Monthly Archives for September 2017

Thailand targets infrastructure, manufacturing upgrades CHON BURI, Thailand Chon Buri — Although wild elephants still roam some nearby rain forests, the sweeping landscape of Thailand’s massive Hutchison Laem Chabang Terminal is dominated by state-of-the-art, rail-mounted gantries managed from a Hutchison port control tower on computer screens by well-trained technocrats.  Welcome to Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor, […]

China approves US-focused SF Express-UPS joint venture The packages SF Express staff load for the US are set to expand under a new joint venture with UPS. Credit: SF Express China’s Ministry of Commerce has approved the planned joint venture of courier giants UPS and SF Express that will initially focus on delivery services from […]

Importers warned closed Chinese factories may never reopen Factories across China are preparing to shut down to celebrate the country’s national holidays that begin on Oct. 1, but it may only bring a brief respite to the thousands of factories facing closure under Beijing’s anti-pollution drive.The widespread closure of polluting factories is being seen by […]

Russia largely unimpacted by China factory closures A Chinese environmental crackdown has imperiled the supply chains of some shippers. Massive factory closures in China from tighter state regulations have caused Russian imports from the country to plummet 15 to 17 percent, but Russian and Chinese shippers believe the situation will be short-lived. Russian imports from […]

FMC grants public hearing on detention-demurrage fee reform Shippers have long agitated for changes to the current practices governing detention and demurrage fees. WASHINGTON — US federal maritime regulators have agreed to hold a public hearing on whether demurrage and detention fees can be considered unreasonable and therefore void. It has been nine months since […]

US truck tonnage, shipper spending hit highs in August Trucking volume and costs are on the rise. A strong surge in truck freight demand in the United States redefined the dog days of August and set US shippers on a route toward tighter capacity and higher prices this fall. Truck volume as measured by the […]

Severe weather slows operations at JNPT Terminal operators have had to slow operations to maintain safety in adverse weather at JNPT. Heavy rains and winds since Tuesday afternoon have impacted operations at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), and with more rain in the forecast, longer disruptions to shipping should be expected at India’s largest public […]

Direct ChassisLink, GTNexus founder fund ClearMetal ClearMetal uses advanced technology to help predict when and where assets will be needed. ClearMetal, the San Francisco-based startup company seeking to put predictive logistics to work in the container shipping industry, has gained an additional $9 million in venture capital funds, some of it from chassis provider Direct […]

Cyber attack at TNT cost FedEx 0 million in recent quarter A cyber attack on TNT Express this summer cost FedEx $300 million in the quarter that ended Aug. 31, combining with higher costs to pull down the carrier’s adjusted net income 10.1 percent to $683 million. However, higher base rates across FedEx divisions helped […]

Production decline leads to fears of reefer box shortage The global fleet of refrigerated containers is not growing fast enough to keep up with demand. A shortfall in refrigerated container production has sparked fears that there could soon be a serious cold box shortage, speakers at JOC’s Container Trade Europe Conference in Hamburg said Tuesday. […]