Category Archives for Industry News

Strong US import forecast could reverse trans-Pac spot rate slip An import surge would further lift spot rates that remain elevated year-over-year.  US retailers project that increased consumer spending will drive stronger US import growth for at least the next six months, potentially providing carriers the ability to reverse the slow decline of trans-Pacific spot […]

Carriers find opening to serve smaller shippers Have container lines found a way to effectively serve small and midsize shippers, a market they’ve let drain away for decades? The story of containerization has been one of carriers gradually backing away from directly serving this market, leaving it to forwarders while focusing on building direct relationships […]

Wan Hai bucks industry trend with 2016 profit Riding the strength of the intra-Asian trades, Wan Hai Lines bucked the industry trend of deep 16 losses, posting a TWD1.14 billion ($37.2  million) profit for the year, albeit a far smaller gain than in 2015. The Taiwanese carrier profit’s was down 71 percent from 2016. Lower […]

E-commerce offers carriers opening to serve smaller BCOs Maersk Group has embraced its forwarding unit Damco as a fully strategic component of its tightly integrated transportation business. Editorial credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com Could it be that container lines have found a way to effectively serve small and midsize shippers, a market they’ve let drain […]

MSC vessel blaze highlights mega-ship risks Authorities are planning to investigate the cause of a fire that broke out in the bow of a 13,800 twenty-foot equivalent units ship operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co. Tuesday, underlining the safety hazards of mega-ships. The MSC Daniela was heading from Singapore to Port Said, at the northern end […]

European exporters’ Asia capacity concerns hit new high Getting goods out of European ports has proved daunting in recent months. Tightening capacity on ships from Europe to Asia hit a new inflection point with exporters, with the European Shippers’ Council (ESC) calling an emergency meeting last week to determine why shipments have been stalled up […]

Project cargo prospects brighten in India Economic growth, infrastructure upgrades, energy-related projects, and efforts to weed out trade barriers and customs red tape are combining to make India a bright spot for breakbulk and heavy-lift shipments. “There is heavy demand for construction equipment. Sectors such as roads, airports, power, and seaports have become very attractive […]

Simplified carrier service contract rule takes effect May WASHINGTON — A new rule simplifying container line service contracts and non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) service arrangements will go into effect May 5, US maritime regulators announced Thursday. The US Federal Maritime Commission voted unanimously on March 6 to scrap a historic rule requiring container lines […]

Berard Transportation handles ‘anything big and heavy’ When Roy Berard Sr. was offered $50 to move a small house in South Louisiana, he was thrilled. It was 1945, and he was making less than $10 a week as a sugarcane farmer. That house-moving job launched Berard Transportation, a heavy-haul specialist in petrochemical construction modules, offshore […]

Scope of carrier alliance changes comes into view A complete restructuring of the container shipping business is about to begin.   New analysis of the vessel sharing agreements has revealed the scope of the changes that are going to hit the market from this weekend, while highlighting again the cut back in routes, port calls […]