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Long Beach container backlog crosses red line as delays mount
Long-dwelling containers in the Port of Long Beach now up 9% vs. Oct. 28 he number of container ships waiting off Los Angeles and Long Beach is well off its highs, but the pileup of import containers waiting on Southern California terminal yards is rapidly...
Offshore ship sunk by typhoon off Hong Kong, 27 people missing UPDATE
Jul 2 1500 UTC UPDATE: The ship is identified, it’s offshore construction ship FU JING 001. SAR is under way in extremely challenging weather conditions, 3 SAR ships in the area. So far, 3 people were rescued, 27 remain missing. Offshore construction ship, not yet...
New Maersk feeder servie cuts Asia – Italy transit times
Maersk has launched a new feeder service between Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal and Vado Gateway at the Port of Genoa, which will reduce transit times. Michele Labrut | Jul 01, 2022 The first 3,000-teu feeder of this new service will depart from SCCT...
US outbound container volume drops for 12th month straight
While inbound container volumes continued to rise in the US, export volumes fell for the twelfth straight month in May. Gary Howard | Jun 29, 2022 According to the McCown Report, East Coast and Gulf Coast imports helped inbound volumes rise 2.9% in May across the top...
Containers lost at sea increased 400% in 2020 – 2021
There was a four-fold increase in the number of containers lost overboard during the 2020 – 2021 compared to the previous two-year. Marcus Hand | Jun 22, 2022 According to figures from the World Shipping Council (WSC) 3,133 containers were lost overboard in the 2020 –...
Analysis: The next COVID-19 booster shots will likely be updated for Omicron
NEW YORK: COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people. Moderna, Pfizer and...
UN Ocean Conference is a Key Step to Restoring Ocean Health
PUBLISHED JUN 26, 2022 3:50 PM BY CHINA DIALOGUE OCEAN [By Peter Thomson] With every breath we take, we are connected to the ocean. The planet-defining blue covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, providing half of its oxygen, stabilising our...
US and Norway Launch Green Shipping Challenge to Build Decarbonization
The U.S. and Norway are challenging the shipping industry to develop decarbonization plans ahead of COP 27 PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2022 7:58 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Speaking with world leaders at the third virtual Major Economies Forum President Joe Biden...
Surge in Boxship Orders Could Create Capacity Surplus as Early as 2023
Many of the next generation of boxships will be dual-fuel, like this CMA CGM LNG-powered container ship (CSSC Hudong Zhonghua / CMA CGM) PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2022 7:47 PM BY BRIAN GICHERU KINYUA Although trade volumes are cooling, the appetite by major ocean...
Freight data wars on the horizon
When it comes to anything related to supply chains, uncertainty pervades. Barry Parker | Jun 15, 2022 An early June report from the Freightwaves platform, with the headline, "US import demand is dropping of a cliff”, received a great deal of traction, and caused...
Livestock carrier with 16,000 cattle capsized in Red sea
Posted in Accidents by Mikhail Voytenko on Jun 12, 2022 at 04:10. Livestock carrier AL BADRI 1 capsized and sank along pier at Suakin Port, Sudan, Red sea, in the evening Jun 11, while about to leave port. The ship with some 16,000 cattle on board is resting starboard...
Mission to Seafarers re-opens Singapore drop-in centre
The Mission to Seafarers has officially re-opened its drop-in centre at Jurong Port after a two-year closure due to Covid restrictions. Marcus Hand | Jun 10, 2022 “It’s great to be back!” declared the Mission to Seafarers Singapore (MtSS) Chairman, Capt. Rob Walker,...
Retailer inventories could drag US-China box rates lower
Falling demand and high retailer inventories could bring US-China container rates even lower, according to a supply chain analyst. Gary Howard | Jun 06, 2022 Shifl said that US retailers are sitting with excess inventory and in many cases still awaiting orders which...
Ports get ‘much needed respite’ as container-ship traffic jam eases
Ship queues down off Southern California, Virginia and Charleston It could be the relative calm before the peak-season, post-Shanghai-lockdown storm. Or it could be the final unwinding of COVID-era congestion as inflation takes hold. What happens next is still highly...
Shanghai’s Port is Nearing Normal Operations After Two-Month Lockdown
PUBLISHED JUN 6, 2022 2:34 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE As China continues to roll back restrictions on most parts of Shanghai, port operations appear to be approaching normal levels. It, however, remains to be seen how quickly throughput can be restored at the...
IMO Breaks Deadlock on Carbon Pricing for Shipping
PUBLISHED MAY 27, 2022 8:35 PM BY NJIRAINI MUCHIRA The push to decarbonize the commercial shipping industry has achieved a major breakthrough after countries reached a consensus on carbon pricing of shipping emissions, a development that comes after more than 10...
World-First Hydrogen-Powered Tugboat to Be Welcomed by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Posted in Ship Building and Technology by Raghib Raza on May 26, 2022 at 06:00. The world's first hydrogen powered tug, HYDROTUG, was launched from the Armón Shipyard in Navia, Spain, on May 16th. After the completion of the remaining construction and the passing...
Video: Barge Loses Containers on Route to Singapore
Tug lost control of the container barge during the tow to Singapore dropping at least 18 containers into the ocean (Indonesian SAR) PUBLISHED MAY 27, 2022 8:06 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE An Indonesia tugboat pulling a container barge encountered unexpectedly...
$60bn first quarter windfall for container sector
The container industry made a $59.3bn profit in the first quarter, the sixth consecutive record quarterly profit for the sector. Gary Howard | May 20, 2022 The McCown Container Results Observer noted that the result marked more than a threefold improvement over the...
LNG and the Road to Net Zero
PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2022 2:08 AM BY MARK VENABLES (Article originally published in Mar/Apr 2022 edition.) Driven by an ambitious IMO decarbonization strategy and calls from the European Parliament and European Commission to reduce global emissions from shipping,...
National Maritime Day: Why are We Still Asking if Women Belong at Sea?
PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2022 1:43 AM BY ALLY CEDENO Over the last year much has been written about female mariners and our role in the maritime industry; unfortunately, the tone and tenor of the coverage might unintentionally dampen the remarkable progress women are...
Container shipping rates: Still sky high but falling back to Earth
Asia-US container shipping indexes down around 20%-30% from peaks It’s still very expensive to ship containers full of goods across the oceans. Spot rates globally are still more than quadruple pre-pandemic levels. But rates are now materially lower than they were a...
Climate Change is Making Both Hurricanes and Hurricane Flooding Worse
PUBLISHED MAY 15, 2022 9:31 PM BY THE CONVERSATION Super cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in different parts of the world, are among the most destructive weather events on our planet. Although wind speeds within these storms can reach 145...
South Korea’s Shipbuilding Orderbook Reaches Six-Year High
Despite concerns that the global boom in shipbuilding orders is slowing, South Korean shipbuilders’ orderbook reached a six-year high in April 2022. Driven by the strength of the market in 2021 and brisk orders in the first four months of this year, the South Koreans...
The world is ‘crying out for diesel.’ Product tankers could win big
Product tanker owners Ardmore, INSW, Scorpio see scramble for diesel supplies Retail gasoline prices in the U.S. are up 45% year on year. Diesel used by American truckers is up 75% and just hit an all-time high. But this is not just an American problem. Pain at...
Major Chinese ports container volume falls 5.7% in mid-April
Container volume at eight major Chinese port declined by 5.7% year-on-year in mid-April affected by the recent Covid outbreaks in Yangtze River delta region. Katherine Si | May 06, 2022 Export container volumes dropped 4.1% while the domestic volumes declined...
Retail Imports Set New Monthly Record at U.S. Ports
PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2022 8:39 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Imports at the U.S.’s major container ports set a new record this spring and are expected to continue at near-record levels into the summer of 2022 as retailers bring in merchandise ahead of rising costs and...
Despite rising risks, shipping lines on track for another record year
Kuehne+Nagel reports 15% drop in Chinese exports but expects quick recovery The year is almost a third over, and with each passing month, shipping lines look increasingly likely to pocket even more cash in 2022 than in record-trouncing 2021. New data and...
China lockdowns are not causing shipping chaos, say liner CEOs
Maersk and Matson don’t see severe China lockdown fallout yet It was predicted that China lockdowns would cause container shipping havoc. Six weeks into Shanghai lockdowns, it still hasn’t happened. Two liner CEOs — Maersk’s Soren Skou and Matson’s Matt Cox —...
How COVID transformed trans-Pacific container shipping
COVID-driven cargo demand has dramatically altered the trans-Pacific shipping landscape. New data from Alphaliner highlights just how much the Asia-U.S. trade lane has changed over the past two years. There’s now far more container shipping capacity in the trade than...
Are We Facing the End of a Pandemic-Driven Shipping Boom?
File image courtesy CSCEC PUBLISHED APR 20, 2022 2:57 PM BY BRIAN GICHERU KINYUA For the past two years, it has been a roller coaster ride in the ocean freight business. After the early-pandemic slowdown in 2020, demand soared in 2021, resulting in massive...
FMC Completes Meetings with Ocean Carriers Regarding Export Services
FMC increases focus on ocean carriers as export volumes continue to fall (Seattle file photo) PUBLISHED APR 22, 2022 5:56 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE The imbalance between U.S. imports and exports and the repeated complaints from manufacturers and the...
Shanghai lockdown: Container line blank sailings remain ‘normal’
The continuing Shanghai lockdown against Covid has not translated, as yet, into a large number of blank sailings by container lines. Marcus Hand | Apr 22, 2022 Analysts Sea-Intelligence compared the number of blank sailings that resulted from the Covid outbreak...
Experts Warn of China’s Near-Monopoly on Freight Container Production, Threatening Global Supply Chain
Expert says it's ‘deeply concerning’ China produces 95 percent of the world’s shipping containers A recent report from the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) showed that China’s control of global container manufacturing poses a threat to supply chains and...
Global supply chain disruption to continue into 2023
Global supply chain disruption is set to last at least another 12 months, and could run through all of 2023, according to Toll Group Managing Director Thomas Knudsen. Marcus Hand | Apr 12, 2022 Speaking to Seatrade Maritime News last week during...
Carriers Diverting Shanghai Shipments as COVID Lockdown Continues
Carriers are diverting and refusing Shanghai shipments as the backlog continues (file photo) PUBLISHED APR 15, 2022 12:11 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Three weeks into what was originally announced as a lockdown for a few days in Shanghai, China’s government has...
Vietnam Plans $1.5B Investment to Build National Shipping Line
Vietnam plans to build a national container shipping operation first in Asia and then global to combat supply chain disruptions (Vietnam Maritime Administration) PUBLISHED APR 15, 2022 6:55 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Vietnam is planning the launch of a national...
Shanghai lockdown: lines divert reefer containers, services
Container lines are diverting reefer shipments and some vessel calls at Shanghai as congestion worsens at the port due to the prolonged Covid lockdown in the city. Marcus Hand | Apr 11, 2022 As the Shanghai lockdown moves into its third week a severe shortage of...
Container shipping at the crossroads: The big unwind or party on?
Some indexes show falling trans-Pacific rates but signals still mixed Is faltering consumer demand curbing imports, allowing port congestion to finally ease, releasing container-ship capacity and causing ocean spot rates to sink? Is this the beginning of “the big...
Maersk setting up cargo airline
AP Moller-Maersk is launching a cargo airline as the top the container lines continue to expand their logistics and multimodal offerings. Marcus Hand | Apr 08, 2022 Maersk Air Cargo will be based out of Billund, the second largest airport in Denmark and will...
World’s First Ammonia-Powered VLCC on Track for 2025 Launch
Agreement calls for the first ammonia-fueled VLCC to enter service before the end of 2925 (MSIC/AET file photo) PUBLISHED APR 4, 2022 8:01 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE Just two years after announcing plans for a joint development project to explore ammonia-fueled...
Shanghai lockdown extended, cargo moved by sea to beat trucking restrictions
Shanghai has extended its lockdown and the world’s largest container port has taken using more river and sea transport to bring boxes to terminals. Marcus Hand, Katherine Si | Apr 01, 2022 The two-phase lockdown was supposed to end on Friday in the east of...
Back to the Future
The race to decarbonize global shipping is in full stride with a multitude of proposed solutions. They’re today’s answer to “putting wind back in the sails.” Many leading shipping companies are planning to gradually transition to zero-carbon vessels, like Maersk's...
Manila International Container Terminal to Get a New Terminal
International Container Terminal Services Inc. is set to construct a berth in the Manila International Container Terminal to increase its capacity in anticipation of increased demand. The new berth, “Berth 8”, will serve Megamax ships with a maximum capacity...
Plan in place to refloat Ever Forward
Salvors have put together a plan to refloat the containership aground outside Baltimore Port, Ever Forward, according to an update from Evergreen. Gary Howard | Mar 18, 2022 Evergreen has appointed salvor Donjon Smit to the vessel, and after multiple underwater...
War in Ukraine will push Asia – Europe rail cargo back to sea
Ukraine – Russia conflict could see 1.5m containers shipped by rail between Asia and Europe rerouted to ocean shipping driving up freight rates yet further, warns UNCTAD. A report by UNCTAD on the trade and development impact of the war in Ukraine highlighted that...
IMO seeks safe corridor for ships and crew from Ukraine conflict
An IMO Extraordinary Council Session held at the end of last week on the impact on seafarers and shipping in the Black Sea and the Sea of Avoz from the conflict in Ukraine stated it “deplored the attacks of the Russian Federation aimed at commercial vessels, their...
LA/Long Beach queue set to max out again
The queue of vessels outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is set to start growing again, according to a Sea-Intelligence report. Gary Howard | Mar 10, 2022 Using the fourth quarter of 2021 as a baseline, Sea-Intelligence modelled the cumulative change...
China to reduce port charges from April
China’s Ministry of Transport and National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued notice to reduce port charges starting from 1 April. Katherine Si | Mar 04, 2022 Implementing a decision by an executive meeting of the State Council’s to reduce and...
Repsol and Navantia to develop solutions for decarbonising shipping
Repsol and Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop solutions to decarbonise maritime transport. Michele Labrut | Mar 04, 2022 The aim is to develop solutions in line with the greenhouse gas...
Local News
Singapore Endures More Port Delays as 90% of Container Ships Arrive Late
Congestion at the Port of Singapore has gotten so bad that 90 percent of container ships are arriving at the site later than scheduled, Singapore’s transport minister Chee Hong Tat told the country’s parliament on Tuesday. According to Chee, 77 percent...
SKDS Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 – subsidy refund applications open July 1, says finance ministry
The Malaysian government will begin accepting applications for subsidy refunds for recipients of the subsidised diesel control system 2.0 (SKDS 2.0) from July 1, the ministry of finance has announced. The SKDS 2.0 subsidy facility is offered exclusively...
Transport minister announces RM10m allocation to boost seafarer skills and knowledge
GEORGE TOWN, June 29 — The government, through the Skill Development Fund Corporation (PTPK), is allocating RM10 million this year for seafarers to improve their knowledge and skills, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook. He said this reflected the...
JOHOR-SINGAPORE CAUSEWAY AT 100: MOMENTOUS YET MUNDANE
he land connection that links Singapore to Johor is now one hundred years old. The Causeway has had an eventful century, as it witnessed the passing of the steamship era, survived the travails of World War II, and accompanied both Malaysia and Singapore to...
Malaysia seizes 106 illegal e-waste containers
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has seized 106 containers of dangerous electronic waste over the last three months and busted an illegal waste import syndicate after a tip-off from a watchdog group, a minister said. Tens of millions of tons of e-waste are produced globally...
Malaysia’s Johor starts coastal clean-up following reported spread from Singapore oil spill
INGAPORE: Johor has started coastal clean-ups and activated coastal patrols and monitoring activities in Kota Tinggi district following an oil spill in Singapore last week that released around 400 tones of fuel into the sea. Clean-ups began on Friday (Jun 21) morning...
Anthony Loke says robust maritime industry will boost Malaysia’s economic growth, security
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — A robust maritime industry not only bolsters economic growth but will ensure Malaysia’s ability to protect its interests and respond effectively to emergencies, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said that emphasising and expanding the...
Malaysia lacks professionals in quantum computing
KUALA LUMPUR: Challenges such as high costs, specialised maintenance requirements, limited local infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled professionals in quantum computing are holding Malaysia back. Nanotechnologist and Asia Pacific University of Technology and...
Malaysia To Construct Its First AI-Driven Container Port on West Coast
Malaysia is set to construct a state-of-the-art container port along the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, facing the busy Strait of Malacca. Valued at an estimated $425 million, this new port will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational...
Malaysia-China JV wins RM209mil Miri Port job
KUCHING: A joint venture (JV) between Malaysian and Chinese companies has been awarded a RM208.9mil contract to dredge the access shipping channel to Miri Port terminal and construct training bunds in the Batang Baram Delta. Rimbun Prima Sdn Bhd and China...
Malaysia welcomes US firms, not sanctions, amid chips push. ‘We have an edge’: Anwar
Let the US impose all the unilateral sanctions it wants in its tech war with China, ‘we are free to do what we like’, Malaysia’s PM says Malaysia will not abide by US tech sanctions on China if it involves companies that do not come under Washington’s...
3 factors causing prolonged congestion at Singapore’s port
Global congestion raised container prices in Singapore by 26% since October. Congestion at the Port of Singapore will persist through June and possibly beyond due to three key factors, including the country’s increased container throughput. Data from Germany-based...
Malaysia to build port near Kuala Lumpur amid supply chain shift
KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia will build a new container port along the western coast of the Malay Peninsula facing the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, as the country prepares to capture logistics demand created by global supply chain shifts. The...
Malaysia’s diesel subsidy removal fuels inflation fears
The government will save billions of ringgit every year. But what about worried restaurants, tour bus operators and others? Fears are mounting in Malaysia that everything from eating out to domestic holidays will become more expensive as the cost of an...
Malaysia moving to join BRICS PM
Kuala Lumpur has made its decision, Anwar Ibrahim has said Malaysia has decided to apply for BRICS membership and will start filing the official paperwork soon, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said. The 77-year-old leader of the Southeast Asian nation mentioned the...
East and Southeast Asian Ports Dominate 2023 Global Container Port Performance Index
The latest edition of the Global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) shows East and Southeast Asian ports leading the pack in 2023, with 13 out of the top 20 spots. The fourth iteration of the CPPI, developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market...
Anthony Loke to lead delegation to China for 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke is leading a delegation to visit Hong Kong and China from June 6 to 9 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. He will attend the Official 50th...
Malaysia aims to showcase 40 5G private network use cases
The government of Malaysia said there are currently 12 enterprise projects involving 5G trials across various sectors Malaysia plans to present at least 40 5G private network use cases in sectors such as manufacturing, oil and gas, logistics and healthcare, ahead of...
Malaysia cuts diesel subsidies, with hopes that handouts will cushion inflation impact
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will cut diesel subsidies and float retail prices to the market rate of RM3.35 per litre, an increase of about 55 per cent from RM2.15, starting from June 10. The move, however, will not have much impact on the country’s inflation rate –...
As shipping supply chains are interrupted by wars, how is Southeast Asia faring?
D isruptions to shipping supply chains are being felt globally due to the conflict in Gaza and related attacks on ships by Houthi militias, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but they are not the only tension points stressing global sea lanes. Southeast Asian...