Hapag-Lloyd Scales up Biofuel Transport Services with Forwarder Partners
Hapag-Lloyd expanded its Ship Green second‑generation biofuel service, transporting 380,000 TEUs under the program last year. The carrier added three major freight forwarders—Kuehne + Nagel, DSV and Scan Global Logistics—to its book‑and‑claim emissions‑cutting product. The service now supports more than 750 customers worldwide, with over 1,500 customers having reduced CO₂e emissions since its launch. This growth follows DHL Global Forwarding’s three‑year framework agreement signed last year.
US Ports Outline Spending Goals in Push to Reshore Crane Making
U.S. ports and marine terminals will need more than 100 new ship‑to‑shore cranes through 2031, driving an estimated $6.7 billion spend on crane and container‑handling equipment over the next five years. The National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE) highlighted this need...
Ocean Carriers Face Growing Order Book Nearing 40% of In-Service Fleet
Ocean carriers are confronting a swelling order book that now represents about 12.3 million TEUs – roughly 37% of the current in‑service fleet, according to Sea‑web. The excess capacity weighed on freight rates in Q1, causing earnings to tumble for major...
Software Vendor Offers Proposal to Establish Detention, Demurrage Accountability
International logistics software vendor BuyCo has unveiled a proposal to standardize contract terms for container detention and demurrage. The framework outlines responsibility for 20 distinct scenarios that trigger storage fees, assigning blame to either shippers or carriers. By embedding these...
Guangzhou Begins Work on $2 Billion Fifth Development Phase at Nansha Port
Guangzhou has launched the $2 billion fifth development phase at Nansha port, its primary container gateway. The project adds four ultra‑large berths for vessels over 21,000 TEUs and 15 feeder berths, extending the quay by 2.4 miles. Once complete, Nansha’s annual capacity...
AD Ports to Expand Europe, Asia Footprints with MBS Logistics Takeover
AD Ports, the Abu Dhabi‑based port and logistics conglomerate, announced it will acquire Cologne‑based forwarder MBS Logistics Group. The purchase aims to deepen AD Ports’ market access across Central Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia, adding to its existing Noatum...
Port of Montreal’s Former Commercial Chief to Return as CEO
The Montreal Port Authority announced that Paul Bird will return as president and chief executive on June 8, 2026. Bird previously served as the authority’s commercial officer from 2020 until his departure earlier this year. He is being tapped to steer...
Western Canadian Ports Push IPI Advantage to Grow Q1 Imports From Asia
Western Canadian ports Vancouver and Prince Rupert leveraged their intermodal advantage to boost first‑quarter container imports from Asia, posting year‑over‑year gains of 9% and 7.8% respectively. The growth contrasts sharply with a decline in imports at comparable U.S. West Coast...
Charleston Port Looks to Develop Ro/Ro Operation at Ex-WestRock Site
The South Carolina Ports Authority approved a design study to transform a 210‑acre parcel at the North Charleston Terminal—formerly the WestRock paper mill—into a roll‑on/roll‑off (ro/ro) facility. The move repurposes land originally earmarked for container operations, aligning the port’s assets...
Shipping Decarbonization Will Work Best with Global Rules: MSC CEO
MSC’s chief executive argues that a single set of global regulations is essential for the shipping industry to meet its decarbonisation targets. He notes that fragmented national policies create compliance uncertainty and drive up costs for carriers. A coordinated framework...
Rising Container Dwells Hobble Vessel Flows at India’s Nhava Sheva, Mundra Ports
India’s major west‑coast ports Nhava Sheva and Mundra are experiencing severe drayage bottlenecks as a sudden shortage of truck drivers slows container movements. The labor crunch, driven by a wave of migrant workers returning home during the April‑June holiday period, has...
Softer Freight Rates Push Evergreen to 71% Decline in Q1 Net Profit
Evergreen Marine, Taiwan’s largest container line, reported a 71% plunge in first‑quarter net profit to $263 million, down from $897 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 25% to $2.7 billion as global freight rates softened. The carrier’s average revenue per TEU dropped 22%...
Eroding Connections Expose Canada’s Ports, Shippers: Central Bank
The Bank of Canada’s latest research warns that Canada’s five largest ports have lost roughly 30% of their global destination links since 2016, a steep decline in maritime connectivity. The erosion stems from a broader pivot away from U.S. trade...
Yang Ming to Develop Cargo Base to Offset Trade, Geopolitical Uncertainties
Yang Ming Marine Transport reported a steep Q1 earnings decline, with net profit dropping 81 % to $50 million and revenue falling 14 % to $1.2 billion. The carrier attributed the slump to heightened geopolitical risks and volatile trade policies. In response, it announced...
Maersk Joins Race to Target Burgeoning China-India Trade with Capacity Boost
Maersk is restarting its intra‑Asia FI2 service, which links key ports in China, Malaysia, India and Pakistan, after suspending it in late 2020. The service will launch in early June with six vessels ranging from 3,400 to 4,500 TEU, offering...
Surging Asia Vehicle Exports, High/Heavy Rebound Buoy Carrier Operators
Chinese vehicle exports surged 57% year‑over‑year to 2.2 million units in Q1 2026, with hybrid shipments jumping 112% to 514,000 units. The spike is tightening the vehicle‑carrier market, lifting freight rates as capacity lags behind demand. Simultaneously, high‑and‑heavy cargo volumes are...
Weak Consumer Confidence, Rising Inflation Dim Peak Season Hopes
The National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates warn that the U.S. peak shipping season could be muted in 2026 due to weak consumer confidence and rising inflation. The ongoing war with Iran, now in its third month, is identified as...
Disrupted Middle East-India Shipments Restart as Choked Supply Chains Ease
Container traffic between India and the Middle East is rebounding as alternative Gulf ports reopen after the war‑induced bottlenecks. Khor Fakkan and Fujairah in the UAE and Sohar in Oman have lifted import‑only restrictions, allowing vessels to resume full outbound freight...
Maersk Mulls Potential Red Sea Return as Hopes Rise over US-Iran Deal
Maersk is weighing a restart of its Red Sea‑Suez Canal services as diplomatic momentum builds around a potential US‑Iran nuclear agreement. The carrier halted Red Sea transits in February 2024 after Houthi attacks escalated, forcing vessels onto longer routes around...
FourKites Takes Aim at Automating Ocean Bookings for Shippers
FourKites has introduced Booking Connect for Ocean, a software solution that digitizes the entire ocean freight booking workflow. The platform automates request submission, carrier confirmation, and shipment creation, eliminating the traditional email‑and‑phone loops. By handling these steps internally, shippers can...
Growth in Energy-Linked Project Cargo Exacerbates US Rail Car Shortage
North American rail freight capacity is tightening as the fleet shrank by 24,149 cars—a 1% drop to 1.66 million units between 2019 and 2025. Simultaneously, demand for energy‑linked project cargo such as transformers and turbines has surged, stretching the limited rail...
VPA Veteran McCoy Tapped as CEO of Port of Virginia
Sarah McCoy, a 12‑year veteran of the Virginia Port Authority, has been appointed CEO of the Port of Virginia, the sixth‑largest U.S. container port by volume. She previously served as interim CEO and executive director since January, succeeding Stephen Edwards...
Tacoma ILWU Local Attempting to Block Husky Technology Effort
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s Tacoma Local 23 is filing a complaint to stop Husky Terminal from installing optical character recognition (OCR) technology on its gantry cranes. The union claims the system, which automatically reads container numbers as they are...
US Onshore Wind Halt Deals Latest Blow for Project Cargo
The Department of Defense has halted approvals for roughly 165 on‑shore wind projects in the United States, citing national‑security concerns. The pause affects a sector that supplies over 90% of global turbine orders, creating a ripple effect for heavy‑haul logistics...
Indian Westbound Rates Under Pressure Amid Demand Uncertainty, Overcapacity
Ocean freight rates from India to the United States and Europe have softened sharply in early May, as carriers grapple with lingering demand uncertainty and excess capacity. Spot bookings from West India to the U.S. East Coast fell $400‑$500 per...
Ongoing Hormuz Closure Could Expand Bunker Wait Times Globally: Analyst
The Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively closed since the Middle East war began on Feb. 28, prompting S&P Global analysts to warn that a month‑long shutdown could push two‑week bunker fuel lead times in Asia to a global two‑week norm. Asian...
Savannah to Fund Its Own Study on Readying Port for Big Ships
Georgia Ports Authority announced it will fund its own engineering study to deepen and widen Savannah Harbor, targeting accommodation of ultra‑large container ships exceeding 8,200 TEU. The current ship channel sits at a federally authorized depth of 49 feet, with the...
Resilience, Relationships Still Trump Technology in Project Cargo
Shippers at the Journal of Commerce Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2026 expressed optimism as the Americas, led by Venezuela and Guyana, emerge as new hubs for oil‑and‑gas project cargo. However, constraints in rail capacity and scarce specialized equipment are...
Structural Demand Shifts Pulverizing US Forest Exports
US forest product exports are entering a multiyear decline as demand shifts. Stagnant U.S. home sales, rising use of composite materials, and lingering trade‑policy uncertainty have reduced industrial production by 2.9% year‑over‑year in February 2026 and pushed capacity utilization down...
Hapag-Lloyd, MSC to Use Feeders to Restore Upper Persian Gulf Cargo Links
Ocean carriers Hapag‑Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Co. have announced the resumption of container services to the upper Persian Gulf using third‑party feeder vessels. The new routes incorporate land‑bridge options to avoid the still‑closed Strait of Hormuz, which has been inaccessible...
US Market Helps Drive Record Project Backlogs for Industrial Gas Suppliers
Industrial gas leaders Linde and Air Liquide reported record project backlogs, driven by strong demand in the United States. Linde posted a $10 billion backlog, with 71% of contracts in the Americas and 66% classified as clean‑energy, while Air Liquide’s backlog grew 23%...
War-Driven Energy Shock Makes Case for More Alternative Fuels
Bunker fuel prices have surged 70% since the Middle East conflict, with very low sulfur fuel oil climbing to over $930 per metric ton. The International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee concluded its latest session on a Net‑Zero Framework...
MSC, Tradepoint Begin Work on First Private US Terminal in Decades
Mediterranean Shipping Company’s terminal arm and real‑estate developer Tradepoint Atlantic broke ground on the Sparrows Point Container Terminal at the Port of Baltimore, marking the first privately built U.S. container terminal in four decades. The ceremony, attended by Maryland Governor...
Demise of ‘Pool of Pools’ Marks New Chassis Era in Southern California
TRAC Intermodal will withdraw from the Southern California “Pool of Pools” chassis cooperative on June 1, ending a system that has served the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports since 2015. The pool, which peaked at roughly 80,000 chassis, has already shrunk to...
Journal of Commerce Top 100 US Importers and Exporters in 2025
The 2026 Journal of Commerce Top 100 US Importers and Exporters list shows combined import volumes slipping 1.1% and export volumes falling 4.5% year‑over‑year. Despite this decline among the largest shippers, total US container imports rose 0.7% to a record 28.16 million TEUs,...
Gemini Capacity Cutbacks Make India-Med Market Hotter for Rival Carriers
Gemini Cooperation has withdrawn its high‑capacity ME11/IMX loop linking the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean, tightening supply in the India‑Mediterranean trade lane. Spot rates jumped $800‑$1,000 per FEU from late March through April before stabilising. In response, Gemini’s partners...
Cosco Doubles Down on Emerging Trades as Q1 Net Profit Plunges 49%
Cosco Shipping reported a 49% plunge in first‑quarter net profit, blaming heightened geopolitical risk and a slowdown in traditional trade lanes. The carrier highlighted conflicts in the Middle East as a key factor destabilizing global shipping. In response, Cosco is...
ONE Expects 11% Decline in FY26 Net Profit Due to War in Middle East
Ocean Network Express (ONE) reported FY25 net profit of $338 million on $16.6 billion revenue and warned that FY26 profit will fall 11% to $300 million. The decline is attributed to the ongoing war in the Middle East, which the carrier expects to...
NY-NJ’s Port Newark Terminal Takes First Steps in Next Big Expansion
The Port of New York and New Jersey’s third‑busiest terminal, Port Newark Container Terminal, unveiled $100 million in new container‑handling equipment, marking the first phase of a $1 billion expansion. The rollout includes a purpose‑built maintenance shop and the delivery of the first 15...
More Job Cuts in the Works for Q2 as DSV-Schenker Integration Continues: Lund
DSV announced that 7,000 employees have already been laid off as it integrates DB Schenker, with an additional 1,000 jobs expected to be cut in Q2. The integration, now complete in over 50 countries, is slated for full completion by year‑end....
Singapore’s PIL Bets on Volume Growth From Vessel Deliveries, New Services
Singapore’s Pacific International Lines (PIL) announced that it expects container volume growth this year, driven by the delivery of new vessels and the launch of additional services. The carrier will take delivery of at least two 13,064‑TEU ships in 2026,...
Appeals Court Rules Against Evergreen in Savannah Detention Fee Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., ruled that Evergreen Marine improperly levied three days of detention fees on a Savannah drayage provider when the port was closed for a holiday weekend. The decision resolves a six‑year dispute that...
Canadian Review of Labor Laws Linked to Hoped-For Longshore Peace, US Diversification
The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, announced a formal review of its World War II‑era labor relations law, the first such effort in decades. The review aims to curb seaport disruptions after a 13‑day work stoppage in 2023...
Tighter Bunker Supplies Raising Costs, but Not Impacting Service: Ocean Carriers
Ocean carriers said global bunker fuel supplies are tightening amid the war‑driven energy shock, creating congestion at key fuel hubs and prompting ships to bunker at alternative ports. Executives emphasized that while fuel costs have risen sharply, they have not...
Oilfield Services Majors Bank on Flood of Oil, Gas Projects Linked to Middle East War
Oilfield‑services giants Baker Hughes, Halliburton and SLB say a wave of new oil and gas projects is likely as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran tightens global energy demand. Their latest quarterly earnings highlight expectations for a surge in upstream contracts...
Revised Empty Box Fee at NY-NJ Misses Mark on Accountability: Analyst
The Port of New York and New Jersey will implement a revised empty‑container fee on May 1, 2026. The charge is intended to cover handling and storage costs, yet analysts say it fails to identify who ultimately bears the expense. A...
K+N Develops New Ocean Markets, Air Freight Measures to Offset War Impact
Kuehne + Nagel reported a 12% year‑over‑year drop in first‑quarter net profit, down to $316 million, as the Middle East war strained air‑freight operations. To counteract the disruption, the logistics giant is expanding prepaid ocean‑freight services in China and establishing aircraft‑refueling...
Customs Designation Triggers QSL Terminal Project in Quebec City
Canada’s customs agency granted the Port of Quebec preliminary authority to receive international marine containers, prompting terminal operator QSL to move ahead with a capacity expansion. Minister Joël Lightbound announced the designation of the Quebec City port on the St....
Landside Infrastructure Is Container Shipping’s Next Great Chokepoint
Container shipping faces a looming bottleneck on the landside, as stagnant port capacity and inadequate hinterland connections threaten to eclipse current maritime chokepoints like the Red Sea. Trade analysts warn that without significant upgrades, ports will struggle to handle the...
Breakbulk26: War-Related Financial, Schedule Shocks Ahead for Energy Projects
War‑related disruptions are delivering a sharp financial shock to the project cargo sector, with shippers facing rising costs and looming schedule delays. Fluence Energy’s logistics chief warned that the impact will intensify in the fall, prompting the company to pre‑order...