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Laura Robb

Laura Robb, Associate EditormailLinkedin

Laura Robb is an associate editor, covering container freight market fundamentals and related topics, including supply chain diversification, vessel supply and consumer demand. Before joining the Journal of Commerce in 2024, Laura covered container markets as a senior price reporter for two years at Platt’s, a sister company within S&P Global.

Read Laura's Latest Coverage

Penalties for pests found in project cargo packing add to shipper woes

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The wood packaging materials that are meant to protect project cargoes during their journey can be contaminated with pests, and that means importers face significant financial risks.
Supply chainTransport, Trade and Regulation News

Tariff uncertainty to keep lid on US import growth until spring: retailers

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The average monthly year-over-year decline in imports from October through February is almost 16%, according to the latest Global Port Tracker.
MaritimePort News

Key Brazilian exports to US falling sharply in early aftermath of 50% tariffs

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The Trump administration’s imposition of hefty tariffs on Brazil in August sent US bookings for coffee, sugar and orange juice plummeting in the first half of September.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesForwarding

Brazil’s Santos readies development of South America’s largest box terminal

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The terminal would cement the port’s status as the biggest gateway in South America, boosting its annual container capacity by almost 60% and allowing it to handle 20,000-TEUs ships, many of those from Asia.
Port NewsMaritimeMarine terminalsInternational ports

US tariffs to keep Panama Canal transits below capacity in 2026: ACP

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The waterway has the capacity to handle 36 daily transits, but ACP Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales told a media briefing the average is projected to land at only 33 next year.
MaritimePort NewsTrans-PacificPort infrastructureInternational portsContainer Shipping News

Gemini suspends seasonal trans-Pacific service

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific |
The suspension of the TP9/WC6 service from Xiamen and Busan is the latest effort by carriers to stem declining container spot rates and adjusting capacity to softening demand.
Trans-PacificMaritimeContainer linesContainer Shipping News

US retailers upgrade import forecast but still expect Q4 decline

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific |
US retailers increased September and October import volume expectations significantly, but it will not be enough to meet 2024 levels.
Container Shipping NewsForwardingTrans-PacificNorth American ports

Premier Alliance service halt latest sign of trans-Pacific demand downturn

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific |
Suspension of the Pacific South 5 service comes as container lines are announcing more blanked sailings from Asia to the US in an attempt to boost spot rates ahead of China’s Golden Week.
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeContainer linesForwardingTrans-Pacific

European ports face continued congestion; Asia gateways saw mixed results in Q2: analysis

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Global Port Congestion Analysis shows that half of Northern Europe’s ports reported year-over-year declines in port moves per hour in the second quarter, while Asian ports faced higher arrival process times and mixed efficiency results.
Port NewsMaritimePort infrastructureNorth American portsMarine terminalsLongshore labor

Retailers cut back on warehouse space as supply chain hurdles fuel 3PL growth

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Traditional retailers in the US are scaling back their space requirements, according to an annual report, as the volatility over tariffs trickles down to the industrial real estate market.
Supply chainIndustrial Real Estate News

Americold-CPKC venture expands US-Mexico reefer rail services

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Intermodal Rail |
The new 335,000-square-foot facility will reduce border delays and maximize cargo capacity for shippers moving temperature-controlled loads between the US and Mexico.
SurfaceRail NewsCool Cargo NewsNorth-American rail

US retailers project big year-over-year import declines to close out 2025

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Import volumes for September through December are expected to come in each month about 20% under the comparable 2024 levels, according to the latest Global Port Tracker, with tariff-linked frontloading one of the primary reasons.
North American portsContainer linesTrans-AtlanticTrans-PacificContainer Shipping News

FMC grants ‘controlled-carrier’ exemption to MPV operator Chipolbrok

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The Chinese-Polish carrier won the rate-linked relief after US regulators had expressed initial concerns this spring about the Chinese government’s supposed control over the company.
MaritimeBreakbulk News

New US sanctions on Iran cut SeaLead’s vessel fleet by one-third

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The sanctions list targets the shipping interests of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, a political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Container linesMaritimeContainer Shipping News

MSC to launch new USEC-Oceania weekly service in February

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Volumes from Oceania to the US East Coast have grown steadily during the past five years, with this June recording the most imports ever for a single month.
Trans-PacificMaritimeContainer Shipping News

Impending Brazil tariffs increase pressure on US pulp industry

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
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.
Supply chainTransport, Trade and Regulation News

Reefer fleet growth yet to show in availability of equipment

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Despite significant injections of reefer capacity in early 2025, US cold chain stakeholders say they continue to face equipment scarcity issues.
Cool Cargo NewsMaritimeTrans-PacificContainer Shipping News

US retailers upgrade import forecast after tariff deadline extended to Aug. 1

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
But the mini rush will be short-lived, with imports falling month to month between August and November, the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said in their latest Global Port Tracker.
Supply chainMaritimePort NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American portsContainer Shipping News

Container capacity from Asia to East Coast of South America loosens significantly

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Carriers are pulling back on their blanking campaigns on the Asia-ECSA lane in July after two months of blanking campaigns largely neutralized capacity additions to the lane.
Container Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificInternational ports

Crowley launches first service linking Central America to US Northeast Coast

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The carrier said vessels on the five-day transit to Philadelphia will carry food, apparel, industrial products and consumer goods.
Container linesMaritimeContainer Shipping News

Mexico-US ocean market expands amid growing nearshoring interest

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
A new service from Green Tide Logistics will connect Veracruz to Philadelphia in five to six days via truck and multi-purpose vessels capable of handling 1,200 to 1,700 TEUs.
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeContainer linesForwarding

Port Houston implementing reefer dwell fees to encourage container flow

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The fees come as dwell times for refrigerated containers in Houston exceed a week and reefer volumes topped 10,000 TEUs for the first time in three years.
North American portsMaritimeContainer Shipping News

Cargo bottlenecks persist at Mexico’s Manzanillo port one month after strike

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Despite ongoing efforts to clear out logjams triggered by the brief work stoppage, berth waiting times for vessels arriving at the country’s busiest port have risen to their highest this year.
North American portsMaritimePort NewsTrans-PacificMarine terminalsContainer Shipping News

Cosco/OOCL saw big gains in US imports from Asia in early 2025

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The China-based liners carried a combined 1.09 million TEUs in imports to the US through April, up 23% over the same period in 2024, according to Journal of Commerce rankings.
Container Shipping NewsMaritimePort NewsContainer linesForwardingTrans-PacificNorth American ports

Pause on tariffs prompts US retailers to upgrade summer import forecast

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Cargo landing at the country’s ports in July will be 20% higher than the forecast made just last month by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
MaritimeTransport, Trade and Regulation News

China-ECSA spot rates climb amid bullish market pressure

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Keith Wallis, Asia Special Correspondent |
The shift of some capacity to the Asia-US trade to meet surging demand there is contributing to tighter vessel space in the ECSA market, forwarders tell the Journal of Commerce.
Container linesMaritimePort NewsForwardingInternational portsContainer Shipping News

Disruption lingers at Mexico’s Manzanillo port weeks after brief strike

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
While terminal operators had hoped that problems stemming from the mid-May work stoppage would be mostly over, forwarders are still reporting cargo delays.
Port NewsMaritimeNorth American portsInternational portsContainer Shipping News

Port Houston secures $131 million in federal funds for ship channel work

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
A portion of the money will be used for Project 11, which will ultimately allow an additional 1,400 vessels of all types to call the port each year by deepening portions of the channel to accommodate larger ships. 
Port NewsMaritimeNorth American portsBreakbulk NewsContainer Shipping News

Stakeholders look to advance possible Houston-area dredging project

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The Cedar Port industrial park and barge port says the construction of a new ship channel could pave the way for potential development of a container terminal at the site.
Port NewsNorth American portsContainer Shipping News

USWC recovered import market share last year amid East, Gulf coast labor woes

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The Port of Los Angeles took the top spot for containerized imports in 2024 and edged out Houston and Savannah as the busiest gateway for exports.
Port NewsMaritimeTrans-AtlanticTrans-PacificNorth American portsContainer Shipping News

Trans-Pacific carriers announce massive June rate hikes

Laura Robb, Associate Editor and Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific |
Container lines are looking to capitalize on a ramp-up in Asia-US bookings during the 90-day tariff reduction that followed Monday’s deal between the Trump administration and China.
Container linesMaritimeForwardingTrans-PacificContainer Shipping News

Eastbound trans-Pac spot rates in revival mode in wake of US-China trade deal

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Rates are climbing quickly amid fresh Chinese volumes headed to the US, with an expected crunch in vessel capacity and the potential for port congestion driving the gains. 
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeContainer linesForwardingTrans-PacificSupply chainNorth American ports

DP World plans $760 million investment in the Dominican Republic

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The investment will increase the Port of Caucedo’s capacity by 24% while expanding an adjacent Free Trade Zone, the terminal operator said.
International portsMaritimePort NewsSupply chainPort infrastructure

US retailers project first year-over-year import cut in 19 months as tariffs bite

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The National Retail Federation also warned the negative growth will accelerate, with imports through the summer expected to be at least 20% lower than the corresponding month last year. 
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeContainer linesTrans-AtlanticForwardingTrans-Pacific

Datacenter growth poses manufacturing hurdle, project carrier opportunity

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
The main heavy-lift components needed for datacenters are cooling infrastructure such as large-scale air conditioners and backup power infrastructure such as batteries, diesel generators and transformers.
Project cargoMaritimeHeavy-haul transportSupply chainBreakbulk News

Port-focused US logistics provider takes majority stake in Mexican forwarder

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
PSA BDP acquired a majority stake in Mexico-based forwarder ED International, expanding PSA’s cross-border forwarding network.
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeForwardingPort infrastructureNorth American portsMarine terminals

US importers turning to foreign trade zones amid tariff hikes

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Interest in FTZs, where shippers can store goods while deferring the payment of duties, has increased dramatically since President Donald Trump implemented tariffs in April.
Supply chainMaritimeTransport, Trade and Regulation NewsAir CargoTrans-PacificNorth American portsContainer Shipping News

Cold chain warehouse major Lineage to invest $1 billion in Tyson storage deal

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Lineage will acquire four existing warehouses in the US from Tyson and develop two other next-generation facilities where the food conglomerate will be the anchor tenant.
Cool Cargo NewsLast Mile NewsSurfaceContainer Shipping News

Trans-Pacific capacity cuts accelerating amid sharp reduction in Chinese cargo

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
With far fewer US-bound goods leaving Chinese docks, carriers have accelerated the raft of blank sailings and service suspensions that began earlier this month, sources tell the Journal of Commerce.
Container Shipping NewsMaritimeContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American ports

US importers turn to Canadian bonded storage to delay payment of tariffs

Laura Robb, Associate Editor |
Amid the US-China trade dispute, inquiries for bonded storage north of the border have increased four-fold this month, according to one Canada-based third-party logistics provider.
Supply chainTransport, Trade and Regulation News
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