Category Archives for Industry News

Facing low demand and new rules, truckers pile into last-mile logistics CHICAGO — Frustrated by a slow-growth economy, low freight demand and tighter regulatory controls, trucking providers are looking for new opportunities, often in last-mile logistics. “Last-mile delivery is becoming the new logistics battleground, particularly in the consumer world,” consultant Adrian Gonzalez said at the […]

Japan invests beyond Southeast Asia FTZs to fully realize gains Japan is committed to funding integrated trade support solutions for Myanmar, including the development of efficient port and logistics infrastructure to eliminate bottlenecks to growth, according to Japan’s ambassador to Myanmar Tateshi Higuchi. Japan is funding a 2,400 hectare (5,930 acres) Special Economic Zone… Japan […]

Ready or not, here comes the new container weight rule There is a flurry of last-minute reports, instructions and frequently asked questions on the verified gross mass container weight regulations as the industry prepares for the new rule that will be imposed by maritime authorities across the globe on Friday, July 1.Most of the communications […]

China VGM wrangle sees cargo agents stuck between shippers and carrier​s Cargo agents in China, which handle a huge amount of containers exported from the country, are being caught between shippers unwilling to pay verified gross mass weighing charges and carriers that will not load boxes without the weight data beginning Friday, July 1.From tomorrow, […]

High US inventories could be the new normal The state of U.S. freight growth in 2016 and perhaps next year hangs on inventories that have been piling up for years at retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers and have proved difficult to draw down. Bloated inventories have depressed freight demand since 2014, contributing to overcapacity in trucking, […]

Brexit to have minimal impact on container shipping, Alphaliner says The U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union is expected to have “little direct impact” on the container shipping industry, according to Alphaliner. U.K. ports’ share of global container traffic shrank to 1.2 percent in 2013 from 3 percent in 2000, though they staged a […]

Gap in Japan warehousing exposed by rising e-commerce demand Fast-growing e-commerce has quickly exposed a lack of modern warehousing in Japan, a scarcity that developers and logistics services providers are investing heavily to fill.DHL Express recently unveiled a new $74 million 215,278 square foot warehouse at Shin-Kiba in Tokyo that more than doubles its space […]

India temporarily eases SOLAS guidelines Heeding requests from stakeholders and in line with a “practical and pragmatic” approach advocated by the International Maritime Organization for the enforcement of the new SOLAS container weight rule that takes effect July 1, India’s Directorate General of Shipping has issued a supplementary decree allowing shippers more time to comply… […]

Shipper group says forwarder VGM fees are unjustified The verified gross mass processing fee being imposed by freight forwarders has come under fire from the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, which has called on its members to reject what it regards as an unjustified charge.With just days to go before the July 1 implementation of the […]

SOLAS approach favorable to US exporters coming together WASHINGTON — With just days before the SOLAS container weight rule takes effect, ports, marine terminals and container lines are coming closer to creating a system that will use pre-existing weighing processes to alleviate the burden on U.S. exporters. U.S. maritime regulators on Friday gave the go-ahead […]