks announced so far are already at 110,000 TEUs, with more canceled sailings expected. So far, the capacity management approach pushed by carriers is paying off. Rates increased for the fifth consecutive week as carriers implemented another freight-all-kinds (FAK) price hike this week. The Asia-North Europe spot rate is currently at $2,075 per FEU, up $775 since the beginning of October, while the Asia-Mediterranean rate of $2,550/FEU is up $950 compared with Oct. 1, according to Platts, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Signs of rising demand There are also signs of a pickup in demand through the fourth quarter as shippers build inventories ahead of a late Chinese New Year that will fall in mid-February. “We are hearing that Gemini [Cooperation] is filling all its ships and a lot of space out of Asia is sold out already,” said Antonios Rigalos, managing partner of shipper network ShiftX, at the organization’s beneficial cargo owner (BCO) conference in Hamburg this week. James Huang, head of Unitrans Agency in Shanghai, said at the Hamburg event that the overall Asia-Europe market is “reasonably strong,” and he expected that situation to prevail ahead of Chinese New Year. “Rates will be under pressure because of the capacity coming into the market but carriers are canceling sailings to hold up rates,” Huang said. Reports of recent strong volume are not yet backed up by data for October. The latest volume numbers from Container Trades Statistics showed that demand on Asia-Europe from January through September was up 9.8% year over year. Still, even as carriers try to match supply with demand, they are also contending with continued fleet growth and steadily rising overcapacity. Jan Tiedemann, senior analyst at Alphaliner, said there have been three years of record ship deliveries that have seen net growth in the fleet of more than 2 million TEUs with scrapping virtually non-existent over the past five years. “Next year there will be a slowdown but then in 2027 and 2028 we will once again have record deliveries,” Tiedemann told the Hamburg BCO conference. “It’s going crazy again, and all these ships ordered this year will create a second [delivery] wave in 2028 and 2029.” The order book is currently above 10 million TEUs in capacity, which represents almost one-third of the in-service fleet, according to Alphaliner. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container lines

Capacity cuts support series of rate hikes on Asia-Europe ocean trade

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The comments from Joe Hinrichs follow a report that CSX’s board of directors was displeased that UP allegedly contacted Hinrichs first about a potential UP-CSX combination and only turned to Norfolk Southern after receiving a tepid response. </div>

The comments from Joe Hinrichs follow a report that CSX’s board of directors was displeased that UP allegedly contacted Hinrichs first about a potential UP-CSX combination and only turned to Norfolk Southern after receiving a tepid response.

<div class="phx-topic">Former CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs, who was ousted from the company in late September, has repudiated a published report claiming that Union Pacific Railroad (UP) reached out to him earlier this year on a possible acquisition before UP hooked up with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). Hinrichs’ remarks, which came in response <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ariashe_i-had-a-great-time-with-jim-vena-eric-gehringer-activity-7394791477358379008-F3Km/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAALKEPMBiWV_z6vaO3hg8YwYfGScgW-oeOI">to a LinkedIn post Thursday by a Journal of Commerce editor</a>, follow an Oct. 21 report in <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/10/21/2025/the-inside-story-of-csxs-ceo-shakeup">online news publication Semafor</a> stating that CSX’s board of directors was displeased that UP CEO Jim Vena allegedly contacted Hinrichs first about a potential UP-CSX combination and only turned to Norfolk Southern after receiving a tepid response from Hinrichs. But Hinrichs denied that version of events via a response to the LinkedIn post. “Jim Vena never reached out to me regarding UP-CSX,” Hinrichs wrote. “Jim and I discussed this very subject [why UP never talked to CSX] after the UP-NS announcement that they were in ‘advanced talks’ as I asked him why they did not. I will keep that conversation private.” CSX announced Hinrich’s dismissal on Sept. 28, just over a month after an activist investor called for him to step down amid competitive pressures brought on by the UP-NS deal, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/up-confirms-in-advanced-discussions-on-deal-with-norfolk-southern-6049046">which was unveiled in late July</a>. In an <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/100885/000119312525204376/d908896ds4.htm">S-4 filing</a> made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission two weeks prior to Hinrich’s dismissal, UP stated that Vena contacted Hinrichs only after UP was in advanced talks with Norfolk Southern. Hinrichs said the SEC filing accurately captures the chain of events. <h3>No clarity at UP media event </h3>The Journal of Commerce, during a UP-sponsored media event in Chicago on Wednesday, asked Vena to comment on the Semafor report and to clarify which CEO he approached first for a potential merger: Hinrichs at CSX or Norfolk Southern’s Mark George. Vena declined to provide specifics. “We looked at everybody. We looked at the Canadian railroads and we looked at the Eastern railroads,” Vena responded. “I wasn’t in the boardroom at CSX. I have no idea what happened there.” Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Former CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs, who was ousted from the company in late September, has repudiated a published report claiming that Union Pacific Railroad (UP) reached out to him earlier this year on a possible acquisition before UP hooked up with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). Hinrichs’ remarks, which came in response to a LinkedIn post Thursday by a Journal of Commerce editor , follow an Oct. 21 report in online news publication Semafor stating that CSX’s board of directors was displeased that UP CEO Jim Vena allegedly contacted Hinrichs first about a potential UP-CSX combination and only turned to Norfolk Southern after receiving a tepid response from Hinrichs. But Hinrichs denied that version of events via a response to the LinkedIn post. “Jim Vena never reached out to me regarding UP-CSX,” Hinrichs wrote. “Jim and I discussed this very subject [why UP never talked to CSX] after the UP-NS announcement that they were in ‘advanced talks’ as I asked him why they did not. I will keep that conversation private.” CSX announced Hinrich’s dismissal on Sept. 28, just over a month after an activist investor called for him to step down amid competitive pressures brought on by the UP-NS deal, which was unveiled in late July . In an S-4 filing made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission two weeks prior to Hinrich’s dismissal, UP stated that Vena contacted Hinrichs only after UP was in advanced talks with Norfolk Southern. Hinrichs said the SEC filing accurately captures the chain of events. No clarity at UP media event The Journal of Commerce, during a UP-sponsored media event in Chicago on Wednesday, asked Vena to comment on the Semafor report and to clarify which CEO he approached first for a potential merger: Hinrichs at CSX or Norfolk Southern’s Mark George. Vena declined to provide specifics. “We looked at everybody. We looked at the Canadian railroads and we looked at the Eastern railroads,” Vena responded. “I wasn’t in the boardroom at CSX. I have no idea what happened there.” Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@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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Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

In 1995, we began operations with a clear vision: to grow alongside Mexico and connect the world through our terminals. Our priority has always been to deliver excellence in service, foster economic development, and strengthen our communities. We firmly believe that progress is not only measured in tons of cargo moved, but in the opportunities we create. _______________________________________________________________ This year marks a significant milestone: SSA Marine Mexico celebrates 30 years of presence in the country, having established itself from day one as the leading port operator nationwide. Over the past three decades, we have built a legacy of reliability, innovation, and commitment to Mexico’s growth. Our journey has been defined by continuous evolution and a steadfast dedication to our mission. SSA Marine México currently operates in six of the country’s most important ports: Cozumel, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Progreso, Tuxpan, and Veracruz. Additionally, we have signed a concession to operate a new multipurpose terminal in Guaymas, Sonora, expanding our footprint to the north of the country. We serve a wide range of segments including containers, general cargo, automobiles, cruise ships, hydrocarbons, and asphalt. As part of this ongoing commitment, SSA Marine Mexico continues to strengthen its infrastructure and capabilities. International trade remains a key driver of global economic growth, and we are proud to support this momentum. Through our continuous improvement strategy, we invest in cutting-edge technology and equipment to deliver more efficient and competitive services, contributing to the success of Mexican businesses. •	Manzanillo, Colima- Specialized Container Terminal I: On October 13, we celebrated the arrival of two new STS (Ship To Shore) Super Post Panamax dockside cranes. This $21.2 million USD investment significantly boosts our operational capacity, streamlining cargo reception and delivery processes. In line with our modernization efforts, we will also retire four of our oldest cranes, paving the way for a more sustainable and technologically advanced fleet that meets the evolving demands of international trade. With these upgrades, SSA Marine México now operates a total of 16 cranes along our 1,350-meter dock, reaffirming our position as a national benchmark in port <span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-4_3 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-large" data-figure-size="large" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="4:3"><img src="/content-assets/1760982635607_Manzanillo.jpg" alt="Image provided by SSA Marine" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"> •	As for the Multipurpose Terminal and Specialized Facility, also in Manzanillo, Colima, improvement and conditioning works are planned, along with the acquisition of four E-RTG (Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry) cranes to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. •	At our Automobile and General Cargo Terminal in the port of Veracruz, we continue to lead with specialized value-added services that support our clients’ growth. Recent investments include a new washing cabin and a general cargo warehouse, increasing indoor storage capacity by 67%. •	Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan – Specialized Automobile Terminal: we are working on the development of an additional 4-hectare storage space within our bonded area and a 10-hectare Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC). These enhancements, along with ongoing personnel and system improvements, will reinforce our leadership in automotive handling across the Mexican Pacific coast.<span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-4_3 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-large" data-figure-size="large" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="4:3"><img src="/content-assets/1760982742240_Lazaro.jpg" alt="Image provided by SSA Marine" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"> Through these strategic investments, SSA Marine Mexico reaffirms its commitment to the sustained growth of Mexico’s foreign trade. By expanding capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and diversifying services, we continue to strengthen the country’s competitiveness in global logistics. Today, we celebrate three decades of dedication, innovation, and leadership, with deep gratitude to our employees, clients, and partners for being part of this incredible journey. LINK: https://www.ssamarine.mx/<span class="joc_admin__inline-image joc_admin__inline-image-aspect-ratio-16_9 joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-small" data-figure-size="small" data-figure-position="left" data-figure-aspect-ratio="16:9"><img src="/content-assets/1760982787360_SSA%20Marine%20Mexico%20logo%20150pxW.png" alt="" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit">

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SSA Marine Mexico: 30 years growing together.

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