Maritime News
The Journal of Commerce is the industry’s source for maritime news and analysis about ocean container shipping, logistics, supply chains, global shipping ports, shipping technology solutions and end-to-end connectivity. Coverage tracks the movement of containerized cargo — from origin to destination — handled by marine terminals in the US and abroad, depots, container ports, container lines, drayage, consignees and shippers, forwarders, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and off-dock warehousing providers, as well as pricing, capacity, volume and reliability on the trans-Pacific, Asia-Europe, North America-Caribbean, Central and South American and intra-Asia trades.
Updated: 1 hour 59 min ago
Ocean carriers curb trans-Pacific blank sailings while boosting capacity
Container lines are increasing capacity to a 17-month high in May and have pulled back on their blank sailings to adjust to longer transits due to Red Sea disruptions.
Ro/ro shipping adjusts to Baltimore port disruption
With the busiest roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) port in the US closed to ship traffic, automobile manufacturers and ro/ro carriers are shifting to alternative ports.
East Coast ports expand hours to handle Baltimore diversions
Nearby gateways are preparing to handle the diversion of vessels and freight that would have landed at Baltimore at least through May following the port’s indefinite closure.
Flatbed spot rates from Baltimore rising after port closure
The cost of moving flatbed loads from Baltimore to warehouses in western Maryland jumped more than $100 per load compared with February’s average cost, according to data from DAT Freight & Analytics.
Chassis providers say they’re ready for Baltimore port diversions
Given the ample supply of marine chassis available in the US, chassis providers are confident they can handle any re-routed cargo from the closed Port of Baltimore to other East Coast ports in the short term without issue.
Baltimore port closure presents unexpected challenges for mid-Atlantic trucking
US importers accustomed to shipping through Baltimore are facing the prospect of higher drayage and warehousing costs as they look for drivers, chassis and space at alternate ports.
Carrier competition to intensify with EU anti-trust, alliance changes: Cosco
While China’s shipping and ports behemoth was cautious about the outlook for 2024, it said inventory restocking in Europe and the US would drive an increase in demand for container shipping.
THE Alliance 2025 trans-Pac network touts ‘minimal’ impact of Hapag departure
ONE and Yang Ming say the partnership will maintain most of its existing services into next year as it readies for a direct-call model and “speed buffers” to boost schedule reliability.
OSRA 2.0 bill targets China, leaves shipping antitrust exemption untouched
Recently passed House legislation amending landmark shipping reform takes a hard tact to China’s maritime influence on US ports but holds back on reigning in the limited antitrust exemption container lines use to participate in alliances, writes Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.
Ocean carriers trim some ETS surcharges for Q2 amid decline in carbon prices
Carriers have been unable to shake a perception among shippers that surcharges were being set above cost-recovery levels, with a report this week directly accusing carriers of “profiteering” from the ETS.
Northeast ports prepare for Baltimore-bound freight as shippers scramble
Some of the 18 container ships that were due to arrive at the now-closed Port of Baltimore over the next couple of weeks are now scheduled for new calls at New Jersey, Norfolk and Philadelphia.
Trucking squeezed, but not crushed, by Baltimore port closure
Freight diversions to more distant ports will raise trucking costs for US importers and shippers, but excess truckload capacity is expected to dilute the disruption.
Downward shift in India-Europe spot rates continues amid capacity glut
Still, forwarders generally believe that while prices have room to fall further, it's unlikely the market will return to the end-2023 pre-crisis pricing trendline so long as the uncertain security situation in the Red Sea persists.
Maersk integrator strategy under growing scrutiny amid DB Schenker interest
Maersk has been a lone exception to the truism that customer demands for neutrality inevitably lead carrier-owned forwarders to be structurally independent.
No timeline for Baltimore port reopening following bridge collapse
With the fifth-largest container port on the US East Coast now effectively isolated from waterborne traffic, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a container ship will, at least temporarily, reconfigure the region’s supply chain.
MPV carrier UAL braces for port asset takeover by Equatorial Guinea
Oil and gas supply chains are in jeopardy as the government of Equatorial Guinea announces that it plans to nationalize a major port asset owned by Netherlands-based UAL Group.
GPA allocates new funding for Ocean Terminal container expansion
The Georgia Ports Authority is expanding the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal to eventually grow its annual container capacity from 300,000 TEUs to 1.5 million TEUs.
Baltimore bridge collision involving Maersk-chartered ship shuts port
The closure of the fifth-busiest container port on the US East Coast could put pressure on container lines as they divert vessel calls.
Journal of Commerce Rankings: 3PLs struggle with post-pandemic sugar high
The top end of the global 3PL sector is populated by companies that see a down market as a chance to focus on higher-yield customers and those that see a chance to build market share.
Vancouver hit by new round of rail congestion amid early year import surge
The port is struggling to relieve excessive rail container dwells on its docks caused by an unexpected jump in imports and what some stakeholders say is an inadequate supply of railcars.