Container Shipping News

Somali pirates released the Fairchem Bogey, a Marshall Islands-flag chemical tanker, and its all-Indian crew on Jan. 14 after five months of captivity, the Indian Shipping Ministry said.

Contship Italia is selling a 50 percent stake in the company that controls the troubled Gioia Tauro container transshipment terminal in southern Italy to an affiliate of Mediterranean Shipping.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared the first three shipments of imported orange juice tested for an illegal fungicide, but 28 shipments of juice and concentrate are still on hold pending test re

The port of Amsterdam boosted total cargo traffic by 3 percent in 2011 from a year ago but container volume plummeted 28 percent, as the Dutch port struggled to attract ocean carriers away from rivals

Container lines will struggle to maintain recent freight rates gains after the Chinese Lunar New Year because the industry hasn’t done enough to reduce excess capacity, said Janet Lewis, head of

India’s exports in December increased 6.7 percent to $25 billion year-over-year, putting the country on track to grow exports in fiscal 2012 by 22 percent compared to fiscal 2012.

Container throughput at the PSA International in 2011 grew 5.6 percent year-over-year, as the port terminal operator saw traffic expand 6.1 percent at its flagship operation in Singapore.

Retail sales will slow to 3.4 percent this year but will outpace consensus expectations for overall economic growth, according to a new National Retail Federation forecast.

The relative stability of the refrigerated transportation market has brought more participants into the sector, bringing not only competition on rates but also expanded service options.

With the politically liberal communities of San Francisco to the west and Berkeley to the east, Oakland has a reputation of being a hot spot for activism.

The Federal Maritime Commission has cautiously cleared the way for truckers, shippers and others to participate in co-op equipment pools of Consolidated Chassis Management, a company controlled by 20

When Maersk Line decided to end the practice of providing free chassis to its container customers, other carriers were expected to fall quickly in line.

U.S. beef and pork producers had a banner year in 2011, setting annual sales value records for both commodities through October, with two full months to go.

Container imports at the Port of Long Beach in December fell 3.2 percent year-over-year, bringing total outbound shipments for the year down 3.3 percent compared to 2010.

The U.S.

Shippers looking for improvement in Canada’s beleaguered trade and economy might need to wait another year, or even two, as the country struggles to find positive direction amid weak demand from

Canadian ports are coming off a modestly good year underscored by changing trade patterns, and expect better or similar results in 2012 despite global uncertainties.

When the Federal Maritime Commission last fall launched an inquiry into containerized cargo moving inland through Canadian and Mexican ports, the reaction in Canada was swift and fierce.

Multinational shippers will become more attracted to book shipping capacity collectively using centralized freight procurement systems when ocean rates begin to increase again, an Electrolux supply ch

Weiss Rohlig said the recent acquisition of Japan’s JHB Express will benefit the joint venture’s U.S. customers and tap growing intra-Asia trade.

Import volume through major U.S.

National strikes have shutdown Nigeria’s ports, forcing Maersk Line ships to wait until the protests over the cancellation of popular fuel subsidies wanes, according to

A year after President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law, the Food and Drug Administration says it is preparing to unveil a variety of new regulations.

U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration is freezing orange juice imports at U.S. ports while it tests shipments for the presence of the fungicide carbendazim.

Seaspan said its offer to buy back up to $169.5 million of its stock has been oversubscribed and that it w

Container shipping may face its “Deepwater Horizon moment” if a casualty involving a large vessel overwhelms the salvage industry’s ability to deal with removal of the containers and

Asian container shipments to Europe in November fell 5.8 percent from October and were down 5.3 percent year-over-year, as the

Average spot rates on the Asia-Europe trade lane increased this week for the fourth week in a row, as European importers rushed to secure vessel capacity before the week-long factory shutdown in Asia.

French ocean carrier CMA CGM imposed a general rate increase on westbound trade moving on its Epic service from India to North Europe and the Mediterranean, starting Feb. 1.

Horizon Lines, the largest U.S.-flag domestic ocean carrier, has converted $49.7 million of debt to equity under terms of a

Average trans-Pacific spot rates held firm after a one-week jump spurred by carriers’ rate increases at the beginning of the New Year

The Indian Shipping Ministry said international naval forces rescued 20 Indian sailors after pirates hijacked their Norwegian-flag bulk carrier off the coast of Nigeria Tuesday.

Costamare, the Greek shipping company that owns the wrecked Rena, reassured New Zealanders it will continue to fund the salvage operation as it moves into a more difficult, costly phase now that the c

Hamburg Sud will add a seventh container ship to its weekly service between the U.S. Gulf, Mexico and Central and South America.

Importers aren’t shifting U.S-bound containers through Canadian ports because they want to avoid paying the Harbor Maintenance Tax, according to the majority comments of made in a Federal Mariti

The Port of Seattle is stepping up pressure on the Federal Maritime Commission over U.S.-bound imports passing through Canada, calling on the agency to close "a loophole" in the Harbor Maint

Safmarine named a new CEO on Tuesday, Grant Daly, a 17-year veteran with the recently integrated multi-purpose vessel unit of Maersk Line.

Maersk Line Ltd. has placed under U.S.

Diana Containerships is buying two Panamax containerships under a purchase and leaseback agreement signed Tuesday with APL.