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Internal and external forces in the first half of 2025 mitigated container vessel overcapacity, but steep challenges lie ahead, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Iran has yet to make good on its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, but nervous carriers are preparing contingency plans as the region moves onto a war footing.

From his hometown hub of Memphis, Fred Smith built FedEx from a $4 million inheritance to an $88 billion behemoth.

With little relief forthcoming, cargo owners need to build delays into their shipping plans as port and ship capacity remain tight, speakers at the Agriculture Transportation Coalition’s annual meeting said.

But sources do not think carriers will have an opportunity to net full recovery of the proposed amounts in the current market environment unless strategic capacity cuts occur.

Consultancy MDS Transmodal said the two companies will have just under half of the almost 176,700 TEUs in feeder ship capacity deployed in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Strong demand for much of the year has kept North European ports under pressure, slowing attempts to ease the bottlenecks.

A more than 30% one-week drop in rates from Asia to the US West Coast is showing that the import rush sparked by the temporary pause in higher US tariffs will apparently be short-lived.

OTR Solutions had alleged in a lawsuit that load board provider DAT violated a non-compete agreement by acquiring a rival factoring company.

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.

The inability to predict the next move on tariffs is unsettling for cargo owners and their service providers, the CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management tells the Journal of Commerce.

Outpost is broadening its business from truck parking to a national shared-terminal network that offers multiple carriers access to “full-service” facilities.

The shutdown, due to begin Tuesday evening, will disrupt a broad range of businesses that use DHL, from apparel brands such as Lululemon to industrial companies including Siemens Canada.

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.

Researcher Armstrong & Associates says in an annual report it expects global 3PL revenue to hit $1.25 trillion this year as shippers try to build more flexible supply chains and mitigate risks.

A wide-ranging report commissioned by Canada’s Labor Ministry says British Columbia’s ports are vulnerable to strikes in part because of disparate longshore unions involved in contract talks.

It is reasonable to assume the larger container carriers are now going to earn above historical returns, but they will not be immune from significant dips when supply significantly exceeds demand, writes Jeremy Masters.

While just 2% to 3% of global container traffic transits the key chokepoint, any restrictions would further tie up global vessel capacity and cut off the ports of Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi.

The loss of An-124 heavy-lift air capacity will force a modal shift to ocean or a reduction in cargo sizes to fit into smaller craft, experts say.

OTR Capital argues DAT, the largest load board for truckload freight in North America, violated a non-compete clause when it acquired factoring company Outgo in May.

UP’s new protection program for high-value freight comes amid heightened concerns over cargo theft in the US and will cost users $100 per container.

Economies of scale are prompting shippers to superscale project cargoes, putting pressure on carriers and forwarders.

Forwarders moving cargo on monthly contracts have pegged average week-to-week gains at $200 to $300 per FEU for bookings from West India to Felixstowe/London Gateway or Rotterdam.

Sea-Intelligence said elevated freight rates are drawing small carriers to the eastbound trade lane, but the additional capacity should dwindle by mid-August.

Instead of rising in May as would typically be expected, US freight volumes dropped, and that is having an impact on pricing, freight indicators reveal.

Rising Asian vehicle exports have surpassed falling volumes from the west, forcing trade reshuffling and a rise in ballast trips.

Truckload carriers told the Wells Fargo industrial conference their market is tightening slowly, but enforcement of cabotage and language rules may speed the process.

While some markets grapple with the lingering effects of trade disputes and fluctuating demand, others are experiencing unprecedented growth driven by green initiatives, robust domestic infrastructure development and the necessities of defense.

The intermodal yard and attached warehouse park would be developed about 50 miles outside the city and are part of a $170 million investment plan unveiled by the railroad.

ACP Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales says developing the terminal would help ease the concerns of ocean carriers that the canal’s existing container terminals are concentrated among a handful of operators.

Liners have enjoyed the higher rates and profits that come from external market shocks, but it’s fair to wonder how sustainable that is, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Organic growth in the logistics business is hard to find with the global economy slowing and trade heavily disrupted by US tariffs, so forwarders have moved into acquisition mode.

A widening spread between the West and East coasts comes as carriers have added fresh capacity, especially to Southern California, to take advantage of what had been a sharp jump in demand and rates following the US pause on higher tariffs against China.

The railroad said the higher fees, which are temporary, are meant to keep terminals fluid amid the higher volume of imports expected to land in the US over the coming weeks.

A trio of bills would change US shipping law to reflect the current wariness surrounding China’s maritime industry and promote cargo preference for US fleets.

The lack of interoperability between a wide-ranging set of tracking hardware products presents an obstacle for customs authorities to overcome, a new report has found.

But all eyes are on the July 9 end to the 90-day pause on US tariffs that forwarders believe will determine the level of demand through the rest of the year.

Data shows the up and down movement of goods in recent months tied to changing US tariff policy.

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.

In a 10-page notice published Friday, the USTR said it was now proposing a fee of $14 per net ton on foreign-built vehicle carriers, including roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) vessels, arriving in US waters.