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Alliance carriers winning back Transpacific market share
The market share of carriers outside of the main alliances on the transpacific is falling back after rising in recent years, according to one analysis. Gary Howard | Nov 04, 2022 Sea-Intelligence noted in a recent analysis that non-alliance carriers accounted for...
In Latin America, Resistance to Deep-Sea Mining is Growing
PUBLISHED NOV 6, 2022 6:47 PM BY CHINA DIALOGUE OCEAN [By Jack Lo Lau] Almost a year ago, Sandor Mulsow told China Dialogue Ocean that the body charged with both protecting the international seabed and developing rules to govern its exploitation,...
US Fines Shipping Company for Caribbean Air Pollution Violations
PUBLISHED NOV 4, 2022 2:43 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The United States concluded a multi-year investigation and prosecution of shipping companies operating in the Caribbean with the sentencing of New York-based Ionian Management for violations dating back to...
China – LA container spot rates slump to pre-pandemic peak season levels
Container spot freight rates between China and Los Angeles have dropped to pre-pandemic peak season levels, but the rate of decline is seen as slowing. Marcus Hand | Oct 26, 2022 Shifl’s forwarder drive container spot freight index Shifex for forty-foot boxes from...
Should We Alter the Ocean to Fight Climate Change?
Phytoplankton can grow explosively over a few days or weeks. Ocean fertilization is designed to supercharge that process to capture carbon dioxide, but it can have harmful affects for other marine life. Robert Simmon and Jesse Allen/NOAA/MODIS PUBLISHED OCT 30,...
World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Tug Arrives in Belgium for Final Tests
Hydrotug 1 is completing outfitting and trials before deployment in 2023 (Port of Ostend) PUBLISHED OCT 28, 2022 7:28 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The world’s first hydrogen-powered tugboat arrived in Belgium on October 27 after completing construction in Spain....
Liverpool port pay talks ‘end in chaos’
Workers at the Port of Liverpool’s container operation have begun another two-week strike after pay discussions broke down. Gary Howard | Oct 24, 2022 Peel Ports, owner of Port of Liverpool, claimed that Unite the union had rejected an 11% pay offer, the highest...
Drop in US inbound container volumes accelerates
September inbound container volumes across the top 10 US box ports dropped by their fastest level in 27 months. Gary Howard | Oct 20, 2022 According to the latest McCown report, inbound volumes dropped by 5.5% in September, a level not seen since the early stages of...
Government of India Approves Construction of Two New Terminals Worth $720 MN at Kandla
The Government of India has approved the construction of two new terminals in Deendayal Port, Kandla. One of the terminals is a multipurpose berth and the other is a container terminal. The two terminals will equip Deendayal port for handling Next...
Ukraine’s Grain Ship Backlog Exceeds 150 Vessels
PUBLISHED OCT 24, 2022 5:02 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The UN Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) for the Black Sea Grain Initiative says that the vessel backlog that affected the program is back, and more challenging than ever. Though the program is operating...
Lines stick to blanking strategy as spot rates continue to slide
Carriers continue their attempts at managing service capacity to support freight rates as volumes fall and congestion eases. Gary Howard | Oct 14, 2022 Drewry noted 64 cancelled sailings across the transpacific, transatlantic and Asia-North Europe & Med trades for...
Port of Rotterdam and Cespa Sign MoU for a Green Hydrogen Corridor
Posted in Ports by Raghib Raza on Oct 13, 2022 at 04:57. The Port of Rotterdam and Spanish oil group Cespa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the first green hydrogen corridor between Southern and Northern Europe. The trade lane is expected...
Third Strike Set for Liverpool as UK Ports Labor Disputes Continue
The second strike at Liverpool is still running while a third strike was scheduled to start October 24 (Unite) PUBLISHED OCT 14, 2022 4:15 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The labor disputes at two of the UK’s largest ports show no signs of progress as fears continue...
Container shipping set for ‘short, sharp, hard landing’
The container sector is heading for a short, sharp, hard landing as the supply chain normalises and large amounts of new tonnage hits the water, Maritime Strategies International’s (MSI) Adam Kent says in our latest podcast episode. Marcus Hand | Oct 06, 2022 From...
‘Potential feeder containership shortage’ in Mediterranean
The higher average age of the Mediterranean feeder fleet could lead to a shortage when new environmental regulations come into force, according to Maritime Strategies International. Gary Howard | Oct 10, 2022 MSI said that newbuilding contracting by owners who operate...
Port of Long Beach Joins Partnership to Develop a Hydrogen Market in California
Posted in Ports by Raghib Raza on Oct 10, 2022 at 05:44. The port of Long Beach joined the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES). ARCHES is a public-private partnership formed to procure newly available funding from a federal US...
Crimean Bridge explosion, collapse. Warning to shipping.
Crimean Bridge across Kerch Strait suffered explosion and fire early in the morning Oct 8, two spans of motorway bridge collapsed and fell into water, railway bridge above motorway with cargo train including railway car tanks with fuel, is on fire. Details sketchy and...
Container spot freight rate decline bleeds into contracts
The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) took another plunge this week, its fifth consecutive week of decline. Gary Howard | Sep 30, 2022 The SCFI recorded 1922.95 on 30 September, down from 2072.04 on 23 September and well down on its all time high of 5,051 in...
If supply chain crunch is finally easing, why is inflation so high?
Fed supply chain pressure index headed in opposite direction of inflation Remember back in 2021 when inflation was “transitory” and surging consumer prices were blamed on the supply chain crisis? The Fed and macro investors became intensely interested in chaos at the...
How many containers will we lose this year?
As we once again make our way towards winter in the North Pacific, should we be bracing ourselves for another season of container losses or have we, as an industry, started to learn some lessons? Tom Bebbington, Maritime Innvoation | Sep 29, 2022 There are many...
Port of New York and New Jersey Becomes America’s Busiest Box Port
For at least one month, the East Coast's busiest container port became the busiest container port in the U.S. PUBLISHED SEP 25, 2022 9:05 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Last month, volumes at the Port of Los Angeles fell below both Port of Long Beach and the Port...
SIPG splashing out $7.3bn to develop new Yangshan container terminal
Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) has announced it is to invest up to RMB51.3bn ($7.3bn) in constructing container terminal and supporting projects at Xiaoyangshan. Katherine Si | Sep 23, 2022 The investment in the new area through its subsidiary Shanghai...
Container spot rates plunge 58% since January
Container spot rates have fallen by 10% for the fourth week running as increasingly looks like the sector could be in for a hard landing. Marcus Hand | Sep 23, 2022 he bell weather Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) has lost another 10.4% over the last week...
Lines seize Golden Week opportunity for blank sailings
Container capacities on the main trade routes out of China are set to plummet in the weeks following Golden Week as lines blank sailings to maintain rates. Gary Howard | Sep 22, 2022 China’s Golden Week of public holidays runs 1-7 October and comes at an odd time for...
Imports to Los Angeles, America’s largest port, plunged 17% in August
LA lost cargo to East, Gulf Coast ports — and Long Beach next door The Port of Los Angeles, the highest-volume container gateway in America, is diverging from the nationwide trend. U.S. container imports remain close to record highs, yet imports to LA are falling...
Putin Threatens to Pull Out of Ukrainian Grain Shipping Agreement
The UN-chartered bulker Ikaria Angel departed Odesa on Friday, bound for Africa (Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure) PUBLISHED SEP 18, 2022 8:00 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE About 3.7 million tonnes of grain have been shipped out of Ukraine via the Black Sea...
A Second Strike Coming at Felixstowe Port Over Pay Dispute
Posted in Ports by Raghib Raza on Sep 16, 2022 at 02:18. Workers of the Unite Union have scheduled a second strike at Felixstowe, the largest container port in the UK. This strike is the result of a pay dispute between the port operator and the Unite Union that...
New Singapore offshore wind vessel owner targets $1bn fleet
A new offshore wind vessel owning company in Singapore – Cyan Renewables – aims to own and operate a $1bn fleet within five years. Marcus Hand | Sep 19, 2022 Founded by Seraya Partners the energy transition investment platform Cyan is touted as the world's first pure...
Suez Canal to hike transit tolls in 2023
Tolls for vessels using the Suez Canal are set to rise by 15% next year with the exception of dry cargo and cruise ships which will increase by 10%. Marcus Hand | Sep 19, 2022 The transit toll increases from January 2023 were announced at the weekend by Adm....
Key spot container freight index rate falls 10% in a week
The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) plunged 10% week-on-week and is down nearly 19% over the last 14 days. Marcus Hand | Sep 09, 2022 The bell weather SCFI as of 9 September stands at 2,562.12 points down 285.5 points on the level published on 2 September,...
Empty Containers Will Overwhelm Ports in 2023 Warns Sea-Intelligence
Sea-Intelligence forecasts there will be 4.5 million excess containers at the start of 2023 PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2022 6:48 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Ports around the world have been complaining for nearly a year about the build-up of empty containers blaming the...
Retailers Lower Imports Forecast Citing Inflation and Interest Rates
Retailers now see monthly declines in imports for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 (Los Angeles file photo) PUBLISHED SEP 7, 2022 4:53 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The National Retail Federation is revising downward its forecast for retail imports during the...
SMM 2022
Shipping can no longer remain on the sidelines, says ICS The shipping industry must co-operate with other sectors to influence decisions that will fundamentally affect shipping, according to ICS. Gary Howard | Sep 07, 2022 In his keynote address at the opening of SMM...
Container spot rates continue their downward march
Spot rates on most major container trades have fallen significantly on-year, but a few routes bucked the overall trend. Gary Howard | Sep 02, 2022 Most recently, Drewry’s composite analysis of box spot rates on September 1 showed a 5% decrease for the week, the...
Environmental NGOs and shipping industry to share the stage at SMM
The shipping industry and environmental NGOs are set to share a stage at SMM next week to discuss the industry’s decarbonisation challenge and its record so far. Gary Howard | Sep 02, 2022 The NGO debate will be the closing session of gmec, the global maritime...
Singapore officially opens Tuas Port
Singapore officially opened Tuas Port on Thursday as the Republic moves to consolidate all its container terminals into a single location over the next 20 years. Marcus Hand | Sep 01, 2022 Two berths are currently operational in the first phase of Tuas Port which is...
Rystad: Russian Oil Exports Will Decline by the End of the Year
PUBLISHED AUG 26, 2022 9:45 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Consultancy Rystad Energy expects a drop-off ahead for Russian oil production and exports as the cutoff date for the planned EU oil embargo approaches. At the end of this year, the European Union will not...
Seafarers Get Time for Shore Leave During Felixstowe Strike
PUBLISHED AUG 26, 2022 9:23 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The strike at the Port of Felixstowe is creating challenges for UK importers and exporters, and it has also delayed several vessels within the port complex. For at least one crew, this meant an opportunity...
Ukrainian seamen are free to leave country and work abroad, by Government decree
Posted in General by Mikhail Voytenko on Aug 27, 2022 at 16:57. Ukrainian seamen are allowed to leave the country by a special governmental decree during Aug 27 government meeting, said Ukrainian premier Nickolay Shmygal. By this decree, effectively, Ukrainian sea...
Maersk to omit calls at strike hit Felixstowe port
Maersk is omitting three calls at the Port of Felixstowe, UK, next week due to strike action. Marcus Hand | Aug 19, 2022 The UK’s largest port is set to grind to a halt from 21 – 29 August as port workers go on strike over pay. The Danish shipping line said in a...
Falling Rates are Likely to Continue Due to Low Vessel Utilization
PUBLISHED AUG 18, 2022 4:53 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Container prices and spot shipping rates have fallen significantly year over year despite the fact the industry is entering what is traditionally peak season. While declines in demand versus the surge in...
Trans-Pacific rates still sinking. Trans-Atlantic rates still peaking
FBX: Asia-West Coast rates -70% year on year. Europe-East Coast rates +44% It’s a tale of two oceans: The price to ship containers of cargo eastbound from Asia to the U.S. across the Pacific continues to recede from record levels. In contrast, the price to ship...
DP World Sees Profits Soar With Rising Demand for Container Storage
PUBLISHED AUG 21, 2022 10:02 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE In the last few weeks, shipping and logistics companies have mesmerized the world with record first-half profits. DP World, one of the largest port operators worldwide, is the latest addition to the list....
Auckland ports commissions Sparky, first all-electric tug from Damen
Damen’s first all-electric harbour tug has been named Sparky and received her Maori name, Tiaki, on delivery to the Ports of Auckland last week. Paul Bartlett | Aug 12, 2022 The RSD-E Tug 2513 has a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and is capable of assisting the largest...
FMC Considers Invoking Emergency Powers to Alleviate Port Congestion
While West Coast congestion has declined it has increased in ports such as Savannah and Charleston (GPA file photo) PUBLISHED AUG 14, 2022 8:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The Federal Maritime Commission is considering invoking its newly granted emergency powers...
Lines Prepare for Felixstowe Strike After UK Port Labor Talks Stall
Unions are planning an 8-day strike for the port later this month (Felixstowe file photo) PUBLISHED AUG 14, 2022 3:40 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, is heading for a crippling 8-day strike after mediation talks with...
Container volume at major Chinese ports up 6.1% in mid-July
According to statistics released by China Ports and Harbors Association, container volume at eight major Chinese ports increased 6.1% year-on-year in mid-July Katherine Si | Aug 05, 2022 The rate of growth was fairly consistent with the 5.9% volumes increase seen in...
The impact on shipping of China military exercises off Taiwan
In further disruption to the supply chain vessels face being forced to divert from the Taiwan Strait as China launches large-scale, live firing military exercises in the key waterway. Marcus Hand | Aug 04, 2022 China began live firing exercises at 12 noon, local time,...
Bulk carrier with grain grounding at Napoli Port, Italy
Bulk carrier IRVINE BAY ran aground in Napoli Port area while approaching berth, on arrival from Santana Brazil with cargo of grain, at around 1200 UTC Aug 4. She was refloated with high tide at around 0230 UTC Aug 5 with tugs assistance, and berthed. No damages, no...
War effect on crude trade: Long-lasting and just beginning
Euronav and Teekay execs see post-invasion trade patterns sticking Is the shift in global crude flows due to the Ukraine-Russia war a fleeting event or the start of a new era? At first, many market watchers and investors viewed it as short-lived. It now seems like...
Local News
Malaysia’s Sales and Service Tax Increase: What Industries are Impacted?
The Malaysian government officially increased the sales and services tax (SST) rate from six percent to eight percent, effective from March 1, 2024, across several sectors such as finance and leisure. Finance Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Azizan stated that this was part...
Port Of Tanjung Pelepas Adds Five ULCV Quay Cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries
Port of Tanjung Pelepas SdnBhd (PTP), a joint venture between the MMC Group and APM Terminals, announced today a recent signing of an agreement with Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC) for the purchase of five (5) Ultra Large Container Vessel (ULCV) Quay...
Global Trade Compliance: How to Play by the RulesGlobal air cargo demand increases 11.9% to 19.7bil CTKs in Feb – IATA
KUALA LUMPUR: The global air cargo industry registered a total of 19.7 billion cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) in February 2024, representing an increase of 11.9 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The...
Kenanga raises Bintulu Port profit forecast for FY2025 on ‘stronger prospects’ for tariff hike
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 ― Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga IB) has raised its financial year 2025 (FY2025) net profit forecast for Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd by 14 per cent on “stronger prospects” of a hike in tariffs for the port. It also lifted the port operator’s...
Transport minister: Govt drawing up strategy to enhance competitiveness of country’s ports
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The government has drawn up short and long-term strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of the country’s main ports, namely Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the strategy covers aspects of...
Service tax exemption for logistics sector, maintenance services
KUALA LUMPUR: The Finance Ministry has refined the scope of Service Tax to benefit the logistics sector and maintenance services, offering service tax exemptions for both. The ministry said the objective was to alleviate the direct impact on the rakyat’s living cost...
Logistics, a magic bullet for sustainable trade?
B ATTLES are won with tactics. Wars are won with logistics, Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk said. Indeed, improving performance of logistics helps organisations and economies further engage in local and international trade. This makes logistics a powerful...
MMAG banking on aviation arm to boost competitive edge in logistics industry.
KUALA LUMPUR: MMAG Holdings Bhd (MMAG) is banking on its aviation arm, MMAG Aviation Consortium Sdn Bhd (MAC), to unlock its next growth phase and play a key role in unleashing Malaysia’s potential as a regional air cargo hub. MMAG said this followed the...
Transport minister: Malaysia open to extending China-led rail project to Thai border
KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 ― Malaysia's government has said it would consider extending a US$10 billion (RM47.3 billion) China-led rail project to its border with Thailand to boost economic ties between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Part of China's Belt and Road...
Senator: Govt should balance assistance between B40, M40 groups
KUALA LUMPUR (March 20): The government has been urged to balance assistance between the B40 and M40 groups in helping them face the current economic challenges. Senator Datuk Lim Pay Hen said the action was necessary as the M40 group was the most affected by the...
Asia feels the pinch of growing ‘food chokepoints’
In recent years, global food security has suffered from overlapping crises caused by conflicts, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in severe food supply disruptions. These disruptions have been accentuated by several “food...
Foreign investments worth RM281.5b approved in 2022-2023 to create 98,725 jobs in Malaysia, says deputy minister
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — A total of 898 foreign investment projects valued at RM281.5 billion have been approved in the manufacturing and services sectors from 2022 to 2023, said Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong. He said the approved...
Call made on Malaysia, Japan govts to reject carbon capture, storage
MIRI (March 21): Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Friends of the Earth (FoE) Japan had called on the Malaysian and Japanese governments to reject Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). In a joint statement, they said this technology only delays real climate action and the...
New service tax increase is rational, says analyst
PETALING JAYA: On March 1, Malaysia’s service tax rose from 6% to 8%, sparking concerns about price increases during the 2024/2025 school term and Ramadan.The Madani government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, assured that essential items like food, beverages,...
Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone deal set for year-end signing
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: The Ministry of Economy of Malaysia announced that the joint agreement for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS–SEZ) is anticipated to be finalized by year-end. According to a report from Malaysia’s state media Bernama, the agreement...
Loke: Contractors need not curry favour with ministers under this govt, just required to get job done
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has vowed that contractors do not need to cultivate a relationship with Cabinet members to be awarded contracts. The DAP secretary-general said it is enough for those awarded contracts to carry out their...
Ports kick off 2024 on a good note
KUALA LUMPUR: The ports segment started the year on a positive note as the export volume index rose five per cent to 156.5 points in January 2024 from 148.5 points in January 2023, said AmInvestment Bank Bhd. In a note, the research house has maintained its overweight...
Expert says efforts to enhance Malaysia-China ties the right move
Business Expert says efforts to enhance Malaysia-China ties the right move Hayatun Razak 18-03- 2024 07:15 AM From left: Loh, Lim and Hairil Yahri. PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has set its sights rightly on furthering...
MoF sees need to enhance insurance protection among SMEs as risks rise
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) sees a pressing need for insurance protection among small and medium-sized enterprises due to the escalating climate change and other risks, said Secretary General of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican. He said that there...
Finance Ministry: Govt expected to generate RM3.45b additional revenue from service tax
KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — The government is expected to collect additional revenue amounting to RM3.45 billion from the expansion of the scope of service tax and the increase in the service tax from six per cent to eight per cent, according to the Finance Ministry. The...